God’s Vengeance Nahum Part 4/4

Recap: Nahum : The name means “Comfort” or the “Lord Comforts” Date : 660 BC Historical Background:  Nineveh was the capital of Assyria.  Nineveh was powerful and invincible city.  The Assyrians were very brutal people.  Jonah brought the word of repentance 150 years back  Nineveh was destroyed completely in 612 BC, 48 years after Nahum’s prophecy.

Focus Destruction of Nineveh Decreed Destruction of Nineveh Described Destruction of Nineveh Deserved Reference 1: : : : : : :19 Division General Principles of Divine Judgeme nt Destruc tion of Nineveh and Delivera nce of Judah The call to Battle Descripti on of the Destructi on of Nineveh Reason s for the Destruct ion of Nineveh Inevitable Destructi on of Nineveh Topic Verdict of Vengeance Vision of Vengeance Vindication of Vengeance What God will doHow God will do itWhy God will do it LocationIn Judah against Nineveh Time660 BC

It is a city of blood…in which a great deal of innocent blood is shed in the pretence of war. It is all full of lies…truth is banished from among them; there is no such thing as honesty; one knows not whom to believe nor whom to trust. It is all full of robbery/ plunder… KJV says the prey departs not. They are always preying upon people and plundering them. They shed blood, and told lies, in pursuit of the prey, that they might enrich themselves. Nineveh had with her cruelties been a terror and destruction to others, and therefore destruction and terror shall be brought upon her.

In ancient times, prostitutes were often shamed by being publicly exposed, and this is what God promised to do to Nineveh. God would expose Assyria's nakedness before all the nations, and this would be the end of their evil influence. The magnificent wealthy city would become a heap of ruins. Often in Scripture, idolatry is associated with prostitution, and when you consider that the chief deity of Nineveh was Ishtar, goddess of sexual passion, fertility, and war, you can under- stand why Nahum used this metaphor.

 God is interested in our transformation "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3 "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. Matt 7:1-5 (Read it together)

This passage he begins with a fact of history: the defeat of the Egyptian city of Thebes, or No-Ammon, by the Assyrians, in 663 (vv. 8-11). 8 Are you better than Thebes, situated on the Nile, with water around her? The river was her defense, the waters her wall. 9 Cush and Egypt were her boundless strength; Put and Libya were among her allies. 10 Yet she was taken captive and went into exile. Her infants were dashed to pieces at the head of every street. Lots were cast for her nobles, and all her great men were put in chains. 11 You too will become drunk; you will go into hiding and seek refuge from the enemy. Nah 3:8-11

 Be forewarned by the past failures Eli was a Priest in the temple of God, but he did not bring up his sons in the Lord’s ways. 27 Now a man of God came to Eli and said to him, "This is what the Lord says: 'Did I not clearly reveal myself to your father's house when they were in Egypt under Pharaoh? 28 I chose your father out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in my presence. I also gave your father's house all the offerings made with fire by the Israelites. 29 Why do you scorn my sacrifice and offering that I prescribed for my dwelling? Why do you honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people Israel?’ 1 Sam 2:27-29

8 When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges for Israel. 2 The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah, and they served at Beersheba. 3 But his sons did not walk in his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice. 4 So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. 5 They said to him, "You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.“ 1 Sam 8:1-5 The conquest would be so easy, it would be like ripe figs dropping into a person's mouth The next image is that of insects (vv ). The invading soldiers would sweep through the land and the city like a plague of grasshoppers or locusts and wipe everything out.

Assyria was like a scattered flock with sleeping shepherds (v. 18), or like a wounded body with no way to be healed Like the Book of Jonah, the Book of Nahum ends with a question: "for who has not felt your endless cruelty?" Should I not be concerned about that great city?“ Jonah 4:11 for who has not felt your endless cruelty? Nahum 3:19 Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.“ Luke 23:34