His way is in the whirlwind and the storm
Nahum 1:3 - Nahum reminds us the truth of the Bible: the righteous will be rewarded, and the wicked will be punished.
“The Lord is slow to anger but great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished. His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet.”
Nahum 1:3 NIV
Eventually, if Barb and I are able to continue our daily devotionals for a few more decades, we will have (hopefully) covered every verse in the Bible. I was surprised today to have God pick a verse from the minor prophet Nahum the Elkoshite. That descriptor for Nahum appears to be telling us that he came from a town named “Elkosh”.
Some scholars believe that may have been Capernaum, the same town in north Galilee that figures so prominently in the New Testament. However, the Wikipedia entry on Capernaum states that “Kfar Naḥum, the original name of the town, means ‘village of comfort’ in Hebrew, and apparently there is no connection with the prophet named Nahum.”
Nahum’s prophecies had one focus — God’s anger against Nineveh, an Assyrian city (located at Mosul in modern day Iraq) that features prominently in the Book of Jonah and is mentioned in Genesis 10:11-12. Nineveh was well-known for three things; being a very large city of its time; its wickedness, idolatry and worship of pagan gods; and its oppression of God’s people. The Lord wasn’t fond of Nineveh, and through His prophet Nahum He made it known to the population of the city that they were going to suffer.
Nahum begins this proclamation with the words “The Lord is slow to anger but great in power,” emphasizing God’s patience and omnipotence. God’s patience with the people of Nineveh isn’t indifference toward their sins; instead, it is showing that He always gives humanity the opportunity to repent. As for God’s power, we read throughout Scripture from Genesis to Revelation of His deeds, through creation of the universe to the miracles performed by Jesus in the New Testament. God’s power is capable of both creation and destruction, bringing sustaining and eternal life or meting out judgement.
If the people of Nineveh continue their evil ways, “the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished.” He will prevail! God is patient, He is just, and He demands accountability — sin without repentance always has consequences. This fact is emphasized in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” In many of the other prophetic messages in the Old Testament (Jeremiah and Isaiah, for example), individuals and even nations are made to account for their actions.
The next phrase, “His way is in the whirlwind and the storm,” is symbolic of God’s power over nature and how He is known to use that power to dole out punishment. God answers the long-suffering Job from a whirlwind (Job 38:1), and we’re all familiar with the flood in the story of Noah in Genesis 7 — God has total control over creation.
The verse ends with an allusion to God’s majesty; “and clouds are the dust of his feet.” In Exodus 13:21-22 God goes before Moses and the chosen people in a pillar of cloud.
Photo © 2022, Steven Sande.
Seeing a towering thunderhead like the one in this photo is awe-inspiring. Here Nahum shows that compared to God’s glory and mystery, even the most impressive storm cloud is but “dust”, a minuscule part of His creation.
As always, Old Testament prophecy usually points to the New Testament. In Matthew 24:30, Jesus tells His disciples of His return:
“And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.”
I found this to be odd — why would they mourn the coming of Jesus? Well, the unrepentant and unbelievers would certainly mourn, because they’ll finally understand that Jesus is not a myth, but the living God!
I don’t know when or if God will point me back to the prophecies of Nahum, but I think this verse is a powerful reminder that our actions have consequences. God is merciful, patient, and forgiving, but we cannot get away with our sins. Nahum reminds us the truth of the Bible: the righteous will be rewarded, and the wicked will be punished.
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Father in Heaven, I thank You for Your perfect mercy and justice. Help me to trust in Your timing, to not be impatient, and to rest in Your power. I know that You are slow to anger, and that You will parcel out Your judgement on the unrepentant sinner and the non-believer. Help me to bring Your message of redemption and salvation to more people so that they may be saved, and remind me to rely on Your strength and protection when times of trouble arise. I pray this in the name of Your Son and my Savior, Jesus Christ. AMEN.