God’s Obscure Messengers - Nahum

 Nahum 1:1 (ESV Strong's)

1 An oracle concerning Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum of Elkosh.

God’s Obscure Messengers 

This book of Nahum was, of course, the prophecy of a prophet named Nahum.   What we know about him is summarized in the above verse.  The book, the prophecy, does not reveal one thing about him.  The expression, “Nahum of Elkosh,” means nothing to us. We do not know if Elkosh was his father, a town, a location, or a region.   We do know his name: Nahum.  It means, in Hebrew, “comfort.”   However, there is nothing of “comfort” in the book for the readers.  This prophecy is the doom pronounced upon Nineveh.   Jonah first went to Nineveh, the capital city of the bad Assyrians.   Jonah went reluctantly.  He knew, if the repented, God would give them grace.   They did!  God did!!   However, slightly over 100 years later, their repentance faded.   Nahum was sent by God to deliver this doom and gloom message of complete destruction against the Assyrians.   Jonah would have loved to be Nahum.   But God choose Nahum.  Why?  We have no idea.  We know nothing about him, other than the meaning of his name.  Maybe, the prediction of God’s wrath on Judah’s enemies (who the Assyrians tormented) was a comfort to the remnant, left in the land.   Whatever the reason, God choose an obscure man to deliver God’s obvious message: Nineveh’s time had come to an end.   God uses obscure men and women all the time.  God gives them an assignment, however bold, and see it completed through them.   David was first a shepherd.  Amos was a shepherd.  Moses was a shepherd when God called him.  The angels first announced Jesus’ birth to shepherds. (God must like shepherds.).  The disciples were but fishermen.   Paul was probably the most worthy to be called since he was a scholar.  But, he was also a murderer.   He would not past background checks to work in a nursery in churches today.    God uses obscurity to do His work.   Jesus’ father was a simple carpenter and his mother a virgin.  Both of them were obscure.    We cannot doubt our own insignificance.  God tends to use that type of person to do His work.