Nahum 1
by Pastor David Groendyk
The first thing that should surprise you as you read Nahum is that it is written about the city of Nineveh (v. 1). Almost every prophetic book is written for or about Judah or Israel, but Nahum is an oracle of judgment against Nineveh, the capital city of the wicked nation of Assyria. You’ve probably heard of Nineveh before. It’s the city that Jonah went to and evangelized. The people then had listened, repented of their sin, and turned to God. That happened sometime around 750 BC. However, their repentance lasted less than a generation, because by 722 BC, Assyria wiped out the northern nation of Israel and took them into exile. Later, King Sennacherib took over as king in 704 BC and famously threatened and taunted the southern kingdom of Judah (see Isaiah 36–39). Nineveh’s repentance and new lifestyle clearly didn’t stick. The prophet Nahum is doing his work sometime around 650 BC, about 100 years after Jonah had entered the same city and brought about a great conversion.
Just like in the book of Jonah, there is great irony in Nahum. The name “Nahum” means “compassion” or “comfort”. It’s ironic because the city of Nineveh, which had at one time received compassion from the Lord, would no longer receive any compassion. Because they had returned to their old wicked ways, they would be destroyed. And that’s exactly how history bore out. Nineveh was destroyed in 612 BC, never to be rebuilt, thus ending the great dynasty of Assyria. Chapter 1 of Nahum is a preview of sorts of the coming battle that the Lord would wage against this wicked city.
In verses 2–8, Nahum opens his oracle with a song of praise about God. The first couple verses especially should remind you of God’s own description of himself in Exodus 34:6–7. God is gracious, merciful, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, forgiving, and just. Nahum tells us that God is both an avenger and a protector. Just because the wicked have seemingly prospered for so long, and just because God has been patient and slow to anger with them, it doesn’t mean he’s sweeping their sin under the rug. No, he is jealous for his own honor and glory, and he is jealous for those with whom he is in a covenant relationship. God is righteous in all that he does, and he will surely avenge all wrongdoing.
Vengeance and protection are two sides of the same coin for God’s people. Notice that verses 9–15 go back and forth between judging Nineveh and rescuing Judah. In the earlier part of the chapter, in the midst of wrath and justice and judgment, God is called good, a stronghold, a refuge, and the one who knows all who are his (v. 7). The ultimate promise of the cutting down of the wicked necessarily means that God’s people will have ultimate peace (v. 15). Both of these great promises culminate in Christ. Christ is the refuge to whom we flee for protection from God’s wrath and assurance of eternal victory over our spiritual enemies. No one else can save from wrath and condemnation but Christ, and no one outside of Christ will be saved from God’s wrath. In fact, as Joel Beeke writes, it would be a massive betrayal on God’s part to allow sinners to escape God’s justice. Therefore, put all of your hope in Christ and find full confidence of your salvation in him.
One last application for us, which is more general coming from the whole book, is the warning not to fall back into our old sins. That’s exactly what happened to Nineveh. Although this city had received God’s favor for a while and certain individuals had been saved, Nineveh was ultimately destroyed. Be on guard against those areas in your life and in your heart where you know you’ve been susceptible to sin in the past. Don’t give the devil even an opportunity to wedge sin into your life (Eph. 4:27)! He won’t stop until he’s taken you all the way down. But, again, remember that God is your strength and your protection; run to him for salvation and help, and you will win the war (James 4:7–8).