THE BOOK OF NAHUM

(“Good News And Bad News”) (I)

Nahum 1:9-15 (NASU)

⁹“Whatever you devise against the Lord, He will make a complete end of it. Distress will not rise up twice. ¹⁰Like tangled thorns, and like those who are drunken with their drink, they are consumed as stubble completely withered. ¹¹From you has gone forth one who plotted evil against the Lord, a wicked counselor.” (Nahum 1:9-11)

(A) PREDICTIONS AND PROMISES

(1) When Jonah went through the streets of the Assyrian Empire’s capital city, preaching: “Yet FORTY DAYS and Nineveh will be overthrown” (c.f. Jonah 3:4), a revival of unprecedented proportion took place – as king and citizens alike responded by repenting of their sins and throwing themselves on God’s mercy (c.f. Jonah 3:5-9). As a result, we’re told: “God relented concerning the calamity … He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it” (c.f. Jonah 3:10).

(2) About a century later (around 650 B.C.),¹ Nahum received a prophetic “oracle” from the Lord, in which God once again declared that He was going to bring disaster upon “Nineveh” (c.f. Nahum 1:1), and “make a complete end of its site” (c.f. Nahum 1:8). While it’s unclear if the Assyrians were ever made aware of this prophecy, what we do know is that this time the people of Nineveh did not repent. On the contrary, they persisted in their pursuit of evil for almost another FORTY YEARS (which underscores God’s patience) (c.f. Romans 2:4-8) – until around 612 B.C.¹ – when an invading military coalition made up of Medes, Persians, and Babylonians² (with the latter being the dominate force) finally put an end to the Assyrian Empire once and for all.

(3) The Assyrians were notorious for the brutal treatment they inflicted on the peoples and nations they defeated.¹ Now God, in His providence, was going to give Nineveh a taste of her own medicine (as we sometimes say). Hence, even though the prophet Obadiah was not talking specifically about Assyria,³ what he said certainly fits what happened: “… the day of the Lord draws near … As you have done, it will be done to you. Your dealings will return on your own head” (c.f. Obadiah 1:15).

(4) Tonight’s Scripture lesson (i.e. Nahum 1:9-15) contains God’s prophetic declaration of what He was going to do to Nineveh – albeit in general terms – namely, “make a complete end of it” (verse nine) – “consume its people like fire consumes “stubble” when it’s become “completely withered” (verse ten) – “cut her off, and cause her to “pass away” (i.e. from history’s stage) (verse twelve) – put her in her “grave” where she belongs (verse fourteen) – and “cut her completely off” (verse fifteen), so that not even a functional remnant remains.

(5) Just as last week’s rain here in southern New Mexico brought adversity and destruction to some, while being beneficial to others – even so, we find that interwoven amongst these declarations of judgment on Nineveh (who represents the wicked) (c.f. Nahum 1:9-12, 14-15), are promises of blessing and hope⁴ for Judah (who represents God’s covenant people)⁵ (c.f. Nahum 1:12-13, 15). From this we learn that the Lord – who is the greatest Multi-Tasker of all – is able to use the same historical events to punish some, and bring relief to others. That what turns out to be a disaster for the wicked, can often be a good thing for God’s elect. Hence, the “oracle” of doom on “Nineveh” (c.f. Nahum 1:1), is interlaced with promises of hope for “Judah” (c.f. Nahum 1:15). The few people from Nineveh who do manage to survive will have numerous reasons to mourn (c.f. Nahum 1:9) – while the people of Judah (like their ancestors, standing on the far side of the Red Sea) (c.f. Exodus 15:1-21) will have good reason to “celebrate” (c.f. Nahum 1:15).

(B) GOD’S MESSAGE TO NINEVEH

(1) Tonight’s Scripture lesson, then, contains both good news and bad news – good news for the people of Judah, bad news for the people of Nineveh – and we’re going to start where the passage itself starts, namely with God’s message to Nineveh,⁶ which amounts to a lot of bad news (although we will see that there’s some good news for Judah mixed in). Look first of all, then, at verse nine where the inspired prophet says: “Whatever you devise against the Lord, He will make a complete end of it. Distress will not rise up twice” (c.f. Nahum 1:9).

(a) The force of this verse is at least two-fold – first, the Lord knows what the Assyrians are planning – and second, He’s not going to let them do it.⁶

(b) Assyria had already destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel some seventy-five years before Nahum’s prophecy (i.e. around 722 B.C.)¹ (c.f. II Kings 17:20-23) – now they wanted to do the same thing to Judah. In fact, they had made at least one previous attempt in the days of King Hezekiah (c.f. II Kings 18:17) – however, just when it looked as though they would succeed, God miraculously killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in a single night, which caused the Assyrian king (Sennacherib) to withdraw from Jerusalem and return to Nineveh (c.f. II Kings 19:35-36). As far as I know, the Assyrians never laid siege to Jerusalem again⁷ – although they still exerted a great deal of political and military pressure on Judah for the next ninety years. What’s more – and this is apparently one of the points of verse nine (c.f. Nahum 1:9) – it was always in the Assyrian’s mind to go back to Jerusalem and erase the memory of their former humiliation. However, as we’ve already pointed out, the Lord was not going to allow them to carry out their plans.

(c) Having said all that, notice that verse nine does not say: “whatever you devise AGAINST JERUSALEM, the Lord will make a complete end of it” – or, “whatever you devise AGAINST JUDAH, the Lord will make a complete end of it” – rather, what it does say is: “whatever you devise AGAINST THE LORD, He will make a complete end of it” (c.f. Nahum 1:9).

This teaches us an important biblical truth – namely, that whenever the wicked attack or harass God’s covenant people, He views that as an attack upon Himself.⁸ Hence, the Lord said through the prophet Zechariah: “… he who touches you, touches the apple of (My) eye” (c.f. Zechariah 2:8). A note in the New Geneva Study Bible explains this expression – saying that the word “apple” refers to the pupil of a person’s eye. Hence, what’s being said is that, “just as the pupil of the eye is closely guarded against harm (i.e. by the eyelid and surrounding bone structure), so God closely guards His covenant people”⁹ – in this case, from the evil plots being “devised” against them by the Assyrians (c.f. Nahum 1:9).

(d) Christ made a similar connection between Himself and His redeemed people in Matthew chapter twenty-five. For when the sheep asked: ³⁷“Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? ³⁸And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? ³⁹When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?” – Jesus replied: ⁴⁰“Truly I say to you, TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU DID IT TO ONE OF THESE BROTHERS OF MINE, even the least of them, YOU DID IT TO ME” (c.f. Matthew 25:37-40). Likewise, when the goats asked: ⁴⁴“Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You” – Jesus replied in a similar fashion: ⁴⁵“Truly I say to you, TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU DID NOT DO IT TO ONE OF THE LEAST OF THESE, YOU DID NOT DO IT TO ME” (c.f. Matthew 25:44-45).

(e) The reality is, that an inseparable link exists between God and His elect, covenant people – so that those who attack them are attacking Him as well – those who make fun of the people Christ died to save are making fun of Christ – those who hate Christians, also hate God – those who persecute God’s people, are also directing their persecution toward God. The Egyptians learned this the hard way during the days of Moses (c.f. Exodus 3-10) – and the Assyrians should have learned it during the days of Hezekiah (c.f. II Kings 18-20). But since they hadn’t, they were about to become a historical object lesson for all the world to ponder and learn from (c.f. Deuteronomy 19:20; I Timothy 5:20). Hence, verse nine goes on to say that the Lord “will make a complete end of it” (c.f. Nahum 1:9) – that is, not only of the plans the Assyrian’s were “devising” against Judah, but also of the Assyrian Empire itself – since that was the only way to keep this wicked nation from plotting evil against God’s people!

(f) Regarding this identification between God and His elect people, John Calvin is the only commentator I read who makes an application, saying: “(Christians should) gather invaluable comfort from these words; for we can fully and boldly set up this shield against our enemies – that they devise their counsels, and make efforts against God, and assail Him; for He takes us under His protection for this end, that whenever we are injured, He may stand in the middle as our defense.”⁸

I would use this analogy – that just as a mother lion takes it personal (so to speak) whenever a predator tries to kill or steal one of her cubs, and comes to their rescue – so the Lord takes it personal whenever our enemies try to destroy us, and comes to our rescue. Hence, the verse we looked at in an earlier message says: “The Lord is … a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who take refuge in Him” (c.f. Nahum 1:7).

(g) The last part of verse nine goes on to say that: “Distress will not rise up twice” (c.f. Nahum 1:9). John Calvin summed up the meaning of this statement very well, when he wrote: “God can with one (blow), when it seems good to Him, so destroy His enemies, that there will be no need of striving with them (a) second time.”¹⁰ In other words, whenever it pleases Him to do so, God is more than capable of striking His enemies, so that they are never able to rise again.

That’s certainly what happened to Nineveh – for we noted last time that “the great city” (c.f. Jonah 1:2; 3:2-3) was so completely destroyed, that within three hundred years it’s exact location had been lost¹¹ – and wasn’t rediscovered by archeologists until 1842¹² (which would have been some 2400 years later!) All of which means the Assyrians were never again a threat to the people of Judah – or anyone else, for that matter!

(h) In a similar fashion, the day is coming when our Lord is going to “make a complete end of” all our enemies (c.f. Nahum 1:9) – including death (c.f. I Corinthians 15:26) – Satan and his hordes (c.f. Matthew 8:28-29; Revelation 20:10) – and all those who have hated God and His people over the millennia, and tried to destroy us (both individually and collectively) (c.f. Revelation 21:8). When that day comes, “distress will not rise up twice” (c.f. Nahum 1:9) – i.e. never again will we be plagued or terrorized by these enemies. Which partially explains why the Book of Revelation says that God ⁴“… will wipe away every tear from (our) eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; (for) the first things (will) have passed away” – and that, forever – never to “rise up” against us (or our God) again (c.f. Revelation 21:4; Nahum 1:9).

(2) Moving on to verse ten, we’re told that: “Like tangled thorns, and like those who are drunken with their drink, they are consumed as stubble completely withered” (c.f. Nahum 1:10).

(a) Normally, it’s not a good idea to mix metaphors – as in, “I’m shooting from the seat of my pants” – or, “We’ll be there until the fat lady freezes over”¹³ – or, “It’s time to grab the bull by the tail and look him in the eye.”¹⁴ However, God can do whatever He pleases (c.f. Psalm 115:3) – and if it pleases Him to inspire one of His prophets to use two or more metaphors in the same sentence, so be it. Hence, we find Nahum using the imagery of “tangled thorns”, “drunkards”, and “withered stubble” (c.f. Nahum 1:10) to describe how easily God is going to bring an end to the Assyrian Empire – and how futile any resistance the people of Nineveh may offer is going to be.

(b) If we inquire as to what “consumes” “tangled thorns” and “stubble (that’s) completely withered” (c.f. Nahum 1:10), the answer is fire.² An image we might be more familiar with here in the Southwest would be a big pile of dead dry tumbleweeds laying in an arroyo. Put a match to them, and they quickly burst into flames – burn hot and fast – leaving only a small pile of ash, after the fire has burned itself out – which the wind soon blows away, so that virtually nothing is left.

This is precisely what was going to happen to Nineveh. Her great physical size (which we described last time) made her look impression – and her military power made her appear invincible. But because she lacked moral and spiritual substance, she was like “tangled thorns” and “dry stubble” (c.f. Nahum 1:10). Moreover, once the fire of God’s wrath and vengeance started to burn against her (c.f. Nahum 1:2-6), she would be totally consumed in a short time – leaving behind little or no trace that she ever existed.

(c) Such imagery is not uncommon among the writings of Old Testament prophets. For example, speaking of Jerusalem and Judah, the Book of Isaiah says: ²⁴“… as a tongue of fire consumes stubble and dry grass collapses into the flame, so their root will become like rot and their blossom blow away as dust; for they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. ²⁵On this account the anger of the Lord has burned against His people …” (c.f. Isaiah 5:24-25). Likewise, the prophet Joel compared the impending downfall of God’s unfaithful people¹⁵ to “the crackling of a flame of fire consuming the stubble …” (c.f. Joel 2:5) – while Obadiah said that: “the house of Esau (i.e. Edom) will be as stubble. And they will set them on fire and consume them, so that there will be no survivor …” (c.f. Obadiah 1:18).

(d) Hence, the imagery of fire consuming stubble conveys the idea that once God’s judgment starts – whether it’s directed at Judah, or Edom, or Nineveh, or America, or whoever – (once it starts) it will be swift and intense, comprehensive and complete.

Along these line, James Boice notes that the allusion to fire may seem contradictory, given the earlier reference (in verse eight) to “an overwhelming flood” (c.f. Nahum 1:8) (which we explained last time). However, he says that when archeologists began excavating the site where ancient Nineveh once stood, they found huge deposits of ash – which indicates that a gigantic inferno burned much of the city to the ground.²

Once again, then, we see that Nahum’s prophecy regarding the manner of Nineveh’s downfall (c.f. Nahum 1:10) appears to be more than metaphoric – for it seems many of the things he predicted literally came to pass – including destruction by fire.

(e) As for the Assyrians in Nineveh being “like those who are drunken with their drink” (c.f. Nahum 1:10; see also Nahum 3:11), this may be an allusion to the ease with which the Lord would destroy them – even though verse twelve says, “they (were still) at full strength” (c.f. Nahum 1:12). Some people become belligerent and full of self-confidence when they are drunk – yet, they can be easily overcome by someone who is sober.¹⁶ In the same way, compared to the Sovereign Ruler of heaven and earth, Nineveh was weak and vulnerable,¹⁷ like a drunk – and super easy for the Omnipotent One to overpower.

(f) The sobering thing is (no pun intended), that the same thing is true of all the wicked – whether individually or collectively – be they a single person, or a nation of people, or even a coalition of nations. As the Scripture says, “… (the Lord) merely blows on them, and they wither, and the storm carries them away like stubble” (c.f. Isaiah 40:24) – and again, that compared to the Almighty, even “… the multitude of the ruthless ones (are) like the chaff which blows away …” (c.f. Isaiah 29:5).

(g) Once again, though, there may be more here than just a word picture – for at least one commentary quotes an ancient historian who says “the king of Nineveh and his courtiers were carousing the night their empire fell”¹⁸ – much like Belshazzar was doing the night the Babylonian Empire fell to the Medes and Persians (c.f. Daniel 5:1-31).

(h) Clearly God is not an idle babbler – nor does His word go forth without accomplishing what He says He will do (c.f. Isaiah 55:11). As He declares elsewhere: “… I have spoken; … I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it” (c.f. Isaiah 46:11) – and again: ¹²“… I am God. ¹³Even from eternity I am He, and there is none who can deliver out of My hand; I act and who can reverse it?” (c.f. Isaiah 43:12-13) – and once more (although we could go on quoting verses like these for the rest of the hour), from the Books of Job and Isaiah, “… who can restrain Him?” [No one!] (c.f. Job 11:10) – “… who can turn Him?” [No one!] (c.f. Job 23:13) – “… who can frustrate (His plans)?” [No one!] (c.f. Isaiah 14:27). No wonder the psalmist says – not once, but at least twice: “(Our God) does whatever He pleases … in heaven and … earth, in the seas and in all (the) deeps” (c.f. Psalm 115:3; 135:6).

(3) Finally (at least for this evening), we come to verse eleven, which says: “From you has gone forth one who plotted evil against the Lord, a wicked counselor” (c.f. Nahum 1:11).

(a) Once again we see that Nahum has framed his “oracle” regarding “Nineveh” (c.f. Nahum 1:1) in terms of the Assyrians “plotting” an attack “against” God (c.f. Nahum 1:11) – rather than simply “plotting” an attack “against” Judah, or one of the other surrounding nations. Which implies there’s more going on here than first meets the proverbial eye.

(b) As a matter of fact, while the phrase about “a wicked counselor” (c.f. Nahum 1:11) literally means, a “worthless” or “ungodly” counselor¹⁹ – it can also be translated as, “a counselor of Belial”,⁴ with “Belial” being one of the New Testament names for Satan²⁰ (c.f. II Corinthians 6:15). Hence, some think Nahum may have been saying that demonic forces²¹ were at work in the Assyrian capital – driving the king and his advisors to devise all kinds of “evil plots against the Lord”, by devising evil plots against His people (c.f. Nahum 1:9, 11).

Daniel alluded to something similar when he recorded a conversation he had in a vision with an angelic messenger, who told him that “the prince of the kingdom of Persia (had withstood him) for twenty-one days”, until the angel “Michael” came to his aid (c.f. Daniel 10:13) – thereby indicating that demonic forces were at work in the Persian Empire at that point in history.

We also know that Satanic forces were behind some of the things that happened to Job (c.f. Job 1-2) – and that they had a hand in some of the events leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion (c.f. Mark 8:31-33; Luke 22:3-6). So, it’s certainly possible that demonic forces were at work in Nineveh, driving the Assyrians to do what their dead, depraved hearts were inclined to do anyway – namely, “plot evil against the Lord” (c.f. Nahum 1:11), by plotting evil against His covenant people living in Jerusalem and Judah.

(c) By way of application, the Book of Ephesians tells us that, as Christians, “our (real) struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (c.f. Ephesians 6:12). In other words, our real enemy is Satanic – even though human beings are often his instruments. All we can see with our eyes is our human enemies – while the enemy that goes unseen is demonic.

I don’t claim to have any special discernment when it comes to the degree of Satanic involvement in specific situations – nor do I think we should look for demons behind every problem we face, or every person who makes life difficult for us because we are a Christian (c.f. Luke 22:31). All I know is what Scripture tells me – that there IS an unseen enemy – that there ARE unseen battles going on – and that some of the evil empires that have existed in the past (like Assyria), as well as some that exist today, are being energized by “spiritual forces of wickedness” (c.f. Ephesians 6:12).

(d) BUT, one of the things the Book of Nahum tells us is that when God is ready, He will make “a complete end of” them all (c.f. Nahum 1:8-9) – that He will make “a complete end of” all those who have “plotted against Him” (and us) (c.f. Nahum 1:11). And when He does, we who have been delivered will not only be relieved, we will also rejoice over their demise. The Book of Revelation says: “REJOICE OVER HER, O heaven, and YOU SAINTS and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced judgment for you against her” (c.f. Revelation 18:20) – and again, from the prophet Jeremiah (even though he was speaking of Assyria’s successor): ⁴⁷“‘… behold, days are coming when I will punish the idols of Babylon; and her whole land will be put to shame and all her slain will fall in her midst. ⁴⁸THEN HEAVEN AND EARTH AND ALL THAT IS IN THEM WILL SHOUT FOR JOY …,’ declares the Lord” (c.f. Jeremiah 51:47-48).

Even the Book of Nahum closes with these words: “There is no relief for your breakdown, your wound is incurable. ALL WHO HEAR ABOUT YOU WILL CLAP THEIR HANDS …” (c.f. Nahum 3:19) – in other words, the destruction of Nineveh would be greeted with applause²² – and so will the final destruction of Satan and all his spiritual children (c.f. John 8:44).

BIBLIOGRAPHY

¹The English Standard Version Classic Reference Bible; p. 945.

²Boice: The Minor Prophets; Vol. Two; p. 62.

³The ESV: Ibid; p. 933.

⁴MacArthur: The MacArthur Bible Commentary; p. 1024.

⁵The New Geneva Study Bible: Footnote on Nahum 1:9-14;

p. 1437.

⁶Wiersbe: Be Amazed; p. 100.

⁷The Bible Knowledge Commentary; Old Testament; p. 1498.

⁸Calvin’s Commentaries: Vol. XIV; The Twelve Minor

Prophets; Vol. III; Jonah, Micah, Nahum; p. 435.

⁹The New Geneva Study Bible: Footnote on Deuteronomy

32:10; p. 284.

¹⁰Calvin’s Commentaries: Ibid; p. 436.

¹¹Robertson: The Books of Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah;

The New International Commentary on the Old Testament; p. 72.

¹²MacArthur: Ibid; p. 1023.

¹³http://www.calvin.edu/academic/engl/lang/mixmet.htm

¹⁴http://www.jimcarlton.com/my_favorite_mixed_metaphors.htm

¹⁵The ESV: Ibid; p. 919.

¹⁶Calvin’s Commentaries: Ibid; p. 437.

¹⁷The New Geneva Study Bible: Footnote on Nahum 3:11;

p. 1440.

¹⁸Wycliffe Bible Commentary; p. 865.

¹⁹BCS: Strong’s Concordance; Word #1100.

²⁰ The New Geneva Study Bible: Footnote on II Corinthians 6:15;

p. 1836.

²¹IBID: Footnote on Nahum 1:11; p. 1437.

²²IBID: Footnote on Nahum 3:19; p. 1441.