Study Notes Ed Underwood

Nahum God’s Judgment of Cruel Empires

The Lord is good – indeed, he is a fortress in time of distress, and he protects those who seek refuge in him (Nahum 1:7). The seventeen Books of Prophecy record the messages of the writing prophets (those whose messages are preserved in writing) God raised up to speak for him following the ministries of the prophets Elijah and Elisha. The failings of the Divided Kingdom Era prompted God to speak to Israel in the north and Judah in the south. They continued to speak to God’s people for over 400 years, including the exile to Babylonia and the return to the Promise Land. (1 Kings 12-Esther)

The prophets spoke for God to His people concerning the enforcement of terms of their covenant relationship with God. Each spoke to a specific generation of Israel or Judah to enforce the conditional covenant (Mosaic) in the context of the unconditional covenants flowing from the Abrahamic Covenant. Their message can be summed up in these sentences: You are mine! (Unconditional covenants, Romans 11:29). Walk with me and I will bless you. Walk away from me and I will call you back to myself through loving discipline (Conditional covenant, Romans 9-11).

Nahum prophesied the destruction of Nineveh to encourage the people of Judah. Surrounded by high walls, fortified with two hundred towers, encircled by a deep moat, Nineveh was truly an invincible and impregnable fortress—or so the Ninevites thought! Nahum foretold that this proud city and its inhabitants would be powerless to stand before God’s coming wrath. In the 100 years since Jonah’s remarkable revival, the people of Nineveh had returned to their defiant, immoral ways. Nahum’s preaching is not a call to repentance (like Jonah’s), but a decree of death for an evil and cruel people who have worn out the patience of God.

The name “Nahum” means “comfort” or “consolation.” His message of the destruction of Nineveh would be a comfort to the nations she had oppressed. Like Jonah, who prophesied about 100 years earlier, Nahum directed his message against Nineveh, the city originally founded by Nimrod (Genesis 10:8-12). The revival in response to Jonah’s message of judgment about 760 BC was short-lived. In 722 BC, Sargon II of Assyria destroyed Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, and scattered the ten tribes. Led by Sennacherib, the Assyrians also came close to capturing Jerusalem in the reign of King Hezekiah in 701 BC. By the time of Nahum (660 BC), Assyria reached the zenith of its prosperity and power under Ashurbanipal. Nineveh became the mightiest city on earth with fortifications that seemed and resources to withstand a twenty-year siege. Nahum’s prophecy of the capital’s overthrow seemed unlikely indeed.

Nahum was the master poet of the prophets who has been called the poet laureate among the Minor Prophets. “His reverence for the almighty, trust in divine justice and goodness, condemnation of national iniquity, positive conviction that God will keep His word—these are qualities of true greatness. Add to that Nahum’s mighty intellect, his patriotism and courage, his rare, almost unequaled, gift of vivid presentation, and he indeed looms as one of those outstanding figures in human history who have appeared only at rare intervals.” (Walter A. Maier, The Book of Nahum: A Commentary, p. 20)

Jonah

Nahum

The Mercy of God 760 BC Repentance of Nineveh Emphasis on the Prophet Disobedient Prophet Obedient Nineveh Deliverance from Water

The Judgment of God 660 BC Callous Cruelty of Nineveh Emphasis on the Prophecy Obedient Prophet Disobedient Nineveh Destruction by Water

Nahum: God is a refuge for His people!

God calls Nahum to proclaim the coming destruction of Nineveh in order to encourage and comfort Judah.

I. THE DESTRUCTION OF NINEVEH DECREED: Nahum prophesies that judgment is certain on Nineveh because it plotted against God. This is a message of comfort to the people of Judah (1:15). The threat of Assyrian invasion will soon be over. (1)

II. THE DESTRUCTION OF NINEVEH DESCRIBED: Nahum prophetically describes the defeat of Nineveh showing that God is the judge to encourage the people of Judah to realize that God is more powerful than the mighty Assyrian empire. Assyria will be conquered, but Judah will be restored. Nineveh is burned and cut off forever. (2)

III. THE DESTRUCTION OF NINEVEH DESERVED: Nahum declares the reasons for judgment on Nineveh in order to encourage Judah to remember that God is in control and will fight for His people because they are under the covenant. The city is cruel and corrupt. With all of its resources it cannot forestall divine judgment. (3)

NAHUM AND YOU: This book is specifically about God’s judgment on Nineveh and the Assyrians. The broader truths of God’s judgment of evil in this world and His care and protection of His people are relevant to any generation. Here are a few thoughts about how we can apply Nahum to our daily lives:

1. Historic Sweep! The LORD is slow to anger but great in power; the LORD will certainly not allow the wicked to go unpunished (Nahum 1:3). The reasons God brought Nineveh and the Assyrians down are the same reasons He will humble any world power. Any nation or movement that thirsts for conquest, practices cruelty and brutality to oppress others, tyrannizes the weak and innocent, and worships false gods can expect Nineveh’s fate. Ultimately, God’s justice will prevail.

2. Prophetic Precision! Nahum predicted that Nineveh would fall due to an “overwhelming flood” (1:8), and this is exactly what occurred. Extra-biblical historical sources record twelve specific fulfillments of details of Nahum’s prophecies. The Tigris River overflowed its banks and the flood destroyed part of Nineveh’s “impregnable” wall. The Medes/Babylonians invaded through this breach in the wall, plundered the proud but cruel city, and set it on fire. Nahum also predicted that Nineveh would “be hidden” from history (3:11). Again, after its destruction in 612 B.C., archeologists did not discover the city’s ruins until 1842 A.D.

3. Comfort and Protection! The LORD is good – indeed, he is a fortress in time of distress and he protects those who seek refuge in him (1:7). This is a mean and sin-stained planet. Enemies rise and fall; world powers rise and fall; God’s people are treated unfairly, even cruelly. But through it all we can depend on Him. He is our only good and sure Protector and our only dependable refuge.

Messiah: Though there are no direct messianic prophecies in Nahum, the divine attributes described in 1:2-

8 picture Christ’s work as the judge of the nations in His second advent.