Thursday 3rd July
Read Nahum 1:9-10
“Whatever they plot against the Lord
he will bring to an end;
trouble will not come a second time.
10 They will be entangled among thorns
and drunk from their wine;
they will be consumed like dry stubble.” (NIVUK)
These lines are notoriously difficult to translate. The purpose of translation is to capture the sense and intention of the original language as closely as possible. Our translation has removed the question in the original Hebrew. A perfectly valid translation would be ‘What do you ponder concerning Yahweh?’ (v9a). Given what we have just read it seems like a very reasonable question indeed!
Nahum has expounded the just and righteous anger of Yahweh in language that makes most terribly uncomfortable. All of us who would begin sentences with ‘I like to think that God is…’ are strongly challenged by Nahum’s song. It is uncompromising. It is captured well by the finality of the end God will bring to those who oppose Him (v9b). When the hammer comes down there will be no need for a second blow. They will be unable to escape (entangled), unable to resist (enfeebled) and unable to survive (consumed) (v10).
The finality of these terrible words can’t help but draw us to Jesus’ final words…
What do you ponder concerning Yahweh?
