December 6, 2008 - God's Judgment On Cruelty

Meditation on Nahum 3

The last sentence of this book summarizes the reason God describes His judgment on Nineveh so severely, "Everyone who hears the news about you claps his hands at your fall, for who has not felt your endless cruelty?" (NIV) The Assyrian empire had not only been salvaging all the nations around her, it had also been extremely cruel toward the nations she conquered. The vivid descriptions in the book of Nahum concerning the devastating condition Nineveh suffered were the same situation the Assyrians inflicted upon others.

The book of Hebrews tells us that God is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:29) He punished the unrepentant people in Nineveh because they were cruel, bloody and immoral. (v. 1-4)

When we looked at history, we see example of God's dealing of cruel nations. The Qin dynasty (秦朝) in China who built the great Wall was cruel. Probably many thousands of labors were buried beneath the Great Wall when it was built. That dynasty had destroyed vast amount of great treasures of ancient literature of China. And it did not last more than twenty some years after it unified China into one kingdom. Look at the rule of Stalin of Soviet Union. Millions of people were killed under him. His political rule was also twenty some years. How about Nazi Germany under Hitler, the powerful orator, dictator and murderers of million was defeated and committed suicide. Germany was divided for a number of years.

God does deal with the cruel people and revenge for His own saints in His own time.