National Security?

     Nahum prophesied about Assyria and specifically Assyria’s capital city, Nineveh. The book is a sort of “sequel” to Jonah. About a hundred years before Nahum Nineveh had repented through the reluctant preaching of Jonah. By the time Nahum arrived on the scene things in Nineveh had gotten so bad that God had determined it was time for them to suffer one of the terrible “days of the Lord.”

     A wicked nation suffering God’s vengeful judgment (Nahum 1:2) is certainly not unique to Nahum. We can read of the prophets delivering God’s message of judgment to Edom, Philistia, Moab, Babylon, Egypt, and many others. In the case of Nahum’s prophesy, God seems to take special care to point out that it was when Assyria was as her strongest that He would see her humbled. Nahum 1:12-13 says, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Though they are at full strength and many, they will be cut down and pass away. Though I have afflicted you, I will afflict you no more. And now I will break his yoke from off you and will burst your bonds apart.”

     Truly Assyria was as strong as they were only because God permitted it. Though Assyria had destroyed Israel and provided a constant threat to Judah, God wanted His people to know that He was using that wicked nation as a chastening rod. When Assyrian iniquity became complete God broke Assyria’s yoke from off Judah’s neck and burst their bonds apart. The point I want us to get is this: there was nothing Assyria could do about it.

     Take a moment to read Nahum 2 (only 13 verses). Did you see listed all that Nineveh trusted in? Their walls were strong, their soldiers were mighty, their chariots were many, their officers were skilled, and their wealth was immense. They were described as lions! Yet verse 13 makes the one statement that rendered all of Assyria’s assets useless—“Behold, I am against you, declares the Lord of hosts.”

     Friends, when God is against a nation there is no such thing as national security. Nineveh’s wall could have stood a mile high, all of her soldiers could have stood as tall as Goliath, gold and precious metals could have filled the streets for lack of space to store it, all of her allies could have stood at the gates, her chariots could have numbered in the millions with the most skillful soldiers to man them, all of her horses could have been of the finest stock, and every nation could have trembled in terror beholding her. Yet the simple fact that she made God her enemy doomed her and all she trusted in for her security was as useless as a miniscule whisper of wind against a mighty oak. Because Nineveh’s security was not based upon God Nineveh was not secure at all.

     “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stay awake in vain” (Psalm 127:1). Friends, where is your security? Upon what do you base your trust? Jehovah prompted Nineveh to keep her trust where it had been and see the result. In Nahum 3:14 He says, “Draw water for the siege; strengthen your forts; go into the clay; tread the mortar; take hold of the brick mold!”  She had always trusted in her provisions and the strength of her city. Jehovah urged her to keep it up. Grab some water, gather the material to make bricks, and just keep strengthening that wall.  Surely no one could reach them! Verse 15 says, “There will the fire devour you; the sword will cut you off.  It will devour you like the locust.” 

     Nineveh’s national security was an illusion, nothing more. She rejected true security and was destroyed because of it. Her destruction was so thorough, so complete, that the location of that once majestic city was not discovered until 1842. Such is the “security” of those who reject God.      

"Let Us Make"

     In Genesis 1:26 we read, “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.  And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 

     In Genesis 11:3-4 we read, “And they said to one another, ‘Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.’  And they had brick for stone and bitumen for mortar.  The they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.”

     After God made man He blessed him and told him to “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it” (1:28). This command was repeated to Noah and his sons after the land dried enough for them to leave the ark (Genesis 9:1). One reason God created man was for him to fill the entire earth and subdue it.

     By Genesis 11 we see man deciding that he did not like God’s command and choosing to do the exact opposite of what God had said. God told man to fill the earth and subdue it. Man responded that he did not want to be dispersed across the whole earth but would rather make a name for himself. God said go. Man said, “Not only will I not go, I am going to build a great city and dwell there.” God said fill the earth. Man said, “Not only will I not fill the earth, I’m going to build a massive tower that reaches up into the heavens.” God said subdue the earth. Man said, “Not only will I not subdue the earth, I will locate in a single place and make a great name for myself in the process.” When God said, “Let us make,” He did so for the purpose of creating man and blessing him tremendously. When men said, “Let us make,” he did so in rebellion against God with a selfish arrogance and a desire to become great.

     God says many things today and receives a similar response from men, often even His own people.  God says, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). Man says, “No. He got himself into this mess and he can get himself out.” God says, “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger” (Galatians 4:26). Man says, “No. He upset me in the past and I’ll hold a grudge against him for years to come.” God says, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted…” (Galatians 4:32). Man says, “No. I don’t have time for the needs and feelings of others.” God says, “Consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together… (Hebrews 10:24-25). Man says, “No. There are times when I’d just rather do other things.” God says, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men” (Colossians 3:23). Man says, “No. I don’t like the person employing me so I’ll show him by doing lazy, shoddy work.” God says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…” (Colossians 3:16a). Man says, “No. I’d rather fill my heart with the things of the world.” 

     We each offer our own “Let us make” statements every day of our lives. Through our thoughts and actions we say, “Let us make ourselves according to the desires and wishes of God, conforming more to the example of His Son”, or “Come, let us make ourselves more like the world we inhabit. Let its values and passions become our own.” This is part of the process of working out our own salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12).  Or…not.

     Man has the liberty to tell God “no” during this life. If that’s his choice then God will answer in kind when that man pleads for Heaven (Romans 2:6-8). But God made man specifically to bless and save him. Let us make ourselves the kind of people in whom our God delights (Psalm 1:1-3).                 

I Don't Always Understand

     We truly are but a single phone call from our knees, aren’t we? Just a little more than an hour ago my mother called. The moment I picked it up I could hear her broken, ragged breathing and knew what was coming. Through the tears she managed to tell me that Rachel’s cancer has spread into the lymph nodes. The worst case scenario has become the reality. I must be honest and tell you that I did not initially feel anything. For the first time in my life I learned exactly what people mean when they say they just went numb.

     As I think about it, this has not been the only first in my life since Jackie and I moved here less than six months ago. For the first time in my life I have experienced what it is like to have absolutely no control over the situations I have found myself and my family in. For the first time I know by experience what it means to be absolutely helpless to alleviate or fix the circumstances around me. In the short time that we have been here I have been in Central Baptist Hospital more than I have been in any hospital in my entire life. Jackie, struggling with what her doctor says is the worst case of hyperemesis gravidarum she has ever seen, has been admitted into Central Baptist multiple times since we’ve been here because it was simply impossible for her to keep anything down. I have watched her struggle to lift her head as she literally wasted away on the hospital bed. I have watched an entire team of nurses struggle to insert a needle in her arm because her dehydration was so severe that they could not find a vein. I did not tell her or anyone else, but it was killing me to stand by unable to do a thing to help. When she slept, I cried in the seat next to her bed.

     Jackie is not the only member of our small family making frequent trips to the hospital and doctors office. Alexander’s allergies are getting worse and his reactions more varied. His every cough causes the two of us to freeze in our tracks. No matter how diligent we are in seeing to it that the things he reacts to are out of his reach, he somehow finds a way to get into something. The emergency room doctor said it best when she said, “You live with a terrifying child.” Nothing is as terrifying as watching your child vomiting, breaking out in hives, swelling, and struggling to breathe as he stares at you wondering what is going on and why you’re not stopping it. Nothing makes you feel more helpless. These past few months I have physically felt as bad as I ever have in my life. I have been taxed emotionally more than I have at any point in my life. It is all because of the worry and stress arising from circumstances of which I have no control.     

     I was on the phone with my father a few minutes after talking to my mother. He broke down before he could get through everything he was trying to tell me. At that point I did another thing that I have never done before. I closed my eyes and asked God a single question. Why? Rachel is only 28 years old, recently married, and pregnant with her first child. Why is my little sister having to face this disease which her doctor told her was potentially fatal? Why must her husband, a brand new Christian, have such a test to his faith so early on? Why must my parents, who have come through years of emotional battles within the church, be forced to face this now? Why are the one’s that I love the most in this life, whom I would give anything and everything for, having to suffer while I am forced to stand by and watch? Why has all control been taken away from me? 

     Then it hit me right between the eyes. Control was never mine to begin with. “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered” Matthew 10:29-30. No, brethren; I don’t know why all of these things have happened in such a short amount of time to the people that I love the very most. I do not know if God was seeking to teach me that I am not in control of every circumstance and that there are times when I will simply have to trust in Him and His mercy. Regardless, I have learned it and I thank my God for teaching me.

     I don’t know what is going to happen with my sister from here on out. My prayer, and the prayer of thousands, was that Rachel be completely cancer free. That was not God’s plan and I don’t understand. Then again, I don’t have to, do I? It is mine to trust Him. Whatever decision He makes is the right one and I will rejoice in it. The following days will be difficult one’s for my family. They will be very difficult for me and I ask your understanding if I do not appear myself. However, these last few months have been wonderful months for me and I anticipate the next few will as well. My faith and reliance on God has grown ten-fold. Even when the tears start flowing, especially when the tears start flowing, I hear that whisper in my ear: “Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

     Five years after the writing of this article Rachel is cancer free, Jaclyn and our 3 beautiful children are doing wonderfully, and our entire family is has grown in faith and trust. We serve an awesome God. Never forget it!