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Beautiful Feet, Beautiful Message
Nahum
The sequel to the famous book of Jonah is the short book of Nahum. Nahum was written 100 years after Jonah recorded the mercy of God in rescinding His judgment on the people of Nineveh. The three chapters of Nahum record God’s judgment on the city of Nineveh a century later. Nineveh was proud of her invulnerable city, with her walls reaching 100 feet high and with a moat 150 feet wide and 60 feet deep. 1 These seemingly insurmountable barriers to their city would not protect them from the imminent wrath of God (1:12a). In fact, verse 8 tells us that Nineveh would be destroyed by a massive flood, and in 612 B.C., the Tigris River flooded over the walls of the city and the Babylonians used the impact of this disaster to overwhelm them.
In the first chapter of the book, Nahum addresses two subjects: God’s justice and power (1:1-8), and the overthrow of the Assyrians (9-15). 2 One of the most well known texts in this chapter is found in the final verse:
[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]2 Behold, upon the mountains, the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace! Keep your feasts, O Judah; fulfill your vows, for never again shall the worthless pass through you; he is utterly cut off. Nahum 1:15[/perfectpullquote]
The words of the herald (Him who brings good news) in Nahum 1:15, make it obvious that true victory is firmly in the grasp of the people of God. 3 The second message of the herald makes it clear that all oppression has ended, and peace is on its way.
In the middle part of the verse, “Keep your feasts, O Judah; fulfill your vows . . . ,” God commands the people of Judah to refocus on the festivals that were a vital part of their relationship with God, but were cancelled because of the oppression of the Assyrians. These festivals were a time of gratitude and worship for the nation. God also challenged them to fulfill their vows. When God expressed that the festivals must begin again and that they must keep there vows he was emphasizing the call to holiness that was a vital priority for the nation in the restorative process. (Psalm 15) God promised that the oppression of the enemy will never again affect them, and that the aggressor would be destroyed. How exciting must this have been for those who read these words as they lived in bondage!
One of my favorite professors used to have us read a passage in the Bible and then explain what it meant. It was pretty intimidating to stand before the class and share what you thought a passage was saying and then take questions. After the prof was happy with the amount of questions we had endured, he would shout the words, “So What?” When we heard these words we knew that we all needed to have an application of the text ready for him. He was asking, “How does this text apply to your lives?” Nahum 1:5, is a verse of celebration, the oppressor has been defeated, and now the people of God can exhale after years of bondage. Today, those in the bondage of sin can also experience redemption through the power of God in a relationship with Jesus. That is the good news! The good news of redemption for all people because of the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross.
We have the privilege of proclaiming the good news of the gospel to the nations. Sometimes, I think about that when we interview missionaries serving all over the globe, or I look at our church YouTube channel realizing that someone may hear the good news for the first time listening to one of the sermons. What a privilege it is for us as believers in Jesus to live in true freedom, proclaim peace to a world in chaos, and celebrate our reconciliation with God through His Son, Jesus Christ.
So, my challenge for you today is to take your “beautiful feet” and walk up to someone and tell them that God loves them. Be a bearer of the message that transforms lives, brings peace to the troubled, and leads to a life-long relationship with a holy God. Use your “Beautiful Feet” to share a “Beautiful Message!”
-Pastor Chuck Reed
1. The Macarthur Study Bible, Introduction to Nahum, Thomas Nelson, 1309.
2. Mark Water, Key Word Commentary, AMG Publishers, 896.
3. In Acts 10:36, Luke records Peter alluding to this verse as he preaches to Cornelius’ household. His sermon focuses on the equality of all people in Christ. His main point is that peace for all people in this world can only be found in Jesus Christ! In Romans10:15, Paul quotes the verse to make the point that the gospel message taught with power and precision will always precede authentic saving faith.
