Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein)

The Lord will restore the vine of Jacob. 

The people of Judah certainly had reasons to fear Assyria. A mighty empire known for its brutality, Assyria had plundered the northern kingdom of Israel in 721 BC and laid siege to Jerusalem in 701. Since then, Judah had become an unwilling vassal of the Assyrian rulers.

So you can imagine the people’s excitement when Nahum prophesied the fall of Assyria’s capital, Nineveh. God would finally triumph over evil and see that justice was done! As Nahum foretold, Nineveh was destroyed by foreign invaders in 612 BC, fulfilling the prophet’s promise that the Lord would “restore the vine of Jacob” (Nahum 2:3).

But not for long. Only decades later, Judah would fall to the Babylonians. The people must have wondered why God would allow evil to reign. Wasn’t he all-powerful? Didn’t he care for them?

Do you ever find yourself asking those same questions when you witness evil deeds or read about wars and atrocities happening around the globe? We know that God could stop evil in its tracks. So why doesn’t he?

It’s because we live in an age of “already” and “not yet.” In one sense, God has already conquered evil. On the cross, Jesus took on all the sins of the world—past, present, and future. He became the sacrificial lamb, bearing everyone’s guilt and offering mercy and redemption in its place. Then he rose from the dead to offer new life to all who turn to him. But evil has not yet been fully destroyed. That great and final victory will happen when Jesus comes again. Then, there will be no more crying, mourning, or pain. Every tear will be wiped from our eyes, and we will rejoice forever (Revelation 21:4).

We all experience the pain of living in a fallen world. But unlike the people of Judah, we already know the end of the story. Whatever suffering we may have to endure in the meantime, we can trust that evil will not have the final word.

As Nahum prophesied, the Lord did restore the vine of Jacob. He did it by sending his Son into the world. In the face of every evil, may we place all our hope in him.

“Jesus, I believe that you will do what you promise, in your time and in your way.”

Nahum 2:1, 3:1-3, 6-7
(Psalm) Deuteronomy 32:35-36, 39, 41
Matthew 16:24-28