God’s people in the Old Testament were fickle—sometimes following the Lord faithfully and experiencing His blessing and sometimes turning from Him and experiencing His discipline. The same as us, really. But God is never fickle—He always keeps His covenant and always restores His people. In todays’ passage we read God’s promise to “restore the splendor of Jacob like the splendor of Israel,” even “though destroyers have laid them waste and have ruined their vines” (v. 2).

The passage begins with a warning against the Assyrian nation, who had oppressed God’s people and conquered the nation of Israel in 722 BC. Nahum proclaims that “an attacker advances against you, Nineveh” and that they should “brace yourselves [and] marshal your strength” (v. 1). Despite the call to prepare for battle, Assyria is already as good as defeated, for even though “Nineveh summons her picked troops,” “they stumble on their way” (v. 5). The Lord promises that the capital city of Nineveh—and with it the nation of Assyria—will fall: “The river gates are thrown open and the palace collapses” (v. 6). And just as the Assyrians had exiled the Israelites—and many nations throughout the ancient world—“Nineveh will be exiled and carried away” (v. 7). Once Assyria had plundered many nations, but now the Lord commands, “Plunder the silver! Plunder the gold!” He declares: “Hearts melt, knees give way, bodies tremble, every face grows pale” (v. 10).

Though this passage may be difficult to read because of its depictions of God’s judgment and wrath, it clearly portrays God’s justice and righteousness. As Nahum said in chapter 1, “the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished” (Nah. 1:3). Likewise, today’s passage shows that God is faithful to His covenant and that He is sovereign over all things—even the most powerful nations in the world.

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