Sermon – “Slow to Anger and Great in Power”

The burden against Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite. 2 God is jealous, and the LORD avenges; The LORD avenges and is furious. The LORD will take vengeance on His adversaries, And He reserves wrath for His enemies; 3 The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, And will not at all acquit the wicked. The LORD has His way In the whirlwind and in the storm, And the clouds are the dust of His feet. 4 He rebukes the sea and makes it dry, And dries up all the rivers. Bashan and Carmel wither, And the flower of Lebanon wilts. 5 The mountains quake before Him, The hills melt, And the earth heaves at His presence, Yes, the world and all who dwell in it. 6 Who can stand before His indignation? And who can endure the fierceness of His anger? His fury is poured out like fire, And the rocks are thrown down by Him. 7 The LORD is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him. 8 But with an overflowing flood He will make an utter end of its place, And darkness will pursue His enemies. 9 What do you conspire against the LORD? He will make an utter end of it. Affliction will not rise up a second time. 10 For while tangled like thorns, And while drunken like drunkards, They shall be devoured like stubble fully dried. 11 From you comes forth one Who plots evil against the LORD, A wicked counselor. 12 Thus says the LORD: “Though they are safe, and likewise many, Yet in this manner they will be cut down When he passes through. Though I have afflicted you, I will afflict you no more; 13 For now I will break off his yoke from you, And burst your bonds apart.” 14 The LORD has given a command concerning you: “Your name shall be perpetuated no longer. Out of the house of your gods I will cut off the carved image and the molded image. I will dig your grave, For you are vile.” 15 Behold, on the mountains The feet of him who brings good tidings, Who proclaims peace! O Judah, keep your appointed feasts, Perform your vows. For the wicked one shall no more pass through you; He is utterly cut off.

The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. 7 The sons of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabtechah; and the sons of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan. 8 Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD.” 10 And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 11 From that land he went to Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah, 12 and Resen between Nineveh and Calah (that is the principal city).

For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.

8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us

So I guess this is going to be my pre-election message today and you know it’s kind of that with the things that on the day I’m going to be speaking from that fake book of the Bible as David says Naomi how many can tell me what in a home is about anybody you know. All right. Say it’s only three short chapters and I don’t ask me how I got there but I did on vacation as this where the Lord lead me. That’s where we’re going today. I want to get there in a minute but you know what come Wednesday morning. No matter who gets elected. Guess what the sun still going to come up and God is still in control. Amen do I got a name and you’re right. Yes. Who is sovereign God a sovereign God a sovereign hazing control. So you know we’ve been bombarded for the last year and a half and we’ll just be glad when it’s over. But God is still in control. And God is slow to anger and great in power. That’s the title of my message today but I have a subtitle and it’s called the rest of the story and now the rest of the story and you’ll see where I go. You know I don’t know why I don’t know how or why but he did the Lord lead and pressed upon my heart the story in the events concerning that ancient city of Nineveh. And so I hopefully I can. I’ve been trying I’m on overload with information I hope I can get it all out and hope it makes sense. You know according to how this is archaeologists and those that went in and searched and tried to find out the history of Nineveh according to a man named G. Smith the circuit of the inner wall of the city of minute was about eight miles and then a captain June. Made a trigonometry call survey in eight hundred fifty four and he estimated that if you would louse each inhabitant fifty square yards that that city may have contained up to one hundred seventy four thousand people so. It has also been supposed that there was a large extension of the city outside of the walls. So I guess it’s kind of like you look at our cities you’ve got the cities and you’ve got the suburbs and then you’ve got the country. So I think they must have had the same thing. You know and Jonah chapter three were described as an exceedingly great city had three days’ journey through the city so it was a very large splurge city. They say the ruins stretch southeast along the banks of the Tigris as far as why the northern extension may have been regarded also to include course a bad. So it’s very long but you know if I mentioned then of. Most of you would immediately think of. Jonah you’re going to think of Jonah you’re going to think of that great story were God told Joe No I want you to go to Nineveh and preach Him What did he do. He had tailed and ran he ran and found a ship headed for tortious he ran the other way. Didn’t he. He Randy other way because he didn’t want to go preach so that wicked city of Nineveh but that’s the story you read in Jonah. Now the rest of the story. That fake book ne home. Bomb with that and they home. It’s two books past. Jonah. And this is. Given Right after Micah Jonah. Micah ne home. This is not a home was a prophet beginning with Verse one verse as one through fifteen the burden against Nineveh the book of the vision of napalm the echo of sight. God is jealous and the Lord a vengeance. I’m going to have to stop as I go through this god is a jealous God and God has a right to be jealous. Because he is the creator of light. He is a creator of everything He created mankind He created the trees of the earth the fish the cattle he created all of it. He is rich. He has a right to be jealous because we should be warship in the one that created us. And the Lord of vengeance that seven little words I could stop parents enough or God is a jealous God and He will avenge the Lord avenge is and is furious the Lord will take vengeance Now keep in mind this is for the city of Nineveh or the the Syrians the Lord of vengeance and is furious the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries and He reserves his wrath for the enemy for his enemies. The Lord is slow to anger and great in power. And will moderate all acquit the wicked. So there may be those out there saying man I robbed a bank and I got away with it. They might think they got away with it or I murdered this or that person and I got away with it but they did not get away with it. There is a day of reckoning come and he will not acquit the wicked The Lord has his way in the whirlwind and in the storm in the clouds or the dust of his feet. I like that as I read the clouds or the dust of his feet. How do you hear rebukes the sea and makes it dry and draws up all the rivers Bashan and Carmel whither. As I read that I thought of Moses at the Red Sea in the seas roll back in his rights walk through in the drag ground then Egypt sins are drowned. Whenever they try to pursue them. I think of the Jordan how it back to Jordan up the children walked through on dry ground and the flower of Lebannon wilts the mountains quake before him the hills melt and the earth he that his presence big. As he is a mighty God a man. Yes the world and all who dwell in it who can stand before his indignation or and who can endure the fierceness of his anger his theory is poured out like fire in the rocks are thrown down by him. The Lord is good a stronghold in a day of trouble and he and he knows those who trust him. He knows he knows our hearts. He knows those who trust him. But with an overflowing flood he will make another end of its place and darkness will pursue his enemies. What do you conspire against the Lord he will make an utter end of it. Affliction will not rise up a second time for a while tangled like thorns and wild drunken like drunkards they shall be devoured like stubble fully dried from you comes forth who plots evil against the Lord a wicked councillor. Thus says the Lord. Though they are safe and likewise many yet in this manner they will be cut down when he passes through though he I have afflicted you I will flick you no more for now I will break off this yoke from you and burst your bonds apart the Lord has given a command concerning you. Your name shall be perpetuated no longer out of the house of your gods. I will cut off the carved image in the moat an image. I will dig your grave for your vile behold on the mountains the feet of him who brings good tidings who proclaims piece O. Jew to keep your appointed feast perform your vows for the wicked one shall no more pass through you. He is utterly cut off. May God out his blessing so they hear it in a reign of His Holy Word. Let us pray Heavenly Father we do thank you and praise you for your word and Father we thank you for these books that you tucked away in your word that many of us are are familiar with the word but. Or so much wisdom so much of history and their fall of God I just pray that our eyes will be open to your word this morning father and pray that you would touch our hearts by the God that you would embolden us empower us and God I just pray that you would receive all the glory and all the honor of Lord for everything that is spoken here today Father let it be your words in Jesus’ name amen. Nineveh most all of us know that that was the capital city of the great empire of Assyria. And as I read I mean I looked encyclopedias and online and everything I could find it seems like the capital was wherever the King decided the palace would be so at this time it was none of them. You know the message God gave Jonah was very simple. In verse four of chapter three of Jonah someone to jump back and forth. God says I want you to go to Nineveh and I want you to preach the word I give you. And it was simple yet forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown. That’s it. Yet forty days and then of it shall be over friends overthrown. I find it very interesting that it was sets a short and simple message to the point you know he didn’t go in there and proclaim Thus saith the Lord God Almighty the father of the children of Israel if unless the repent. You’re going to be destroyed. You know it was simple forty days and you’re going to be overthrown. That’s it. Jonah didn’t want to go as we’ve already established he didn’t want to be there. He did not want those people to repent. What he really wanted was for God to send fire down out of heaven and destroy them as he did Saddam the good more we know that is what Jonah wanted. That’s. Remember he went up onto the hillside to watch and see what would happen. He was up or hope and a fire. Would come down. You remember that story another monster. Of genitals want Sharon is a member God raised the plant the giving shade and then e made a warmth eat the tree eat it that it would die. He was more upset about that plant than the people of Nineveh. Widening he was upset because a plant died more upset about that plant then then souls and then of. He wanted them destroyed. So he only shared no more than God demanded. You know we’ve said that God six volunteers were going to touch him that he wanted a willing volunteer he went because he had no choice. So he shared no more than he absolutely had to. He didn’t tell them what their sins were they knew what their sins were. And then of it was called a bloody city in a home chapter three verse one it says was to the bloody city. It is full of lies and robbers its victims never depart. As I search I found so much information. A couple of the Kings was a sure bet of polls. The first and I sure benefit all the second set of Asher. Let’s call e masher Asher The second reigned in Nineveh from six sixty eight to six thirty one B.C. and according to his annals at the beginning of his reign to the deities. Dodd and Eva bless the land of Assyria with plenty of rain and this rain caused the forest to thrive and the reeds in the marshes to flourish this blessing resulted in a population explosion. Among the Lions. So they had a lion problem and. They had a lion problem there. So. They would capture some of the lions and they would use them for hunting and Sport of course they would use it for sport for their entertainment as a tour of their captors. You know their captives. But also in sport. Ass or better ash or I forgot going to climb ash or ash or would go out and hunt some of these lions and upon seizing one of these lions. It says I Ashur King of Assyria in my lordly sport I seized the lion of the plane by his tail and at the command of Eartha the girl the gods of my allies I smashed his skull all with the club in my hand and you wonder where did all this information come from. Well in the palaces and the powerless. They had what they call reliefs on the walls and these was carved images and scripts or writings upon these walls. Well as a dug in found all this stuff were Nineveh was they’ve discovered these things. So these release be like a caption here in a caption here. So one of the reliefs showed him. It showed his men trying to distract a lion and him sneak up behind it. Then the next release showed him grabbing it by the tail and then the next release shows him smashing it skull. So it’s kind of like you know you think of cartoons how they do that. Well that’s the way these releases that they have found are and they haven’t they are in a British Museum these released from and then of so but these relief. Also reveal how wicked the Assyrians were these relays reveal what they did to their enemies how they wouldn’t pale them how they decapitated them how they would pull their tongues out. Some of them they skun a lie. So when they home says in chapter three they have blood on their hands these relief reliefs actually reveal that they actually did have much blood on their hands. It could be said that they were very brutal barbaric even. Yes. I don’t know. They might be. But yet there came a point in history where God said enough is enough enough is enough. You’ll find out in Am chapter two. Enough is enough. They had blood on her hands. They plundered their victims. They were known as an extremely wealthy city. Well you know how they got their wealth they stole it. They stole it. They had countless ways I studied this the gold the silver was countless there was so much. But they stole it. All they plundered their victims they oppress they slaughtered their victims but that’s how they gained all their wealth. Going to jump back and forth and they home to Jonah when Jenna prophesied their overthrow in Jonah what happened. What happened when Jonah prophesied that they would forty days they will be destroyed. They repented. They repented immediately they put the king proclaimed a fast put on sackcloth from the king to the dogcatcher. They repented. They fasted they prayed. They said in ashes in. It was not just the repentance in word only but also indeed a fast and it’s higher absence from food until we need the sack cloth is a harsh garment that irritates the skin that affects the body. These were pampered men the kings and the men in the palace are pampered. So they’ve had to put these. Burlap bags on to irritate them. It seems that they would if they did it for forty days because I’ve studied this. The king said Who can tell if God will turn him relent and turn away from his fear Sangar. So that we may not perish. I think the reason Jonah didn’t want to say any more than he did because he knew their sins. They knew that what they were doing was wrong he didn’t have to tell because they already knew they knew what they were doing is wrong. I’m a tell you today that. Every person who goes out there and commits adultery. They know in your heart that that’s wrong. Every person that commits murder. They know in their heart that that is wrong because we’re created in the image of God and God is a holy God so they know that it is wrong but more than that these people were the descendants of Ham No a son in Genesis Chapter ten vs six through twelve says now the sons of Ham or kush. Ms RAM put and Canaan the sons of kush were Seba have a love sub tok Ramma and some of the cub and the sons of RAM all were saved and did then Kush Big got Nimrod. He became or began to be a mighty want to in the Earth’s he was a mighty. Hunter before the Lord. Therefore it is said. Like Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord and the beginning of his kingdom was Babel. We all know the story of Babel they were going to build the great tower. Erect a cod and kill Neha in the land of sonar from that land. He went to a Syria and built Nineveh so Nimrod built Nineveh rail both her and rescind between Nineveh and this is the principal city so them Rod who built and then of a was hands grandson which would of course make him the great grandson of Noah he would have known about the great flood. Nimrod would have known about the great flood those people would have known about the great flood in the destruction of the wicked. If your great grandfather was somebody great that built a go ark that saved a people that save mankind. You surely would have passed that down to your children right. So they would have known they would have known about the destruction of the wicked. So that’s why all he had to say was forty days and you’re going to be destroyed. They knew about the struction of Wicked. That’s the reason that’s all he had to say destruction is coming. We better repent. The most important thing that we can learn from the prophetic warning given to Nineveh by the prophet Jonah is a God is merciful and slow to anger. He is merciful and slow to anger. It’s his desire that men repent. Because of the repentant hearts God did not bring to destruction in forty days and above everything else got his compassion. Jonah wanted revenge and justice against Nineveh for all the evil that they brought against his brother and against the nations around them. But you know up when man seeks judgement or takes vengeance against his adversaries is usually done with a spirit of selfishness. Therefore true mercy will not guide one’s judgment. Only God can bring about true judgment and vengeance. Even in his. He is merciful. And not a wonderful thing even and God’s anger. He is merciful. He always allows for repentance. And his judgment is not because of selfishness his purpose for judgment is to remove sin and restore peace to the world. Therefore it is his it is his right to insist in our complete allegiance to him because he is the creator. He created it all he has to write songs eighty six five says for you. Lord are good and ready to forgive and abundant and mercy to all those who call upon you. God is ready to forgive. There is hope for America. There is hope reverie nation. Because God is willing and ready to forgive because he is a merciful God Romans five eight says but God demonstrate his own love toward us and that while we were still centers of Christ died for us. Jonah knew that God was Mars for that’s why I fled when God called and said go he said in chapter four verse two for I know that you’re a gracious and merciful God slow to anger and abundant in loving kindness and who relented from doing harm. You know after. Nineveh repented at the words of Jenna we know that they survived another one hundred fifty years. So this brings me back to tion in NE home something I didn’t realize until I really got into this and searching. Ne hams prophecy became came not became names prophecy came one hundred years after Jonas. So do the math. They had fifty years from they have a prophecy to repent. Because it was one hundred fifty years after June as prophecy that they were destroyed and they him gave his prophecy one hundred years after Genesis. So they had another fifty years to repent plenty of time. God is merciful he always allows time to repent. You know the Assyrian and Babylonian records are kind of silent with regard to the fall of the city of Nineveh. But Alexander polyester. Aberdeen us and can say that name. All speak about the destruction of Mina then of them but the best account is that of Dorothea’s who refers to a legend that the city could not be taken until the river became its enemy. Our bases the Cynthy N. be seated it but could not make an impression in the wall for two years for two years they tried to attack that city and could not get through the wall but in a thirty year however the river being swollen by the rains and very rapid carried away a portion of the wall and opening up and allowing the enemy to going to be siege the city. Some may think this sounds. Kind of far fetched but they would fill fulfill God’s prophecy and they have Chapter two verse six says the gates of the river are open and the palace is dissolved. God knew how he was going to bring them down. He sent the flood sent the rains to Fowey destroy a portion of the wall that Nineveh would fall God’s hand was in control in the fall of Nineveh he had may have used man. But they couldn’t penetrate that wall without his help for two years could you imagine living in that city in two years. They’re out there bang and trying to infiltrate get through the wall unable the enemy knocking at the door. Could you imagine a world without rules or laws. You know think of some of something so simple as a football game think of a football game without any rules any referees to keep the players in check. Well it would quickly turn into a brutal bloodbath wouldn’t it. I don’t even want to speak of hockey because it’s kind of a bloodbath and they do have referees. I think of our cities think of our cities and our towns. What if it wasn’t illegal to steal. What if it was illegal to murder. God forbid I mean who would bother having a store because they’d rob you blind. Every day. Anyone could just walk into your home and take what they wanted. If we didn’t have rules in order. We’d have total chaos in our nation and around the world. God has a stablish boundaries and rules for us to live by. Rules against murder rules against social injustice rules against idolatry rules against stealing and many many other on and on. Known and willful disobedience against these rules are called what is called Send Yes. And God will not tolerate disobedience indefinitely. That’s what he’s shown us with the city of Nineveh he will not tolerate it indefinitely. There will come a day of God judgment against sin. You know one thing that we’ve been hearing from both sides. Now we get that election stuff. What we’ve been hearing from both sides. Through this entire thing. They’ve been saying that this is the most important election in our lifetime. They’ve been saying what happened and we also heard of a may. Yes they’ve been saying the most important election of your lifetime. Because why are they saying this because they think that their candidate is going to fix America. They think their candidates going to make things right in America. Well America I’ve got news for you. Neither one of them is going to fix America. Neither one of them is going to fix America and Make America Great Again. The only thing is going to fix America. If we did. What Nineveh did when Jonah preached to it. And that is repent repent. We need to fast and pray. Yes we need to pray for that election Tuesday morning. But I’m telling you beyond Tuesday morning we still know that God is sovereign and he is in control and there’s a Day of Judgment common and this is what the Lord said to me or we is are we at our minima and then I’m up. I can’t talk or we had our an enema then of a. Let me go over a second. OK When we come back. Are we at our Nineveh moment in America. I don’t know why you know I just couldn’t get that off. I’m on the whole time on vacation not. Just kept going over and over America or we at our Nineveh moment. It Into didn’t know about Tuesday morning or Tuesday. It’s about America repenting as the scriptures reveal God always allows for a time of repentance or we at that moment. Do we want to America to be great again. The only way I want America to be great again is a great in God’s eyes and that means we need to turn from the blood that’s on our hands we have murdered. Probably sixty million babies. We have blood on our hands. Murder is outta hand drugs are out of hand. We need to repent as a nation we need to be as Daniel was we’re going through. Daniel we need to get on knees and say Lord. We have sinned against you. Are you an American citizen. Yes We we don’t need to say those wicked people in my neighborhood need to repent we need to say we lord need to repent. We nation God have mercy on us Help us Lord open our eyes that we might see your wickedness and turn from it. God help us for the blood it is on our hands. No I don’t think were nearly as barbaric as then of a I mean I haven’t seen too many people drug through the streets and bother knows a nose ring I haven’t seen too many people scan a lot but we do have blood on our hands. God help us or we get that none of a moment in the history of America. They say it’s the most important election. It could be that we are the most important moment in the history of our nation. So I’m asking you church asking those that may be watched. Or are you willing to fast and pray we’ve only got a few days before the election. Are you going to fast and pray a day before the election Sunday Monday Tuesday. You’ve really only got a couple days. Yes. Are you willing to fast and pray for your nation. Do you love your nation enough to pray for it. Do you want to see your nation come back to God I do. I’m tired of seeing the violence. I get sick of looking at the news all that we could turn the news on and hear all good things all the good deeds that were done today when i’m sorry i don’t have a bad thing to report today would be wonderful. Yes. So please. I don’t care if you take a whole day but please take some time to pray. Before that election Tuesday. But as I said it’s not all about that election we can continue to pray continue to pray because it’s not going to happen overnight but pray that the eyes of the peoples of this nation will be open and that we as a nation majority would repent and turn our hearts back to God draw near to Him and He will join near to us. Amen amen.