Nahum was a minor prophet whose Prophecy is recorded in the Tanakh, also called the Hebrew Bible and The Old Testament. He wrote about the end of the Assyrian Empire and its capital city, Nineveh, in a vivid poetic style.
Life
Little is known about Nahum's personal history. His name means "comforter," and he was from the town of Alqosh (Nahum 1:1), which scholars have attempted to identify with several cities, including the modern Alqosh in northern Iraq and Capharnaum of northern Galilee. However, he was a very nationalistic Hebrew and lived amongst the Elkoshites in peace. Nahum, called "the Elkoshite," is the seventh in order of the minor prophets.
Works
Nahum's writings could be taken as Prophecy or as history. One account suggests that his writings are a prophecy written in about 615 BC, just before the downfall of Assyria. In contrast, another account suggests that he wrote this passage as liturgy just after its downfall in 612 BC.
The book was introduced in Reformation theologian Calvin's Commentary as a complete and finished poem:
No one of the minor Prophets seems to equal the sublimity, the vehemence, and the boldness of Nahum: besides, his Prophecy is a complete and finished poem; his exordium (The beginning or introductory part, especially of discourse or treatise.) is magnificent and indeed majestic; the preparation for the destruction of Nineveh, and the description of its ruin, and its greatness, are expressed in most vivid colors, and possess admirable eloquence and fulness.
Nahum, taking words from Moses himself, has shown in a general way what sort of "Being God is." Calvin argued that Nahum painted God by which his nature must be seen, and "it is from that most memorable vision when God appeared to Moses after the breaking of the tablets."
The Prophet Nahum is venerated as a saint in Eastern Christianity. On the Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar, his feast day is December 1 (for those churches which follow the traditional Julian Calendar, December 1 currently falls on December 14 of the modern Gregorian Calendar). He is commemorated with the other minor prophets in the Calendar of Saints of the Armenian Apostolic Church on July 31.
The book of Nahum is a collection of poems announcing the downfall of some of Israel's worst oppressors. Referencing Daniel, Exodus, and Isaiah, Nahum shows us that the destruction of Nineveh and Assyria are examples of how God works in history in every age
What is the central message of Nahum?
From its opening, Nahum shows God to be slow to anger but that God will by no means ignore the guilty; God will bring his vengeance and wrath to pass. God is presented as a God who will punish evil and protect those who trust Him.
How does Nahum point to Jesus?
The Assyrians experienced in part what Jesus took on in full. The words of Nahum point forward to Jesus in this way; because of what Jesus has done because he has defeated sin and death, trouble will not defeat us a second time.
Who wrote the book?
The only mention in the Scripture of Nahum the Elkoshite occurs in the first verse of his book. While scholars have proposed several theories about Nahum's hometown, Elkosh, the best option identifies it with a city in southern Judah that later became known as Elcesi, near where the Prophet Micah lived. Nahum's Prophecy against the city of Nineveh would have been significant for the people of Judah. He would have needed encouragement in the face of the terrifying power of the Assyrian Empire.
When did Nahum Prophecy?
The book of Nahum mentions the recent fall of No-amon, or Thebes, which occurred in 663 BC (Nahum 3:8), as well as the coming destruction of Nineveh, which happened in 612 BC (1:1; 3:11–15). However, when, during this more than fifty-year period, did Nahum preach? The Assyrian Empire, which had its capital at Nineveh, was most powerful in the first half of this period, having a stranglehold on Judah during King Manasseh's reign (2 Chronicles 33:10–13). Also, while the book of Nahum mentions the destruction of Thebes, it does not mention its reconstruction, which took place in 654 BC. This leads us to date Nahum's Prophecy between 663 and 654 BC.
Nahum preached during the reign of King Manasseh, one of the evilest kings in Judah's long history, a man who needed the pain of his own experience to teach him the lessons of being a good king. Commentator J. Barton Payne suggests that Manasseh's incredible conversion took place late in his reign, around 648 BC, a mere half-dozen years before his death. That means Nahum preached during the darkest period in Judah's history to that point, a time filled with idolatry of all kinds in a nation that had completely turned its back on God. The Lord's willingness to send Nahum, whose name means "comfort," into such a hopeless situation evidences His unrelenting and overwhelming grace.
Why is Nahum so important?
Nahum's singular focus on the impending judgment of Nineveh offers a continuation of the story that began in Jonah. Around 760 BC, God sent Jonah to Nineveh to preach repentance and hope to the Assyrian people, a message they heard and adopted—at least for a time. One hundred years later, during the time of Nahum, the Assyrians had returned to their bullish ways, conquering the northern kingdom of Israel and lording their power over Judah in the south (2 Kings 17:1–6; 18:13–19:37). Jonah failed to realize what Nahum reminded the people of Judah: God's justice is always proper and always sure. Should He choose to grant mercy for a time, that good gift will not compromise the Lord's ultimate sense of justice for all in the end.
What is the big idea?
After allowing approximately two hundred years of powerful Assyrian kings and rulers, God announced through Nahum His plans to judge the city of Nineveh. While the book clearly shows God's concern over sin, His willingness to punish those guilty of wickedness, and His power to carry out His desire for judgment, it also contains rays of hope shining through the darkness. Most significant, the people of Judah would have immediately taken hope in the idea that Nineveh, their primary oppressor for generations, would soon come under judgment from God. Also, a small but faithful remnant in an increasingly idolatrous Judah would have been comforted by declarations of God's slowness to anger (Nahum 1:3), His goodness and strength (1:7), and His restorative power (2:2).
How do I apply this?
We all have felt overwhelmed by the darkness both within ourselves and our world. Nahum lived in a dark time, a time in which the faithful few must have wondered how long they would have to resist cultural and spiritual compromise.
Have you ever found your will to do what is suitable weakening as you became discouraged with what you saw in your life and the world around you? The Prophet Nahum reminds us of God's active hand, working even in the darkest of times to bring justice and hope throughout the world
Book of Nahum, the seventh of 12 Old Testament books that bear the names of the Minor Prophets (grouped as The Twelve in the Jewish canon). The title identifies the book as an "oracle concerning Nineveh" and attributes it to the "vision of Nahum of Elkosh."
The fall of Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian Empire, provided the occasion for this prophetic oracle. The mighty Assyrian Empire, which had long been a threat to the smaller nations of the ancient Middle East, was a particular menace to the Israelite people. Its decline, therefore, in the face of the Neo-Babylonian power of the Medes and the Chaldeans and its final collapse in the destruction of Nineveh (612 BC) gave the Prophet Nahum cause for extolling these events, which, he announced, occurred because Assyria's policies were not in accord with God's will. The book contains many types of material, acrostic hymns, oracles of judgment, satire, a curse, and funeral laments, all of which were brought together and related to the fall of Nineveh.
Biblical literature: Nahum
Old Testament, the Hebrew Bible, is interpreted among the various branches of Christianity. In Judaism, the Hebrew Bible is not only the primary text of instruction for a moral life but also the historical record of God's promise, first articulated in his covenant with Abraham, to consider the Jews his chosen people. On the other hand, Christians view it as the Prophecy of the advent of Jesus Christ as the Messiah, the redeemer of humanity, fulfilling that promise. Thus, Christian tradition employs the Hebrew Scriptures to legitimize the gospel of Jesus in the New Testament as the natural extension of the Abrahamic covenant. The Old Testament, a name coined by Melito of Sardis in the 2nd century C.E., is longer than the Hebrew Bible because Christian editors divided particular works into two sections. Different Christian groups consider canonical some texts not found in the Hebrew Bible. For example, although the Hebrew canon consists of 24 books, the Old Testament of Roman Catholics comprises 46 books, and that of most Protestant churches has 39.
Introduction
THE AUTHOR
The name "Nahum "means comfort or consolation. His book is a message of destruction for Nineveh, and that would have been a message of consolation for the nations she had oppressed. All we know about Nahum is found in 1:1, which says he was from Elkosh. However, we do not know where that was because it is not mentioned elsewhere in the Bible. Some think it is the town of Capernaum near Galilee because Capernaum in Hebrew means village of Nahum. Perhaps in honor of the Prophet Nahum, they changed the city's name from Elkosh to Capernaum. This sort of thing happens today. Take Machunk, Pennsylvania, for example. There was a famous athlete who went to the Olympics from that town, and they changed the name of the town in honor of him. Who was that athlete? Does anybody know? Machunk was changed to Jim Thorpe. It is possible that Elkosh was changed to Capernaum, but we cannot know for sure. Nahum would have been much more popular than most prophets because he preached against the Assyrians and not Judah. So they might have changed the name. It is not something I would split a church over. It is also entirely possible that Elkosh was located somewhere else in Judah.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Nineveh was founded by Nimrod (Gen. 10:8-12) and had a long history. It was located on the east bank of the Tigris river. The river acted as the western and southern boundaries of the city. A wall that extended for eight miles formed the northern and eastern boundaries. The city was about three miles wide and eight miles long inside the walls, but some suburbs extended 14 miles north and 20 miles south. When Jonah referred to a three-day walk across Nineveh (Jonah 3:3), it was no exaggeration.
The city was destroyed by the Babylonians, Medes, and Scythians in 612 BC. According to the ancient historian Diodorus Siculus, the armies laid siege to the city for over two years. In the third year, the Khosr River, which ran through the city, flooded and broke down the floodgates and part of the wall, allowing the enemy to come in. This fulfilled part of Nahum's prophesy in 1:8, 2:6, and 3:13. (Diodorus Siculus tended to exaggerate - the Babylonian chronicles say the siege lasted only a few months. However, I think we can rely on the account of the flood because Nahum predicted it.) The truth is probably somewhere in between.
The city was destroyed so completely by the flood and the enemies that when Alexander the Great fought the battle of Arbela nearby in 331 BC, he did not know there had been a city there. Nineveh was never rebuilt, confirming Nahum's prediction in 1:9 that "distress will not rise twice. "It was not until 1850 that archaeologists discovered Nineveh. It is interesting to read liberal commentaries from before 1850 because they had problems believing the books of Jonah and Nahum. After all, there was no record of Nineveh.
Nineveh was the capital of Assyria. The destruction of Nineveh and Assyria would be a message of consolation for the nations Assyria had oppressed. Israel and Judah were two of those nations. Israel had been destroyed in 722 BC by the Assyrians, but Judah was still around. We need to remember what the Assyrians were like. They burned cities, cut off heads, and stuck people on poles. We talk about taking a headcount; the Assyrians did it.
GOD'S GOODNESS (1:7)
However, his wrath and power are tempered by His goodness. God is also aware of those who trust Him and will preserve them (1:7). This should comfort us when we see society disintegrating around us. Even though everyone else is terrible, if we remain faithful, God will notice us and reward us by protecting us here on earth or rewarding us in heaven. We often feel like it has to be now, but eternal rewards are better.
Nineveh's Doom Described--The How
(2:1-13)
THE COMING OF NINEVEH'S ENEMIES (2:1-2)
Nahum assumes the role of the watchman in the tower, and he announces the coming of Nineveh's enemies and the reason why. The reason is to restore Jacob. Then he describes the battle.
THE ATTACK ON NINEVEH'S DEFENSES (2:3-7)
2:3-5 describes the enemy army approaching with their red (copper) shields and red uniforms. This was a picture of the bloodshed that was coming. The torches and lightning flashes probably refer to the light flashing off the enemy chariots, the soldiers' armor, and their swords. The "streets " they are driving in are possibly the suburb streets as they approach the central city's walls. Some suggest that the "stumbling" in vs. five is stumbling over the dead bodies of the people in the suburbs.
So, everyone is poised for battle, but it is to no avail; Nineveh cannot stand before God's wrath. The Babylonians, Medes, and Scythians are God's instruments, and God opens the way for them. In verse 6, the river floods, the walls cave in, and the enemy enters the city. The Assyrian army fled the city.
THE PLUNDERING OF THE CITY (2:8-10)
The wealth taken in all her conquests is now taken from her. The soldiers started grabbing everything they could. According to the historian Diodorus Siculus, there was so much loot that the enemy did not pursue the fleeing army.
THE DESTRUCTION OF NINEVEH'S "LAIR. "(2:11-13)
The Assyrians had a fascination with lions. A king needed to demonstrate his prowess as a hunter because if he could rule the animal kingdom, he would be a better ruler over the people. We might laugh at that, but we elect military leaders and athletes to congress.
What do you do after a hard day of hunting lions? Ashurbanapal offers them to his God. The Assyrians prided themselves on being better than the king of beasts.
Assyria is compared to a lion because this lion fetish and because of her violent conquests. Because Nineveh was the capital of Assyria, it is called the lion's den. Moreover, it now makes sense why Nahum would ask, "where is the lion's den. "
III. Nineveh's Doom Deserved--The Why
(3:1-19)
BECAUSE OF HER BRUTAL CONQUESTS AND SLAVE TRADE (3:1-7)
Assyria's conquests were bloody and brutal. Her philosophy was that you got rich by plundering others. They exacted tribute from other nations for "protection. "You have seen this in movies where the mafia goon comes into the place of business and asks the owner if he wants protection, so people do not throw firebombs through the window.
The reference to her prey never leaving (vs. 1) may indicate that Assyria did not let captives return to their homeland. Her cruelty made them so hated that no one would grieve for her when she was gone (vs. 7).
Assyria was like a harlot because she had prostituted her values to gain wealth and power. It sounds like our nation and especially our government doesn't it.
Her judgment is deserved because of her character. In the Ancient Near East, they would make a spectacle of the prostitute by exposing her and then killing her.
THE EXAMPLE OF THEBES (3:8-10)
Nahum reminds them of their former conquest and destruction of Thebes or No-amon for two reasons. The first reason is to point out their cruelty and further justification for their coming judgment. The main reason is that just as Thebes was unable to repel the attackers, Nineveh would be unable to repel their attackers.
o Thebes was supposedly undefeatable because the Nile River and a canal surrounded it. The Ninevites would have thought, "So are we. "
o Thebes had great defenses. So did Nineveh.
o Egypt had vassal nations as allies. So did Assyria.
Ninevah would have known all this -- because Assyria was the one who defeated Thebes.
THE RESPONSE OF THE NATIONS (3:19)
They would not be able to defend themselves, but they could not depend on other nations for help because every other nation hated them for their cruelty and would rejoice at their destruction 3:19.
Application:
This judgment is coming because of the character of God. This means we need to look at circumstances in the light of who God is. The book reveals quite a lot about the character of God:
(1) God is Sovereign - He is in control of both nature and the nations. He used the Babylonians to bring his judgment to the Assyrians. He also used a flood to help the Babylonians.
(2) God is Just - Many of the same atrocities they committed against others were committed against them. Assyria's judgment was well deserved. Although God used them to destroy Israel, it went to their heads, and they attributed their success to their power, and God did not appreciate that. God also dealt with the Assyrians appropriate to the way in which they had dealt with other nations.
(3) God protects his people - Although God used Assyria to discipline Israel, he would take notice of those who were faithful.
Why is God judging?
o Because God cares for those, who trust in Him.
o Because God will judge those, who violate His law.
This is a message of condemnation for those who disobey God and consolation for those who trust and obey Him.
Ninevah exalted herself, but God humbled her. This is what I call the Pharisee and Publican principle. In the parable of the pharisee and the tax-gatherer, the pharisee compared himself to the tax-gatherer and exalted himself before God. The tax-gatherer was humble and asked for mercy. Jesus said it was the tax-gatherer who went away justified. If you exalt yourself, God will humble you.
Assyria compromised her values to gain wealth and power, so God took her down. That is something we struggle with today. Has there been any opportunity lately to do something that was not quite right but would have helped "close a deal "or advance your career or make more money, etc.?
