Nahum 3:1-19...

(1-7)

Read ,

Turn with me please to the Revelation of Jesus Christ, the book of .

In this chapter there is a moving description of the fall of “Mystery Babylon.”.

Babylon had been a sister city of Nineveh, both having been founded by Nimrod according to .

It had become a symbol of secular man united in opposition to God, just as Nineveh had become a symbol of man united in opposition to other men and women.

By the time Revelation was written, earthly Babylon had fallen. So the Babylon mentioned here is termed “Mystery Babylon” ()

and is a symbolic representation of all cities of all ages of human history that have opposed God in wickedness.

The text says, “Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!” ().

It is a striking feature of this chapter that Babylon’s fall is marked by three mournful lamentations,

each beginning with the words: “Woe! Woe!” The kings of the earth express their grief ():

— They will stand far off in fear of her torment, saying, Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the mighty city! For in a single hour your judgment has come.

Then the merchants join in — saying, Woe, woe, the great city, dressed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, adorned with gold, jewels, and pearls; for in a single hour such fabulous wealth was destroyed!

At last, the sea captains, sailors, passengers, and traders exclaim — .... Woe, woe, the great city, where all those who have ships on the sea became rich from her wealth; for in a single hour she was destroyed.

The grief is so distressing than an angel adds his words, commenting that, — The sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpeters will never be heard in you again; no craftsman of any trade will ever be found in you again; the sound of a mill will never be heard in you again;

Then something tremendous happens. These sounds die away, and the scene shifts to heaven,

where the people of God are singing God’s praises.

Their words are not words of woe, though the fall of Babylon is still on their minds.

Instead, the word that comes to their lips is “Hallelujah!” A great multitude cries out:

— After this I heard something like the loud voice of a vast multitude in heaven, saying, Hallelujah! Salvation, glory, and power belong to our God, because his judgments are true and righteous, because he has judged the notorious prostitute who corrupted the earth with her sexual immorality; and he has avenged the blood of his servants that was on her hands. A second time they said, Hallelujah! Her smoke ascends forever and ever! Then the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who is seated on the throne, saying, Amen! Hallelujah!

— Then I heard something like the voice of a vast multitude, like the sound of cascading waters, and like the rumbling of loud thunder, saying, Hallelujah, because our Lord God, the Almighty, reigns! Let us be glad, rejoice, and give him glory, because the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his bride has prepared herself.

What is mourned on earth is applauded in heaven.

On earth the fall of Babylon is judged an unmitigated tragedy.

In heaven it is cause for rejoicing before God.

The third chapter of Nahum reminds us of this heavenly perspective as it describes the fate of Nineveh.

Like , it begins with a cry of woe for the city. It will fall.

Boice, J. M. (2002). The Minor Prophets: an expositional commentary (p. 381). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.

Boice, J. M. (2002). The Minor Prophets: an expositional commentary (p. 381). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.

The Unmistakable Charge. (v1,4)

The Unmistakable Charge. (v1,4,19)

God is going to charge them with their crimes against Him and we’ve seen that neither her numbers or greatness is able to secure her from being charged by God.

— Woe to the city of blood, totally deceitful, full of plunder, never without prey.

It’s a “city of blood”. Innocent blood shed by the unrighteous in war. Barbarous murders that were unpunished and about to be brought out into the light and punished by God.

v1 says that it’s a “city of blood”, but also “totally deceitful”. The truth is banished from them.

They didn’t know to believe or to not believe. Who do you trust in a city like Nineveh?

Why are lies mentioned?

Probably because lying is one of the characteristics of those who oppose the Lord, the God of truth.

Idols are regarded as false, deceitful and lying.

This is a reminder and a warning to the reader that lying is much more serious than our modern society would acknowledge.

The city is “full of plunder”

The city is “full of plunder”

No one cared about the mischief that was being done nor to whom it’s done to.

They shed blood, told lies, in pursuit of prey, so that they could enrich themselves.

— Because of the continual prostitution of the prostitute...

This is used many times concerning Israel, indicating their infidelity to Yahweh.

But these are spiritual whoredoms, by which Nineveh defiled herself and to which she would seduce neighboring nations.

Or “the attractive mistress of sorcery” and by those sorceries, she also sells families like merchandise.

This Unmistakable Charge leads to...

The Unrelenting Condemnation. (v1,2,3,5-7).

So the cry goes up in v1, “Woe to the city of blood” Why this “Woe”?

First of all because Nineveh had with her cruelties been a terror and destruction to others,

and therefore destruction and terror shall be brought upon her.

Those that are for overthrowing all that come in their way will, sooner or later, meet their match.

You hear the stirring v2— The crack of the whip and rumble of the wheel, galloping horse and jolting chariot!

Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p. 1548). Peabody: Hendrickson.

This formidable army is coming against Nineveh.

These charging noises are frightful, and all the more so

when hear the force coming with all this speed against them and they they’re not able to get ahead to prevail against it.

You see the slaughter. v3— Charging horseman, flashing sword, shining spear; heaps of slain, mounds of corpses, dead bodies without end— they stumble over their dead.

= — Charging horseman, flashing sword, shining spear; heaps of slain, mounds of corpses, dead bodies without end— they stumble over their dead.

Flashing swords drawn for the executions that shall be done.

See the havoc that they’ve been commissioned to slay? “heaps of slain, mounds of corpses, dead bodies without end— they stumble over their dead.”

mounds of corpses,

dead bodies without end—

they stumble over their dead.

For those who won’t take warning by God’s judgments at a distance shall have them come nearer.

Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

Nineveh had, with her prostitutions and sorcery drawn others into their shameful wickedness and so God will load her with shame and contempt.

— I am against you. This is the declaration of the Lord of Armies. I will lift your skirts over your face and display your nakedness to nations, your shame to kingdoms. I will throw filth on you and treat you with contempt; I will make a spectacle of you. Then all who see you will recoil from you, saying, “Nineveh is devastated; who will show sympathy to her?” Where can I find anyone to comfort you?

Again, He is against them. The Lord of Armies is against sin! So now, she is going to be exposed to the highest degree of disgrace and offensive behavior.

Nahum now turns to a different figure as he compares the city of Nineveh to a woman of ill repute.

Just as Nineveh’s successor in evil work was called ‘Babylon … the mother of prostitutes’ (),

so Nineveh itself is likened by God to a harlot.

The reason the Lord describes the city as a harlot is because the Assyrians had gone out and plundered the inhabitants of the surrounding areas.

They had set out to enslave peoples—as a prostitute seeks to degrade others by her recklessness.

A prostitute’s lack of morality attempts to lead men astray into unfaithfulness and evil behavior

—all for the sake of excitement.

Not only that, it is at the expense of a man’s marriage vows and his love for his family.

Anyone tempted to consort with a prostitute should pay close attention to the instructions found in the book of Proverbs.

There the wise man says,

Bentley, M. (1994). Balancing the Books: Micah and Nahum Simply Explained (pp. 119–120). Darlington, England: Evangelical Press.

— Now, sons, listen to me, and pay attention to the words from my mouth. Don’t let your heart turn aside to her ways; don’t stray onto her paths. For she has brought many down to death; her victims are countless. Her house is the road to Sheol, descending to the chambers of death.

The solemn truth is that the Lord is going to judge and punish all those who try to lead any of God’s people astray.

They will be brought to shame. ‘ “I am against you,” declares the Lord Almighty’ (3:5).

Those who ‘play the harlot’ will discover that in the day of God’s judgment their degrading nakedness will be paraded for all to see.

God says in v5, “...I will lift your skirts over your face and display your nakedness to nations, your shame to kingdoms.”

Nahum tells us that because of Nineveh’s sin,

she will be like a prostitute who is forced to walk along the streets so that the population can throw filth at her.

and display your nakedness to nations,

Nineveh will be treated with contempt, and just as an exposed prostitute suffers the humiliation of being treated like dirt,

so proud Nineveh will one day be brought down to ruin; and when that day comes no one will mourn for her.

This is a shocking metaphor for idolatry, it is the giving away of affection that rightfully belongs to another.

While literal fornication and adultery are sins in their own right, used metaphorically in this way

the term reveals the deepest roots of sin, which is adulterous unfaithfulness to our Creator.

Nineveh will become a proverb for the ultimate catastrophe: human autonomy (vv. 8–17).

Jesus warns us not to build on any foundation other than God’s word, or our end will be the same...

Gospel Transformation Bible: English Standard Version Study Notes for Nahum

shocking metaphor for idolatry, it is the giving away of affection that rightfully belongs to another. While literal fornication and adultery are sins in their own right, used metaphorically in this way the term reveals the deepest roots of sin, which is adulterous unfaithfulness to our Creator.

Nineveh will become a proverb for the ultimate catastrophe: human autonomy (vv. 8–17). Jesus warns us not to build on any foundation other than God’s word, or our end will be the same (Matt. 7:24–27).

— “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and doesn’t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded that house, and it collapsed. It collapsed with a great crash.”

Glodo, M. J. (2013). Nahum. In B. Chapell & D. Ortlund (Eds.), Gospel Transformation Bible: English Standard Version (p. 1217). Wheaton, IL: Crossway.

We learn that those who show no pity in the day of their power will be shown no pity in the day of their fall.

God says in v6, “I will make a spectacle of you.” We ought to take note when God makes examples out of proud sinners and

He humbles them, that God designs that so that we’ll not become haughty and lift ourselves up, if we’re permitted to prosper in the world.

your shame to kingdoms.”

Bentley, M. (1994). Balancing the Books: Micah and Nahum Simply Explained (p. 121). Darlington, England: Evangelical Press.

Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.”

This Unmistakable Charge that led to...

The Unrelenting Condemnation that leads to the exposing of

The Uncertain Confidence. (v8,10,11)

Apart from Christ alone, whatever you’re putting your confidence in, it will prove insufficient to ward off the judgment of God.

Nahum shows them this by mentioning other places that seemed strong and secure but couldn’t keep ground in the judgments of God.

— Are you better than Thebes that sat along the Nile with water surrounding her, whose rampart was the sea, the river her wall?

NO! This place was some great city in Egypt.

“Go to that city and check out what I did to it.” God says.

— “ ‘But return to my place that was at Shiloh, where I made my name dwell at first. See what I did to it because of the evil of my people Israel.

Everything that Nineveh relied upon would soon let her down.

One of her conquests was Thebes, the great capital of Upper Egypt. Thebes spanned the River Nile.

— Cush and Egypt were her endless source of strength; Put and Libya were among her allies.

Some of the allies of Thebes were Cush (i.e. Upper Egypt) and Egypt (i.e. Lower Egypt); these were very strong countries.

Two other supporters of Thebes were Put (no one knows quite where this area was) and Libya.

Yet, for all her strength and that of her partners, Thebes was taken captive by the Assyrians.

Her citizens were bundled away into exile.

Her children were inhumanely slaughtered and her great men were led away bound in chains.

— Yet she became an exile; she went into captivity. Her children were also dashed to pieces at the head of every street. They cast lots for her dignitaries, and all her nobles were bound in chains.

Consider these dreadful cruelties which Nineveh inflicted upon Thebes.

God said, through his servant Nahum, that similar treatment would be meted out to the Assyrians.

He puts it in these terms. He says, ‘You too will become drunk’ (3:11).

He meant that Nineveh would drink from the cup of God’s wrath.

There was a day coming when the proud, powerful people of Nineveh, the conquerors of Thebes,

would run away and try to hide from the anger God will unleash upon sinners.

ould run away and try to hide from the anger God will unleash upon sinners.

We need to know from these verses, which will help us to have a proper fear of God’s judgments, is

when we consider that we are not any better than those that have fallen under those judgments.

We deserve them just as much and would find ourselves utterly unable to grapple with them as well.

God asks us in v8, “Are you better?”

Is there any reason that we should fare better?

The Unmasking of False Confidence. (v11,12,13,14,15,16,17,19)

The Unmasking of false Confidence. (v11,12,13,14,15,16,17,19)

The prophet is going to expose their false confidence by showing them how it will fail them.

First of all, did the men of Nineveh trust in their own bravery?

God tells them in v11 that they’re going to hide.

They’ll hide because of the shame and disgrace, and fear.

They’ll not be able to face their enemies. They’ll have no strength.

They’ll become like the people described by Job.

— He deprives the world’s leaders of reason, and makes them wander in a trackless wasteland. They grope around in darkness without light; he makes them stagger like a drunkard.

Would they depend upon barriers and strongholds they had fortified and bravely manned?

v12 describes their fortresses. — All your fortresses are fig trees with figs that ripened first; when shaken, they fall— right into the mouth of the eater!

Those wall will prove to be like paper walls.

Like the first ripe figs, which, if you give the tree a little shake, will fall into the mouth of the eater.

Just that easy, those strongholds will be made to surrender.

People imagine their monies to be their protector and what they rely upon: — The wealth of the rich is his fortified city; in his imagination it is like a high wall.

They were supposed to make these strongholds as strong and ready to go!

— Draw water for the siege {in case they were trapped into the city for a long time, you’ll need water}; strengthen your fortresses. Step into the clay and tread the mortar; take hold of the brick-mold!

Make all the efforts you can in putting up new defences, but it shall all be in vain.

— The fire will devour you there; the sword will cut you down.

It’s by fire and the sword that great devastations are made in times of war.

Did they have confident in how many people (the multitudes) they had in Nineveh?

It will devour you like the young locust. Multiply yourselves like the young locust; multiply like the swarming locust!

Look at what God causes this multiplying people to become like:

— Look, your troops are like women among you...

Women had no wisdom in warfare, no courage. The Ninevite troops will become as faint-hearted women during the times of distress and danger.

— You have made your merchants more numerous than the stars of the sky. The young locust strips the land and flies away.

The enemy shall spoil Nineveh and carry away the spoil without opposition or any hope of recovering it.

Did they put their strength in the gates and bars of the city? v13 “...your land’s city gates are wide open to your enemies."

No matter how strong and well guarded, these shall not be the answer in the end. “ Fire will devour the bars of your gates.”

How about kings and officials? — Your court officials are like the swarming locust, and your scribes like clouds of locusts, which settle on the walls on a cold day; when the sun rises, they take off, and no one knows where they are.

All that power won’t avail them before God’s power. Just like Jesus would one day tell Pilate: — “You would have no authority over me at all,” Jesus answered him, “if it hadn’t been given you from above."

How about their leaders? — King of Assyria, your shepherds slumber; your officers sleep. Your people are scattered across the mountains with no one to gather them together.

These leaders had lost heart to appear and lead the flock. The officers sleep.

Maybe they’ll catch a second wind and make a comeback?

No, v18 says that the people are scattered with no one to gather them together.

So there’s

The Unmistakable Charge

The Unrelenting Condemnation

The Uncertain Confidence

And the gracious Unmasking of the False Confidence.

There’s no remedy for them. Their would in too severe.

Throughout this passage the major theme is shame.

Nineveh, famous for its brazen shaming of other nations through its might and wickedness, will have the tables turned on it.

Continuing the adultery metaphor, God says He will expose Nineveh in all its shame for the whole world to see ().

In a fallen world, we too today know what it is to be ashamed. Sometimes it is because of our own sin.

Other times we have been sinned against, causing shame.

Listen church, to what our great Savior did,

— keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

“endured the cross, despising the shame” —so that all those who look to him can be assured of the end, someday very soon, of all shame.

Brothers and sisters, Nineveh’s fall is one of the numerous biblical witnesses to the

reliability of God’s word and the certainty of his purposes (see also ).

Nineveh’s fall is one of the numerous biblical witnesses to the reliability of God’s word and the certainty of his purposes (see also ). Earthly powers, today as then, ignore or oppose God in various ways.

Earthly powers, today as then, ignore or oppose God in various ways.

Jesus Christ, in his death and resurrection, has brought the ultimate end of every human authority opposed to God.

He conquered not by killing but by being killed.

The result is that one day every knee will bow, either in worship or under his rod of iron (, ; ).

For those who have taken refuge in him, we don’t know the answer to how long we have to wait (),

but we know that salvation has come and is coming in Jesus.

You see beloved, God is good, and he provides a refuge for His people when times of trouble come upon them.

He cares for them (1:7).

What wonderful words to find in the midst of so much talk of gloom and judgement!

The Lord Jesus Christ said that he did not come to this earth to bring peace, but a sword ();

he divides families when some are true followers of Christ and others reject him.

One day he will come as Judge of all the universe.

Yet this same Judge is also one who provides a refuge for those of his blood-bought people who come to him.

To such he says, ‘I will give you rest’ ().

This prophecy of Nahum was fulfilled to the very letter.

Just as the sentence of vengeance upon the ungodly was carried out to the last bitter dregs,

so the blessings of the one who is trusting the good news, and who is at peace with God,

are already being experienced even now by the redeemed people of God

but they will be known and enjoyed in all their fulness in the glory days of eternity when every enemy shall be destroyed.

Glodo, M. J. (2013). Nahum. In B. Chapell & D. Ortlund (Eds.), Gospel Transformation Bible: English Standard Version (p. 1218). Wheaton, IL: Crossway.