Nahum 4
Nineveh an Example of God's Judgement: [1-19]
Rejoicing in Nineveh's destruction: (1-7) We live in days of political correctness, in our Christian niceness we embrace all and love everyone (as we should) – but there is also a different attitude seen in Scripture – that of rejoicing over the downfall of your enemy. When you have been, oppressed and persecuted for a long time and you see God bring the downfall of that enemy there is an exalting in their downfall. When there is release from the oppressor there is joy – it is not wrong to rejoice in satan's downfall (Luke 10:17-21 The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” And He said to them, “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.” ). This prophecy delights in the downfall of Israel's arch enemy. This was righteous judgement – Nineveh was getting the reward of what she had done. [read 1-7] There is similar rejoicing over the downfall of Babylon at the end of the age (Rev 19). In fact this prophecy is reminiscent of the destruction of Babylon in the end time – it is a prophetic picture of that time [cf. Merchants, city likened to a prostitute]
1. - Nineveh is an example of God’s judgement. Her sins reap their harvest. Nineveh's sins: [OHP] bloodshed (v.1); lying (v.1); plundering (v.1); taking prey (v.1); prostitution (v.4); seducing (v.4); selling nations (v4); trading (v.16); stripping nations bare (v.16); continual evil (v.19). Nineveh lied, deceived, - she made out that she was a cultured, civilised, leading city but she was built on murder! That is how she got her wealth. Nineveh was a city of blood. Assyria became what it was through blood-shed - vicious, cruel, ferocious, rapacious military power established the empire. Morally depraved - violence was glorified and worshipped (cf. reliefs which proudly record in gory detail the atrocities committed in war), lies, falsehood, deception, robbery, pillage. She had gained her wealth by killing others and taking what was theirs. She did not let up on her preying of others. יהוה was not ignorant of all this, He had allowed it, using Assyria to accomplish His purpose, but He had seen what she had done - and now she must pay for her crimes.
2 & 3 - The intensity of battle is vividly described - the clash of horse, chariots, soldiers, swords and spears - mountains of corpses, heaps of slain. Words (nouns without verbs) heaped upon each other in incomplete sentences convey the urgency and panic. Cruel, vicious, costly war. Horrendous loss of human life. This may well refer to the warfare Assyria waged - it aptly describes her violence. But it could also refer to the war that she will experience, the war which will be waged against her. For in like manner to what she inflicted, she too would suffer יהוה would inflict it upon her. Heaps and heaps of corpses - so many slain that they stumble over them - "their corpses" - the corpses of their own people they stumble over. A mighty, costly defeat.
4. - Notice the emphasis on "prostitution" and "sorcery"/the occult. יהוה was against Nineveh (Nahum 2:13 Behold, I am against you,” declares the Lord of hosts.), terrible judgement was to come upon her, but it was for a reason - there was a cause for what was going to happen. Assyria seemed so beautiful, gracious, cultured and civilised with the splendour of Nineveh and its sculpture and art. Yet it was the fruit of prostitution. Assyria was a harlot - full of idolatry, fornication and magic. She sold nations by her harlotries and families by her sorceries. In the Bible, prostitution is used to depict idolatry – you give yourself to another god, forsaking the one you are covenanted to, in order to get personal gain – they worshipped idols in order to ensure their crops produced, to ensure personal wealth. But the harlotry of Assyria was both spiritual and literal - for the goddess of Nineveh was Ishtar - the goddess of war and love. Not only did they worship and glorify violence but also "love" - sexual pleasure. Ishtar was the same goddess Asherah, Ashtaroth of the Canaanite fertility cult - cultic prostitution was an integral part of the religious fertility rites. Prostitution is breaking covenant relationship to join yourself to another to gain materially – when we pursue the things of this world it is prostitution – we are seeking material gain for ourselves – placing what we want above our obligation to God. Assyria used illegitimate means, supernatural and occultic, she had sold families and nations in order to amass riches and power for herself. Magic, sorcery is the use of illegitimate means to control others in order to get your own way. So prostitution and sorcery have the same motive behind them – selfishness: using whatever means possible to get what you want. Today people will do whatever it takes just so long as they get the material things that they desire. The same spirit is at work in our day. Violence, sex, fascination with supernatural - the same things are becoming ever more predominant in our society. The end of Nineveh came because of them - perhaps the end is near for us also!
Seducer shamed: (5-6) powerful seduction (v.4): Nineveh was refined and full of luxury – appealing – many were seduced by the wealth, pleasure, luxury and culture she had to offer. It appealed to people, they wanted to be part of it, share in it. The material things of our commercial society have their appeal, we want them, are drawn by them – but once drawn into that system they leave emptiness. That is seduction – when you see the motive that is behind our commercial society it is just plain greed. The ads tell you: you need this, they appeal, they seem to be looking out for you, wanting you to have the best – when laid bare to their motive: they want your money! They want to enslave you. Assyria seduced others, offered herself to snare others with her charms – the same spirit of prostitution that is in the end-time empire of man: Babylon. This judgement of the great prostitute is the same picture of the end time judgement [Revelation 17:1-6 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality, and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality.” And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns. The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a gold cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her immorality, and on her forehead a name was written, a mystery, “BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered greatly. - looked beautiful but she killed God's people – that is our Western materialistic society! 18:1-10 After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illumined with his glory. And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place of demons and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird. For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the passion of her immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed acts of immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth of her sensuality.” I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues; for her sins have piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Pay her back even as she has paid, and give back to her double according to her deeds; in the cup which she has mixed, mix twice as much for her. To the degree that she glorified herself and lived sensuously, to the same degree give her torment and mourning; for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as a queen and I am not a widow, and will never see mourning.’ For this reason in one day her plagues will come, pestilence and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for the Lord God who judges her is strong. And the kings of the earth, who committed acts of immorality and lived sensuously with her, will weep and lament over her when they see the smoke of her burning, standing at a distance because of the fear of her torment, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For in one hour your judgment has come.’] The world has been seduced by materialism, the pursuit of things – commericialism rules the world. Our humanistic society seems so kind,concerned for others but at heart it is selfishness and greed. The prostitute dresses up to attract – but stripped bare, the filth is seen for what it is. Sadly, many Christians are seduced by the attractive things of our materialistic world – their hearts are in this world.
mighty merchant (v.16): Just as Nineveh is condemned for her prostitution so she is condemned for her trading, her merchandising – exactly the same sins as seen in Babylon – she "sells nations" (cf. v.16) Assyria multiplies her traders like locusts, by this trading she gains wealth - they are like stars of heaven in number. But no matter how much trade is multiplied it would fly away. Multiplying trade - what a picture of post war civilisation [Revelation 18:10-20 'Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For in one hour your judgment has come.’ And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargoes any more— cargoes of gold and silver and precious stones and pearls and fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet, and every kind of citron wood and every article of ivory and every article made from very costly wood and bronze and iron and marble, and cinnamon and spice and incense and perfume and frankincense and wine and olive oil and fine flour and wheat and cattle and sheep, and cargoes of horses and chariots and slaves and human lives. The fruit you long for has gone from you, and all things that were luxurious and splendid have passed away from you and men will no longer find them. The merchants of these things, who became rich from her, will stand at a distance because of the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, she who was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls; for in one hour such great wealth has been laid waste!’ And every shipmaster and every passenger and sailor, and as many as make their living by the sea, stood at a distance, and were crying out as they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What city is like the great city?’ And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had ships at sea became rich by her wealth, for in one hour she has been laid waste!’ Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced judgment for you against her.”), God has no love for trading and merchandising – this is the basis of our society and the traders will be judged [Zechariah 14:21 Every cooking pot in Jerusalem and in Judah will be holy to the Lord of hosts; and all who sacrifice will come and take of them and boil in them. And there will no longer be a merchant in the house of the Lord of hosts in that day.] - it was the merchants that Jesus drove out of the temple.
5. - Assyria had seduced others with her trade – now the seducer would be shamed – exposed in nakedness for what she really is. Again צְבָאוֹת יְהוָה, the LORD of armies, declares that He is against Nineveh (cf. 2:13) - against those who multiply violence, sex and supernatural influence for their own gain - to subdue, sell, manipulate and oppress. Her nakedness would be revealed for all to see (cf. Nahum 2:7 It is fixed: she is stripped, she is carried away, and her handmaids are moaning like the sound of doves, beating on their breasts. ). The seductive harlot is revealed for what she is, her shame, her filth revealed. Her finery that made her so attractive and appealing will be stripped from her so that she may be seen for what she really is - in the ugliness of her nakedness (Luke 12:2 But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. Romans 2:16 on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.). "I am against you ....."; "I will lift ..."; "I will show ...." It is God's doing - יהוה says that He will expose her private parts for all to see. She had delighted in fornication and made herself great by it - now it would come back on her own head, in public disgrace, shame and humiliation. Seduction depends on the promise of the hidden and secret - once it is openly revealed its mystery, magic, and power dissipates.
6. - Assyria’s shame would be exposed, her disgrace made public by יהוה who was against her. "I will throw ..." - it is יהוה Himself who takes this action against Nineveh. The glorious city would be cast down, thrown on the dung heap - filth thrown upon her, rejected and despised, a spectacle - a sight to behold as an example, a warning of what happens to the one who arrogantly sets himself against יהוה and seeks his own glory. Since this is a parable of the end times acted out in history, its warning is particularly relevant to our present age. No longer would people view Nineveh because of her splendour, rather, they would be amazed by the degradation of one once so mighty (cf. Revelation 18:16-24‘Woe, woe, the great city, she who was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls; for in one hour such great wealth has been laid waste!’ And every shipmaster and every passenger and sailor, and as many as make their living by the sea, stood at a distance, and were crying out as they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What city is like the great city?’ And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had ships at sea became rich by her wealth, for in one hour she has been laid waste!’ Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced judgment for you against her.” Then a strong angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “So will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down with violence, and will not be found any longer. And the sound of harpists and musicians and flute-players and trumpeters will not be heard in you any longer; and no craftsman of any craft will be found in you any longer; and the sound of a mill will not be heard in you any longer; and the light of a lamp will not shine in you any longer; and the voice of the bridegroom and bride will not be heard in you any longer; for your merchants were the great men of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery. And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the earth.”). The one who was clothed in beauty and finery is naked, exposed in all her emptiness – is was all seduction, no substance at all once she was seen as she really is. Our whole commercial society is built on money that doesn't exist – it is mainly borrowed – if all loans were called in our materialistic system would collapse. That is what happens to Babylon at the end and what happened to Nineveh in history is a prophetic preview of that. That it happened to Nineveh shows that it will happen to Babylon – the humanistic system in which we now live. Nineveh fell and great was the downfall. Heaven rejoiced in her downfall. There will be similar rejoicing in heaven when the Babylon in which we live is similarly shamed [Revelation 19:1-6 After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitue in heaven, saying, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God; because His judgments are true and righteous; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and He has avenged the blood of His bond-servants on her.” And a second time they said, “Hallelujah! Her smoke rises up forever and ever.” And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” And a voice came from the throne, saying, “Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great.” Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.].
7.- After the cruelty that she had universally inflicted, is it any wonder that no comforters can be found for her now that her distress has overtaken her? The city is devastated! Laid waste! Everyone loved Nineveh, everyone loves our materialistic society – until it falls apart. How many revelled in the stock market in the 80's until it crashed – then everyone stood at a distance, wanted nothing to do with it – that is in miniature how it will be when Babylon collapses. People shrink back in horror, in fear lest it come upon them also – just as it will be with the destruction of Babylon [Revelation 18:14-18 All things that were luxurious and splendid have passed away from you and men will no longer find them. The merchants of these things, who became rich from her, will stand at a distance because of the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, she who was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls; for in one hour such great wealth has been laid waste!’ And every shipmaster and every passenger and sailor, and as many as make their living by the sea, stood at a distance, and were crying out as they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What city is like the great city?’]. Nineveh is no more - but no one mourns, no one is sorry to see her calamity - because of the distress that she has caused. Gone with no one to grieve - she doesn’t even have a crumb of comfort or consolation, not even a cherished memory remains. The destruction is as total! And no one mourns.
Nahum means "consolation", "comfort" – it is a message of comfort to God's people, but not to Nineveh. The destruction of Nineveh exactly parallels the destruction of Babylon – the ruling world system at the end. Is it a message of comfort to you? Would you rejoice if the whole merchant, commercial, materialistic system we live in came to an end? Or would you be like the merchants standing at a distance mourning? It all depends where your heart is fixed [Matthew 6:19-34 Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.] – if your heart is fixed on the things of earth this judgement will be cause of great mourning, but if you treasure is in heaven then it will bring great rejoicing- the prophecy of this certain coming event will be for you one of great comfort and consolation.
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