What’s So Significant about the Power of God?

God’s Attributes

Good morning, everyone. Today we’ll be getting back into our summer series, taking a look at the Attributes of God – his characteristics. Of course, as faithful Christians have studied Scripture in the past, different people have classified God’s attributes in slightly different ways. But generally speaking, Christians across the board have found that when Reformers in the 1600s wrote the Westminster Shorter Catechism, they gave us a helpful summary of who God is, and how he works. You may remember reading this in our service a few weeks ago. As the question is put before us “What is God?” this is how the catechism answers: “God is a Spirit infinite, eternal, and unchanging in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.”

These are all Biblical categories. And for each of our sermons so far, we’ve been unpacking a text of Scripture that helps us to appreciate God’s qualities more deeply. This morning we’ll do the same. And we’ll be considering what it means for God to be infinite, eternal, and unchanging in his power. So if you have a Bible nearby, please turn with me to Nahum, Chapter 1. It’s a small book, toward the back of the Old Testament. Nahum was one of God’s prophets, who God used to give us inspired Scripture. And I’d encourage you to following along as I read from Nahum, Chapter 1, verses 1 through 9. Before I do that though, you and I need God’s help this morning, as we come to His Word. So let’s ask that God’s Spirit would work powerfully through the preaching of the Scriptures this morning. Let’s pray:

[Pray and Read Text]

Who’s Team Are You On?

When I was a kid, I remember that sometimes at large family gatherings, we would get out a softball, a bat, and some old ball gloves, and we’d make a little baseball diamond in our yard. Then we’d divide up into teams to play a game. But the teams were never even. Because I had an uncle who would normally join. And he was an experienced baseball player, and a rather big guy. And so whichever team he was on had a big advantage. Because he could throw and catch well. And he was a homerun machine.

From my perspective, when he was on my team, it was great. When my uncle went up to bat, the other team would panic, and tell the outfielders to “back up, back up – it’s gonna be a big one.” And if I was on base at this point, I had total confidence – I’m going to make it to home. Just by being on his team, I knew that things were going to turn out well.

But I experienced the other side of this, too. Sometimes, I wasn’t on my uncle’s team. And that was bad news. Because in that case, the siblings and cousins on my team – we all knew that there was just about no chance that we were going to win. Because my uncle was a powerhouse – and he made all the difference.

Of course, as we look at what the prophet Nahum wrote, it doesn’t say anything about my uncle, and his strong baseball skills. But instead, right away in the text, we’re confronted with someone who’s infinitely more powerful than my uncle. The prophet describes the LORD and his power in very graphic language. And the reality is placed before us – depending on who’s team you’re on, the enormity of God’s power will either be terrific news for you, or it’ll be terrifying news. Because his ultimate, unlimited strength and dominion will either be wielded for you or against you. And as Nahum writes, here, he intends for us to feel the weight of this. Our perception of God won’t be right, if it doesn’t include a high awareness of God’s almighty power.

So as we work through our text this morning, we’ll be reflecting on five important aspects of God’s power. First, we’ll consider how God is powerful in his wrath – powerful in his wrath against evil. Second, we’ll see that God is powerful in his restraint. Third, God is powerful as a refuge. Fourth, God is powerful in ruling over the world. And then fifth and finally, God is powerful in the reliability of his work. These will be our five points: He’s powerful in his wrath, powerful in his restraint, powerful as a refuge, powerful in his ruling, and powerful in the reliability of his work.

The Power of God in His Wrath Against Evil

So let’s consider what our text reveals, concerning that first point – that God is powerful in his wrath against evil. When you look at verse 1, it gives us the context of what’s going on here. Because it says that this part of Scripture is “An oracle concerning Nineveh.” This is a prophecy, not about one of the cities of the Jews. But, interestingly, the Lord has a message for a foreign city – the city of Nineveh, which was a major city of the Assyrian empire.

And there’s some interesting background here. Because for centuries, the Assyrians had had a reputation among the nearby nations for being especially oppressive and cruel. And yet around 770 BC, a hundred-plus years before Nahum, God had shown a surprising kindness to the people of Nineveh. He sent them a prophet to warn them, that they’d be destroyed if they didn’t turn from their evil ways. And that prophet was Jonah, (who we’ve been hearing about in our Scripture readings). For a time after Jonah, the people of Nineveh humbled themselves. So God didn’t destroy them, as he had threatened. But he showed them mercy.

Unfortunately, that attitude of repentance didn’t last in Nineveh. And within a few decades after Jonah, the Assyrians were right back to their corrupt ways. In fact, the Assyrian army brutally attacked God’s covenant people. They decimated the Northern Kingdom of Israel. And by the year 722 BC, almost nothing was left – just a small remnant of Jews, many of whom were scattered to other regions.

But now in our text, here’s Nahum, about 70 years or so after this. As verse 1 mentions – the Lord gives a vision to Nahum of Elkosh. And the LORD has a serious words for Nineveh – for all the Assyrians – because they’ve rejected his mercy and ravaged his people. This is how God announces himself in verse 2: “The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD is avenging and wrathful; the LORD takes vengeance on his adversaries and keeps wrath for his enemies.”

If these words sound a bit intense to you, you’re right. They are. The reason why God uses strong language, here, is because he has a strong anger for the evil of Assyria. In fact, this is God’s attitude against all evil. He hates it. And the rage that he feels against the moral pollutedness and perversity of the world – it’s a powerful rage. Just look again at how God’s anger is described in verse 4. First, we’re told that the LORD – “He rebukes the sea, and makes it dry.” He boils all the seawater just by speaking. Think about the power here. If you wanted to evaporate all the water in the Mediterranean Sea, right there next to the land of Israel, do you know how much energy it would take? You would have to run 2.3 billion nuclear power plants for a whole year in order to have enough energy. And I know that that’s true because Google’s AI response told me so. That level of power is just insanity. And yet that’s what the Lord’s burning anger is like against the corruption of men.

But Nahum goes on to describe God’s anger in verse 4: “He dries up all the rivers. Bashan & Carmel wither; the bloom of Lebanon withers.” For context, here – Bashan & Carmel were parts of Israel that were notoriously lush & fruitful. You went to those places if you wanted to escape from drought and famine. But in God’s anger, even those places are shriveled up into nothing. And then verse 5 – “The mountains quake before him, the hills melt, the earth heaves before him, the world & all who dwell in it.” By the time we reach vs. 6, we’re left speechless as God confronts his audience: “Who can stand before his indignation? Who can endure the heat of his anger?” No one can. And so we’re forced to remember, here, that part of what it means for God to be All-Powerful, is that he’s frightfully powerful in his great wrath against evil. And this isn’t just an Old Testament description. John 3:36 and Ephesians 5:6 clearly speak about God’s wrath against unbelief. And Hebrews 12:29 affirms that “our God is a consuming fire.”

The power of God’s anger against sin may not be a popular subject. But it’s a Biblical one. And I believe it’s critically important. Because the magnitude of God’s anger against evil is supposed to teach us something. It’s one of the key ways that the Bible impresses upon us the dreadfulness and egregiousness of our sin. God doesn’t have a casual attitude toward sin; he doesn’t find it cute or funny. But it provokes his wrath. And he’s teaching us, here, what our response toward sin should be. We should loathe our sin, like God does.

As an important comment, though, there’s a reason why we don’t say that God is wrathful as one of his essential attributes. And that’s because God hasn’t been angry from all of eternity. Being wrathful isn’t tied up in the ultimate core of who God is forever. But instead, God’s wrath is best understood as something secondary that flows from God’s actual, eternal attributes.

This is what I mean: God’s anger against foolishness and evil is actually driven by the perfect love he has for upholding His wisdom and goodness. And so a key reason why God is angered by evil with such an intense anger, is because he loves truth and goodness with such an intense love. Alongside this, though, God’s anger over sin can also be connected to the love he has for his people. Because as a loyal Father, he’s angered by whatever would compromise the health and happiness of his children.

So all this to say, unlike us, God’s anger is never a wrong anger, driven by spite or emotional instability. But instead, his anger is only ever driven by his goodness and love. And so we can be confident, whatever anger he has is always a perfectly right reflex to things in the world that have gone wrong. And yet this doesn’t reduce the seriousness of God’s wrath. Because as our text reminds us, when the evils of human beings arouse God to anger, it’s an infinitely powerful anger. It’s a punishing anger. And this anger isn’t just directed at the worst-of-the-worst types of sinners – at people like the Assyrians. But the Bible is careful to explain that if we were left to ourselves, the whole human race would be stuck under God’s wrath, because of our corruption and sin.

Because we see in Romans 1:18: “…the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men…” Notice, here, God’s wrath isn’t just provoked by some of our ungodliness, or by the worst instances of our ungodliness. But the Bible says that God’s anger is revealed against all the ungodliness of mankind. Because every sin is a rejection of Him. It’s a desecration of God’s world with our profanity and selfishness. In every act of rebellion, we’ve declared ourselves to be enemies of His goodness.

And so as God reveals his wrath from heaven – it makes sense – his anger isn’t wimpy and unsure-of-itself. But it’s decisive. His fury is immense. What we’re talking about is a cataclysmic, Universe-shattering wrath. This is the power of God that we’re dealing with, here! And this inferno of wrath is so furious and fierce, there’s only one thing in existence that can appease it – only one power that can restrain it, and rescue us from it – and that’s the power of God himself.

The Power of God in His Restraint (Slow to Anger)

And this brings me to my second point – that God is powerful in his restraint. Because you can see this, back in verse 3 of our text. Nahum tells us that: “The LORD is slow to anger.” In the Hebrew text, there’s actually a figure of speech here. Literally, the words say that the LORD is long of nose – which is to say, it takes a long time for his nose to flare, and for God to get angry. That’s the imagery here. God is slow to anger. And this is so, because he’s self-restrained – he’s disciplined and deliberate in his punishment.

And this explains God’s timeline, in the way he deals with Assyria. Because remember, Nineveh had been provoking God for over a century. God had had no shortage of reasons to snap his fingers and wipe them out. And yet what we see from God in the Bible is never an impulsive, uncontrolled explosion of rage against his enemies. But God is always perfectly self-controlled. And I would argue that this is where we see the most impressive display of God’s strength – that we see the extent of his power and control in the way he controls himself.

Because think about it. Even the greatest kings and armies of the earth are just small specks of nothing compared to God. For God to have power over them isn’t all that impressive. And even when we stagger under the idea, that God has power over all 2 trillion of the galaxies that are scattered throughout the universe – 2 trillion is still a finite, countable number. But greater than all these things, is the fact that God wields control over the greatest power in existence – that he wields perfect control over himself.

And this really is more impressive than it might seem at first. Because as human beings, we don’t have anything close to absolute control over ourselves, or our circumstances. And even when it comes to being self-disciplined with our desires and decisions, we chronically come up short. So often, we have thoughts pop into our minds we didn’t ask for. We often have emotional responses to things that come out of left field. We say words we regret. We struggle to resist even simple temptations. And when we set goals for healthy eating and exercise, consistent self-control tends to be really hard for us.

And yet God is decidedly different. He’s his own Master, in a way that no human being comes close to. Self-control is a virtue he perfectly excels in. And as Nahum points out in our text – God’s flawless self-control is even operating in the midst of his powerful anger.

Because again – look at verse 3. It says, “the LORD is slow to anger AND [he’s] great in power.” Nahum wants to make sure we don’t misunderstand – the reason why God is slow to pour out his anger isn’t because he’s small in his anger. Holding back small anger wouldn’t be all that notable. But the wrath God is holding back is a powerful wrath. It’s the most intense anger that the world has ever known. And yet he’s slow to display his anger, and he’s controlled in his anger, because God powerfully controls himself.

And as a brief note of application, here – this is a virtue of God that he intends for us to reflect. Galatians 5:22 tells us that when God’s Holy Spirit dwells in the heart of a Christian, a fruit of the Spirit’s work in us is self-control. Whether your anger is big or small, whether your passions are weak or strong – God’s Spirit is more powerful than those things. And as God makes self-control possible for us, he urges us to grab onto it, and grow in it. Because self-control is perhaps the greatest exercise of strength that any man could pursue. The Lord himself says so in Proverbs 16:32: “Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.”

God’s Power As a Refuge

And yet the great power of God isn’t just seen in the power of his wrath against evil, or even in the power of his restraint. But God also demonstrates the power of his salvation in our text. And this brings us to my third point – that God is powerful as a refuge.

We’ve already considered that if we’re estranged from God, because of our corruption – if we’re not on his team, his power is terrifying news for us. Because in that situation, God’s powerful wrath is against us.

But for those who turn to the Lord, who take refuge in the Lord – everything’s different. Notice what Nahum tells us in verse 7: “The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.”

It’s interesting – God has just spoken, here, to make the Assyrians aware of their sin. He’s declared his vengeance. He’s described the power of his wrath. And yet in verse 7, God mercifully explains to them that there’s a way to be saved. If you take refuge in God – if you trust in the LORD to cover you, his Almighty power is no longer your greatest horror. But it’s now your greatest hope.

Just think what it means, for the vastness of God’s power, to be engaged in saving you, and sheltering you. Think about how invincible of a salvation it must be. This is the reality that every Christian finds, when you make Jesus your stronghold. The powerful sacrifice of Jesus appeases all of God’s anger against your wrongs. And Jesus’s powerful blood, washes you totally clean of your guilt. His powerful obedience covers you with his righteousness. And his powerful resurrection raises you from the pit into eternal life and peace. The LORD proclaims himself to us, as a perfect refuge for sinners.

And if God is for us, who can stand against us? If the Maker of heaven and earth has you in his grasp, who can snatch you out of his hand? You’re safe!

It’s important to understand this. I think many people, when they hear of God’s anger over sin, they feel exposed, unsettled. And they imagine the safest thing is just to run away from God – to run deeper into the darkness. But God makes it clear – the only safe place is to find shelter and salvation in him. Because God is powerful in his mercy, and just he’s told us – even if we’ve been nasty people like the Assyrians, we can come to him and find refuge. He will be our fortress. He will bring forgiveness.

Are you enjoying the safety – the comfort that comes from having the Lord Jesus as your refuge? Do you know something of what that feels like?

I’m aware that many people today – they want safety. They’re concerned about it, and there are good reasons why. We have agencies to keep track of food safety. We have people who analyze vehicle safety, and who make recommendations for car seats and bicycle helmets. We often appreciate – there’s a certain level of financial safety that comes from having insurance. And then, of course, there are even some people who move 50 miles into the Canadian wilderness to build a bunker that can protect them from World War III. We live in a world where people want safety.

And yet there’s only one place where you can truly find safety – safety for your soul. And that’s by coming under the shelter of God and his power. The great refuge that can save your soul – it’s not your religious performance. It’s not your attempts to do good deeds. It’s not your feelings of sincerity or sorrow. But God himself is the stronghold who saves. And because salvation rests on his infinite power – his infinite perfections, we can have assurance of our safety. Even if we’re bombarded with the accusations of 10,000 devils – the children of God aren’t any less secure. But just as our text says: the Lord “knows those who take refuge in him.” To say it another way, ‘God is attentive to every single soul that’s sheltering under his care.’ He’s alert to shield us. And by His unlimited power, not one is lost. Not one is forgotten. We have such comfort as Christians, because our safety doesn’t ultimately rely on us, but it rests on the power of God.

God’s Power in His Ruling over the World

Here’s my fourth point, though. God is also powerful in his ruling over the world. Just a couple observations here. You’ll see in our text that God’s power extends over the earth. And his power extends over empires.

We already saw God’s power over the earth when we read verses 3 through 6 earlier. God places himself high above all the things he’s created. He’s above whirlwinds and storms. He rebukes the sea. He shakes mountains and melts the hills. From earlier in the Bible, we know that this is the same earth that God brought into existence, simply by speaking. And now God continues to affirm that the whole world is accountable to his voice, and directed by his power.

But the LORD also points out specifically, here, how his power extends over empires. This is mentioned briefly at the end of verse 5 – that the “the earth heaves before him, the world and all who dwell in it.” So the nations of the earth are clearly under God and his power. But even more particularly – this prophecy from Nahum is written to the Assyrians.

In those days, most cultures were polytheistic – they believed there were more gods than one. And they often believed that the gods were restricted to living in certain places. And yet when the LORD speaks through Nahum – and actually, when he speaks through many of his prophets – he not only speaks about local matters. He not only speaks as the god over the Jews. But he clearly asserts himself as God over all the nations, including the Assyrians.

God’s powerful rule over all things is something we should be convinced of. It’s important for our spiritual health. I’ll mention three ways this is true – first, because it’ll motivate our prayers. If we’re confident of God’s power, we’ll pray big prayers. We’ll pray for things that are beyond human abilities, because we know God isn’t limited like we are. And as we ask for his help, we’ll attempt great things for God with the earnest expectation that his power will be a real factor in the equation. Nothing is too big for the LORD. Second, though, if you’re convinced of God’s power over the nations, it’ll bring you peace when the world is upside down. Because the Almighty God never loses his grip on the steering wheel. He never loses one of his chosen people to the enemy. And so even when the earth gives way, and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea – by faith in God’s power, you and I will have peace. But then third, being convinced of God’s power over the nations is important fuel our missionary activity. Since God is master over all nations, we should desire that God would be known and worshipped by all peoples and tribes under heaven. We shouldn’t be content to treat God like a local deity. He isn’t just for you and your family, or for our church in Mt Pleasant. He isn’t just for the state of Michigan, or for the good old USA. But God intends for his power to be proclaimed among all the empires and republics of the earth. And in the Church, we all have a role to play in bringing God’s Word to the nations – whether we’re a part of going, sending, or mobilizing. We should be convinced – the powerful God over all nations deserves the praise of all nations. [He deserves your praise!]

These are just a few ways that God’s powerful rule over the earth should affect us.

The Power of God in the Reliability of His Work

But fifth and finally, Nahum points out that the power of God is seen in one more way. We see here that God is powerful in the reliability of his work. In other words, God always accomplishes what he sets out to do.

Look at the end of our text with me – at verses 8 and 9. Nahum says, “But with an overflowing flood, he [the LORD] will make a complete end of the adversaries, and will pursue his enemies into darkness. What do you plot against the LORD? He will make a complete end; trouble will not rise up a second time.”

So Nineveh has been warned – a flood of God’s judgment is coming. And Nahum seems to be referencing the great flood, back in Genesis 6. Just as surely as God devastated the wicked world in the days of Noah, God is promising here to wipe out Nineveh. Except in this case, God won’t send a global flood to destroy them, since back in Genesis he promised he wouldn’t do that again. But in some different sense, he’ll flood them with foreign armies, with misfortune, with death. Plotting against God’s plan won’t go succeed. And trouble will not rise up a second time. God affirms – his power is reliable. This will surely happen.

And when God emphasizes the reliability of his power, here, he likely does it for two main reasons. First, to humble the Assyrians. How many times do you suppose the Assyrians had boasted, that they would make a complete end to their enemies? How many times do you think they commented, that the kingdoms they conquered wouldn’t rise up a second time? For a hundred years, the Assyrians dominated time and time again on the field of battle. But just like that, the Lord says it’s over.

And we see this played out in history. Despite Assyria’s ascendency, a coalition of other nations joined forces. And they managed to overthrow Nineveh in 612 BC. The city never recovered from it. And ever since that day, there’s never been another Assyrian empire, or Assyrian country. As it turns out, the might of men, the firepower of armies – they aren’t reliable. They can’t control the direction of the future. In all we attempt to do, we ultimately depend on God’s power & blessing in order to have any success. His strength is reliable. Ours isn’t. And this humbles us.

But the reliability of God’s power is likely emphasized for another reason. Not just to humble Assyria. But also to give hope to the remaining Jews, who had suffered for decades under Assyria’s rule. Because even though this prophecy is directed against Assyria, scholars agree that the remnant of Israel was part of the audience, too. And for Israel, this prophecy would have been a source of comfort. In fact, Nahum’s name, in Hebrew, literally means comforter or consoler.

And Nahum comforts Israel here, by announcing – God has seen your suffering. God has remembered all the evils committed against you by the Assyrians. And the LORD your God will bring vengeance. Every wrong will be repaid. Your tormentors will no longer cause you distress. Because I, the Lord, will make a complete end to your antagonists. They will not rise a second time. You can trust that my power will see this through. That’s the encouragement God gives to his oppressed people here.

And this brings us back to the same point we started with – that for those who aren’t on God’s team, his power will be concerning. But for the Christian, his power will be comforting. Because we’ll be assured of God’s ultimate victory against all evil. We’ll be comforted, as we rest in God’s great power over the world, and the directing of life events. And we’ll comforted to know that the God who shelters us and keeps us is greater than all other powers, and that nothing and no one, in all creation, can separate us from the love that is Christ Jesus, our Lord. In a dozen different ways, the power of God isn’t just a profound teaching – but it’s also a practical one. So as we close, let’s pray that God will bring it often to our minds this week, to give you and I what we need – whether it’s concern, comfort, or confidence. Let’s pray: