Nahum 1

Nahum [*1]

What do you think of the name “Paul”? – having fine Christian parents, probably named after the great apostle – but do you know what it means? – “small and stubborn” – when Mum was particularly frustrated and irritated by my stubbornness, I would remind her who named me! What about the name “Hannah”? – it’s a nice name, the most popular name for a girl at the moment, but that is not why we chose it, nor because it spells the same both backwards and forwards – you see “Hannah” is Hebrew for grace. The name has meaning – so Hannah Alicia means “grace and truth”. People choose a name because they like it, because of someone they admired with that name, or because it was the father’s name – but in the Bible names had meaning. That is why you gave someone a particular name. Do you know what Nahum means? - consolation or comfort. [read ch.1] [*1] – not exactly the most comforting words! In fact the book gets worse – it goes on to catalogue unrelenting, devastating judgement! How is that comfort? Well it all depends who the judgement is against. You read the prophets and they all seem to be doom and gloom and judgement but they are not all the same. This is a book of consolation, comfort – how so? Because, for once, the judgement is not against Israel but against Nineveh! (v.1) [*1] That is why it is so vital to get the context and historical background. Nahum was a native of Elkosh in Galilee, he lived at the same time as Hezekiah and Isaiah – just before the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel to Assyria. Assyria invaded and the ten northern tribes were deported, at this time Nahum escaped into the territory of Judah, and probably took up his residence in Jerusalem where he witnessed, seven years afterwards, the siege of that city by the Assyrian emperor (cf. Nahum 1:11 From you has gone forth one who plotted evil against יהוה, a wicked counsellor.), Sennacherib and the destruction of the vast Assyrian army, when 185,00 perished in one night. Shortly after this event Nahum wrote this book c. 620 B.C. Assyria was the big threat, the ruling empire! A vicious, cruel and rapacious regime that gloried in its military might and overran the world. The capital was the city of Nineveh. Here was an unstoppable empire that was about to overthrow your nation, it had already oppressed you for decades, exacting harsh tribute and taking what it wanted. Now its fall was imminent! God’s judgement was about to fall on you, this is what the prophets had all been saying and now it was coming true. And now, here was a message of judgement, for once, not on you but on your arch enemy. [*1] When you realise the situation Israel was in, you realise what words of comfort these are. There is another of the Minor Prophets who addressed the situation of Nineveh – do you remember which? – Jonah – that was written 150 years before and יהוה’s judgement was averted, but not this time. The repentance at the preaching of Jonah, though it was sincere, was not durable and had been replaced by complete and deliberate apostasy from God. They were warned, they had the knowledge of God and they rejected it. They were not merely heathen, nor just backsliders; far worse, they were apostates, deliberately rejecting and challenging the God that they had accepted and worshipped [cf. 2 Kings 18:25,37 Have I now come up without the יהוה’s approval against this place to destroy it? יהוה said to me, ‘Go up against this land and destroy it.’30 nor let Hezekiah make you trust in יהוה, saying, “יהוה will surely deliver us, and this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.” 35 Who among all the gods of the lands have delivered their land from my hand, that יהוה should deliver Jerusalem from my hand?’ ” 2 Kings 19:10-13 Thus you shall say to Hezekiah king of Judah, ‘Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you saying, “Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.” Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the lands, destroying them completely. So will you be spared? Did the gods of those nations which my fathers destroyed deliver them, even Gozan and Haran and Rezeph and the sons of Eden who were in Telassar? Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, and of Hena and Ivvah?’ ”]. יהוהaccepted the haughty Assyrian challenge [2 Kings 19:22,23 ‘Whom have you reproached and blasphemed? And against whom have you raised your voice, and haughtily lifted up your eyes? Against the Holy One of Israel! ‘Through your messengers you have reproached יהוה!]. Nahum was chosen to record the prediction of the final and complete overthrow of Nineveh and her empire – an empire which had been built up by violence and cruel oppression and which was doomed to perish in a violent and extraordinary way. All this prophecy came to pass 86 years afterwards. Nahum’s message is two-fold: (1) it is a message of comfort to a harassed and fearful people in peril through the cruel and awful military power of Assyria [Nahum 1:7 יהוה is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, And He knows those who take refuge in Him 12,13 Thus says יהוה, “Though they are at full strength and likewise many, Even so, they will be cut off and pass away. Though I have afflicted you, I will afflict you no longer. “So now, I will break his yoke bar from upon you, and I will tear off your shackles.”] (2) It is a message of warning, showing that all God can do with an apostate people and nation is to destroy it (N.Z. knew God – where is it now?!). Nahum's Theme is: GOD'S HOLINESS VINDICATED IN JUDGMENT [*1]. The prophet has one theme, judgment upon Nineveh, which was the capital of the mighty Assyrian Empire whose tyrannical cruelty scourged the ancient world periodically from 850 B.C. till its fall in 612 B.C. Chapter one is a Psalm of God's Majesty, chapters 2 & 3 are a prophecy of Nineveh’s Fall.

Since Nahum is a prophecy against Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, what then is the significance of “Assyria”? [*2] What is its message for us, what is its relevance? – Several kingdoms had a big influence on Israel, and they have a spiritual and prophetic significance. For example: Babylon - [Daniel 2:31-45 You, O king, were looking and behold, there was a single great statue; that statue, which was large and of extraordinary splendour, was standing in front of you, and its appearance was awesome. The head of that statue was made of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. You continued looking until a stone was cut out without hands, and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and crushed them. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were crushed all at the same time and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away so that not a trace of them was found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. This was the dream; now we will tell its interpretation before the king. You, O king, are the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, the strength and the glory; and wherever the sons of men dwell, or the beasts of the field, or the birds of the sky, He has given them into your hand and has caused you to rule over them all. You are the head of gold. ….. In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever. Inasmuch as you saw that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands and that it crushed the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold, the great God has made known to the king what will take place in the future; so the dream is true and its interpretation is trustworthy.”] Babylon (Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome) – humanism – man cooperating and relying on his own resources; it has been there right from the beginning , founded by Nimrod in Gen 10:10, the tower of Babel, resurfaced, and it is the final empire destroyed at the end in Rev 17-19. Egypt pictures the world. Edom/Amalek – the flesh; what does Assyria picture? It was a significant empire in Biblical history, it is distinct from the others – not part of the statue of Daniel 2; what does it mean? It is not as clearly defined as the other empires. You don’t find much teaching on the significance of Assyria but it plays such a big part in the O.T. To understand Nahum you have to understand a bit about the empire of Assyria. So let’s have a look. For much of church history not much was known about Assyria, the judgment of Nahum’s prophecy was thoroughly fulfilled! There wasn’t a trace left. In the 19th century colonialism was on the rise, France, England, Portugal, Spain, Holland, Germany were all exploring the world and extending their empires into lands previously unknown. In the 1840’s an Englishman by the name of Henry Layard was travelling to a job in Ceylon, he chose to go overland and travelled through present day Iraq, where he ended up spending much time. He was taken by these huge mounds and took to excavating them. The French had found treasures of ancient civilizations and he joined in the race to gain artefacts. Archaeology was more plunder than science in those days and many Assyrian are found in the Louvre, in Berlin museum and in the British museum. Henry Layard stumbled upon the ruins of Nineveh, and found the palace of Senacherib, the king who took Israel into captivity. This brought much excitement to Bible believing, church attending, Victorian society – archaeology was confirming the stories they knew. [*3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12] What are the characteristics of the Assyrian empire? [*13] : they asserted their will through force; were violent; conquering all before them; amassing wealth through force; lived in luxury, great culture and civilization but barbarism just under the surface (cf. Nazi Germany); characterized by cruelty. They worshipped their military might. Might is right. Gloried in violence and cruelty. ASSYRIA = ASSERTIVE SELFISH MAN. A spirit that is not unknown in our own time. Our children are trained to be assertive. “Look out for number one” – no one else will. Get what you want by standing up for yourself. It is the powerful that conquer. The Bible says [Matthew 5:5 Blessed are the gentle (meek, humble), for they shall inherit the earth. Matthew 20:25-28 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”]. Jesus’ way is completely the opposite! Look at Assyria! – they conquered the world by might! Assertiveness works! Or does it? Look at Assyria now – they are no more! Our human reason says might prevails, but Jesus conquered through the weakness of the cross. It seems that might prevails but the message of Nahum [*14], the message of consolation to the meek, the weak, the poor, the oppressed is that “יהוה’s judgment is coming on assertive man!”

Nahum is a prophecy against Nineveh – it has been fulfilled, Assyria is no more. What relevance has it got now? Assyria is no more but assertive man is alive and well – that empire still is powerful and oppresses God’s people. There is a judgement from God coming upon assertive man. There is a fulfilment of this prophecy that is yet to come. Are you oppressed by the powerful, the greedy, the mighty and assertive? – here is a word of comfort for you. The prophecy of Nahum is yet to have its complete fulfilment. יהוה’s judgment is coming on assertive man!