Nahum
Nahum
Nahum
AUDIENCE:
The people of Nineveh and Judah
PURPOSE:
To pronounce God’s judgment on Assyria and to comfort Judah.
The book of Nahum is brief but holds keen insights for those experiencing suffering and disability. Unlike most of the prophets, who were sent to preach to God’s people in Israel or Judah, God called Nahum to warn the Assyrians of impending doom. Assyria had a reputation as an unstoppable force. Nevertheless, their pride would be their downfall. Nineveh, Assyria’s capital, was destroyed in 612 BC, fulfilling Nahum’s prophecy. A century earlier, the Ninevites had repented after hearing the warnings of Jonah, but their change of heart did not bear lasting fruit. In this “sequel” to Jonah, Nahum prophesies about Assyria’s obliteration—their cruelty would be brought to an end. Just as Nahum’s name means “comfort” or “consolation,” his message from God brought comfort to those who found themselves in the midst of affliction and hardship.
SUFFERING AND DISABILITY THEMES
The Lord is long-suffering. God is faithful to his people, even though they constantly wander away from their covenant relationship. No matter how many times they stray from the truth, God is relentless in his efforts to bring his people back into his fold. This should provide great comfort for those who believe that their circumstances set them outside of God’s reach. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Evildoers will have their day. Nahum is not unique among the prophets in pointing out that those who live in rebellion against God will face judgment. He lists specific reasons why Assyria must be destroyed, including inhumane oppression by their military and the wickedness of the city. Justifications are important, especially to those who are suffering. We all want to know why, but we may not always get the answer. Nahum assures us that all evildoers will answer to the Lord in the end.
1This message concerning Nineveh came as a vision to Nahum, who lived in Elkosh.
The LORD’s Anger against Nineveh
2The LORD is a jealous God,
filled with vengeance and rage.
He takes revenge on all who oppose him
and continues to rage against his enemies!
3The LORD is slow to get angry, but his power is great,
and he never lets the guilty go unpunished.
He displays his power in the whirlwind and the storm.
The billowing clouds are the dust beneath his feet.
4At his command the oceans dry up,
and the rivers disappear.
The lush pastures of Bashan and Carmel fade,
and the green forests of Lebanon wither.
5In his presence the mountains quake,
and the hills melt away;
the earth trembles,
and its people are destroyed.
6Who can stand before his fierce anger?
Who can survive his burning fury?
His rage blazes forth like fire,
and the mountains crumble to dust in his presence.
7The LORD is good,
a strong refuge when trouble comes.
He is close to those who trust in him.
8But he will sweep away his enemies
in an overwhelming flood.
He will pursue his foes
into the darkness of night.
9Why are you scheming against the LORD?
He will destroy you with one blow;
he won’t need to strike twice!
10His enemies, tangled like thornbushes
and staggering like drunks,
will be burned up like dry stubble in a field.
11Who is this wicked counselor of yours
who plots evil against the LORD?
12This is what the LORD says:
“Though the Assyrians have many allies,
they will be destroyed and disappear.
O my people, I have punished you before,
but I will not punish you again.
13Now I will break the yoke of bondage from your neck
and tear off the chains of Assyrian oppression.”
And this is what the LORD says concerning the Assyrians in Nineveh:
“You will have no more children to carry on your name.
I will destroy all the idols in the temples of your gods.
I am preparing a grave for you
because you are despicable!”
15Look! A messenger is coming over the mountains with good news!
He is bringing a message of peace.
Celebrate your festivals, O people of Judah,
and fulfill all your vows,
for your wicked enemies will never invade your land again.
They will be completely destroyed!
The Fall of Nineveh
Your enemy is coming to crush you, Nineveh.
Man the ramparts! Watch the roads!
Prepare your defenses! Call out your forces!
2Even though the destroyer has destroyed Judah,
the LORD will restore its honor.
Israel’s vine has been stripped of branches,
but he will restore its splendor.
3Shields flash red in the sunlight!
See the scarlet uniforms of the valiant troops!
Watch as their glittering chariots move into position,
with a forest of spears waving above them.
4The chariots race recklessly along the streets
and rush wildly through the squares.
They flash like firelight
and move as swiftly as lightning.
5The king shouts to his officers;
they stumble in their haste,
rushing to the walls to set up their defenses.
6The river gates have been torn open!
The palace is about to collapse!
7Nineveh’s exile has been decreed,
and all the servant girls mourn its capture.
They moan like doves
and beat their breasts in sorrow.
8Nineveh is like a leaking water reservoir!
The people are slipping away.
“Stop, stop!” someone shouts,
but no one even looks back.
9Loot the silver!
Plunder the gold!
There’s no end to Nineveh’s treasures—
its vast, uncounted wealth.
10Soon the city is plundered, empty, and ruined.
Hearts melt and knees shake.
The people stand aghast,
their faces pale and trembling.
11Where now is that great Nineveh,
that den filled with young lions?
It was a place where people—like lions and their cubs—
walked freely and without fear.
12The lion tore up meat for his cubs
and strangled prey for his mate.
He filled his den with prey,
his caverns with his plunder.
13“I am your enemy!”
says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.
“Your chariots will soon go up in smoke.
Your young men will be killed in battle.
Never again will you plunder conquered nations.
The voices of your proud messengers will be heard no more.”
The LORD’s Judgment against Nineveh
1What sorrow awaits Nineveh,
the city of murder and lies!
She is crammed with wealth
and is never without victims.
2Hear the crack of whips,
the rumble of wheels!
Horses’ hooves pound,
and chariots clatter wildly.
3See the flashing swords and glittering spears
as the charioteers charge past!
There are countless casualties,
heaps of bodies—
so many bodies that
people stumble over them.
4All this because Nineveh,
the beautiful and faithless city,
mistress of deadly charms,
enticed the nations with her beauty.
She taught them all her magic,
enchanting people everywhere.
“I am your enemy!”
says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.
“And now I will lift your skirts
and show all the earth your nakedness and shame.
6I will cover you with filth
and show the world how vile you really are.
7All who see you will shrink back and say,
‘Nineveh lies in ruins.
Where are the mourners?’
Does anyone regret your destruction?”
8Are you any better than the city of Thebes,
situated on the Nile River, surrounded by water?
She was protected by the river on all sides,
walled in by water.
9Ethiopia and the land of Egypt
gave unlimited assistance.
The nations of Put and Libya
were among her allies.
10Yet Thebes fell,
and her people were led away as captives.
Her babies were dashed to death
against the stones of the streets.
Soldiers threw dice to get Egyptian officers as servants.
All their leaders were bound in chains.
11And you, Nineveh, will also stagger like a drunkard.
You will hide for fear of the attacking enemy.
12All your fortresses will fall.
They will be devoured like the ripe figs
that fall into the mouths
of those who shake the trees.
13Your troops will be as weak
and helpless as women.
The gates of your land will be opened wide to the enemy
and set on fire and burned.
14Get ready for the siege!
Store up water!
Strengthen the defenses!
Go into the pits to trample clay,
and pack it into molds,
making bricks to repair the walls.
15But the fire will devour you;
the sword will cut you down.
The enemy will consume you like locusts,
devouring everything they see.
There will be no escape,
even if you multiply like swarming locusts.
16Your merchants have multiplied
until they outnumber the stars.
But like a swarm of locusts,
they strip the land and fly away.
17Your guards and officials are also like swarming locusts
that crowd together in the hedges on a cold day.
But like locusts that fly away when the sun comes up,
all of them will fly away and disappear.
18Your shepherds are asleep, O Assyrian king;
your princes lie dead in the dust.
Your people are scattered across the mountains
with no one to gather them together.
19There is no healing for your wound;
your injury is fatal.
All who hear of your destruction
will clap their hands for joy.
Where can anyone be found
who has not suffered from your continual cruelty?