During the Old Testament time period, the Israelites were very idolatrous. At one point, Yahweh used the Assyrians living in Ninevah as a tool to punish Israel for its sin. However, Yahweh was not happy with Ninevah either, so He used the prophet Nahum to issue an oracle against Ninevah. This oracle is recorded in the book of Nahum.
Nahum divided his book into 4 sections. In this lesson I will read and comment on the first section, which is the first 11 verses of the first chapter. This section helps us understand who God is.
Watch the video to learn more or scroll down to read the transcript.
Transcript:
During the Old Testament time period, the Israelites were very idolatrous. At one point, Yahweh used the Assyrians living in Ninevah as a tool to punish Israel for its sin. However, Yahweh was not happy with Ninevah either, so He used the prophet Nahum to issue an oracle against Ninevah. This oracle is recorded in the book of Nahum.
Nahum divided his book into 4 sections. In this lesson I will read and comment on the first section, which is the first 11 verses of the first chapter.
Nah. 1:1 The oracle of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.
This verse tells us what the book is. It is an oracle about Ninevah.
Nah. 1:2 A jealous and avenging God is the LORD;
The LORD is avenging and wrathful.
The LORD takes vengeance on His adversaries,
And He reserves wrath for His enemies.
Nahum is Hebrew poetry. Hebrew poetry is idea-based. Hebrew poetry is about repeating, contrasting, and developing ideas. Verse 2 is an example of repeating an idea. Verse 2 contains multiple ways of saying that Yahweh is jealous and avenging.
3 The LORD is slow to anger and great in power,
And the LORD will by no means leave the guilty unpunished.
In whirlwind and storm is His way,
And clouds are the dust beneath His feet.
Verse 3 is an example of developing an idea. Verse 2 tells us Yahweh is jealous and avenging. Verse 3 adds the idea that He is slow to anger and great in power.
Verses 4 and 5 add more information about the power of Yahweh mentioned in verse 3.
4 He rebukes the sea and makes it dry;
He dries up all the rivers.
Bashan and Carmel wither;
The blossoms of Lebanon wither.
5 Mountains quake because of Him
And the hills dissolve;
Indeed the earth is upheaved by His presence,
The world and all the inhabitants in it.
6 Who can stand before His indignation?
Who can endure the burning of His anger?
His wrath is poured out like fire
And the rocks are broken up by Him.
Verse 6 contains multiple ways of stating that no one can endure Yahweh’s anger.
Verses 7 and 8 create a contrast between Yahweh being good and pursuing His enemies.
7 The LORD is good,
A stronghold in the day of trouble,
And He knows those who take refuge in Him.
8 But with an overflowing flood
He will make a complete end of its site,
And will pursue His enemies into darkness.
Nah. 1:9 Whatever you devise against the LORD,
He will make a complete end of it.
Distress will not rise up twice.
Verse 9 adds to the idea from verse 6 that no one can endure Yahweh’s anger. Verse 9 tells us Yahweh will destroy any plan devised against Him.
Verse 10 adds to that idea.
10 Like tangled thorns,
And like those who are drunken with their drink,
They are consumed
As stubble completely withered.
11 From you has gone forth
One who plotted evil against the LORD,
A wicked counselor.
minor break
In verse 11 the pronoun you refers to Ninevah. A wicked counselor went forth from Ninevah and plotted evil against Yahweh. This is why Yahweh was not happy with Ninevah even though Yahweh had used Ninevah as a tool to punish Israel.
The first section of Nahum contains a description of Yahweh. He is jealous, avenging, wrathful, slow to anger, great in power, and indignant. He is also good, a stronghold, and knowledgeable of those who take refuge in Him.
Nahum described two sides of God. Yes, He is loving and good, However, he also takes revenge on His enemies. Ninevah plotted evil against Yahweh; therefore, Yahweh was going to take revenge on Ninevah.
Many people make the mistake of focusing on one side of God or the other. Some people focus on His love and goodness, ignoring His anger and wrath. Other people emphasize His anger, ignoring His love and compassion.
These things go in cycles. Here in the early 21st century the trend is to emphasize God’s mercy and ignore His anger and justice.
God is both. He is loving and kind to those who take refuge in Him. He also renders judgment on His enemies. We need to remember, and account for, both of those truths as we live our lives in the 21st century.
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“All Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible®,
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