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Scripture Reading   : Nahum 3

Theme                    : The Sins of Nineveh

The Cruelty of Nineveh (1-4). Nineveh is infamous for its extreme cruelty. They skinned enemies alive and heaped skulls in front of gates of their cities. It is much like the cruelty of ISIS. The empire was founded upon blood and lies. They engaged in rampant lies to subdue and kill their enemies. Because of its cruelty, it will receive an equal cruel end.

The Shame of Nineveh (5-13). Nakedness in the OT is associated with shame. God will shame Nineveh for its shameful and cruel acts. Nineveh will be as weak as Thebes, capital of the Egyptian empire, which was also conquered even though it was a mighty city.

The Hopelessness of Nineveh (14-19). Nineveh expanded its empire based on self-interest and pleasure seeking. Its merchants and rulers are like locusts that only seek to strip the land for its selfish gain, but when trouble comes they will flee. The empire crumbled from within because the people were not loyal and caring. Decades of moral decay, selfishness and pleasure-seeking have produced unfaithful and weak troops to defend the empire. When the empire falls, all will rejoice because of its excessive evil.

Praying the Scripture

Scripture Reading   : Nahum 2

Theme                    : Destruction of Nineveh

Destruction of Nineveh (1-13). God sees Nineveh’s vain attempt to defend itself in the future from a combination of Babylonian and Medes troops. Destruction will be on Nineveh but God will restore Judah, His people. V. 6 describes Nineveh’s river gates, which protected the city, but the river was also its downfall. Her enemies removed the dams of the river to flood Nineveh, which crumbled her walls and rendered her defenseless. Nineveh refers itself as a lion that rules supreme and crushes its preys. When God destroys this lion, it will disappear and not be found. God is a righteous God, He will definitely destroy the wicked Nineveh.

Praying the Scripture

1. The certain destruction of Nineveh is a picture of the certain destruction of all rebels against God. God is a righteous God who will by no means acquit the guilty. He will judge all human beings. God’s wrath is fearsome, but He is also our only source of hope and refuge. For the proud wicked, He is to be feared, but for the humbled wicked He is to be embraced as the only source of hope and salvation.

2. Nineveh trusted in their military might for their protection. The Bible tells us, such trust will corrupt people’s souls and lead people away from God and direct them to destruction. Jeremiah 17:5-8, “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” May we only put our trust and hope in God only.

Scripture Reading   : Nahum 1

Divine Character (1-11). To understand God’s actions, we must first understand the character of God. He is a righteous God who will not acquit the guilty (v.3) and at the same time He is slow to anger, meaning patient (v.3), and He is God good (v.7). He is also jealous, meaning He demands covenant faithfulness just as a husband demands faithfulness from a wife. His glorious character is displayed in Exodus 34:6-7 and is the key to His deal with Israel and the world throughout history. Nineveh is called a harlot in 3:4 because it entered into a covenant relationship with God after the preaching of Jonah (Jonah 3:10), but it became unfaithful by worshipping idols. Therefore, God will destroy her, even though Nineveh is the most powerful nation because God is even more powerful. Their plot against God is in vain. God’s matchless power is exhibited through nature such as whirlwind, storm and mountains.

Divine Sentence (12-14). God refers to Nineveh in the third person plural. Even though they are the mightiest military power, God will still destroy them. This happened in 612 B.C. when Nineveh was conquered by the Babylonians and Medes. In return God will cast away the yoke, the burden, of Nineveh from Judah. In v. 14 God speaks to Nineveh in the second person and sentences Nineveh to destruction because it is vile.

Divine Purpose (15). Another purpose for destroying the oppressive, idolatrous rule of Nineveh is to encourage Judah to be faithful to God by expressing its faithfulness through obeying the OT laws. In the end, God will fully restore Israel. Those who are faithful to God now will experience the future restoration and glory of Israel in the end times.

Praying the Scripture

1. God is a jealous God who demands faithfulness from those who are committed to Him, just as He is committed to them. Such jealous love is proper in any covenantal relationship including marriage. God’s jealous love is not man’s self-centered, evil love that seek its own good, not the good of others. God’s jealous love is for our good and His glory.

2. God calls Israel to faithfulness as they endure hardship from Nineveh. Such enduring hardship is worth it and glorious because the result of this kind of endurance is a glorious future with God in His renewed earth. Christians are also called to have this enduring faithfulness in the midst of trials for the same reason. Paul says our suffering is nothing compared to the glory that awaits us (Rom. 8:18). Pray that God will give you enduring strength as you face difficulties in your life. He is faithful to provide.