"The Lord Is Good"
Nahum 1:7
Nahum has been talking
about the storm of God's wrath and the terror of his justice. Then he comes to
a blessed, calm, serene island of rest. He tells us three things about our God.
1. "THE LORD IS
GOOD." Goodness is essential to God. Without it, he would not be God.
"There is nothing but goodness in God, and nothing but goodness comes from
him"(Gill). God permits evil, but overrules it for good(Psa.76:10).
He afflicts his childdren and brings many evil things upon us in providence,
but he makes the evil accomplish good(Rom.8:28;Gen.50:19-20).
God must punish sin; but even his punishment of sin is good, for it is the
vindication of his holiness, justice, and truth(Psa.11:6-7).
God is singularly good (Matt. 19:17), immutably good(Mal.3:6;James 1:13-17),
good in all his acts of grace (Eph.1:3-14), and in all his works of providence
(Rom. 8:28;11:36).God is infin- itely, incomparably, immeasurably, eternally
good! And he is particularly, distinctly good to his own elect.
2. "THE LORD IS A
STRONGHOLD IN THE DAY OF TROUBLE." The only place of safety in this world
is the place we find beneath the shadow of his wings (Prov.
3. "THE LORD
KNOWETH THEM THAT TRUST IN HIM." That word, "knoweth" is
pregnant with comfort. It means, the Lord has foreordained, loves, has intimate
acquaintance with, approves of, tenderly cares for, and holds loving communion
with them that trust in him. He knows Daniel in the lions' den, Lazarus at the rich
man's gate, and Peter even in his denial. And, if you trust him, he knows you!
Don Fortner