God's Goodness and Bringing Judgment

In Nahum 1.7, this morning, where Nahum begins by proclaiming God's power and ability to bring judgment upon Nineveh, then suddenly in verse 7, he says the Lord is good. Why the sudden switch to commenting on God's goodness in the middle of a passage about him bringing judgment? I think John Calvin gets it right in his comment on the passage:

First, by saying that God is good, he turns aside whatever might be objected on the ground of extreme severity. There is indeed nothing more peculiar to God than goodness. Now when he is so severe, that the very mention of his name terrifies the whole world, he seems to be in a manner different from himself. Hence the Prophet now shows that whatever he had hitherto said of the dreadful judgment of God, is not inconsistent with his goodness.

On Not Assuming God's Goodness

Psalms 31.19 has a precious promise, but we must not miss the careful prescription that is included. Oh how abundant is your goodness! Ah. Here is great news. God's goodness is like a spring that keeps bubbling up from who knows where that fills up it's cistern and then overflows and runs over the sides and down to the ground creating a brook. It just keeps coming and coming forever.

But. His goodness is abundant for those who fear you. This is what we must not miss. God's goodness is abundant with qualification—towards those who fear him. We must not expect God's goodness to overflow if we don't fear him, but this is exactly what we often do. We presume upon God's goodness even when our heart is far from him, and then are baffled that we don't receive it.

Is your life miserable? God's goodness is a spring waiting to fill up your life so that you cannot contain it, but it certainly won't, if you do not fear, reverence, honor, and glorify him.