Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
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Emotion Tone
Anger
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Disgust
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Fear
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Joy
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Sadness
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Language Tone
Analytical
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Confident
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Tentative
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Social Tone
Openness
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Conscientiousness
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Extraversion
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Agreeableness
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Emotional Range
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Tone of specific sentences
Tones
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Anger
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Introduction
Scripture
Outline
Nahum 1 - God’s Righteous Anger
Nahum 1:1 - Introduction
Nahum 1:2-8 - The Universal Judgment of Yahweh
Nahum 1:9-15 - The Four Announcements
Nahum 2:1-3:19 - Nineveh’s Fall
Nahum 2:1-13 - Nineveh’s Destruction
Nahum 3:1-7 - Charges and Judgment
Nahum 3:8-19 - “Unlimited Glory”
Nahum 3:8-11 - Compared to Thebes
Nahum 3:12-19 - Song of Nineveh’s Destruction
Purpose of Book
The purpose of Nahum is to reveal Yahweh as the great Divine Warrior who issues judgment against the Assyrians and rescues His people and the Messianic seed
Succinct Summation
Main Point
In God’s providence, Nineveh is utterly destroyed.
The king, his officials, and his people are slaughtered, exiled, or scattered.
Yahweh has won the battle.
Nahum 3:8-11 - Compared to Thebes
8 Are you better than Thebes that sat by the Nile, with water around her, her rampart a sea, and water her wall?
Nineveh as a city was not as fortified as Thebes
Thebes was a powerful Egyptian city
The mighty Nile river (.5 mile wide water wall near Thebes), canals, and other water channels almost surrounded the city of Thebes - it was ALMOST invulnerable
Nineveh does not have this strong built in defense like Thebes - it is more vulnerable
Rhetorical question - NO
9 Cush was her strength; Egypt too, and that without limit; Put and the Libyans were her helpers.
Thebes was loved by those around her
Thebes had allies that came to her aid in time of warfare
10 Yet she became an exile; she went into captivity; her infants were dashed in pieces at the head of every street; for her honored men lots were cast, and all her great men were bound in chains.
Despite a strong defense and military partners, Thebes was overcome by Assyria in 663 BC by Ashurbanipal as a consequence for Egypt not fulfilling their agreement as a vassal state
Citizens were taken captive, children killed, men sold into slavery as spoils of war
11 You also will be drunken; you will go into hiding; you will seek a refuge from the enemy.
The same fate of Thebes awaits Nineveh
Nineveh will drink from the cup of God’s wrath and in their weakened state will seek help as Thebes did
In 614 BC, the ancient capital city of Assyria - Asshur fell
In 612 BC, Nineveh was overwhelmed by the Medes and Babylonians leading to a three-month siege ending with the city being burned
Loyal Assyrian forces escaped and set up camp in Harran which fell in 610 BC to Babylonian forces
Finally in 605 BC, the presence of Assyria was eliminated at the battle of Carchemish
No hope for a refuge was found by the Assyrians
Christ Connection - As God disarmed Nineveh, so Christ disarms sin and the Demonic Army
Nahum 3:12-19 - Song of Nineveh’s Destruction
12 All your fortresses are like fig trees with first-ripe figs— if shaken they fall into the mouth of the eater.
Nineveh’s fortresses are not secure which is vitally important as they were the first line of defense
First-ripe figs fall quickly when shaken
Nineveh is given over to her enemies who will eat her
13 Behold, your troops are women in your midst.
This is a taunt
Imagine an army of women fighting against the vicious Babylonian army - it is not sexist, but practical
The gates of your land are wide open to your enemies; fire has devoured your bars.
The fortresses are destroyed and the Babylonians have free range in the city because of the fear of the troops
14 Draw water for the siege; strengthen your forts; go into the clay; tread the mortar; take hold of the brick mold!
Commands - Draw, strengthen, go, tread, take
Draw water - the Babylonians have cut off the water supply and now water is rationed
This is imagery for the city to be defended by building bricks for the wall
15 There will the fire devour you; the sword will cut you off.
Before the bricks can actually dry - destruction
Fire is set ablaze and evidence has been found regarding a devastating fire in Nineveh
The Babylonian army is coming to kill and destroy the city
It will devour you like the locust.
The Babylonian army will be as locusts eating the vegetation
Locusts destroy all vegetation in their path
Multiply yourselves like the locust; multiply like the grasshopper!
Nahum sarcastically commands the city to multiply so their numbers/strength can be increased
16 You increased your merchants more than the stars of the heavens.
Wealth was abundant in the Assyrian city, yet it will mean nothing because Nineveh will be plundered
The locust spreads its wings and flies away.
Upon victory the Babylonian army will fly away
17 Your princes are like grasshoppers, your scribes like clouds of locusts settling on the fences in a day of cold— when the sun rises, they fly away; no one knows where they are.
High ranking officials will disappear as the Babylonians overcome Nineveh
They will flee and no one will know where to find their leaders
18 Your shepherds are asleep, O king of Assyria; your nobles slumber.
This is spoken to the King after the destruction of Nineveh - he has failed to protect his city/empire
Death has come to his leaders - the shepherds and nobles
Your people are scattered on the mountains with none to gather them.
The citizens who have escaped exile and murder run to the mountains and will no longer gather together in Nineveh
19 There is no easing your hurt; your wound is grievous.
The wound the king has received is fatal in nature
God’s victory is won - He has defeated Nineveh
All who hear the news about you clap their hands over you.
For upon whom has not come your unceasing evil?
Christ Connection - The Day of the Lord Will Utterly Destroy God’s Enemies
Main Point
In God’s providence, Nineveh is utterly destroyed.
The king, his officials, and his people are slaughtered, exiled, or scattered.
Yahweh has won the battle.
How Should we Live in Light of Nahum 3:8-19?
First, the Lord makes nations great and destroys them.
Do not become dependent upon any nation for God will use them as He wills for His glory.
Second, Christ will return as the slaughtering Messianic Warrior on the Day of the Lord.
His wrath will be appeased as divine judgment is given to His enemies.
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