THE A-B-C OF NAHUM When you come to a book in the Bible that is not too well-known, it is often a temptation to read through it quickly and miss its message. To have a better understanding, you need to read carefully and look into the background as much as you can. The more you can set yourself into the narrative, the more you will benefit from the study. The prophecy of Nahum is not very well-known but, because God has included it in the Bible it is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. (II Tim. 3:16,17). Therefore, we have a duty to seek to understand what the Lord is saying to us through His Word. Indeed, we have the Lord s command, II Tim. 2:15 Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. When the content of a book like this requires such attention, the best way to approach it is simply. Even if you are well taught and confident in the Scriptures even if you consider yourself to know the deep things even if you know Hebrew and Greek fluently the best way to study God s Word always, - in my opinion, - is simply. We are coming to the Father, we are seeking to take in eternal issues and deep truths He wants us to learn. Paul told the Corinthians, I Cor. 2:14 the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him. Now, the unsaved cannot understand the truth of God s Word, and sometimes even God s people struggle in understanding parts of it too (II Pet. 3:15,16) but we have the Holy Spirit as our Teacher. The psalmist declared, 119:12 Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes. We are going to seek the teaching of the Holy Spirit as we approach this prophecy of Nahum using the A-B-C formula THE AIM OF THE PROPHECY The aim of the prophecy is to demonstrate God s wrath towards the wicked city of Nineveh. Does God be angry with the nations? Of course, He does! This is evidenced throughout Scripture.
2 Does God be angry with the nations today? Let me answer that question with another question Are the nations today any different to the nations we find Him being angry with in the Bible? Once again, of course not! Then, would it be possible that God would be angry towards sinful nations today as He was then? Yes. Well, does He pour out His wrath today as He did then? Yes, I believe He does. I believe many of the world s catastrophes today are a consequence of the wrath of God upon sinful nations who, in particular, persecute His people. And I believe that in the prophetic passages of Scripture you will discover the wrath of God being poured out increasingly, prior to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. This book of Nahum is a warning today for it is all about how God would reduce this mighty city to rubble. It was so prominent in the ancient world, its people had great reputations, it was power and held authority among the nations and God promised He was going to bring it down, never again to rise out of the ashes. No nation is so mighty to stand up against God s judgment! Okay but, what benefit is there for us today, - in this modern age, - of looking back and studying about the judgment of God? Well, first and foremost, this ancient prophecy is the Word of God. It is God s infallible, inerrant and inspired Word. It is there for our instruction, we ought to study it for being the Word of God, and we also need to be aware of how God deals in wrath towards sinful nations. I think sometimes we are afraid to speak about the wrath of God in case it makes Him out to be wicked and cruel but the fact of the matter is God does not stand idly by while His creation mock and scoff at Him! Secondly, when we consider the judgment of God, it teaches us the principle, Nahum 1:3 The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. God deals with sin but, incidentally and in addition to that, this is the only prophetic book that does not mention the sins of God s own people, - it is entirely taken up with the impending destruction of one of the most powerful cities in the world at that time, the Assyrian city of Nineveh. Something else that is unique to this prophecy Nahum was the only prophet to write his oracles in a book. He did not necessarily preach his way though this prophecy from a pulpit this prophecy was given in book form. This prophecy was also the means by which God encouraged His people that He was about to deal with the enemy who had laboured towards their annihilation.
3 You see, the enemy had tried to annihilate the people of God in two ways: Firstly, by syncretism. They conquered the northern kingdom (the ten tribes) in 721 BC and sought to integrate them into Assyrian society and lifestyle trying to whittle them away from their ancient roots by intermarriage, getting them to worship other gods, etc. In other words, remove their identity as worshippers of Jehovah as God s people. Secondly, for those amongst whom this policy of syncretism was not viable the plan was to just get rid of them by force! For example, Assyria attacked Judah in the days of King Hezekiah an attack led by Sennacherib that came to its conclusion outside the gates of Jerusalem in 701 BC. But while the Assyrians thought victory was in sight, they were completely defeated by the angel of the Lord (Is. 37) No matter how he tries to sell himself, - and it may sound so obvious, - but the enemy is never your friend! In days of apostasy and ecumenism God s people should never lose sight of that well-documented fact! And as Jehovah spoke to the city of Nineveh He spoke in words of wrath not compassion. These were the enemies of God, and God s people. There was no promise of another chance. He did not call upon these people to repent There was no comfort given, because God had had enough! Thus far, and no further. He was calling time on Nineveh! The aim of this prophecy is to show us God is not the weakling many people suppose Him to be, - happy to be contented every now and again with empty pleasantries keep Him sweet God had had enough, He will not be mocked and these people had sown in wickedness and in sin and God was showing them and the people of Israel He was about to come in wrath. THE BACKGROUND TO THIS PROPHECY The name Nahum means comfort, encouragement. Many who would read this prophecy might not see the connection between the meaning of Nahum s name and the events he prophesied but if you were one of the people of God you would understand because these Ninevites were wicked! Nahum s message would bring God s people encouragement. God is on our side, after all! Very little is actually known about Nahum. He came from a place called Elkosh (1:1) its location is unknown probably somewhere in Judea. He began to prophesy sometime after the destruction of Thebes in 663 BC because he referred to it, 3:8 Art thou better than populous No [No-amon, or Thebes, the ancient Egyptian capital Cairo did not become capital until 1517 under
4 the Ottomans], that was situate among the rivers, that had the waters round about it, whose rampart was the sea, and her wall was from the sea? 9 Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and it was infinite; Put and Lubim were thy helpers. And his ministry concluded before the destruction of Nineveh in 612BC, because in chapter two Nahum was looking forward to it taking place. Nineveh itself was the greatest of the capitals of the ancient Assyrian Empire that flourished from about 800 BC to 612 BC. It was located on the left bank of the River Tigris in north-eastern Mesopotamia (modern Iraq). Its remains today are represented by two mounds, - that is all that is left of this once mighty city. The Assyrian dynasty, however, met its end when they were defeated by the Babylonians in 605 BC. When you take the dates together you find Nahum prophesied during the reigns of Manasseh (695-642 BC) and Josiah (640-609 BC). Other prophets he would have shared in the Lord s work with were Jeremiah, Zephaniah and Habukkuk. In other words, - in the midst of all that was going on around them, - the Lord continued to keep His people and was speaking to them. Of course, when Nineveh is mentioned we think of Jonah and the story of how the Lord called him to preach, Jonah 1:2 Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me. On hearing his preaching, the people of Nineveh repented and the Lord chose to be gracious unto them when He saw their genuine repentance. Sadly, one hundred and fifty years later the state of the city had reverted to being an evil and sinful place and God revisits them with a fresh warning of impending judgment. The aim and background to this prophecy THE COMFORT IN THE PROPHECY What possible comfort can there be in this prophecy?! Well, obviously, - and to be perfectly blunt, - there is no comfort for the people of Nineveh. They were facing ruin and destruction. There was no way to escape God s wrath and judgment. Time was rapidly running out for them and they could do nothing to stop it. Look at the description God had given to Habakkuk about them, 1:6 that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwellingplaces that are not theirs. 7 They are terrible and dreadful: their judgment and their dignity shall proceed of themselves. 8 Their horses also are swifter than the leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves: and their horsemen shall spread themselves, and their horsemen shall come from far; they shall fly as the eagle that hasteth to eat. 9 They shall come all for violence: their faces shall sup up as the east wind, and they shall gather the captivity as the sand. 10 And they shall scoff at the
5 kings, and the princes shall be a scorn unto them: they shall deride every strong hold; for they shall heap dust, and take it. There was no doubt about it, God was going to deal with them! They had treated God s people cruelly. They had run the Name of God into the ground. They had thought themselves invincible. They had promoted their idols over Jehovah and God decided, Enough! This was a message of comfort to God s people, - He hadn t left them, He hadn t deserted them to an enemy that would crunch them underfoot. Someone has written a series of sermons on Nahum and they have entitled it, When God is your Enemy The comforting example of Nineveh. What the commentator means by the title is that when the enemies of God bring affliction, pain and opposition to God s people, - He will avenge His loved ones and His holy Name. It is highly dangerous mistreating God and His ways. In a different situation altogether but one that shares resonance with our study I don t think the Jews understood the implications of what they said in Jesus day when Pontius Pilate remonstrated with them, Mt. 27:22 What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. 23 And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. 25 Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. They put His Son to death, and then provoked God that, - many believe, - brought the people of Israel untold horrors throughout history. No one can provoke God and not expect judgment even the believer! Gal. 6:7 God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. This prophecy of Nahum, therefore, is there for our encouragement the encouragement of God s people to stand firm in their faith, and He will vindicate. It is for our comfort and our strengthening to be reminded that God takes care of His own, no matter what are the circumstances around us. He takes care of us individually, and He also takes care of the whole body of His people collectively. He takes account of His people who are being persecuted. He takes account of His people who have to stand on their own against malice and error. He remembers their faithfulness and He also remembers the activities of those who stand in opposition. How real is the enemy out there Are we being too hard? Well, look at how he is desecrating God s world and His Word Some of the laws he moves men and women to pass through their parliaments could hardly be anymore contrary to the Word of God!
6 Look at how many in high places treat God as if He does not exist. I don t think you can find a single university that upholds Him as the Creator. They have taken His rainbow that was a solemn covenant between Himself and Noah and they have made it into a symbol for green politics that completely and utterly denies Him. They desecrate the world He created, and they fail to uphold His principles and His commandments. They disregard His true servants as preaching a Gospel that has no place in modern society. They exchange His truth, choosing instead to hear ear-tickling falsities. They put men and women who have no knowledge of God into places of religion who turn the truth of God into a lie. Were we to stand back and watch the world going further and further down the slope away from God we would have to come to the inevitable conclusion, - the conclusion that the anti-god people are drawing, - that the Church of Christ is dying, its end is in sight, and God, - if He was ever there at all, - has deserted us. CONCLUSION This prophecy of Nahum, then, is God s response to a God-rejecting world but it also contains the incentive to God s people to never give up not as long as God is still on the throne of Heaven! He will stop the advances of the enemy, Nahum 1:2 God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies. And yet, unto His people, v.7 The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him. There is the Rock we stand upon. There is the hope we hold on to. I trust we shall find this prophecy of Nahum to be a wonderful study, - yes, it contains doom and gloom for those who will not recognise the Person, the Sovereignty, and the Holiness of God but I trust we shall stand firmly upon its great encouragements wonderful encouragements such as v.15 Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace! O Judah, keep thy solemn feasts, perform thy vows: for the wicked shall no more pass through thee; he is utterly cut off. May He encourage and strengthen us to boldly and graciously stand for His truth, to His glory!