Nahum: Judgment/Fall of Nineveh
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A word of consolation to God’s people
A word of consolation to God’s people
Consolation: The comfort received by a person after a loss or disappointment. That is what we see in this book.
The Set up, the background
Nahum: Name means “Consolation”
Home: Elkosh (1:1)
Contemporary of Jeremiah, Habakkuk and Zephaniah
The message
Dated 630-612 B.C.
During captivity of Israel by Assyria
The fall of Nineveh (Capital of Assyria) fulfilling the prophesy of Jonah.
This is a short book and the can be broken into three-sections that line up with the chapters.
Simple division of the book
Nineveh’s doom declared (chapter 1)
Nineveh’s doom described (chapter 2)
Nineveh’s doom deserved (chapter 3)
Nineveh’s doom declared
Nineveh’s doom declared
The prophesy of Jonah was about the destruction of Nineveh (somewhere on or about 780 B.C.) and this is the fulfillment of that prophesy that turned a nation for a time to God. Still yet just some years later the doom of Nineveh is being declared again, this time there is no escape.
God’s character and power declared (Nah1:1-8)
1 The oracle of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite. 2 A jealous and avenging God is the Lord; The Lord is avenging and wrathful. The Lord takes vengeance on His adversaries, And He reserves wrath for His enemies.
3 The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, And the Lord will by no means leave the guilty unpunished. In whirlwind and storm is His way, And clouds are the dust beneath His feet.
What is the purpose of the oracle according to (v.2)?
The vengeance of the Lord is declared
What is the consolation to Israel and promise to Nineveh (v.3)?
Though God is slow to anger, the guilty will be punished.
4 He rebukes the sea and makes it dry; He dries up all the rivers. Bashan and Carmel wither; The blossoms of Lebanon wither. 5 Mountains quake because of Him And the hills dissolve; Indeed the earth is upheaved by His presence, The world and all the inhabitants in it.
6 Who can stand before His indignation? Who can endure the burning of His anger? His wrath is poured out like fire And the rocks are broken up by Him. 7 The Lord is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble, And He knows those who take refuge in Him.
8 But with an overflowing flood He will make a complete end of its site, And will pursue His enemies into darkness.
In summary what do you see about the character and power of the Lord in (vv.3-6)?
The fierceness of his anger is described
Then in contrast there are some words of consolation to His people in (v.7) can you see them?
7 The Lord is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble, And He knows those who take refuge in Him.
The goodness, and that He is a stronghold to those who know Him.
And then in (v.8) God is a pursuer of His enemies.
The overthrow, destruction declared (Nah1:9-15)
9 Whatever you devise against the Lord, He will make a complete end of it. Distress will not rise up twice. 10 Like tangled thorns, And like those who are drunken with their drink, They are consumed As stubble completely withered.
11 From you has gone forth One who plotted evil against the Lord, A wicked counselor. 12 Thus says the Lord, “Though they are at full strength and likewise many, Even so, they will be cut off and pass away. Though I have afflicted you, I will afflict you no longer.
13 “So now, I will break his yoke bar from upon you, And I will tear off your shackles.” 14 The Lord has issued a command concerning you: “Your name will no longer be perpetuated. I will cut off idol and image From the house of your gods. I will prepare your grave, For you are contemptible.”
15 Behold, on the mountains the feet of him who brings good news, Who announces peace! Celebrate your feasts, O Judah; Pay your vows. For never again will the wicked one pass through you; He is cut off completely.
Can you see the severity, the completeness of the doom declared in (vv.9-11)?
He will make a complete end to it.
They (Ninevites) are bigger, stronger; but they will be cut off and not afflict you any longer and you will be set free (vv.12-13)
Look at (v.14) who is issuing the command that will cut them off?
The Lord did!
There will be an end to the wicked, go ahead you will be able to keep your feasts! (v.15)
(Transition) so with the doom declared now to getting more into the doom described.
Nineveh’s doom described
Nineveh’s doom described
Consolation, remember the meaning? This is a great comfort to Judah, and a dire warning of what was coming to Nineveh as the Prophet continues to lay out now the doom coming in further detail, so it is described.
The seize of the city (Nah2:1-7)
1 The one who scatters has come up against you. Man the fortress, watch the road; Strengthen your back, summon all your strength. 2 For the Lord will restore the splendor of Jacob Like the splendor of Israel, Even though devastators have devastated them And destroyed their vine branches.
3 The shields of his mighty men are colored red, The warriors are dressed in scarlet, The chariots are enveloped in flashing steel When he is prepared to march, And the cypress spears are brandished. 4 The chariots race madly in the streets, They rush wildly in the squares, Their appearance is like torches, They dash to and fro like lightning flashes.
In (v.1) you see some instructions for preparation, look at the words used?
Man the fortress, Watch the road, Strengthen your back, Summon your strength
As He tells them to prepare the reason why is given in (vv.2-4) for the battle is described
What are the results of the battle when you look at (v.7)?
She is stripped, is carried away
In other words they are going into captivity
The Assyrians are falling in their world domination and the Medes along with the Persians who are going to be God’s tools of judgment against Assyria (starting with Nineveh) and they, along with the captives they hold (Israel/Ephraim) will be taken by the Medo-Persian empire and then they by the Babylonians.
Interesting wording in (v.6) about the gates of the rivers are opened, palace dissolved. In the Believers’ study bible it says that in ancient Babylonian writings (Chronicles) that Nineveh fell because the flooding rivers made breaches in the city’s defences. - - - just an interesting fact I thought maybe you would enjoy
The plunder of the city (Nah2:8-13)
The inhabitants flee, the city is plundered (vv.8-10)
8 Though Nineveh was like a pool of water throughout her days, Now they are fleeing; “Stop, stop,” But no one turns back. 9 Plunder the silver! Plunder the gold! For there is no limit to the treasure— Wealth from every kind of desirable object.
10 She is emptied! Yes, she is desolate and waste! Hearts are melting and knees knocking! Also anguish is in the whole body And all their faces are grown pale!
So, as the people flee, what happens with the city? (vv.8-9)?
Plunder silver, God, all treasure and wealth from every kind.
Then goes on in (v.10) to say it will be laid desolate and waste
The people will be heart melting, knee knocking and pale faced.
The destruction will be complete (vv.11-13)
11 Where is the den of the lions And the feeding place of the young lions, Where the lion, lioness and lion’s cub prowled, With nothing to disturb them? 12 The lion tore enough for his cubs, Killed enough for his lionesses, And filled his lairs with prey And his dens with torn flesh.
13 “Behold, I am against you,” declares the Lord of hosts. “I will burn up her chariots in smoke, a sword will devour your young lions; I will cut off your prey from the land, and no longer will the voice of your messengers be heard.”
Where they thought they were the aggressors and were well protected like a lion over the lioness and the cub in the lions den, now look at (v.13) what is the Lord going to do?
He will burn up their chariots, devour their young lions (army) cut off your prey (food) and your watchers, heralds will be heard no more.
(Transition) From the doom declared to the doom described it is a pretty weary picture for Nineveh but a word of consolation to Judah. Now through the prophet God does not stop there, there is a little more to get.
Nineveh’s doom deserved
Nineveh’s doom deserved
God is a just God and now through the prophet God is going to lay out why the doom is deserved. Because justice is about to be served.
Because of her sins (Nah3:1-7)
1 Woe to the bloody city, completely full of lies and pillage; Her prey never departs. 2 The noise of the whip, The noise of the rattling of the wheel, Galloping horses And bounding chariots!
3 Horsemen charging, Swords flashing, spears gleaming, Many slain, a mass of corpses, And countless dead bodies— They stumble over the dead bodies! 4 All because of the many harlotries of the harlot, The charming one, the mistress of sorceries, Who sells nations by her harlotries And families by her sorceries.
In (v.1) you can see the reason for the doom deserved, can you see it?
The lies and pillage
Then in (vv.2-4) you see it described more
5 “Behold, I am against you,” declares the Lord of hosts; “And I will lift up your skirts over your face, And show to the nations your nakedness And to the kingdoms your disgrace. 6 “I will throw filth on you And make you vile, And set you up as a spectacle.
7 “And it will come about that all who see you Will shrink from you and say, ‘Nineveh is devastated! Who will grieve for her?’ Where will I seek comforters for you?”
Scan (vv.5-7) and you see some very descriptive words used, go ahead, pick them out?
I am against you, I will lift up your skirts, show your nakedness, show your disgrace,make you vile, set you as a spectacle
The end result please will see, people will not come to your aid, nor to your comfort.
Because they are no better than No-Amon (Nah3:8-11)
8 Are you better than No-amon, Which was situated by the waters of the Nile, With water surrounding her, Whose rampart was the sea, Whose wall consisted of the sea? 9 Ethiopia was her might, And Egypt too, without limits. Put and Lubim were among her helpers.
10 Yet she became an exile, She went into captivity; Also her small children were dashed to pieces At the head of every street; They cast lots for her honorable men, And all her great men were bound with fetters. 11 You too will become drunk, You will be hidden. You too will search for a refuge from the enemy.
No-Amon was the city of the God of Amon and it was destroyed previously by the Assyrians (about 663 B.C.) and the prophet is saying they are no better than them whom you destroyed
The description used in these verses was a good rendition of what the Assyrians had done to them and what is going to be done to them (Nineveh; the Assyrians).
Because her efforts and wealth cannot/will not
save her (Nah3:12-19)
12 All your fortifications are fig trees with ripe fruit— When shaken, they fall into the eater’s mouth. 13 Behold, your people are women in your midst! The gates of your land are opened wide to your enemies; Fire consumes your gate bars.
14 Draw for yourself water for the siege! Strengthen your fortifications! Go into the clay and tread the mortar! Take hold of the brick mold! 15 There fire will consume you, The sword will cut you down; It will consume you as the locust does. Multiply yourself like the creeping locust, Multiply yourself like the swarming locust.
16 You have increased your traders more than the stars of heaven— The creeping locust strips and flies away. 17 Your guardsmen are like the swarming locust. Your marshals are like hordes of grasshoppers Settling in the stone walls on a cold day. The sun rises and they flee, And the place where they are is not known.
18 Your shepherds are sleeping, O king of Assyria; Your nobles are lying down. Your people are scattered on the mountains And there is no one to regather them. 19 There is no relief for your breakdown, Your wound is incurable. All who hear about you Will clap their hands over you, For on whom has not your evil passed continually?
Let’s glean some things from this passage.
What were they relying on (v.12) and what would the results be on them doing such? (This is spoken in symbolism)
They are relying on their fortifications which will fall.
In (vv.14-15) you see their efforts again, and then the results in (v.15)?
Draw yourself, Strengthen your fortification, make morter, brick mold. Only for it to be fire consumed and sword cutting down, it will be devastating just like the locust.
Now scan (vv.16-18) and you will see what they are doing, then in (v.19) the results.
Increased your traders, your guardsmen, your marshals, your shepherds, your nobles, your people but in the end there will be no escape, no relief, your wound is incurable.
The leaders are dead and the people scattered (vv.18-19) and there will be rejoicing by those who hear of the fall (v.19)
So, what do we do with all this, is there anything we can grasp and take away?
To the people of God then, and the people of God today Nahum is a book of consolation (Nah1:2-3; Lk18:7-8)
Comfort, assurance that those who afflict God’s people will be judged, held accountable. Consider
7 now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? 8 “I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”
To the people of God , God is a stronghold in time of trouble (Nah1:7; Ps27:5)
5 For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock.
Are you trusting the Lord Your God as your stronghold?
The book is a book of warning against those who do evil (consider Rom11:22)
22 Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.
Let us be sure that walk in the truth of His word, in His goodness and lest us have a hard or unbelieving heart that will lead us into destruction.
(Prayer) (Exit)