They Forgot...God Didn't.
Nineveh received God's mercy once but they forgot. God didn't
They forgot…God Doesn’t.
The burden against Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.
God’s Wrath on His Enemies
2 God is jealous, and the LORD avenges;
The LORD avenges and is furious.
The LORD will take vengeance on His adversaries,
And He reserves wrath for His enemies;
3 The LORD is slow to anger and great in power,
And will not at all acquit the wicked.
The LORD has His way
In the whirlwind and in the storm,
And the clouds are the dust of His feet.
4 He rebukes the sea and makes it dry,
And dries up all the rivers.
Bashan and Carmel wither,
And the flower of Lebanon wilts.
5 The mountains quake before Him,
The hills melt,
And the earth heaves at His presence,
Yes, the world and all who dwell in it.
6 Who can stand before His indignation?
And who can endure the fierceness of His anger?
His fury is poured out like fire,
And the rocks are thrown down by Him.
7 The LORD is good,
A stronghold in the day of trouble;
And He knows those who trust in Him.
8 But with an overflowing flood
He will make an utter end of its place,
And darkness will pursue His enemies.
9 What do you conspire against the LORD?
He will make an utter end of it.
Affliction will not rise up a second time.
10 For while tangled like thorns,
And while drunken like drunkards,
They shall be devoured like stubble fully dried.
11 From you comes forth one
Who plots evil against the LORD,
A wicked counselor.
12 Thus says the LORD:
“Though they are safe, and likewise many,
Yet in this manner they will be cut down
When he passes through.
Though I have afflicted you,
I will afflict you no more;
13 For now I will break off his yoke from you,
And burst your bonds apart.”
14 The LORD has given a command concerning you:
“Your name shall be perpetuated no longer.
Out of the house of your gods
I will cut off the carved image and the molded image.
I will dig your grave,
For you are vile.”
15 Behold, on the mountains
The feet of him who brings good tidings,
Who proclaims peace!
O Judah, keep your appointed feasts,
Perform your vows.
For the wicked one shall no more pass through you;
He is utterly cut off.
• God’s wrath against Nineveh (Nah 1:1–15)
• Depiction of Nineveh’s fall (Nah 2:1–13)
• A mocking lament for Nineveh (Nah 3:1–19)
Nahum shows us that God will bring justice. Oppressors will be punished when God takes vengeance on behalf of the oppressed. He brings judgment not only on His own people, but also on all the nations. In Nahum, we see God’s anger toward evil and His desire to rid the world of it. He is not only the God of Israel, but of the whole world—he raises up and throws down nations.
Nahum’s depiction of Nineveh contrasts with the city’s portrayal in the book of Jonah, where the people repent and receive mercy. Even though Nahum’s prophecies against Nineveh are grim, they come from a God who doesn’t anger easily (Nah 1:3). Nineveh had been given opportunities to turn from wickedness, but now the time has come for judgment. This judgment amounts to good news for the people of Judah, whom God promises to protect and restore (Nah 1:15; 2:2). Judah and all the other nations that had been terrorized by the Assyrian armies cried out for justice, and God granted it. Nahum concludes his oracle with a message to the Assyrians: Everyone who hears of their downfall will applaud (Nah 3:19). As we seek justice, we should take comfort in knowing that oppression will not last forever. In the face of overwhelming injustice, God is still a refuge for those who trust in Him (Nah 1:7). Yahweh hears, and He will deliver.