Nahum 1:7-8 - Homiletics

Consolation in God.

I. IN HIS LOVE . "The Lord is good."

1 . Revealed in his Word.

2 . Attested by his works.

3 . Experienced by his saints. From the beginning of time downwards, good men have been partakers of, and delighted to bear testimony to, the goodness of God, saying, like David, "The Lord is my Shepherd," etc. ( Psalms 23:1 ); "He hath dealt bountifully with me" ( Psalms 13:6 ); confessing, like Solomon, "There hath not failed one word of all his good promise" ( 1 Kings 8:56 ); acknowledging, like Jacob, "He hath fed me all my life long unto this day" ( Genesis 48:15 ).

4 . Illustrated by his Son. The highest, clearest, and fullest evidence that God is good was furnished by Jesus Christ, who was good in himself ( John 10:11 ), and went about continually doing good ( Acts 10:38 ).

II. IN HIS POWER . "He is a Stronghold in the day of trouble."

1 . Accessible.

2 . Impregnable. This inevitable, considering what kind of a fortress it is—Divine, and by what munitions it is guarded, the royal battalion of the Divine attributes, by Jehovah's omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, faithfulness, wisdom, holiness, love, Against this manifestly no weapon can prevail. "Mine omnipotency shall be your guard. I am God Almighty, your Almighty Protector, your Almighty Benefactor. What though your enemies are many? More are they that are with you than they that are against you; for I am with you. What though they are mighty? they are not almighty," etc..

3 . Sufficient. Every succour the soul needs in its day of trouble is found in God, and found oomph rely—for the soul's guilt, pardon ( Isaiah 1:16 ; Isaiah 43:25 ); for its pollution, cleansing ( Ezekiel 36:25 ); for its anxiety, peace ( Isaiah 26:3 ; Matthew 11:28 ); for its weakness, strength ( Isaiah 45:24 ); for its darkness, light ( Psalms 118:27 ; 1 Peter 2:9 ; 1 John 1:5 ); for its death, life ( Isaiah 25:8 ; Romans 4:17 ).

III. IN HIS KNOWLEDGE . "He knoweth them that put their trust in him." He knoweth them:

1 . Collectively. All that belong to the body of his believing people he exactly and always knows, so that he can think and speak of them as his people ( Isaiah 32:18 ; 2 Timothy 2:19 ), as Christ does of those who are his ( John 10:14 ).

2 . Individually. Not in the mass merely, but separately and singly, he knows them ( 2 Samuel 7:20 ; Psalms 139:1 ; 1 Corinthians 8:3 , Hebrews 4:13 ), as Christ also calls his own sheep by name ( John 10:3 ).

3 . Thoroughly.

4 . Efficiently. Different from the wicked, whom he knows afar off ( Psalms 138:6 ), i.e. as persons estranged from and hostile to him elf, them that put their trust in him he knows appreciatively and helpfully, so as to love, cherish, protect, and assist them. "Though the Lord be-high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly"—to their persons to love them, to their characters to admire them, to their wants to supply them, to their souls to save them.

CONCLUSION . Note:

1 . The characters of those for whom this consolation exists—they put their trust in God. Remark upon the simplicity and efficacy of faith.

2 . The evil fate of them who, being destitute of faith, are his enemies—they shall be destroyed by an overrunning flood, their habitations swept away, their persons engulfed, their hopes disappointed, their projects defeated, their ambitions scattered to the winds; they shall be pursued by (or into) darkness (see next homily).