THE BOOK OF NAHUM

(“The Oracle Concerning Nineveh”)

Nahum 1:1-8 (NASU)

¹“The oracle of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite. ²A jealous and avenging God is the Lord; the Lord is avenging and wrathful. The Lord takes vengeance on His adversaries, and He reserves wrath for His enemies.” (Nahum 1:1-2)

BEFORE WE GET STARTED

(1) Tonight, as promised, we are beginning a study of the Book of Nahum. The Book of Nahum is part of that section of the Old Testament known as the Minor Prophets – which consists of twelve consecutive books, starting with Hosea and ending with Malachi. The books of the Minor Prophets are “minor”, only because most of them are relatively short – Nahum, for example, contains just three chapters totaling fifty-seven verses – and not because their messages are less important than those of the Major Prophets, like Isaiah and Jeremiah.

(2) The main reason for studying the Book of Nahum right now is because we just finished the Book of Jonah – and Nahum is the sequel¹ (if you will) to Jonah. Both deal with the Assyrian city of Nineveh (c.f. Jonah 1:2; Nahum 1:1) – Jonah tells us how the Lord had compassion on the Ninevites, and spared them from destruction when they believed God and repented (c.f. Jonah 3:5, 10; 4:11) – while Nahum describes how God poured out His wrath on Nineveh about one hundred years later,¹ because the Assyrians living there had reverted back to their wicked ways (c.f. Nahum 1:8; 2:13; 3:1, 7).

(3) I have never preached a single message from the Book of Nahum before tonight, let alone preached through the book – so this is going to be a new experience for me. I have also never preached through any of the minor prophetic books, except for Jonah – so I expect to find the writing style and subject matter personally challenging, if not actually at little difficult to “handle” at first (c.f. II Timothy 2:15).

(B) THE PROPHET AND HIS TIMES

(1) “All Scripture is inspired by God” (c.f. II Timothy 3:16) – with “the Holy Spirit” being the divine author (c.f. II Peter 1:21). However, He worked through ordinary people like you and me – hence, verse one tells us that “Nahum the Elkoshite” (c.f. Nahum 1:1) was the human author of this particular book. I would like to tell you all kinds of wonderful and interesting things about this man – unfortunately, what we have here in verse one is the sum total of what Scripture has to say about him.² We know his name was “Nahum” – and that he was an “Elkoshite” (c.f. Nahum 1:1) – and that’s pretty much it.

(a) Nahum’s name literally means “comforter” or “consoler”.³ That sounds odd, given the severity of his message (c.f. Nahum 1:2-8) – which would have certainly not been “comforting” to any Ninevites who heard it. However, it would have been “consoling” to the people of Judah (c.f. Nahum 1:7), since the Assyrians had a long history of being their cruel and dreaded enemies.⁴

(b) When we inquire as to what an “Elkoshite” is (c.f. Nahum 1:1), most commentators think it refers to Nahum’s home village² (c.f. Nehemiah 3:7) – unfortunately, no one today knows where that village may have been. That hasn’t stopped people from trying to guess – but anything you might read regarding a precise location, will be just that – a guess. Besides, in the absence of any other information to the contrary, it’s equally possible that the word “Elkoshite” (c.f. Nahum 1:1) refers to Nahum’s family (c.f. I Chronicles 27:16).

(c) Because of a reference to the overthrow of the Egyptian city “No-amon” (or Thebes) in chapter three (c.f. Nahum 3:8), which is known to have taken place around 663 B.C.⁵ – and, because the Assyrian Empire didn’t fall until around 612 B.C.⁵ – it’s assumed that Nahum must have lived (and prophesied) sometime during that fifty year window.

Among other things, that means his prophecy regarding Nineveh’s downfall was made while Assyria was still at or near the height of her power⁶ (c.f. Nahum 1:12) – thereby making the prospect of such a complete and total destruction, as he describes (c.f. Nahum 2:8-10; 3:6-7), almost laughable – at least from a human perspective.

It also means Nahum probably lived during the reigns of King Manasseh and King Josiah of Judah (the Northern Kingdom of Israel having gone into Assyrian captivity one hundred years earlier) – which means Nahum would have been a contemporary of other prophets like Jeremiah, Zephaniah and Habakkuk.⁷

(2) Although we’ve already alluded to bits and pieces of the historical setting, let’s take a brief look at the history of Nineveh and Israel and Judah, to try and get a better understanding of the times in which Nahum lived and prophesied.

(a) “Nineveh” (c.f. Nahum 1:1) (as you already know) was the capital city of the Assyrian Empire – which was the dominate military and political force during most (if not all) of Nahum’s lifetime. Nineveh’s history dates all the way back to Genesis chapter ten, where we’re told that several generations after the Flood, a man named “Nimrod” – who’s described as “a mighty one on the earth” – left “the land of Shinar”, where the tower of “Babel” would eventually be built, and “went … into (the land of) Assyria” where he “built (the city of) Nineveh”, along with several other cities (c.f. Genesis 10:8-14) – thereby creating what some believe to have been the first world empire.⁸ Almost from the beginning, however, Nineveh was the embodiment of human violence and conquest – and eventually came to symbolize the warfare of man against his fellow human beings.⁸

(b) References to Nineveh in ancient historical records are rare – nor does Scripture have much to say about the city, or the Assyrians in general, until we get into the Book of Second Kings, where we’re told that King Menahem of the Northern Kingdom of Israel paid King Pul of Assyria a thousand talents of silver “to strengthen the kingdom under his rule” – after which “the king of Assyria returned (to his own land) and did not remain … in the land (of Samaria)” (c.f. II Kings 15:19-20).

(c) Head-on confrontations between the Assyrians and the people of Israel and Judah began in escalate during the mid-800’s B.C. First, a king named Shalmaneser III invaded the Northern Kingdom of Israel and exacted tribute from King Ahab (c.f. I Kings 16:29) – then later from King Jehu (c.f. I Kings 19:16).⁹

About one hundred years later (in the mid-700’s B.C.) Assyrian King Tiglath-pileser III invaded both Israel and Judah – forcing their respective kings to pay tribute – while also carrying off many people from the Northern Kingdom into captivity⁹ (c.f. II Kings 15:29).

(d) It was at about this time that God sent the prophet Jonah to cry out against the city of Nineveh on account of the wickedness of the people who lived there (c.f. Jonah 1:2), and to pronounce destruction on the Assyrians (c.f. Jonah 3:4). By God’s grace, the people of Nineveh believed Jonah’s message, repented of their wicked ways, and threw themselves on God’s mercy (c.f. Jonah 3:5-9). He, in turn, responded with compassion and relented concerning the calamity Jonah had prophesied (c.f. Jonah 3:10; 4:11). This greatly displeased Jonah, in part, because he was probably aware that other prophets had been predicting God would use the Assyrians to punish His own covenant people, because they would not repent of their sins (c.f. Isaiah 7:17; 8:4). Hence, Jonah would have been glad to see Nineveh destroyed – and was equally angry when he realized God was going to be gracious to them instead (c.f. Jonah 4:2-4).

(e) The prophecies concerning Israel’s demise came to pass in 722 B.C. when Assyrian King Shalmaneser V laid siege to the capital city of Samaria (c.f. II Kings 18:9). However, he died early in that campaign and was replaced by Sargon II, who (in God’s providence) brought the history of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, and her unbroken string of wicked kings, to an ignoble end. Scripture says this happened because the people of Israel “did not obey the voice of the Lord their God, but transgressed His covenant, even all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded; they would neither listen nor do it (c.f. II Kings 18:10-12).⁹

(f) About twenty years later (in 701 B.C.) Assyrian King Sennacherib invaded Judah during the reign of godly King Hezekiah (c.f. II Kings 18:13) (this would have been about 50-75 years before the Book of Nahum was written). Sennacherib’s official records say he forced 46 cities of Judah into submission – took over 200,000 people captive – and shut up Hezekiah in Jerusalem “like a caged bird.”⁹ Scripture, however, tells us the rest of the story – a story the historical records of Assyria conveniently left out.

The Bible acknowledges that “Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and seized them” (c.f. II Kings 18:13) – and that Hezekiah was trapped inside the protective walls of Jerusalem by the Assyrian army. But it also describes how Assyrian officials stood outside the walls and blasphemously boasted that the god’s of Assyria were greater and stronger than the God of Judah (c.f. II Kings 18:19-36) – and how the King of Assyria sent a letter to Hezekiah which said, in part: ¹⁰“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.’ ¹¹Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the lands, destroying them completely. So will you be spared? ¹²Did the gods of those nations … deliver them …?” (c.f. II Kings 19:10-12) – the implication being, your God won’t be able to deliver you from my hand either!

But He did! For we’re told that Hezekiah took that letter, spread it out before the Lord, and prayed: ¹⁵“O Lord, the God of Israel, who are enthroned above the cherubim, You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. ¹⁶Incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, O Lord, and see; and listen to the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to REPROACH THE LIVING GOD. ¹⁷Truly, O Lord, the kings of Assyria have devastated the nations and their lands ¹⁸and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. So they have destroyed them. ¹⁹Now, O Lord our God, I pray, deliver us from his hand THAT ALL THE KINGDOMS OF THE EARTH MAY KNOW THAT YOU ALONE, O LORD, ARE GOD” (c.f. II Kings 19:15-19).

God responded to Hezekiah’s prayer by sending him a message through the prophet Isaiah, that said in part: ³²“… thus says the Lord concerning the king of Assyria, ‘He will not come to this city or shoot an arrow there; and he will not come before it with a shield or throw up a siege ramp against it. ³³By the way that he came, by the same he will return, and he shall not come to this city,’ declares the Lord. ³⁴‘For I will defend this city to save it for My own sake and for My servant David’s sake’” (c.f. II Kings 19:32-34).

That night, “the angel of the Lord went out and struck 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians” (c.f. II Kings 19:35) while they slept. Sennacherib’s army was so weakened by this slaughter that he was forced to leave Jerusalem, and return to Nineveh without having achieved the victory he had been so sure of just a few days earlier. What’s more, some time after he returned to Nineveh he was assassinated while worshipping in the house of his pagan god Nisroch – who didn’t turn out to be as powerful as the king of Assyria had claimed (c.f. II Kings 19:36-37).¹⁰

(g) The Assyrians had been checked by God, but not destroyed. As a matter of fact, in the years that followed they continued to grow rich at the expense of other nations – while also practicing cruel forms of punishment and brutal forms of torture.¹⁰ (c.f. Nahum 2:9; 3:1).

At the time of Nahum’s prophecy, Nineveh was probably the largest city in the world. There was an outer, unprotected city that extended for miles in every direction. But there was also an inner city protected by a wall eight miles in circumference, one hundred feet high, with twelve hundred towers and fourteen gates, and so wide at the top that three chariots could be driven side-by-side.¹⁰ In that day, any city with such a massive wall would have been considered unassailable – thereby making the prophecy found the Book of Nahum seem utterly impossible when it was first delivered (c.f. Nahum 1:8; 2:10; 3:7).

As for the Assyrian’s reputation for excessive cruelty, one bible historian writes: “To Nineveh came the distant chieftains who kissed the royal feet, rebel leaders paraded in fetters, distant and deceitful kings tied with dog chains and made to live in kennels. To Nineveh were sent … (the) heads of vanquished enemies, crown princes as hostages, (and) beautiful princesses as concubines. In Nineveh (defeated) rulers who experienced rare mercy (were made to carry) brick(s) and mortal for building (projects). There, recalcitrant captives were flayed, (and) obstinate opponents crushed to death by their own sons. The Nineveh against which (Nahum) thunder(ed) divine (judgment) had become the concentrated center of evil, the capital of crushing tyranny, (and) the epitome of (some of the) cruelest (forms of) torture (ever devised by fallen men).”¹⁰ No wonder Nahum wrote: “Who will grieve for her? Where will I seek comforters for you?” (c.f. Nahum 3:7) – and again: “All who hear about you will clap their hands over you, for on whom has not your evil passed continually?” (c.f. Nahum 3:19).

(h) One of the truly remarkable things about Nahum’s prophecy is that it came to pass as soon as it did – that it came to pass rather quickly, despite how invincible the Assyrians seemed to be at the time – that within about ninety years of Sennacherib’s encampment at Jerusalem, and fifty years from the approximate date of Nahum’s prophecy, the Assyrian Empire was no more, and Nineveh the great city (c.f. Jonah 1:2) lay in complete ruin. Such is the power of Almighty God – such is the “wrath He reserves for His enemies” (c.f. Nahum 1:2).

(1) The theme of the Book of Nahum is the impending destruction of the city of Nineveh and the Assyrian Empire.¹¹ Like a broken record (if you can remember those days), the prophet repeats his inspired theme again and again and again – Nineveh and her people are doomed – God is going to destroy Nineveh and her citizens – God will pour out His vengeance and wrath on the jewel of the Assyrian Empire.

This theme is stated right up front, in the first two verses of the book: ¹“The oracle of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite” – and what is that “oracle”? What is that “vision”? – (verse two) ²A jealous and avenging God is the Lord; the Lord is avenging and wrathful. The Lord takes vengeance on His adversaries, and He reserves wrath for His enemies” (c.f. Nahum 1:1-2). In this case, the target of God’s wrath and vengeance is the people living in the city of Nineveh.

Nahum goes on to say, in verse eight: “… with an overflowing flood (the Lord) will make a complete end of its site, and will pursue His enemies into darkness” (c.f. Nahum 1:8) – verse ten: “… they are consumed as stubble completely withered” (c.f. Nahum 1:10) – verse twelve: “… Though they are at full strength and likewise many … they will be cut off and pass away” (c.f. Nahum 1:12).

Chapter two, verse seven: “It is fixed: She is stripped, she is carried away, and her handmaids are moaning like the sound of doves, beating on their breasts” (c.f. Nahum 2:7) – verse ten: “She is emptied! Yes, she is desolate and waste! Hearts are melting and knees knocking! … anguish is in the whole body and all their faces are grown pale!” (c.f. Nahum 2:10).

Chapter three, verse three: “Horsemen charging, swords flashing, spears gleaming, many slain, a mass of corpses, and countless dead bodies – they stumble over the dead bodies!” (c.f. Nahum 3:3) – verse seven: “And it will come about that all who see you will shrink from you and say, ‘Nineveh is devastated!’” (c.f. Nahum 3:7) – and once more, verse thirteen: “Behold, your people are women in your midst! The gates of your land are opened wide to your enemies; (and) fire consumes your gate bars” (c.f. Nahum 3:13).

(2) As for the purpose of the Book of Nahum – I would say that it’s at least two-fold – first, to announce the impending and utter destruction of the city of Nineveh on account of their many sins – but also, to comfort God’s covenant people in the land of Judah, who have been living under the threat of Assyrian domination and her infamous cruelty³ for many years. That’s why, in the midst of all the prophetic statements about how God is going to pour out His wrath on the people of Nineveh, we also find words of comfort like these (directed toward the people of Judah) – chapter one, verse seven: “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who take refuge in Him” (c.f. Nahum 1:7) – verse thirteen: “… I will break his yoke bar from upon you, and I will tear off your shackles” (c.f. Nahum 1:13) – verse fifteen: “Behold, on the mountains the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace! Celebrate your feasts, O Judah; pay your vows. For never again will the wicked one pass through you …” (c.f. Nahum 1:15) – and chapter two, verse two: “… the Lord will restore the splendor of Jacob like the splendor of Israel, even though devastators have devastated them and destroyed their vine branches” (c.f. Nahum 2:2).

(a) What we have in the Book of Nahum, then, is a much needed reminder of just how seriously God takes sin (even if we don’t) – how offensive and provocative our sins are to Him – how “jealous” (c.f. Nahum 1:2) He is of His honor and holiness – and how deserving every sinner is of the kind of “wrath” (c.f. Nahum 1:2-3) the Lord poured out on the Assyrian people living in ancient Nineveh.

(b) At the same time, the Book of Nahum reminds us of God’s faithfulness to His covenant people. Judah was chastised for her sins (in part, by the Assyrians), but not destroyed – nor was she spared because her sins were less offensive, or fewer in number – but solely and only because the Lord had promised that He would be their God, and they would be His people (and He doesn’t break His promises). Hence, scattered throughout the prophesied destruction of Nineveh are words of comfort and hope for the people of Judah.

I anticipate that we will have multiple opportunities to expand on these two purposes as we work our way through the Book of Nahum.

(3) Finally (and quickly), some people (and I hope we won’t be among them) may have difficulty with the Book of Nahum precisely because of it’s vengeful and wrathful tone – indeed, that may be one reason why this book isn’t read or studied as often as (say) the Book of Jonah.

(a) O. Palmer Robertson has written that, “no message could be more repulsive to the modern mind than the idea of (God’s) retributive justice.”¹² James Boice adds that “many people do not like to think of God as a God of wrath. They prefer to think of Him as a God of sickly love and sentimental indulgence. What a weakening of the biblical concept of the only true God this is! It is true that God is a God of love and mercy – (even) a holy love and an utterly undeserved and sovereign mercy. But it’s also true that God is a God of wrath against sin.”¹³ Boice goes on to add that the fact so many people don’t like to think of God as Nahum describes Him “only shows how insensitive we are to sin both in ourselves and others. God’s wrath is not capricious – but He will (and He does) ‘take vengeance on His adversaries’”¹³ (c.f. Nahum 1:2).

(b) We’re going to have ample opportunity to explore the theme of God’s wrath and retribution against unrepentant sinners as we work our way through the Book of Nahum. But for now, I will close with this thought – the sooner we accept the fact that “(the Lord is) a jealous and avenging God … (who) takes vengeance on His adversaries, and … reserves wrath for His enemies” (c.f. Nahum 1:2), the sooner we will start to truly understand and appreciate what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross, as exemplified by His cry: “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (c.f. Mark 15:34). And of course, the reason Jesus let out that cry is because God was pouring out His wrath and vengeance on our Savior instead of us – a wrath and vengeance that’s similar to (although not nearly severe as) what we find described in the Book of Nahum.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

¹MacArthur: The MacArthur Bible Commentary; p. 1022.

²Robertson: The Books of Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah;

The New International Commentary on the Old Testament; p. 31.

³Unger’s Commentary on the Old Testament; p. 1877.

⁴MacArthur: Ibid; p. 1023.

⁵The New Geneva Study Bible: Introduction to the Book of

Nahum; p. 1435.

⁶Robertson: Ibid; p. 30.

⁷Wiesbe: Be Amazed; p. 95.

⁸Boice: The Minor Prophets; Vol. Two; p. 57.

⁹IBID; p. 58.

¹⁰IBID; p. 59.

¹¹The New Bible Commentary; p. 762

¹²Robertson: Ibid; p. 22.

¹³Boice: Ibid; p. 60.