Today's Reading:

Nahum 1
Nahum 2
Nahum 3

Even in the midst of terrifying judgment, God’s mercy shines through. Nahum does not hide the horror of Assyria’s evil. He said God will put Nineveh to shame: they will lift their skirts in shame, and enemies will pelt them with degrading filth of dirt and poo. Assyria had been extremely brutal. They had a line of evil kings: Ashurnasirpal II, Shalmaneser II, Sennacherib, and Ashurbanipal. From historical accounts, they were known for dyeing the mountains red with blood, piling heads into pyramid shapes, spilling guts, cutting off hands, and flaying the skin off their enemies, draping the skins of men over walls and piles of bodies. They slaughtered the children that they could not exile. Their brutality was horrific.

Yet right in the middle of darkness, Nahum reminds us of hope: God cares for the faithful remnant, those who seek refuge in Him. While the proud and violent would drink the cup of wrath and see their strong walls crumble, the humble who trusted the Lord would be protected and restored.

No matter how powerful evil seems, it does not have the last word. God sees every innocent life taken, and He will bring justice. He remains the safe place for anyone who will run to Him. Even today, when violence and pride still take over, we can choose to be part of the faithful remnant. We are those who trust in the Lord instead of our own strength.

Jonah comes before Nahum in the Bible, and Jonah’s name ends with NAH. Nahum comes later, kind of like a sequel to Nineveh, and his name begins with NAH. So, an easy way to remember what the book of Nahum is about is: JoNAH then NAHum. This book continued after God had Jonah announced that the destruction was coming to Nineveh, the capital of Assyria. The people repented after Jonah’s one-sentence speech, but not for long. Now Nahum prophesied that God will always judge evil; He will not let the evil nations reign forever. Nahum means comfort, but he was there to pronounce God’s judgment. He used very vivid descriptions with gruesome terror to bring home the point of their evil ways.

Nahum was like the dark sequel to Jonah’s story of Nineveh’s repentance. Jonah preached one sentence, and the whole city repented. Generations later, Nahum arrived with vivid, gruesome prophecies of judgment against the same city. Why does God give Nineveh a second chance through Jonah? Only to later declare irreversible judgment through Nahum?

This book was written mostly for Nineveh, but in the beginning, Nahum did not name the Assyrians or Nineveh, which allows the book to stand the test of time; even today, it is applicable. First and foremost, Nahum declared that the Lord is a jealous God. He does not want to share glory with idols or allow His people to be endlessly overtaken by evil nations. This is the same kind of jealousy that was written about God and the golden calf in Exodus 34:6-14. He will not share His true love (bride/Israel) with another or let His name be mocked. God will use the “overwhelming flood” to end Nineveh, the flood was a metaphor for the invading army in ancient times. (Historic accounts show that the Tigris River actually overflowed during the 612 BC siege and helped to break down the city walls.)

The good news pictured a messenger running over the mountains to announce that Assyria had been defeated in Nahum 1:15 (which echoes Isaiah 52:7). “Behold, upon the mountains, the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace!” (Nahum 1:15). This is one of the most famous verses in Nahum. Now that Assyria would be taken down, the Israelites would be able to worship freely again.

The attackers to Nineveh (the Medes and Babylon) would come wearing red uniforms with red shields. The color red hid blood and also made them look fierce. The chariots gleamed in the sun, which made the women of the city mourn like doves and beat on their breasts in grief at the coming turmoil. The Assyrians had caused so much turmoil of their own in other countries and had taken many captives; it was now time for them to be plundered and led away in shame.

Assyria’s capital, Nineveh, was compared to a lion’s den, fierce and filling its caves (palaces) with plunder. The lion was the national symbol of Assyria, and their kings would hunt them down to prove their manhood. Now that the lion was gone, “she” would be led away. The “she” here was the goddess of Nineveh, Ishtar. By the invading army taking Nineveh’s god, it was a way to say their own god was superior and symbolized defeat. This made the temple prostitutes mourn. Nahum told Nineveh they were drunk on pride and violence so they would be completely destroyed. They had hurt Judah during the times of King Ahaz and King Manasseh and would be judged for their oppression. God declared that Assyria’s time was up.

The fall of Nineveh was used as an example for all of the evil nations that God would bring them down. “Woe to the city that was built on innocent blood” Nahum 3:1. Nahum taunted the fall of Assyria by Babylon because of their killing sprees. He said God cares about the death of the innocent, and His judgment is good.

In a rhetorical question, Nahum asked if they were better than Thebes (a city in Egypt), which Assyria had conquered. They (Thebans) went into exile, and so Nineveh will also be conquered. God told Habakkuk he was raising up the Chaldeans (verses 1:6-12 and would ordain Babylon. Then, when done with Babylon, they too would be destroyed. This is the same idea as in Nahum. God gives one nation the power to dominate another for His will and then will destroy them for their own sins when He is done with His plan.

They deserved the destruction that was coming; their walls would crumble, and the city would be in ruin. Nineveh would drink from the cup of wrath. Your gates will be wide open, and figs will fall. Meaning their towers would be no protection at all, and the invaders would seize their treasures. Nineveh would disappear without a trace, like locusts eat the crops of farmers.

In the end, grace breaks through even in the darkest times. Nahum’s prophecies are both a warning and comfort. God will not allow evil to reign forever, and He is always a safe place for those who put their trust in Him. Nahum wants them to be the faithful remnant that God cares for. We are also called to be faithful remnants by being humble and dependent on His mercy. Be confident in the God who judges and delivers through Christ.

Today's Discussion question:

Nahum was like the dark sequel to Jonah’s story of Nineveh’s repentance. Jonah preached one sentence, and the whole city repented. Generations later, Nahum arrived with vivid, gruesome prophecies of judgment against the same city. Why does God give Nineveh a second chance through Jonah? Only to later declare irreversible judgment through Nahum?

Click here to link to our Facebook group for discussion, questions, and additional content.