The frightening aspect about Nahum’s prophecy is the eerie absence of any hope. Israel and Judah received multiple prophecies about destruction but each prophecy ended with resounding hope. Nineveh receives none.
Woe to the city of blood, full of lies, full of plunder, never without victims! Nahum 3:1 (NIV)
Nineveh built its fame by plundering others. They were a people of blood because by their hands many perished – and not just soldiers. Nineveh made a living of theft and murder, and this living would be their downfall.
One cannot grow a great nation when the nation fails to produce its own resources. Lazy people set themselves up for great tribulations. As Proverbs 10:26 says, “Lazy people irritate their employers, like vinegar to the teeth or smoke in the eyes.”
Nineveh had a very fancy war machine but lacked substance and spiritual fortitude. They were mentally enslaved to the fortune telling witchcraft that they adored. Their personal wellbeing was determined by superstitions and false beliefs.
All of Nineveh’s power and might had been built upon their ability to create fear in those they conquered. By “exposing” them, God was going to show the world that Nineveh was not worthy of that fear.
I will pelt you with filth, I will treat you with contempt and make you a spectacle. Nahum 3:6 (NIV)
God was going to treat Nineveh like a prostitute. It would become a source of ridicule. Their pride in their defense would be crushed as the count of the own dead increased. This powerful nation would be a public spectacle – their faults and weaknesses would be known to all.
Nineveh treated other nations so bad that Nineveh would not be mourned in its destruction. Just imagine, a powerful nation destroyed and no one missing it. Ask yourself, “If I went missing, would those around me mourn or rejoice?”
I often ask a question I heard a long time ago, “If your church shut its doors today, would you be missed by your community?” Nineveh will represent the state of the church if we are not careful.
The church is supposed to give more than it receives. It should bring life to a community not destroy it. It should share the Good News not hoard it. It should be open about its weaknesses if it is to show the strength that only comes through Christ Jesus.
Nothing can heal your wound; your injury is fatal. Everyone who hears the news about you claps his hands at your fall, for who has not felt your endless cruelty? Nahum 3:19 (NIV)
Those who had been plundered by the cruelties of Nineveh would clap their hands as Nineveh was ransacked. The funny thing about this is that Nineveh relinquishes all of the plunder from Israel back into the hands of the Jews before its downfall – but that is another study.
- How is my life impacting those around me?
- Am I sharing Christ or am I hoarding Him?
- Am I creating a God honoring legacy?
- Am I using all the spiritual gifts that God has invested in me?
- Am I allowing the Holy Spirit to be my guide, or am I falling waywardly into the hands of the harlot called sin?
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