Editor's Note
We’re also going to take a brief pause from our summer books (1 & 2 Chronicles) to read from some of the minor prophets that are either directly mentioned in 1 & 2 Chronicles or that lived and prophesied within the time frames of those books.
These short prophetical books help us understand what God’s people would have been hearing (and feeling) as they lived through some tumultuous times and help add color to the historical books we’re reading over the next couple of months!
Read Nahum 3
Woe to Nineveh
3 Woe to the city of blood,
full of lies,
full of plunder,
never without victims!
2 The crack of whips,
the clatter of wheels,
galloping horses
and jolting chariots!
3 Charging cavalry,
flashing swords
and glittering spears!
Many casualties,
piles of dead,
bodies without number,
people stumbling over the corpses—
4 all because of the wanton lust of a prostitute,
alluring, the mistress of sorceries,
who enslaved nations by her prostitution
and peoples by her witchcraft.
5 “I am against you,” declares the Lord Almighty.
“I will lift your skirts over your face.
I will show the nations your nakedness
and the kingdoms your shame.
6 I will pelt you with filth,
I will treat you with contempt
and make you a spectacle.
7 All who see you will flee from you and say,
‘Nineveh is in ruins—who will mourn for her?’
Where can I find anyone to comfort you?”
8 Are you better than Thebes,
situated on the Nile,
with water around her?
The river was her defense,
the waters her wall.
9 Cush and Egypt were her boundless strength;
Put and Libya were among her allies.
10 Yet she was taken captive
and went into exile.
Her infants were dashed to pieces
at every street corner.
Lots were cast for her nobles,
and all her great men were put in chains.
11 You too will become drunk;
you will go into hiding
and seek refuge from the enemy.
12 All your fortresses are like fig trees
with their first ripe fruit;
when they are shaken,
the figs fall into the mouth of the eater.
13 Look at your troops—
they are all weaklings.
The gates of your land
are wide open to your enemies;
fire has consumed the bars of your gates.
14 Draw water for the siege,
strengthen your defenses!
Work the clay,
tread the mortar,
repair the brickwork!
15 There the fire will consume you;
the sword will cut you down—
they will devour you like a swarm of locusts.
Multiply like grasshoppers,
multiply like locusts!
16 You have increased the number of your merchants
till they are more numerous than the stars in the sky,
but like locusts they strip the land
and then fly away.
17 Your guards are like locusts,
your officials like swarms of locusts
that settle in the walls on a cold day—
but when the sun appears they fly away,
and no one knows where.
18 King of Assyria, your shepherds slumber;
your nobles lie down to rest.
Your people are scattered on the mountains
with no one to gather them.
19 Nothing can heal you;
your wound is fatal.
All who hear the news about you
clap their hands at your fall,
for who has not felt
your endless cruelty?
Go Deeper
Nahum begins this chapter with a “woe oracle” announcing impending doom on Nineveh, the city and nation known for its bloodshed, cruelty, and wickedness. As the prophet vividly describes specific sights and sounds of Nineveh’s downfall, his message is clear: God’s judgment will prevent Assyria from ever inflicting horrific practices upon her captives and promoting pagan worship throughout its empire. This destruction would be total devastation of this nation saving Judah from Assyria.
Nahum also references the fall of the Egyptian city, Thebes, that was viewed as indestructible and yet the Assyrians destroyed that city. His description predicts an even more devastating fate for Nineveh. These words would be ludicrous to an arrogant Assyrian, but to the people of Judah who were existing in the shadow of the Assyrian empire and had witnessed the northern kingdom of Israel’s defeat and deportation, this brought immense hope. Nahum exalts God’s justice and sovereign power as a place of refuge. God is their refuge and hope. He is the faithful and true judge. God, the Holy One, is faithful to stand with those who belong to Him.
How are we to process the prophet Nahum’s message? It is often difficult to comprehend God’s great love and His wrath. His perfection and absolute holiness demand that wickedness and cruelty be addressed. Notice that His wrath does not come without warning. Nahum’s prophecy is pronounced to warn and remind the Assyrians of the awesome power of God and to encourage the downtrodden people of Judah that He would orchestrate the downfall of this enemy. As Nahum described in chapter 1, “God is slow to anger, but great in power; He will never leave the guilty unpunished. He is good, a stronghold in the day of distress; He cares for those who take refuge in Him.” In His time, God will confront and bring justice to every oppressor.
As we read Nahum’s words, let’s be reminded that this holy, righteous, good God sent His Son to bear the full weight of God’s wrath toward our sin, so that we may experience eternity with Him. Jesus’ sacrifice of His life on the cross, experiencing the wrath that we deserve, invites us to mesh God’s righteous wrath and His immense love. This realization prompts grateful love and humility.
Questions
- How does Nahum’s prophecy encourage you that God will deal with evil?
- How does the intensity of God’s wrath also reflect the intensity of His great love?
- How does discovering that Nahum’s prophecy was fulfilled increase your trust in God’s promises?
Did You Know?
History confirms the fulfillment of Nahum’s prophecy. Nineveh was utterly destroyed in 612 B.C. The Babylonian army conquered the city, which was flooded, burned, and plundered. The Assyrian empire vanished. Its ruins were not discovered until 1845.
Leave a Comment below
Join the Team
Interested in writing for the Bible Reading Plan? Email hello@biblereadingplan.org.
1 thought on “Nahum 3”
I’m reminded of Amos 3:7 which declares, “Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.” Nahum, one of God’s faithful prophets, delivers a timely message to a wicked nation entrenched in murder, cruelty, arrogance, idolatry, lies, treachery and social injustice. Within 50 years this powerful and proud nation would be completely destroyed because if its sins. My takeaway today is that God’s wrath falls on sin and injustice; anyone who remains arrogant and resists God’s authority will face his judgement. As the Psalmist declares “Better is one day in your court than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked” (Psalm 84:10). May our hearts remain open to receive correction, repent and live within God’s commands for navigating a holy life that honors him.