THE title which I have given to this sermon may seem unreal. How can God show goodness to those who do evil. The truth is, as I pointed out at the beginning of the previous sermon, that all the actions of God are good, even his acts of judgement and punishment on the wicked and unbelieving. His goodness here is the upholding his righteousness and holiness and his purity. His goodness is expressed in the expulsion of all that tarnishes his glory and goodness. To those who truly trust in Him, God shows his goodness in blessing; to those who tarnish his glory God shows his goodness in cleansing and purification.

God in his goodness overthrows evil in his righteousness, evil in all its forms. Evil is encapsulated in idolatry in all its forms and expressions. Nineveh is a picture of such evil. Verses 19-14 which we are considering in this sermon are a development and opening up of the words of verse 8. These verses express three things concerning God's action in the presence of evil. Firstly, evil is exposed and revealed in these verses. Secondly, evil is shown to be expelled by God in his righteousness. Thirdly, we are told how God overcomes evil in this evil world.

EVIL EXPOSED.

These verses before us expose evil. For the time of Nahum God exposes evil in Nineveh, but as we read and meditate on this exposing of evil in Nineveh, we are able to realise how it encompasses very much evil at all times, not least in our present time. This is why the Scriptures are so relevant for us today.

The main thing which these verses expose concerning evil is that it is plotting against the Lord. This is expressed in verse 9 where we read 'Whatever they plot against the Lord'. This is expressed particularly in the case of Nineveh where we read 'From you, O Nineveh, has one come forth who plots evil against the Lord'. Then in verse 12 we are told this leader in evil has numerous allies. Then lastly we are told in verse 14 the focus of this plotting against the Lord is in the creation of carved images and idols placed in Nineveh's temple to these gods represented by these idols.

These verses focus our attention on the heart of plotting against the Lord, which is to raise up worship of gods opposed to God. When we read in verse 11 that there is one who is at the centre of this plotting against the Lord, we are able to appreciate that such a leader opposes God by turning people away from allegiance, faith and obedience to God to allegiance, faith and obedience to idols. We may well notice the plurality of idols. In verse 14 it is not an idol that is mentioned but images and idols and gods that are plotting against the Lord and turning people away from God. God has revealed himself as one, and the only God. Those who plot against the one true and living God, point people to many idols. This plurality of gods are created to satisfy all the different propensities for worship residing in fallen and sinful human hearts.

We must peep behind the scenes if we are to appreciate what is being exposed here. When in verse 11 we are told that there is one coming forth from Nineveh who plots evil against God, it shows us the activity of Satan behind the scenes. He comes forth, and he acts on a prominent figure in Nineveh, being a man who is subject to him, who then promotes the devils agenda in Nineveh. This is the way of Satan in the world, and in every part of the world. He acts on prominent leaders to whom he is their god, and through them activates a program, plotting, against God. Satan is at the heart of all opposition against God.

Then let us understand what is exposed here of evil. The heart of evil, this plotting against God, is the raising of idols. Through such idols, in whatever form they come, Satan is able to produce and promote his agenda in the world. In the godless this agenda is crude which creates in the heart of human beings the idea that they are right in indulging whatever their fallen sinful nature desires. The next step which Satan employs is to satisfy humanities craving for the worship of something by creating many and various forms of idol worship.

The more subtle expression of this is expressed in the visible church in the exalting of human wisdom above the Word of God which allows religious men and women to decide from the Bible what they deem to be the truth about God and what is not. This allows the rejection of all the truth about God which God has revealed in the Bible which does not accord with their human wisdom. By this means many and various idols are created by human wisdom as there are people trusting in their own wisdom.

Here we see the cleverness of Satan. He is not bothered by the diversity, which is so contradictory, as long as he gets humanity to bow down to him, by which he causes them to plot against the Lord. From this he causes humanity to depart from the ways of the Lord, and follow what their wisdom desires, and so bring evil to flourish more and more. As long as he creates disobedience against God, even in some small way, and so capture the allegiance of human beings he is content. Small sins will damn a soul as completely as huge sins. In this way Satan sets up his kingdom against God. This is what is exposed in these verse we are meditating in Nahum chapter 1.

EVIL EXPELLED.

These verses tells us how God will expel evil and those who plot against him. In verse 9 we are told that God will bring such plotters to an end, and there will be no second chance. Then the prophet describes this action on the part of God as entangling the plotters with thorns, and causing them to be consumed like fire destroying dry stubble. Then in verse 12 we are told all those who follow Satan and plot against the Lord, will be cut off and pass away. Then in verse 14 the completeness of this action of God is explained in the work of God to put down Satan under his feet, and destroy all idolatry wherever it is found.

When we look out on our world this action of God seems far away, and instead Satan appears flourishing. But it would be unwise to think that the action of God in judgement and punishment so described in these verses is all a fantasy. With regard to Nineveh it most surely happened, and this city was finally destroyed. Then we have examples in the Bible of this action of God in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah; again in the destruction of the world in the days of Noah; and again in the exile for 70 years of the people of Israel; and again in the destruction of Jerusalem when Titus sacked Jerusalem in AD 70. All down history God has acted in catastrophic ways, floods, volcanoes, plagues, etc. which can be seen as God's action of judgement in our world. These are rightly called actions of God. What we need to take to heart is that they are examples of God's final judgement on the world when Christ returns. In the apostles creed which we recite so often in our church worship we declare our belief that Christ will come from heaven one day to judge the living and the dead, which is in accord with the Bible testimony that Christ will return to wind up the affairs of the world, where the righteous will be exalted to glory, and the followers of Satan and idols will be cast into everlasting punishment. This is the direct testimony of God in Matthew 25: 46 where we read 'Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.

The Bible makes clear that God is almighty and God is holy as well as love, so it is folly to believe our human wisdom and deny that God does and will eventually expel all evil, and so set up his righteous and holy world where the redeemed by Christ will reside with forever.

EVIL OVERCOME.

While we wait for God's judgement on those who plot against him, we are given in these verses the words of promise of evil being overcome.

This is expressed firstly in verse 12b and 13 where Nahum tells Judah that God who afflicted them with his judgement will do so no more, and that he will break the yoke of those who oppress them, and tear their shackles from them. Then in verse 15 Nahum is inspired to tell Judah that there was one coming bringing good news, and proclaiming peace, and who would bring peace by working new life in Judah so that they could fulfil their vows to God. This is a repetition of the words put into the mouth of Isaiah in Isaiah 52: 7 where we read 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion “Your God reigns!”'

No doubt Nahum had a very clouded understanding of how these words he had been inspired to declare would be expressed, and no doubt this was similar in the mind of Isaiah, but they believed it and looked forward to it with trust and confidence. It was given as a message of hope and comfort to Judah as they faced the words of judgement and action of God. Though the judgement of God on the idolaters in Nineveh, and the subjugation of Judah were facts in the time of Nahum, yet, as there always is, there existed a faithful remnant in Judah, as there is a faithful remnant in the church, even when the church as become wholly given to idolatry.

In the time of Nahum this prophesy in part was fulfilled by the raising up of Ezra and Nehemiah, who were led by God to lead the faithful remnant in exile back to Jerusalem, firstly to rebuild the temple, and then to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, which was indicative of the raising up of true religion again. But for us who are faithful to the Scriptures it can be seen as a prophecy of the coming of Christ at Bethlehem, so be the Saviour of sinners, which God promised as far back as Genesis 3, when Adam's sin plunged the world under the dominion of Satan. Jesus came with the true and effective message of peace and good news, and to work a work of all-sufficient salvation for all those given him by the Father for eternal salvation in the heavenly glory to be revealed at the proper time.

For all of us who have been granted the gift of true repentance and faith in Jesus as our Lord, God and Saviour the words of Nahum resonate with the conviction of our hearts. Jesus gave this peace to his disciples and to us, where through his mighty work of redemption in his dying on the cross to be the propitiation for our sins, we have peace with God. Our sin is covered by the garment of Christ's righteous. Our guilt is taken away and we know and experience the truth of Paul's declaration in Romans 8: 1 where we read 'Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death'. Then later it resonates in our experience when Paul declares in Romans 8: 14ff these words 'Because whose who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you slaves again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God. Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his suffering in order that we may also share in his glory'.