The 'Follow Thru' of God

The Minor Prophets  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  40:38
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Nahum describes for us the ominous future of devastating judgment from the LORD on Nineveh and Assyria

1. ‘Bloody’ Nineveh made a spectacle, 3:1-7.

the bloody city — a city built up through the bloodshed of war and cruelty.
It is characterized as “full of lies”; that is false promises, fraud and deception were paramount in both business and government.
(full of …) pillage, actively pursuing after and taking what is rightfully belongs to another through violence. The image conveyed by Nahum is Nineveh is “full of plunder, never without victims”
The imagery found in verses 2 and 3 is a vivid description of the onslaught by the invaders.
the cracking of the whip, as it flies through the air and snaps over the horses’ heads,
the rattling of the chariot wheel as they rush forward into the battle,
the thudding of each horses hooves as they fall upon the ground within the city,
the bouncing and creaking of each chariot as they fly through streets, with apparently nothing to restrain them in their courses through the city.
the horsemen with their horses rearing up, just before being urged forward into battle,
the sunlight reflecting off the swords and spears of those bringing devastation.
All of these together brings a certain picture of death and destruction upon the people of Nineveh. “Many”, “a mass”, “countless” describe this magnitude of death. The horrible scene of carnage is so great that soldiers are stumbling over the bodies, underscoring the fact that there is no glory in war. As Assyria had done to many nations, so it will be done to them.
This has come to befall Nineveh because of her past conduct. The many harlotries of the harlot most likely is a reference to the chief deity of Nineveh, the goddess Ishtar, in whose worship sacred prostitution played a role. As Nineveh reflected Ishtar’s character, so Nineveh is likened to a prostitute. She charmed other nations with her wealth, religion, commerce, art, and science. She had well-disciplined armies, which enticed other nations to seek alliances with her, only later to regret their choice. As the mistress of sorceries, she was well-versed in the art of politically mesmerizing other nations, selling them out when it suited her, enslaving them to herself.
King Ahaz of Judah sought Assyria as an ally against his enemies, leading to religious compromise and economic oppression; 2 Kings 16:10-19
2 Kings 16:10–19 NASB95
Now King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and saw the altar which was at Damascus; and King Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the pattern of the altar and its model, according to all its workmanship. So Urijah the priest built an altar; according to all that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus, thus Urijah the priest made it, before the coming of King Ahaz from Damascus. When the king came from Damascus, the king saw the altar; then the king approached the altar and went up to it, and burned his burnt offering and his meal offering, and poured his drink offering and sprinkled the blood of his peace offerings on the altar. The bronze altar, which was before the Lord, he brought from the front of the house, from between his altar and the house of the Lord, and he put it on the north side of his altar. Then King Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, “Upon the great altar burn the morning burnt offering and the evening meal offering and the king’s burnt offering and his meal offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land and their meal offering and their drink offerings; and sprinkle on it all the blood of the burnt offering and all the blood of the sacrifice. But the bronze altar shall be for me to inquire by. So Urijah the priest did according to all that King Ahaz commanded. Then King Ahaz cut off the borders of the stands, and removed the laver from them; he also took down the sea from the bronze oxen which were under it and put it on a pavement of stone. The covered way for the sabbath which they had built in the house, and the outer entry of the king, he removed from the house of the Lord because of the king of Assyria. Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz which he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?
The LORD of hosts is against Nineveh. This is the second challenge from the LORD (cf. 2:13) and He will describe what He will do. In general, the LORD will punish the harlot Nineveh in a manner appropriate to harlots of that day. He will remove all the beautiful trappings of Nineveh’s prestige and power publicly. This is a picture of public humiliation— everyone can see what happens. It is a complete humiliation and defilement of the once great city and nation, and the LORD will set them apart as an object of public ridicule and scorn by other nations.
Those who see her will shrink away. They will seek avoidance, they are repulsed and in in horror at what has happened to her. In short, Nineveh, arguably one of the greatest cities on the face of the earth is devastated— a heap of rubble.

2. Historical: “As No-Amon, so too Nineveh,” 3:8-11.

This section begins with another rhetorical question: ‘Are you better than....” This historical analogy uses the city No-Amon (the city of the god Amon), better known to us as Thebes, one of the wonders of the ancient world, the location of Karnak and Luxor, 400 miles south of modern day Cairo. It had a strategic location on a large bend in the Nile River where it is closest to the Red Sea. It, like Nineveh, had water protecting the approaches to the city. At this area, the Nile River was half-mile across, serving as her rampart, Poetically called her “sea” wall. No-Amon was a capital of a mighty empire. The 25th Egyptian dynasty (715-663 BC) rulers were of Sudanese origin. She joined together Egypt and Ethiopia (Cush), which would have been today most of modern Sudan and some of present day Ethiopia as part of her kingdom. Put and Lubim were allies: Put is uncertain, most likely today’s Somaliland, and Lubim was part of today’s Libya. No-Amon was surrounded by barrier countries yet she became an exile under the reign of Ashurbanipal of Assyria in 663 BC. Her people were alive, going into exile, but her small children were murdered publicly at every street corner, demonstrating that the Assyrians had no respect for the weak and helpless. All of her honorable men (diplomats, high ruling men) and great men (leaders of the nation) were apportioned out by lots and made slaves.
Just as this had happened to No-Amon, this could/would happen to Nineveh.
You too will become drunk — here the emphasis is on being dazed and confused as they drink the cup of God’s wrath. You will be hidden — seeking to escape by hiding. You too will search for a refuge from the enemy — but unlike those exiled from No-Amon, there will be no refuge found.

3. “Nineveh, nothing will stop God’s judgment,” 3:12-17.

The figures that follow again paint a vivid picture of what was coming for Nineveh. The fortifications are pictured as ripe figs hanging from the trees which would easily fall from it when the tree is shaken. In other words, there was no strength in those fortifications nor those who were stationed in them. To have the figs fall into the eater’s mouth is an exaggeration for effect— it speaks of the ease of the invaders to go through the fortifications of Nineveh.
The next figure, without disparaging women, points out the great fear that has come upon the defenders and the people in general. Many have apparently tried to flee, having lost their courage and skill. Because there are few to defend the fortifications before Nineveh, the gates are open, fortresses destroyed by fire.
Irony is present in the commands of verse 14, commands that are for Nineveh to prepare for a long siege:
Draw water for the siege!— crucial
Strengthen your fortifications! — the defenses of the city.
Go into the clay and tread the mortar! — repair parts of the wall.
Take hold of the brick mold!— reinforce the vulnerable places,
yet the outcome will not change, all the preparations will not save Nineveh. They are fighting the LORD of hosts instruments of His judgment. It is utter folly for men to fight against God.
Fire will consume you, the sword will cut you down — death and destruction are your lot. The word for ‘locusts’ here in this text refers to the young locusts, who are the most destructive as they ravage the vegetation.
The creeping locust is the destructive young locust; the swarming locust is the more mature, flying locust. But regardless of their number, doom will come’
The great commercial activity of Nineveh, comparatively called “more than the stars of heaven,” would seem untouchable, yet would be suddenly stopped as though it were consumed by a locust plague. Practically, the numerous merchants will be the first to leave with their wealth to safety before the hammer falls.
In contrast, the the great number of guardsmen and the servants of the king (marshals) are lethargic, just like locust or grasshoppers on a cold day, sitting in the nooks and crannies of stone walls. But when the sun rises heats up the air, ground, and resting places , the locusts and grasshoppers fly away to parts unknown. Just so, in the heat of battle, Assyrian officials will flee and disappear to parts unknown. That makes it difficult to find them and, as the attack unfolds are not there to help defend the city.

4. “Nineveh, your wound is incurable”, 3:18-19.

Finally, the king of Assyria is addressed. The figure used is shepherds and the people as sheep. The shepherds will be sleeping and the nobles are lying down… in death. Consequently, the people like sheep are scattered and have none to seek them out and regroup them, no shepherd to gather, protect and provide for.
One king has followed another just as bad— or worse— than his predecessor. Cf. James 1:15
James 1:15 NASB95
Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.
The fall of Nineveh brings an end to the nation. The wound of the both the nation and the king is incurable. The response to this? All who hear will respond with joy, clapping their hands in glee.
The evils of the palace in Nineveh affected all where they had power and influence. That evil passed continually through the nations Assyria had conquered and/ or laid heavy tribute.
Historically, the Assyrian monarchy survived the fall of Nineveh for three years until it was defeated by Nebuchadnezzar in 610 BC, the last king of Assyria meeting his death. Finally, at the battle of Carchemish in 605 BC an Assyro-Egyptian coalition was defeated by Babylon and eliminated the last of the Assyrian presence in the region.
Opening Up Nahum (Is Nahum Describing Ethnic Cleansing?)
‘Let the peoples of today take a long, steady, thoughtful look at old-time Nineveh. She is one of God’s special object-lessons to all rulers and nations. It is the same God who super-rules the world today. He is not less severe than he was in the Old Testament times, and he is not more compassionate. He is just as uncompromising towards sin, just as compassionate towards the penitent, the same from age to age. The idea that the Gospel of Christ somehow tones down the severity in the divine character is wrong. Certainly, the gospel is the supreme expression of the Divine graciousness; but it does not in the slightest degree modify the inflexible principles of righteousness by which God governs nations. God has always been gracious. God has always been intolerant of wickedness. He is the same today.’ — J. Sidlow Baxter, Explore The Book.
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