THE TRENTON BULLETIN

THE TRENTON BULLETIN

Trenton Church of Christ, Trenton, Florida

The book of Nahum is an oracle concerning the judgment brought upon the city of Nineveh. Through the hand of God, the Assyrian nation had punished the people of God for their rebellion against the Lord. Now the wrath of God turns against the city Jonah had brought to repentance through his preaching (Book of Jonah). In this short oracle of 1232 words, nine characters of Jehovah God are revealed.

The God of Nahum is a jealous God (Nahum 1:2). The jealousy of God is the need of man to recognize no other God but Jehovah (Exodus 34:14). The children of Israel were commanded to have no other gods before them but the one True God (Exodus 20:5). God does not want His glory given to any other person or thing in creation. He is also an avenging God (Nahum 1:2). This character speaks to the revenge held by the honor and power of God to execute upon all those who rebel against Him. The apostle Paul reminded the Romans that God was good and severe (Romans 11:22). Through the hand of the Assyrians God has punished His own people but now judgment was coming upon these pagans for their rebellion of the one True God. Justice is the character of God upon the righteous and the unrighteous.

The God of Nahum is a wrathful God (Nahum 1:2). The warnings of God were not mere words but He carried out His judgment upon ungodly men. His wrath was exercised upon the world of Noah by the destruction of every living being save eight (Genesis 6-9). By the hand of Assyria, Israel had felt the wrath of the Lord. Now this same hand of judgment turns against Nineveh and Assyria to feel the wrath of God. He is also a God of vengeance. This speaks to His nature of wrath but the action is sure. Let no man think that God will not exercise His wrath upon the disobedient. Nineveh would feel the full fury of God’s wrath through His hand of vengeance (Nahum 1:8).

The God of Nahum is a God slow to anger (Nahum 1:3). In the midst of the fury of God’s wrath and judgment upon Nineveh, the prophet declares the justice of God through His patience and mercy. Men act in ways that are reactionary and without regard. The justice of God is clearly defined in the manner He brings about His judgments. Speaking to Moses, He declares, "The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (Exodus 34:6). He is a God of great might. “His way is in whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. He rebukes the sea and makes it dry, he dries up all the rivers; Bashan and Carmel wither, the bloom of Lebanon fades. The mountains quake before him, the hills melt; the earth is laid waste before him, the world and all that dwell therein” (Nahum 1:3-5).

The God of Nahum does not forget (Nahum 1:3). The guilty will not be able to hide from His judgment. All that man has done will be brought before the Lord God in His book of remembrance (2 Corinthians 5:10). As the people of God cried out in their sorrow, the Lord was not unmindful of the guilt of Nineveh. Yet “the LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and he knows them that trust in him (Nahum 1:7). The final two characters of God found in His goodness and His protection. As a refreshing rain in the midst of a storm, the love of God is found in the destruction brought upon the city of Nineveh.

The oracle against Nineveh shows the goodness of God for His love of all men. He does not want anyone to perish (2 Peter 3:9) but He will bring judgment upon those who do not trust Him nor obey Him. The Lord will protect those who seek His refuge. All men should come to know the God of Nahum – “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations” (Deuteronomy 7:9).

Fishing has never been one of my greatest abilities. I do not know whether it is lack of attention or too much attention to my lack of fish. Regardless, I find a philosophical parody in buying fishing license. The staff at the tax collector's office has affirmed to me that no refund is allowed if I do not catch any fish. This concerns me because we live in a day of "guarantees." Of course, they are the most honest people I know because they know when I buy a license, the fish have little to fear.

So, I gather up the sparse gear that relates to fishing and take my son, Everritt and my father-in-law's boat to the river. We put in and head down stream to where I just know the fish will bite. With worm on hook and Everritt catching a few squirrels on his line, we set to bring the fish in. And we continue to wait. The waiting goes on. The day drags on with trolling and setting and moving and casting and popping the soda tops and waiting. No nibbles, no bites and no fish.

Someone in a far away place decided to make fishing more interesting by inventing an electronic "fish finder." Well, any one knows that fish live in the water and it does not take a fancy device to tell us that. The reason the fish finder is used is to tell us that fish are swimming all around us, laughing at us and toying with our emotions.

At one particular spot, the fish finder went crazy. It was 'singing' the star spangled banner and I frantically threw everything I could find in the water hoping upon hope that the fish would like something I threw. They did not - no matter what I did. When talking with some real anglers later they figured the fish were a school of mullet - my luck not to have a gill net or dynamite. Fishing finally gave up for the two of us and we headed in with three fish so small we had to drain the live-well to find them. This was the standard fishing day for me.

There is a lot about fishing that helps us learn about our service to God. I never have really gotten very serious about fishing. You can tell that when you look at the equipment I have. Also it takes some preparation and understanding about what to fish with and how to fish. It takes patience, diligence, more patience, and more diligence. It is work - in the sense that effort must be put forth. Fishing can be very enjoyable and be a lot of fun.

Our service to God is something that we can never really do much until we get serious about it. You can "play-Christian" all your life and never get serious and never grow. The early disciples were serious about their service to God. Remember what Paul said of his own life in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28? "Are they ministers of Christ? I speak as a fool. I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness-- besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches." Is this being serious about service to God?

In the life of the Christian, we must have a desire to learn as much as we can. My fishing abilities are a reflection upon my true desire to know everything I can learn about fishing. We usually hit the mark we aim at - sometimes we just do not aim very high. To be a Christian we have to attain the highest level. Paul said in Philippians 3:13-16, "Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind." Paul had a mark to press for and when he reached one level in his learning he sought to reach another level, always growing.

Work in the service of God takes the right kind of equipment - the word of God and an honest heart. That is all we need. The souls of men will respond to the Gospel if they are honest. Paul said, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek" (Romans 1:16). To fish for men we have to take the sword of the Spirit and we have to know how to use it. This is where the diligence of patient learning comes in.

In fishing, you must know how to use the equipment and what kind is the best to use. When using the baits and hooks, they have to be the right kind and used in the right fashion. To one who is experienced in fishing, this takes little effort and they are accustomed to how to cast, bait and hook. Timing is important and the experienced fisherman will know when to pull the hook at the right time. Service in the kingdom of God takes preparation - study, meditation and prayer. If you say, "I wish I knew more about God's word," then what is keeping you from knowing more about God's word than study, mediation and prayer? Growing in the knowledge of Jesus Christ takes patience and diligence and more patience and more diligence. It is work - in the sense that effort must be put forth.

The worse thing a person can do when fishing is go unprepared. The best he can do is be frustrated and without any fish. The worse thing a person can do in trying to talk with others about the Gospel is to do so unprepared. This comes in time with experience. In true diligence and fervent prayer, the Christian learns to talk with others and to share the Gospel. "Personal Work" strikes fear in the hearts of many because it has a flavor of dread in trying to "do" personal work. You do not "do" personal work - you just talk to people about their soul. It is a natural thing that comes from years of reading and studying the word of God.

I would suggest that if you watched hours upon hours of videos on the "How-To" of fishing - read books upon books on the "How-To" of fishing - took trips upon trips with experienced fishermen and spent a lot of time on the water (and in Walmart looking at all the fishing equipment) you would have a natural way with fishing. It is also true with the word of God. The more you read the word of God the more you are able to discuss with others the meaning of God in their lives. The more you read the word of God the more you have a desire to talk with others about their soul. It takes effort - it is work - but it cannot be done any other way. Work is work and study is study and diligence is required in all.

Jesus said in Matthew 4:19, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." In order for us to be successful fishers, we must have something more than just a license saying we are a Christian. I have a license to fish in fresh water and salt water. That does not make me a successful fisherman. Just because I am a Christian does not make me a soul winner for Christ. Being a Christian will not teach others the news of salvation nor give me knowledge in all things.

If I would get serious about fishing, I could wear one of those shirts that says, "Bassmaster" on the back. If I would get serious about saving souls (mine included), I would never question again the power of the gospel. How about you? You want to go fishing?

Robert Thornton, a professor of economics at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA, was, like many teachers, frustrated about having to write letters of recommendation for people with dubious qualifications, so he put together an arsenal of statements that can be read two ways. He calls his collection the "Lexicon of Inconspicuously Ambiguous Recommendations", or LIAR, for short.

Thornton explains that LIAR may be used to offer a negative opinion of the personal qualities, work habits or motivation of the candidate while allowing the candidate to believe that it is high praise.

To describe a person who is extremely lazy: "In my opinion, you will be very fortunate to get this person to work for you."

To describe a person who is totally inept: "I most enthusiastically recommend this candidate with no qualifications whatsoever."

To describe an ex-employee who had problems getting along with fellow workers: "I am pleased to say that this candidate is a former colleague of mine."

To describe a candidate who is so unproductive that the job would be better left unfilled: "I can assure you that no person would be better for the job."

To describe a job applicant who is not worth further consideration: "I would urge you to waste no time in making this candidate an offer of employment."

To describe a person with lackluster credentials: "All in all, I cannot say enough good things about this candidate or recommend him too highly."

Robert Thornton is right, isn't he? We do not like to hurt people's feelings, but we do not want to be totally dishonest either, so we are excited to find a way to be ambiguous. We call it ambiguity, speaking a half-truth, using mental reservation, twisting the truth a bit, being ambivalent. Perhaps at least Thornton was more honest when he called his collection "LIAR".

It may be that no Christian characteristic has suffered more in the workplace than honesty. It should not be that way. Jesus wants his people to be known as a people of truth. It is important that those around us can trust what we say without wondering whether we really mean it or not. "Therefore, putting away lying, each one speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another." (Ephesians 4:25).