Nahum
Obviously, Nineveh - like many nations - did not fully grasp how to love the Lord, because here they are, at the last straw. Nahum says, "The Lord is slow to anger and great in power...The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him." (verses 1:3 & 7). Those are the only two verses (ish) that say how good the Lord can be for those who trust Him. The whole rest of the book is about God's justice. Nineveh did bad, didn't repent, and now must face the consequences: complete destruction.
The Lord is powerful. There are some awe-inspiring verbs in this books. Hills melting, seas drying up, floods setting loose, earth heaving, all because God speaks. God is so strong, and you do not want to be on the receiving end of His wrath!
So what does this mean for me? Well, I take comfort in knowing God is a God of justice and that "the Lord will by no means clear the guilty" (verse 1:3). But God is also a God of mercy and grace. He wants to restore the majesty of Jacob in this book (verse 2:2). Now we all know that Israel and Judah are just as bad as any other nation, but they are God's children so He restores them - of course He still punishes the wicked. God cannot be unfair. God is love. God hates evil. These Truths shine forth in this book.
But by far my favorite concept is verse 1:15 - "him...who publishes peace". I'd like to publish peace. What an interesting idea!
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