What is Really Important

Scripture: An oracle for Nineveh, a writing of the vision of Nahum, the Elkoshite. Nahum 1:1

Observation: This short book that condemns and curses Assyria is introduced this way, as being from Nahum the Elkoshite. I looked it up, and "Elkoshite" is ... almost meaningless. It is not a tribe or clan of Israel or Judah. It might be a place, though no such place ever existed. Scholars think that it refers to a now-lost village, but there are ~5 different options for such a village ... two in Judah, one in Israel, two in Babylon, and none of them really make sense.

Assuming the author of this is Nahum himself - that he wrote out the prophetic word about the downfall of Nineveh and Assyria himself - it would seem this designation was important to him. Nahum picked one word as the only descriptive characteristic of himself, and that word was ... a place so insignificant that it is not recorded in any other historical document anywhere, and no one can figure out where in the world it is.

Nahum thought the fact he was an Elkoshite was important. It turns out to be insignificant. Instead, it is the power of his words that were all-important. The importance of Nahum is not his background or home town, but it is the word of God that pronounced judgment and warning on the nation that had destroyed Israel. The fulfillment of Nahum's faithful pronouncement would echo through time; The most important attribute of Nahum himself would be muted by historical oblivion.

Application: There is something about me - some trait, character, or personal attribute - that I think is vitally important to my identity ... and which God knows is absolutely meaningless.

If I had to guess, like Nahum I would say it is my last name. To me, my last name connotes both historical identity and current position. It makes me the head of a household. It also makes me unique due to its rarity. And it implies a source of nationality. On the other hand ... it isn't even really a last name! It is a common Finnish first name, and I am not in any way Finnish. It is confusing to strangers, oddly difficult to spell, and (when I was young) easily twisted into a half dozen nicknames. In other words, I regard it with a sense of pride, but for clearly no reason whatsoever. It is only important to me ... not to anyone else, and not to God.

God cares FAR more about how I connect with him, listen to his Spirit, honor Jesus, and conduct my life by faith, than he could possibly care about any meaningless characteristic like four random letters that represent my last name. God cares that I love others, not that I find pride in a lineage. God wants me to be firm in my knowledge that, through faith and belief in Jesus as my Lord and savior, my future home is heaven, not that my familial past home was Holland.

What is really important is this: My identity is Child of God.

Prayer: Abba, thank you. I cannot praise you enough for your amazing love. I seek you this day. Please provide me with my daily bread, and allow me opportunity to serve you in your work on earth. Amen.