Nahum

From the book of Nahum we see the story of Judgment against the city of Nineveh, the captial of Assyria.  It would be nice to ignore this book; it doesn't fit well with our desire to preach an all loving and forgiving God.  However, our God is a just God as well as sovereign.  He is righteous in His actions; His judgments are right and deserved.  As sin fallen creatures, we often feel like we get to decide what is right or wrong.  Yet, without God, apart from His law and His righteousness, there is no right and wrong.  He alone sets the moral standard by which every nation will be judged.  

The city of Nineveh was located on the east bank of the Tigris River in modern day Mosul, Iraq.    It was a very old city and was built by Nimrod per Genesis 10:12.  The city was founded on evil principles and home to the worship of false gods and goddesses.  This city had ties to Satan and the promotion of evil and warring against God and his people.  They were a constant enemy of Israel; a constant enemy to god.  Nahum speaks his prophecy against the city of Nineveh.   It was destroyed in 612 B.C. by a coalition of forces or Medes and Babylonians, and led to the fall of the Assyrian empire.  The Assyrians were a wicked and cruel people.  'The Assyrian' is viewed as a type and anti-christ to the point that some view The Anti-Christ to come as a literal Assyrian.  We can leave that topic for another study, but the point is core wickedness of the Assyrians across time. 

Jonah was called to preach to Ninevey somewhere around 750B.C.; and we know he rebelled against that.  He went the other way.  He didn't want the Ninevites to repent, he wanted them to get what they deserved.  Nineveh heard the prophecy of impending doom and judgment and repented in those days.  Just a short 30 years later the Assyrians conquer the northern kingdom of Israel.  It's about a hundred years later that Nahum brings the message of judgment and destruction back to the Assyrians. 

The Assyrians were used by God to judge the northern kingdom.  Yet, they were remained accountable for their actions against God's people.  God blessed those who blessed Israel and cursed those who cursed them.  We see this played out in the book of Nahum.

©2017 Doug Ford