August 4

Nahum 1-3 (biblegateway.com)

The End of Arrogance: God’s Justice Against Nineveh

As we conclude the book of Isaiah, we now turn to the book of Nahum, which fits chronologically after Isaiah’s ministry and continues the unfolding story of God’s justice. While Isaiah prophesied during Assyria’s rise to power, warning of judgment and calling Judah to trust in God, Nahum looks ahead to Assyria’s downfall. This transition highlights the fulfillment of earlier prophetic warnings and affirms that God’s justice is not delayed forever. Nahum’s message comes during or just before the reign of Josiah, following the spiritual decline under Manasseh. By placing Nahum here, the reading plan bridges the gap between Isaiah’s vision and the historical judgment on Assyria, reinforcing the truth that God’s sovereign word always comes to pass.

Nahum, like Jonah before him, was called to deliver God’s message to Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian empire. He prophesied sometime between 663 and 612 B.C. While Jonah had witnessed Nineveh’s repentance about a century earlier (see the book of Jonah), the city had since returned to its wicked ways. At the time, Assyria dominated the Fertile Crescent and appeared invincible. Its brutal military campaigns had already led to the fall of Israel, the northern kingdom, and brought immense hardship to Judah. Nahum’s prophecy declared God’s fierce judgment against Assyria’s cruelty and injustice. True to his words, the once-mighty empire would soon fall to the rising power of Babylon. The book opens in 1:1 with an “oracle,” a divine message, and mentions Elkosh, possibly a village in southwestern Judah, as Nahum’s hometown.

Nahum 1 – God’s Righteous Wrath and Protective Goodness

Nahum 1 doesn’t begin with political analysis or military strategy but with a vision of God’s character—holy, jealous, avenging, and just (v. 2). The prophet portrays God not as impersonal or passive but as actively involved in the moral order of the world. His jealousy is not petty but covenantal, reflecting His passionate commitment to His people and His intolerance of idolatry and oppression.

Verses 3-6 describe God’s sovereign power over creation: He is slow to anger but great in power, and He will not clear the guilty. The imagery here is intense. His way is in the whirlwind and storm, the mountains quake before Him, and the earth trembles (v. 3-5). God is patient and slow to anger, but when the time for judgment comes, even creation responds in fear. These natural disturbances symbolize the cosmic consequences of divine judgment.

Many people distance themselves from God because they see injustice in the world or hypocrisy within the church, not realizing that His patience is actually a sign of mercy. God delays judgment to allow time for His people to share His love and truth with those who are far from Him. Yet His justice is certain. He will not let sin go unpunished forever. When someone questions why God doesn’t deal with evil right away, remind them that if He did, none of us would escape judgment. We should all be grateful for the grace that gives everyone a chance to repent and turn to Him.

Yet within this fearsome portrayal is a word of comfort for the faithful. Verse 7 declares, “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; He knows those who take refuge in Him.” This duality, God as both judge and refuge, lies at the heart of Nahum’s message. While He utterly destroys His enemies (v. 8), He protects and intimately knows those who trust in Him.

This is a striking theological truth: God’s wrath and His goodness are not in conflict; rather, they are perfectly expressed in His justice. To those who reject Him, God’s judgment is like a consuming fire. But for those who trust in Him, His mercy is a safe haven, meeting every need without ever running dry. To His enemies, He is a powerful flood that will utterly sweep them away. The relationship we have with God is up to us. What kind of relationship will you choose?

The rest of the chapter (v. 9-15) turns specifically toward Nineveh. God mocks their plots and power, assuring Judah that though the Assyrians may appear strong, their end is certain (v. 9-11). Verse 12 is significant: “Though they are at full strength and many, they will be cut down and pass away.” God’s message to Judah is one of deliverance. He will break the yoke of Assyria from their necks (v. 13). Assyria’s downfall will be complete and final, with their name and idols destroyed (v. 14).

The chapter concludes with a triumphant announcement in verse 15, reminiscent of Isaiah 52:7: “Behold, upon the mountains, the feet of him who brings good news.” The fall of Nineveh is not only an act of judgment but also the source of gospel-like joy for God’s people, as evil has been overthrown, and peace is declared.

First, God’s justice is always linked to His goodness, as He judges sin while offering protection to those who repent. Furthermore, the Lord reigns supreme over all nations and the course of history, allowing empires to rise and fall according to His will. Despite times of chaos and judgment, God remains intimately aware of and faithfully preserves His people. Ultimately, His divine wrath is purposeful and just, stemming from His holy opposition to evil and unwavering commitment to His covenant.

Nahum 1 calls us to both tremble and trust. In a world where injustice often seems to prevail, this chapter assures us that God sees, God remembers, and God will act. We are challenged to align ourselves with His purposes, to find shelter in Him before the storm of judgment comes. Just as Judah was called to trust in God’s deliverance, so are we, trusting not in worldly power but in the Lord, our stronghold in every trouble.

Nahum 2 – The Fall of Nineveh Foretold

Chapter 1 includes more or less general statements about the Lord’s judgment on His enemy, but now the book moves to more specific descriptions. Nahum 2 vividly depicts the coming destruction of Nineveh, the proud capital of the Assyrian Empire. Where chapter 1 emphasized God’s character and justice, chapter 2 unfolds the execution of that justice with poetic intensity. It opens with a warning: “The scatterer has come up against you” (v. 1). This refers to the invading armies, likely the Babylonians and Medes, who will breach the city walls and bring chaos. Nineveh, once a fearsome oppressor, is now being called to defend itself, yet its fate is sealed.

In verses 2-3, a shift in focus highlights both God’s judgment and His restoration. “For the Lord is restoring the majesty of Jacob” (v. 2). While Assyria’s fall is central, it is ultimately about God’s vindication of His people. To briefly recap, Assyria had conquered and devastated the northern kingdom of Israel, deporting its people in 722 B.C. (2 Kings 17:3-6; 18:9-11). It had also invaded the southern kingdom, referred to here as Jacob or Judah, and forced it into paying tribute. These two kingdoms emerged after Solomon’s reign, when a civil conflict led ten tribes to break away and form the northern kingdom. The remaining two tribes, Judah and Benjamin, remained loyal to the line of David and became the southern kingdom.

The prediction of Assyria’s demise here in chapters 2 and 3 reads like an eyewitness account of the city being attacked, overrun by the enemy, and plundered. The red shields and flashing chariots that Nahom describes in verse 3 signal the violent, urgent nature of Nineveh’s doom. The imagery conveys speed, power, and terror. Warriors rush through the streets; chariots jostle one another; leaders stumble, and disorder replaces military precision (v. 4-5).

Now, Nahum takes the reader into the city as it falls to the invaders. By verse 6, we see the city’s defenses collapse, as “the river gates are opened; the palace melts away.”The Khoser River ran through Nineveh, and to the north of the city were dams, likely equipped with gates to control the river’s flow. During the siege, the attacking coalition may have strategically closed these gates to accumulate a large volume of water, then suddenly released it. The resulting flood would have slammed into Nineveh, severely damaging its walls, gates, and inner structures, making the city more vulnerable to attack.

A second river, the Tebiltu, may also have flowed through Nineveh and been used in a similar fashion. The devastating impact of these waters likely contributed to the remarkably brief duration of the siege, only about three months. The reference to the palace “melting away” is probably a poetic description of this overwhelming flood damage.

The “queen” (or perhaps “Mistress”) is stripped and carried away (v. 7), a symbol of humiliation and utter defeat. The once-proud city is likened to a pool whose waters flee, with its people desperately fleeing in panic, unmoved by the king’s pleas (v. 8).

Nahum now encouraged the victorious invaders to gather the spoils. For many years, Nineveh had exacted huge booty from her foes, so that her supply of silver and gold was almost limitless. “Plunder the silver, plunder the gold!” (v. 9). The great wealth that Nineveh had stored from decades of conquest now becomes its spoil. The city is empty, desolate, and in waste, and its once-glorious power reduced to silence and ruin. The image of trembling hearts, knees knocking, and faces drained of color (v. 10) mirrors how Assyria once made other nations feel.

Verses 11-13 close with biting irony. Nineveh, likened to a lion’s den (v. 11-12), once terrorized nations, tearing prey for its cubs, filling its lairs with victims. But now God declares: “Behold, I am against you” (v. 13). This divine declaration is the turning point. No matter how fearsome or mighty Assyria seemed, the Lord of hosts has now come in judgment. Their chariots will burn, their prey will be cut off, and their messengers will be silenced forever.

God’s justice is not abstract or distant. It breaks into real history, toppling empires built on cruelty and oppression. Yet His justice is not merely punitive; it is also redemptive for those who remain faithful, as He judges the wicked while restoring His people. No earthly power is beyond His reach, for He alone holds sovereign authority and can dismantle even the most fortified strongholds. Ultimately, God’s judgment is thorough and inescapable, touching every aspect of life, including politics, economy, culture, and even collective memory, reminding us that nothing lasting can be built apart from His righteousness.

Nahum 2 reminds us that all human glory is fleeting when it stands opposed to God. The chapter calls us to humility and repentance, especially in a world where power is often misused. It also invites us to trust that the Lord sees every injustice and will one day set things right. Are we building kingdoms for ourselves, or are we aligning with the eternal Kingdom of God? Let the fall of Nineveh be a warning against pride and a comfort to those who suffer under its kind.

Nahum 3 – The Complete Judgment of Nineveh

Nahum 3 opens with a scathing indictment of Nineveh’s sins, emphasizing how their own wickedness brought about their downfall. The chapter begins by declaring that Nineveh, “the city of bloodshed” and “full of lies and plunder,” is ripe for judgment (v. 1). The graphic imagery of “the crack of whip, the rumble of wheels, galloping horses and bounding chariots” (v. 2) paints a vivid picture of the violence and chaos that once empowered the city but now foreshadows its destruction. The city’s cruelty, oppression, and corruption are the very reasons God’s wrath falls upon it.

In verses 4–5, God reveals the deeper spiritual corruption behind Nineveh’s actions: its harlotry and sorcery. The city is condemned for seducing and enslaving nations through its idolatry and manipulation. In response, the Lord declares, “I am against you” (v. 5), a sobering statement of divine opposition. God promises to expose Nineveh’s shame, to disgrace it publicly before the nations (v. 5-7), so much so that no one will grieve its fall.

Verses 8-10 offer a historical parallel with Thebes, a powerful Egyptian city that had also seemed invincible. Yet Thebes was conquered and exiled, proof that even great empires can fall. This comparison serves as a warning to Nineveh: its defenses, alliances, and power will not save it.

In verses 11–13, Nineveh is told it will also stagger like a drunkard, fall like ripe figs shaken from a tree, and its warriors will be like women, defenseless and terrified. The once-mighty city will prove powerless before the judgment of God. The futility of Nineveh’s efforts to prepare or resist is emphasized in verses 14–17. The city is urged to draw water, strengthen its fortresses, and make bricks for siege, yet none of it will matter. Fire and sword will consume the city, and its merchants, officials, and guards, compared to locusts, will disappear when destruction comes.

Finally, in verses 18–19, Nahum declares that Nineveh’s leaders lie dead, its people scattered, and no one to gather them. Its wound is fatal and incurable. Far from pitying Nineveh, the nations rejoice at its downfall, saying, “For who has not felt your endless cruelty?” (v. 19). This final line underscores the measure of Nineveh’s guilt and the justice of its punishment.

In summary, Nahum 3 presents Nineveh’s fall as certain, total, and deserved, a sobering declaration of divine wrath and a vindication of God’s justice on behalf of all who suffered under Assyria’s brutal rule. The chapter brings theological depth to the judgment narrative, revealing several truths. First, sin’s consequences are inevitable and severe; God’s justice is both righteous and comprehensive. Second, empires and individuals who thrive through oppression, violence, and deceit will not escape divine accountability. Third, God’s sovereignty rules over all nations. Their rise and fall are under His control, and leaders are answerable to Him. Fourth, true security does not come from military strength or alliances, but from humble dependence on God. Finally, the fall of Nineveh offers a sobering foreshadowing of final judgment, where God’s justice will ultimately prevail and evil will be brought low.

Nahum 3 challenges us to examine where we might be complacent or complicit in injustice, deception, or exploitation. The chapter calls for repentance and dependence on God rather than on worldly power or alliances. It also encourages believers to trust that God is just and will ultimately right all wrongs. Are we living lives marked by integrity and humility, or do we risk judgment by embracing the world’s corruption? The fall of Nineveh urges us to align ourselves with God’s kingdom values and live in a way that honors Him.

Conclusion

Nahum 1–3 reminds us that God is both a refuge for the righteous and a terror to the unrepentant. The fall of Nineveh shows that no empire, no matter how mighty, is beyond God’s reach. Though the prophecy is directed at a specific nation, its message resonates through time: God will judge evil, and His justice is never late, even if it seems delayed. At the same time, for His people, there is comfort. “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble” (Nahum 1:7). The book of Nahum gives voice to the hope that the oppressed will not be forgotten, and that tyrants will not reign forever. It’s a call to trust in God’s character and wait patiently for His justice to prevail.