1. Nahum 1:3 (ESV)
  2. Exposition

Why does the Lord come in the whirlwind and clouds?

Nahum 1:3 (ESV)

3 The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, and the LORD will by no means clear the guilty. His way is in whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.

The Lord, who is about to pour out his judgment onto Assyria, is not just the God of Israel; he is the Creator God. He is the One who rules over all he has made and he will judge the whole earth. In Nahum 1:3b he is pictured as a warrior who rides the storm clouds into battle.1 This image describes the suddenness and power of his judgment, but it also explains that creation itself is impacted. The Lord can and does use his creation to pour out his judgment.

When Luke describes Christ’s ascension into heaven and his promised return, he says that a cloud took him out of sight and that he would return in the same way. The resurrected Christ is the ultimate fulfillment of the way the Lord is described by Nahum. Every eye shall be drawn inevitably to him as he comes in glory, bringing destructive judgement on his enemies and blessing to his people2