Nahum's prophecy against Nineveh, Assyria's capitol of Tyranny

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Wednesday 01/19/22

Message – Nahum’s prophecy against Nineveh, Assyria’s capitol of Tyranny

Nahum’s prophecy against Nineveh, Assyria’s capitol of Tyranny

Nahum is another of the prophets who is a little difficult to track down in terms of when he lived.

He was born in Elkosh of Northern Israel, but was a prophet of Judah most likely during the reign of King Manesseh, one of Judah’s most evil kings.

Nineveh was the capital city of Assyria which brings into focus WHY it was under God’s judgment regarding Israel.

If you remember, before Judah was carried off into exile to Babylon, the Northern Kingdom fell to Assyria. Just as prophecies regarding the fall of Babylon began to be given for their role in persecuting God’s people, Assyria was being offered warnings of impending judgment as well and Nineveh, being its capital city, made it the focus of much prophetic warning.

Now I had in the back of my head that Edom was somehow connected to Nineveh but couldn’t remember just how so I looked it up. As it turns out, Edom became a vassal state of Assyria back when the wicked king Ahaz was ruling Judah from 732-716BC. Later the King of Edom swore allegiance to Nineveh along with 22 other vassal kings early in the 7th century. Edom eventually joined with several others who sought to defect from Babylon and met in Jerusalem to discuss it, but later Edom reconsidered and actually joined with Babylon against Judah and participated in its destruction.

After these things Assyria was conquered by Babylon about the same time as Nineveh fell. Also Edom itself was judged, but we will read prophecies about that another night. I said this in order to complete the family portrait of Israel, for Edom were the descendants of Esau and they denied Israel safe passage through their land when in the wilderness [Num. 20:14-25:5].

The date of the book by the majority of accounts was in the 8th century but the reference to the fall of Thebes, Egypt in chapter 3 verse 8 would place the writing of this book after its fall in 663BC but before the fall of Nineveh beginning in 625 and ending around 612BC. One other refinement in placing the time of this book is an argument from silence, but while Nahum mentions the destruction of Thebes, Egypt he did not mention it’s restoration in 654BC, so it could be argued that the window for the writing of the book was between 663-654BC. In any account, it was certainly BEFORE the actual fall of Nineveh.

Nahum 1:1-15,

God judges His enemies

“(1) The oracle concerning Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.

(2) The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD takes vengeance and is fierce in wrath. The LORD takes vengeance against His foes; He is furious with His enemies.

(3) The LORD is slow to anger but great in power; the LORD will never leave the guilty unpunished.

His path is in the whirlwind and storm, and clouds are the dust beneath His feet. (4) He rebukes the sea so that it dries up, and He makes all the rivers run dry. Bashan and Carmel wither; even the flower of Lebanon withers. (5) The mountains quake before Him, and the hills melt; the earth trembles at His presence–the world and all who live in it.

(6) Who can withstand His indignation?

Who can endure His burning anger?

His wrath is poured out like fire, even rocks are shattered before Him.”

The Lord is merciful to those who trust in Him

“(7) The LORD is good, a stronghold in a day of distress; He cares for those who take refuge in Him. (8) But He will completely destroy Nineveh with an overwhelming flood, and He will chase His enemies into darkness.

(9) Whatever you plot against the LORD, He will bring it to complete destruction; oppression will not rise up a second time.

(10) For they will be consumed like entangled thorns, like a drunkard’s drink, and like straw that is fully dry.

(11) One has gone out from Nineveh, who plots evil against the LORD, and is a wicked counselor.

(12) This is what the LORD says: Though they are strong and numerous, they will still be mowed down, and he will pass away.”

God promises to Free His people from Assyria

“Though I have afflicted you, I will afflict you no longer. (13) For I will now break off his yoke from you and tear off your shackles.

(14) The LORD has issued an order concerning you: There will be no offspring to carry on your name. I will eliminate the carved idol and cast image from the house of your gods; I will prepare your grave, for you are contemptible.

(15) Look to the mountains–the feet of one bringing good news and proclaiming peace! Celebrate your festivals, Judah; fulfill your vows. For the wicked one will never again march through you; he will be entirely wiped out.”

Nahum 2:1-13,

“(1) One who scatters is coming up against you. Man the fortifications! Watch the road! Brace yourself! Summon all your strength!

(2) For the LORD will restore the majesty of Jacob, yes, the majesty of Israel, though ravagers have ravaged them and ruined their vine branches.

(3) The shields of his warriors are dyed red; the valiant men are dressed in scarlet. The fittings of the chariot flash like fire on the day of its battle preparations, and the spears are brandished.

(4) The chariots dash madly through the streets; they rush around in the plazas. They look like torches; they dart back and forth like lightning.

(5) He gives orders to his officers; they stumble as they advance. They race to its wall; the protective shield is set in place.

(6) The river gates are opened, and the palace erodes away.

(7) Beauty is stripped, she is carried away; her ladies-in-waiting moan like the sound of doves, and beat their breasts.

(8) Nineveh has been like a pool of water from her first days, but they are fleeing.

“Stop! Stop!” they cry, but no one turns back.

(9) “Plunder the silver! Plunder the gold!”

There is no end to the treasure, an abundance of every precious thing.

(10) Desolation, decimation, devastation! Hearts melt, knees tremble, loins shake, every face grows pale!

(11) Where is the lions’ lair, or the feeding ground of the young lions, where the lion and lioness prowled, and the lion’s cub, with nothing to frighten them away?

(12) The lion mauled whatever its cubs needed and strangled prey for its lionesses. It filled up its dens with the kill, and its lairs with mauled prey.”

In today’s day of feminism gone completely insane, lionesses are set forth as THE only hunter-gatherers for the pride while the male lions do little to nothing. However, such is not the case. While female lions do in fact hunt prey very efficiently, so do Lions. The lionesses will prey in coordinated packs, while Lions will prey on their own and do so by stealth. Both are very effective. In most cases hunting is done by the females so that the Lions may protect the pride, but it really isn’t a male versus female issue, it is both providing for the pride as they may.

“(13) Beware, I am against you–the declaration of the Lord of Hosts. I will make your chariots go up in smoke and the sword will devour your young lions. I will cut off your prey from the earth, and the sound of your messengers will never be heard again.”

Nahum 3:1-19,

“(1) Woe to the city of blood, totally deceitful, full of plunder, never without prey. (2) The crack of the whip and rumble of the wheel, galloping horse and jolting chariot! (3) Charging horseman, flashing sword, shining spear; heaps of slain, mounds of corpses, dead bodies without end–they stumble over their dead.

(4) Because of the continual prostitution of the prostitute, the attractive mistress of sorcery, who betrays nations by her prostitution and clans by her witchcraft,

(5) I am against you–the declaration of the Lord of Hosts. I will lift your skirts over your face and display your nakedness to nations, your shame to kingdoms. (6) I will throw filth on you and treat you with contempt; I will make a spectacle of you.

(7) Then all who see you will recoil from you, saying: Nineveh is devastated; who will show sympathy to her?

Where can I find anyone to comfort you? (8) Are you better than Thebes that sat along the Nile with water surrounding her, whose rampart was the sea, the river her wall? (9) Cush and Egypt were her endless source of strength; Put and Libya were among her allies. (10) Yet she became an exile; she went into captivity. Her children were also dashed to pieces at the head of every street. They cast lots for her dignitaries, and all her nobles were bound in chains.

(11) You also will become drunk; you will hide yourself. You also will seek refuge from the enemy. (12) All your fortresses are fig trees with figs that ripened first; when shaken, they fall–right into the mouth of the eater!

(13) Look, your troops are women among you; the gates of your land are wide open to your enemies. Fire will devour the bars of your gates. (14) Draw water for the siege; strengthen your fortresses. Step into the clay and tread the mortar; take hold of the brick-mold!

(15) The fire will devour you there; the sword will cut you down. It will devour you like the young locust. Multiply yourselves like the young locust, multiply like the swarming locust!

(16) You have made your merchants more numerous than the stars of the sky. The young locust strips the land and flies away. (17) Your court officials are like the swarming locust, and your scribes like clouds of locusts, which settle on the walls on a cold day; when the sun rises, they take off, and no one knows where they are.

(18) King of Assyria, your shepherds slumber; your officers sleep. Your people are scattered across the mountains with no one to gather them together.

(19) There is no remedy for your injury; your wound is severe. All who hear the news about you will clap their hands because of you, for who has not experienced your constant cruelty?”

Next week we will probably begin Amos and Hosea which date to between 790-750BC and largely cover the straying of the Northern Kingdom of Israel.

Then we will move on to Isaiah and Micah towards the end of the 8th century, at which point we will have covered all the minor prophets whose ministries were during or about the times preceding the return of Judah from Babylonian exile.

Blessings!

Pastor Mark

View posts by Pastor Mark

Hi my name is Mark and though I am opposed to titles, I am currently the only Pastor (shepherd/elder) serving our assembly right now.

I have been Pastoring in one capacity or another for nearly 30 years now, though never quite like I am today.

Early in 2009 the Lord revealed to me that the way we had structured our assembly (church) was not scriptural in that it was out of sync with what Paul modeled for us in the New Testament. In truth, I (like many pastors I am sure) never even gave this fundamental issue of church structure the first thought. I had always assumed that church structure was largely the same everywhere and had been so from the beginning. While I knew Paul had some very stringent things to say about the local assembly of believers, the point of our gatherings together and who may or may not lead, I never even considered studying these issues but assumed we were all pretty much doing it right...safety in numbers right?! Boy, I couldn't have been more wrong!

So needless to say, my discovery that we had been doing it wrong for nearly two decades was a bit of a shock to me! Now, this "revelation" did not come about all at once but over the course of a few weeks. We were a traditional single pastor led congregation. It was a top-bottom model of ministry which is in part biblical, but not in the form of a monarchy.

The needed change did not come into focus until following 9 very intense months of study and discussions with those who were leaders in our church at the time.

We now understand and believe that the Bible teaches co-leadership with equal authority in each local assembly. Having multiple shepherds with God's heart and equal authority protects both Shepherds and sheep. Equal accountability keeps authority and doctrine in check. Multiple shepherds also provide teaching with various styles and giftings with leadership skills which are both different and complementary.

For a while we had two co-pastors (elders) (myself and one other man) who led the church with equal authority, but different giftings. We both taught in our own ways and styles, and our leadership skills were quite different, but complimentary. We were in complete submission to each other and worked side-by-side in the labor of shepherding the flock.

Our other Pastor has since moved on to other ministry which has left us with just myself. While we currently only have one Pastor/Elder, it is our desire that God, in His faithfulness and timing, may bring us more as we grow in maturity and even in numbers.

As to my home, I have been married since 1995 to my wonderful wife Terissa Woodson who is my closest friend and most trusted ally.

As far as my education goes, I grew up in a Christian home, but questioned everything I was ever taught.

I graduated from Bible college in 1990 and continued to question everything I was ever taught (I do not mention my college in order to avoid being labeled).

Perhaps my greatest preparation for ministry has been life and ministry itself. To quote an author I have come to enjoy namely Fredrick Buechner in his writing entitled, Now and Then, "If God speaks to us at all other than through such official channels as the Bible and the church, then I think that He speaks to us largely through what happens to us...if we keep our hearts open as well as our ears, if we listen with patience and hope, if we remember at all deeply and honestly, then I think we come to recognize beyond all doubt, that, however faintly we may hear Him, He is indeed speaking to us, and that, however little we may understand of it, His word to each of us is both recoverable and precious beyond telling." ~ Fredrick Buechner

Well that is about all there is of interest to tell you about me.

I hope our ministry here is a blessing to you and your family. I also hope that it is only a supplement to a local church where you are committed to other believers in a community of grace.

~God Bless!