CHARACTER OF GOD

“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” (Nahum 1:3 NKJV).

While society may have negative views about God, the Bible will help us get the right view of God. Our verse helps us know about the character of God by speaking of three important attributes of God: the pity of God, the purity of God, and the power of God.

Pity of God - “The Lord is slow to anger.” One of God’s great attributes is mercy. It is expressed here by His slowness to anger. Sin makes God angry, but in mercy He is slow to anger which means He gives us time to repent of our sin lest we be consumed by His judgment upon sin. If it was not for the mercy of God all mankind would go to hell. But God’s mercy provided a way of salvation. However, although God is “slow to anger,” it is unwise to procrastinate about repentance. God’s patience with sin will end; and when it does, judgment will come.

Purity of God - “Will not at all acquit the wicked.” God is holy which means that He will not “acquit the wicked.” Our courts are so inept and corrupt that even murderers are acquitted and allowed to go free. However, God will only honor holiness. Thus, the righteous will be vindicated, but the wicked will be judged. And while this is a great encouragement to the righteous, it ought to be a great warning to the wicked.

Power of God - “The Lord had His way in the whirlwind and in the storm.” The power of God is awesome. He created the universe, and He controls the powerful storms that come upon the earth. The knowledge of God’s great power will encourage God’s people in their praying to God and in their trusting in God. No matter how great our problems and difficulties are, God has the power to overcome them and give us the victory in them. He who controls the storms in nature can control the storms in our lives, too.

(Adapted from Butler's Daily Bible Reading 2)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“It is by virtue of the atonement that God can maintain His justice and yet demonstrate His mercy!”

Richard Charles (R.C.) Sproul (1938 – 2017)

American Reformed Pastor, Theologian and Author

Word Study

Entertain / received

In Heb. 11:17 we read, “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son!” (NKJV).

Entertain / received is the Greek word anadéchomai (ἀναδέχομαι = an-ad-ekh'-om-ahee). It is made up of two words: “ana” which means up, again, and “déchomai” which means to receive kindly, accept deliberately and readily. Thus, the word means to receive kindly as one would receive a guest and so to entertain. In classical Greek anadéchomai means to accept, receive. In the Septuagint, anadéchomai carries the idea of welcoming. In the New Testament, anadéchomai also means to receive, to welcome gladly. The word was also used in secular writings to describe one taking a burden upon himself. Thus, the word suggests more than a passive attitude, but indicate a willingness to take what God offered.

“Fear Nots” Found in the Bible

“I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people that have set themselves against me round about” (Psalm 3:6 KJV).

Did You Know…

After living like an ox in the field for 7 years, king Nebuchadnezzar learned that God “does according to His will,” and that “no one can restrain His hand or say to Him, what have You done?” (Dan. 4:35).

Bible Quiz

What was the only item the Lord Jesus allowed the disciples to take with them when He sent them out to minister in twos?

**Answer to last week’s Bible Quiz: Why did Herod have John the Baptist beheaded, despite his reluctance to do so? He did not want to look bad in front of his dinner-party guests (Mark 6:26).

Names For the Lord Jesus in the Bible

“CORNERSTONE”

"Therefore thus says the Lord God: behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; whoever believes will not act hastily!” (Isa. 28:16 NKJV).

1. Meaning – CORNERSTONE speaks of the Lord Jesus as the One who is the only true foundation that provides stability in life.

2. Insights – The Lord Jesus Christ is the “Cornerstone” upon whom believers and the church are built. All who build their lives upon the foundation of the Lord Jesus Christ will no longer have to run here and there seeking protection from enemies. The Lord Jesus Christ is the foundation stone that supports His followers amid the stormy trials and temptations of this life. Our only hope is in a tried and true foundation stone.

Did You Know – Christian History

James Abram Garfield was born November 19, 1831, near Orange, Ohio. He was the 20th president of the United States, and is, to date, the only sitting member of the House to be elected president.

Poor and fatherless, Garfield was mocked by his peers and became sensitive to slights throughout his life; he sought escape through voracious reading. Garfield attended Geauga Seminary and excelled as a student. He was especially interested in languages and elocution. On March 4, 1850, an eighteen-year-old student committed his life to Jesus Christ. He took his faith seriously and immediately began sharing it with others. Because of his warm personality, he found many opportunities to do so, and soon added preaching to carpentry and teaching as skills he practiced.

In his first sermon, he compared the career of Napoleon with the career of an even greater conqueror, Jesus Christ. The audience sat spell bound. At the same time, however, he was prone to soul searching and suffered from a lack of confidence that caused him to hesitate and to change his opinions, a trait that could make him seem weak.

Garfield was an advocate of free-soil principles (opposing the extension of slavery). He became a supporter of the newly organized Republican Party and in 1859 was elected to the Ohio legislature. During the Civil War, Garfield helped organize the 42nd Ohio infantry. He threw his energy into acquiring military skills and finding supplies for the men in his command. With deep concern for their spiritual welfare, he spoke to each of his need for a personal relationship with Christ. Garfield distinguished himself at Chickamauga, and before the war was over, rose to the rank of major general. After the war, he was elected to the United States Congress where he quickly learned the ropes and became a major player in national politics.

In fact, he was such an influential player, that he blocked both Grant and Blaine from the presidential nomination in 1880. When the Republicans could not agree on Blaine, Grant, or Sherman, they chose Garfield as their “dark horse” candidate. On November 2, 1880, the fervent Disciples of Christ lay-minister was elected the 20th president of the United States. However, Garfield’s presidency was weak and short-lived. Because he stood against a patronage system (senators’ control of political appointments in their states) he angered many would-be office holders. One of them shot him in a Washington railroad station. Garfield teetered between life and death for three and a half months before dying on September 19, 1881.

A Little Humor

In Shakespeare’s time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes. When you pulled on the ropes the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. Hence the phrase - “goodnight, sleep tight.”

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“Christ was delivered for our sins that we might be delivered from our sins!”