“The oracle of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite. A jealous and avenging God is the Lord; The Lord is avenging and wrathful. The Lord takes vengeance on His adversaries, And He reserves wrath for His enemies.” (Nahum 1:1-2, NASB)
Three characteristics of God are given in this passage. Then the passage tells us who those characteristics are acted upon.
We are told that God is jealous, avenging, and wrathful. These are not things you are likely to find on a Christian postcard or in a church vision statement. However, they are just as true of God as His love, mercy, and grace. In fact, it is impossible to understand the grace and love of God without His vengeance and wrath.
God is jealous. To be jealous of someone is to desire what they have. To be jealous for someone or something is to desire that person or thing. To be jealous is not necessarily a sin. We should be jealous! (See Numbers 25:10-13) Sin occurs when our jealousy is ours and not God’s. God is jealous, above all, for His own glory. And as a means of His glorification, He is jealous for His own people. He will not trade His glory for anything. He will not abandon His elect. And His elect will glorify Him.
God is avenging. This is God’s justice. No sin will go unpunished. No wrong will go without being reckoned. How do we know what is wrong? God’s jealousy for His glory lays the foundation. That is why it is listed first. God does not rely upon human courts and systems in order to inform His justice. He created everything. He set everything in order. He gave the light of nature and His commandments to show us how we must live. To live otherwise makes us guilty in the highest court before the highest Judge; the One who never fails to avenge.
God is wrathful. He is the judge, but He is also the executioner. Those who are found guilty are sentenced to His wrath. His perfect justice demands the perfect execution of His wrath upon every sin and sinner. If He excuses even one “small” infraction, He denies His own justice and forsakes His glory. It is impossible for God to excuse sin.
The passage goes on to tell us who these characteristics are acted upon; the adversaries and enemies of God. Of course, all have sinned and are therefore at enmity with God. However, in verse 7 we find that “He knows those who take refuge in Him.” The Lord’s wrath and perfect justice is poured out on all transgressions, but for those who take refuge in Christ it was absorbed by Him on the cross.
We all desire punishment for the wicked and grace for our own wickedness. We all watch the horrors of wickedness in the world and long for God to do something about it. But we all wish for God to be gracious to the wickedness in our own lives. The gospel gives us both.
When you see the wickedness around you today, remember God will bring it to perfect justice. When you experience the wickedness in your own heart, remember it is by grace you have been saved. That justice has already been poured out on the cross.