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Realizing the presence, promise, and power of the Kingdom of God.
The DEEP

It's Not About You

It's about God's glory.

Nahum 2:1–4 (NKJV)

He who scatters has come up before your face.
Man the fort!
Watch the road!
Strengthen your flanks!
Fortify your power mightily.

For the LORD will restore the excellence of Jacob
Like the excellence of Israel,
For the emptiers have emptied them out
And ruined their vine branches.

The shields of his mighty men are made red,
The valiant men are in scarlet.
The chariots come with flaming torches
In the day of his preparation,
And the spears are brandished.
The chariots rage in the streets,
They jostle one another in the broad roads;
They seem like torches,
They run like lightning.

Hey Nineveh, guess what? This isn’t about you. It’s about Israel. You’re just a bit player in this. Nahum warns Nineveh to,

Man the fort!
Watch the road!
Strengthen your flanks!
Fortify your power mightily.

But this is just a taunt. Their defeat is sure.

For the LORD will restore the excellence of Jacob
Like the excellence of Israel,
For the emptiers have emptied them out
And ruined their vine branches.

This prophesy is the key to the whole book. While Nahum writes many words about Nineveh’s destruction, restoring the splendor of Jacob is the point. It’s all about God keeping His promises.

His glory is the ultimate purpose.


One of the great benefits of knowing God is being conscious of ultimate purposes. Life can be frustrating, especially when things seem to be going wrong.

But the Bible makes it clear, over and over, that God chooses more complex plot lines than simple, easy victories. We don’t often get to see what God is up to, but when we do everything else suddenly seems unimportant.

The world God created isn’t simple, and life in it isn’t simple either.

This can get frustrating, but it glorifies God more than a simple world would. That’s comforting.


All the weekly study guides, which include all five devotionals plus related questions for discussion or meditation, are available for download here:

https://www.ailbe.org/resources/itemlist/category/91-deep-studies

Mike Slay

As a mathematician, inventor, and ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church in America, Mike Slay brings an analytical, conversational, and even whimsical approach to the daily study of God's Word.

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