Nahum 1:1-15

The burden against Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite. ² God is jealous, and the Lord avenges; the Lord avenges and is furious. The Lord will take vengeance on His adversaries, and He reserves wrath for His enemies; ³ The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked. The Lord has His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet. ⁴ He rebukes the sea and makes it dry, and dries up all the rivers. Bashan and Carmel wither, nd the flower of Lebanon wilts. ⁵ The mountains quake before Him, the hills melt, and the earth heaves at His presence, yes, the world and all who dwell in it. ⁶ Who can stand before His indignation? And who can endure the fierceness of His anger? His fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by Him. ⁷ The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him. ⁸ But with an overflowing flood He will make an utter end of its place, and darkness will pursue His enemies. ⁹ What do you conspire against the Lord? He will make an utter end of it. Affliction will not rise up a second time. ¹⁰ For while tangled like thorns, and while drunken like drunkards, they shall be devoured like stubble fully dried. ¹¹ From you comes forth one who plots evil against the Lord, a wicked counselor. ¹² Thus says the Lord: "Though they are safe, and likewise many, yet in this manner they will be cut down when he passes through. Though I have afflicted you, I will afflict you no more; ¹³ For now I will break off his yoke from you, and burst your bonds apart." ¹⁴ The Lord has given a command concerning you: "Your name shall be perpetuated no longer. Out of the house of your gods I will cut off the carved image and the molded image. I will dig your grave, for you are vile." ¹⁵ Behold, on the mountains the feet of him who brings good tidings, who proclaims peace! O Judah, keep your appointed feasts, perform your vows. For the wicked one shall no more pass through you; He is utterly cut off.

Chapter 1 of Nahum begins with the title of the book, showing the subject matter and describing the author by his name and country (vs. 1). Then we learn of the prophecy against the Assyrians and the magnificent display of the glory of God, in a mixture of wrath and justice against the wicked, and mercy and grace towards his people, and the discovery of his majesty and power in both (vs. 1-8). Next we have an address to the Assyrians; with a lively picture of their sudden overthrow, because of their evil device against Jerusalem (vs. 9-11). The chapter concludes with the overthrow of the Assyrians and the news of joy to Judah, who are exhorted to keep their feasts and perform their vows (vs. 12-15).

The verse that stands out to me today is Nahum 1:1-15 ^"Behold, on the mountains the feet of him who brings good tidings, who proclaims peace! O Judah, keep your appointed feasts, perform your vows. For the wicked one shall no more pass through you; He is utterly cut off."This verse describes the messenger who brings the good tidings of Assyria's destruction and the resulting peace in Judah. The vision is of the feet of the one who runs from the scene of battle across mountains to the city waiting for news (2 Sam. 18:26). The glorious message of this runner is salvation, meaning "victorious deliverance" (49:8). The "good news" in this context was Judah's deliverance from the threat of Assyria, which coincided with the fall of Nineveh in 612 B.C. The Judeans were called upon to celebrate their "festivals", which were interrupted by the Assyrian invasion (cf. Deut. 16:16), and pay their "vows" (cf. Eccles. 5:4, 5) made during times of distress. This text is almost identical with Isaiah 52:7 (How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns!"), which speaks of deliverance from Babylon. This is good news or glad tidings. The idea appears in the New Testament as "to tell the Good News." With the promise of future deliverance from oppression, the prophet called for the people to live in righteousness and expectation. There is nothing better for the people of God in any age than to live in obedience to Him and in anticipation of His coming deliverance.

I pray that your steps of obedience today would cause you to know joy and fruitfulness.

Love in Christ,

Alan J. Schrader

Nahum 2:1-13

He who scatters has come up before your face. Man the fort! Watch the road! Strengthen your flanks! Fortify your power mightily. ² For the Lord will restore the excellence of Jacob like the excellence of Israel, for the emptiers have emptied them out and ruined their vine branches. ³ The shields of his mighty men are made red, the valiant men are in scarlet. The chariots come with flaming torches in the day of his preparation, and the spears are brandished. ⁴ The chariots rage in the streets, they jostle one another in the broad roads; they seem like torches, they run like lightning. ⁵ He remembers his nobles; they stumble in their walk; they make haste to her walls, and the defense is prepared. ⁶ The gates of the rivers are opened, and the palace is dissolved. ⁷ It is decreed: she shall be led away captive, she shall be brought up; and her maidservants shall lead her as with the voice of doves, beating their breasts. ⁸ Though Nineveh of old was like a pool of water, now they flee away. "Halt! Halt!" they cry; but no one turns back. ⁹ Take spoil of silver! Take spoil of gold! There is no end of treasure, or wealth of every desirable prize. ¹⁰ She is empty, desolate, and waste! The heart melts, and the knees shake; much pain is in every side, and all their faces are drained of color. ¹¹ Where is the dwelling of the lions, and the feeding place of the young lions, where the lion walked, the lioness and lion's cub, and no one made them afraid? ¹² The lion tore in pieces enough for his cubs, killed for his lionesses, filled his caves with prey, and his dens with flesh. ¹³ "Behold, I am against you," says the Lord of hosts, "I will burn your chariots in smoke, and the sword shall devour your young lions; I will cut off your prey from the earth, and the voice of your messengers shall be heard no more."

In chapter 2 of Nahum we have the account of the destruction of the city of Nineveh. First we learn of the approach of the enemy that should destroy Nineveh, and the terror of his military preparations (vs. 1-5). Next we have the taking of the city, the captivity of the queen, the flight of the inhabitants, the seizing of the all its wealth, and the great dismay it should be in (vs. 6-10). The chapter concludes with the true causes of their destruction - their sinning against God and God's appearing against them (vs. 11-13).

The verse that stands out to me today is Nahum 2:2  ^"For the Lord will restore the excellence of Jacob like the excellence of Israel, for the emptiers have emptied them out and ruined their vine branches." In this chapter Nahum warned Nineveh to prepare for an attack. They had taken Israel into captivity and had ravaged Judah; now it was their turn to be ravaged. In this verse the voice of the Lord is heard as He speaks to Israel and Judah and assures them that they will be restored and reunited. The wrath of God against the enemies of His people means that one day the enemies will be destroyed and the people of God will be restored. Excellence means "majesty," "beauty," or "wonder".  Simply put, the ruin of Israel would not last forever.

God's capacity for restoring life is beyond our understanding. Forests burn down and are able to grow back. Broken bones heal. Even grief is not a permanent condition. Our tears can be seeds that will grow into a harvest of joy, because God is able to bring good out of tragedy. When burdened by sorrow, know that your times of grief will end and that you will again find joy. We must be patient as we wait. God's great harvest of joy is coming! He will restore!!!

Love in Christ,

Alan J. Schrader

Nahum 3:1-19

Woe to the bloody city! It is all full of lies and robbery. Its victim never departs. ² The noise of a whip and the noise of rattling wheels, of galloping horses, of clattering chariots! ³ Horsemen charge with bright sword and glittering spear. There is a multitude of slain, a great number of bodies, countless corpses- they stumble over the corpses- ⁴ Because of the multitude of harlotries of the seductive harlot, the mistress of sorceries, who sells nations through her harlotries, and families through her sorceries. ⁵ "Behold, I am against you," says the Lord of hosts; "I will lift your skirts over your face, I will show the nations your nakedness, and the kingdoms your shame. ⁶ I will cast abominable filth upon you, make you vile, and make you a spectacle. ⁷ It shall come to pass that all who look upon you will flee from you, and say, Nineveh is laid waste! Who will bemoan her? Where shall I seek comforters for you?" ⁸ Are you better than No Amon that was situated by the River, that had the waters around her, whose rampart was the sea, whose wall was the sea? ⁹ Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and it was boundless; put and Lubim were your helpers. ¹⁰ Yet she was carried away, she went into captivity; her young children also were dashed to pieces at the head of every street; they cast lots for her honorable men, and all her great men were bound in chains. ¹¹ You also will be drunk; you will be hidden; you also will seek refuge from the enemy. ¹² All your strongholds are fig trees with ripened figs: if they are shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater. ¹³ Surely, your people in your midst are women! The gates of your land are wide open for your enemies; fire shall devour the bars of your gates. ¹⁴ Draw your water for the siege! Fortify your strongholds! Go into the clay and tread the mortar! Make strong the brick kiln! ¹⁵ There the fire will devour you, the sword will cut you off; it will eat you up like a locust. Make yourself many-like the locust! Make yourself many- like the swarming locusts! ¹⁶ You have multiplied your merchants more than the stars of heaven. The locust plunders and flies away. ¹⁷ Your commanders are like swarming locusts, and your generals like great grasshoppers, which camp in the hedges on a cold day; when the sun rises they flee away, and the place where they are is not known. ¹⁸ Your shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria; your nobles rest in the dust. Your people are scattered on the mountains, and no one gathers them. ¹⁹ Your injury has no healing, your wound is severe. All who hear news of you will clap their hands over you, for upon whom has not your wickedness passed continually?

In chapter 3 of Nahum we learn of the announcement of the destruction awaiting Nineveh is confirmed by the proof, that this imperial city has brought this fate upon itself by its sins and shameful crimes (vs. 1-7). Next instances are given of the like desolations that will be brought upon other places for similar sins and shameful living (vs. 8-13). The chapter concludes with the overthrow of all those things which they depended upon, and put confidence in; and in spite of all its resources, it will be brought to a terrible end (vs. 14-19).

The verse that stands out to me today is Nahum 3:1 "Woe to the bloody city! It is all full of lies and robbery. Its victim never departs." Chapter three of Nahum is a continuing picture of the fall of Nineveh as it explains more of the reasons for its siege and destruction. "The bloody city": Nineveh was known throughout the Middle East as a city that excelled in violence and bloodshed. Not only is it a bloody city but it is also full of lies and robbery, having seized plunder from many others. Nineveh would receive what it had given: cruelty without mercy. Nineveh had an estimated population of 600,000 at the time of its fall. We learn that so many of them were slain that the few survivors stumbled over the corpses (vs. 3).

The fall of this great city should be a lesson to every person, who increases wealth by fraud and oppression. They are preparing enemies for themselves; and if the Lord sees good to punish them in this world, they will have none to pity them. Simply put what we sow we will one day reap!

I pray that you would have many opportunities to sow good seed today. Sow Righteousness, Sow Peace, Sow Kindness, and most of all Sow LOVE.

Blessings,

Alan J. Schrader