Choose Mercy, Not Mocking

Based on Nahum 2-3, Proverbs 14

"Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favour." Proverbs 14:9.

Nahum speaks of the city of Nineveh, which receives God's judgment & wrath. In reading this, all I could think about was the book of Jonah...and I thought, is this the same Nineveh which received God's mercy & grace in the past? After doing some research, turns out, it is! Sadly, Nineveh turned away from the mercy of God and started to mock once again, delving back into a sinful lifestyle.

"Behold, I am against thee, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will burn her chariots in the smoke, and the sword shall devour thy young lions: and I will cut off thy prey from the earth, and the voice of thy messengers shall no more be heard." Nahum 2:13.

If only those in Nineveh knew how hard it had been to get Jonah to Nineveh in the first place! God pushed so much, bringing Jonah out of the belly of a great fish to that city...just for that same city to sink deep into sin once again! This wasn't just a bad city anymore...this was a bad city which once experienced God's mercy, then turned away once again...

"Woe to the bloody city! it is all full of lies and robbery; the prey departeth not;" Nahum 3:1.

"And I will cast abominable filth upon thee, and make thee vile, and will set thee as a gazingstock. And it shall come to pass, that all they that look upon thee shall flee from thee, and say, Nineveh is laid waste: who will bemoan her? whence shall I seek comforters for thee?" Nahum 3:6‭-‬7.

Extreme sin and departure from God leads to extreme judgment & wrath. That is part of God's justice system, and it just makes sense...God promises us so much mercy, grace & protection when we simply obey. That's all we have to do! Also, after we have experienced all of that, how could we possibly turn away as Nineveh did? It's such a tragedy that could cost us our eternity with God if we never turn back! Once we receive mercy, we can't go back to mocking!

"Do they not err that devise evil? but mercy and truth shall be to them that devise good."
Proverbs 14:22.