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By R.A. Mathews

The chariots drive wildly in the streets.

The sound of the whip and the sound of the roar of the wheel — galloping horses and bounding chariots!

The shields of the warriors are dyed red, the warriors are dressed in scarlet, and the chariots are fitted with flashing steel. They rush around in the public squares; their appearance is like torches. They drive back and forth like lightning flashes.

Horsemen charging, swords flashing, spears gleaming. They plunder the silver, plunder the gold! For there is no end to the treasure — wealth from every kind of desirable object.

Many are killed, a mass of corpses. And there is no end to the dead bodies.

Those dramatic paragraphs are not my words. They’re verses of Scripture detailing the fall of a famous city (Nahum 2:4a; 3:2; 2:3; 2:4b; 3:3a; 2:9; 3:3b, NASB).

Nahum’s book actually tells of a vision and Nahum’s words bring that battle to life — you can see it happening as his pen flies across the page.

But — Nahum?

If you’re scratching your head, wondering if you’ve ever heard of Nahum (pronounced NAY-em), you’re not alone. His book is just three chapters long. As it opens, the message is clear: “The Lord will by no means leave the guilty unpunished… Who can stand before His indignation? Who can endure the burning of His anger?” (Nahum 1:3, 6, NASB)

The bloody scene Nahum envisions did happen. Nineveh, capital city of the Assyrians, fell in 612 B.C.

Assyria had long been a cruel and mighty nation, too strong for any attack. But a coalition of forces, the Babylonians, Medes and more, came against her. Even so, it took a three-month siege before the walls of Nineveh were breached and the days of corpses ensued.

Why did God’s wrath fall on the Assyrians?

The nation played a major role in the lives of God’s children. Israel had been torn in half by civil war following the reign of Solomon.

Northern Israel was then conquered by the Assyrians and the Hebrews taken away as slaves. Roughly a century later, Nineveh fell, and the prophet warned of that awful scene.

But Nahum had a much bigger vision.

“Behold, on the mountains, the feet of Him who brings good news, Who announces peace!” (Nahum 1:15, NASB)

Nahum foretold the coming of the Lord centuries before the birth of Jesus. In the midst of God’s anger, Nahum proclaimed, “The Lord is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble, And He knows those who take refuge in Him” (Nahum 1:7, NASB).

We live in a nation where the Lord’s enemies are prominent and determined to harm Him. But come every autumn, role models who take refuge in our God, step center stage.

Yes, it’s time for football!

Star athletes boldly speak of their passion for Jesus on and off the field. I like football and love the Lord, so I revel in the words of Christian athletes—Kirk Cousins, Brock Purdy, Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson, Trevor Lawrence, Russell Wilson, Dak Prescott, Ryan Tannehill, Case Keenum, Derek Carr and Carson Wentz.

Those are just the quarterbacks!

Many, many NFL players testify. Over and over again, they say that football does not define them—it’s God who drives their lives.

Kirk Cousins quotes Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust the Lord with all your heart. Don’t lean on your understanding… It was my job to trust and obey and God’s job to steer the ship.”

Brock Purdy talks of his love for the 23rd Psalm. Mahomes says, “Before every game, I walk the field, and I do a prayer at the goalpost.”

Jalen Hurts believes that “You have to lean on your faith.” He singles out John 13:7, words Jesus spoke when Peter objected to the Lord washing his feet. “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘What I am doing, you do not realize right now, but you will understand later.’” (John 13:7, NASB)

Lamar Jackson told reporters, “I give Him all the praise, the glory, the honor … talking to Him throughout the day (saying), ‘I appreciate You’ … letting the Lord know He’s number one.”

Nahum is a little book. Nineveh stands for evil and the enemies of the Lord on the one hand. On the other, Nahum tells of the Lord who walks on the mountains, who guides those who seek Him.

Two very different paths.

The evil should know: “Whatever you devise against the Lord, He will make a complete end of it.” (Nahum 1:9, NASB)

In a nation where role models openly choose evil, where enemies of the Lord abound, autumn brings forth many of the good guys. Men who walk the mountains.

And their love for Jesus fills this country.

The Rev. Mathews (BA, MDiv, JD) is a newspaper faith columnist and the author of the Reaching to God series and the mystery Emerald Coast: The Vendetta.  

Copyright © 2024 R.A. Mathews.