Last installment: Part 2: God has the power to Judge and Save
Nahum 1:9-15
Establish the need: If you were to have a summary nutshell of the book of Nahum this would be the passage; do you know its message?
Whatever you devise against the Lord, He will make a complete end of it. Distress will not rise up twice. 10 Like tangled thorns, And like those who are drunken with their drink, They are consumed Like stubble completely dried up. 11 From you has gone out One who plotted evil against the Lord, A [a]wicked counselor. 12 This is what the Lord says: “Though they are at full strength and so they are many, So also they will be cut off and pass away. Though I have afflicted you, I will afflict you no longer. 13 So now, I will break his yoke from upon you, And I will tear your shackles to pieces.” 14 The Lord has issued a command concerning you: “Your name will no longer be perpetuated. I will eliminate the carved image and the cast metal image From the house of your gods. I will prepare your grave, For you are contemptible.” 15 Behold, on the mountains, the feet of him who brings good news, Who announces peace! Celebrate your feasts, Judah, Pay your vows. For never again will the wicked one pass through you; He is eliminated completely.
Structure: The 4 address structure of this passage
- First address to Assyria (v.9-10)
- First address to Judah (v.11-13)
- Second address to Assyria (v.14)
- Second address to Judah (v.15)
Purpose: For this session we will focus only with the two addresses from God towards Assyria that summarize the “bad news” found in book of Nahum so that we be move to trust in Jesus for saving grace and avoid His wrath.
- First address to Assyria (v.9-10)
- Second address to Assyria (v.14)
First address to Assyria (9-10)
Passage: “Whatever you devise against the Lord, He will make a complete end of it. Distress will not rise up twice. 10 Like tangled thorns, And like those who are drunken with their drink, They are consumed Like stubble completely dried up.”
Proof
Who is this addressing?
- This is addressed to a masculine plural audience with the “”
- The message here is one of destruction, reinforcing this is for Assyria.
- Don’t forget Nahum 1:1 have informed us this prophecy will be against Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrians (Timmer, 99).
The focus here is on Assyria’s opposition to God (Timmer, 100). Note the key verb “devise” in “Whatever you devise against the Lord,” which in other translations use the word “conspire,” “plot,” etc.
The problem is Assyria is plotting against the Lord.
It is ironic that God charge them with conspiracy for Assyria does not handle plots against them lightly: See 2 Kings 17:3-8 (Cook, 64).
God’s Judgment 1: Verse 9b tells us plainly that their plot will be futile: “He will make a complete end of it”
- This phrase is similar to the one earlier in 1:8 “He will make a complete end of its site,” with similar verb and object and same word order with the verbal object appearing first to be nuanced (Timmer, 100).
- The significance of the similarity with verse 8 is to tell us that something similar to the universal judgment is going to happen with Nineveh.
God’s Judgment 2: Verse 9c tells us plainly that their plot will be futile: “Distress will not rise up twice”
- The Hebrew word “Distress” can also be translated more concretely as “adversary” referring to Assyria itself as an enemy of God (Timmer, 102-103).
- This is thus saying Assyrian empire will not rise up again for a second time.
After the description of God’s judgment we see three similes of the certainty of God’s judgment (Cook, 69).
- Analogy of God’s Judgment 1: Verse 10a tells us: “Like tangled thorns,”= It is certain thorns will take over an abandoned place so too is God’s judgment for sure (Cook, 69).
- Analogy of God’s Judgment 2: Verse 10b tells us: “And like those who are drunken with their drink, They are consumed”= It is certain drunks will be drunk so too is God’s judgment for sure (Cook, 69).
- Analogy of God’s Judgment 2: Verse 10c tells us: “Like stubble completely dried up.”” = It is certain stubble dries up after it is separated from the root so is God’s judgment for sure (Cook, 69).
Practice
- Do you take God’s announcement of judgment against sins seriously?
- Do you see the passage stress the certainty of God’s judgment against sin? Does this change the way you live?
- If you are a believer does this compel you to evangelize the lost?
Second address to Assyria (14)
Passage: “14 The Lord has issued a command concerning you: “Your name will no longer be perpetuated. I will eliminate the carved image and the cast metal image From the house of your gods. I will prepare your grave, For you are contemptible.”
Proof
Who is this addressing?
- Here the one who is addressed is a masculine singular “you.”
- This is very likely the Assyrian king (Timmer, 99).
- This verse mention of the man’s name being eliminated is consistent as a punishment with Assyrian king’s obsession with name centered self-glorifications (Timmer, 111).
3 Punishments mentioned.
Punishment 1: The king’s dynasty is cut off (Timmer, 111): “Your name will no longer be perpetuated” (v.14)
- Literally in the Hebrew it is “your name will longer be sown” (Timmer, 109).
- Assyrian kings love to threaten to eradicate names of those who oppose them but here God turns it around against the Assyrian king (Timmer, 110).
Punishment 2:The king’s religion is cut off (Cook, 88): “I will eliminate the carved image and the cast metal image From the house of your gods” (v.14)
- Assyrians usually don’t destroy other people’s idols, there’s at least 55 recorded instances of Assyrian kings captured other peoples’ idols and brining these statues of other gods to Assyria (Timmer, 112).
- So God saying Assyrian’s idols will be destroyed is rare in the ancient near East and shows the intensity of God against these idols (Timmer, 112).
Punishment 3: The king’s life is cut off (Cook, 88): “I will prepare your grave” (v.14)
Reason: “For you are contemptible” (v.14)
The Hebrew word Ki (translated as “For”) indicates reason for the punishments.
One word is given for the reason: “contemptible” (Timmer, 113).
This term means despised, seen as unimportant, small, etc (Timmer, 113).
This has extra sting when we think of how arrogant Assyrian kings are (Timmer, 113).
What made Assyria contemptible?
- The Assyrian king often pit himself against other gods including the Biblical God (Timmer, 101). In 2 Kings 18:28 we see there’s a message from the king of Assyria and among the words are in verse 33 and 35 attacking God:
- “Has any of the gods of the nations actually saved his land from the hand of the king of Assyria?” (33)
- “Who among all the gods of the lands are there who have saved their land from my hand, that the Lord would save Jerusalem from my hand?’”” (35)
- Outside of the Bible we see Assyrian kings have boastful words in their self-glory of themselves that crosses the line of assuming they have the blessing of other gods and also are the rulers of the entire earth; king Esarhaddon for example said this of himself as “great king, mighty king, king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad, king of the four quarters [of the world], true shepherd, favorite of the great gods, whom from his childhood the gods Assur, Samas, Bel and Nabu, Istar of Nineveh, and Istar of Arbela named for the kingship of Assyria” (Timmer, 101).
Practice
- Be warned not to trust in kings and empires; trust in God. Our passage is a direct rebuke against a political idolatry of a state/government nation that is without God (and applicable towards secular idolatry of the state too).
- When you are successful does that pull you away from God or closer to God?
- The only way you can be closer to God with success is thanksgiving towards God. True thanksgiving will make us humble and grateful for everything God has given us; I bring this up is to say this is the opposite of what Assyrians kings are like; you don’t want to be in the same arrogant spirit as Assyrian kings for God find that contemptible.
- If you haven’t trusted in Christ yet to save you, do so today.
This is excellent! Who is the man or nation that dares try to defy the God-Of-Angel-Armies? Who can stop the LORD Almighty? You can’t stop Yahweh! The “yod,” hand/fist of God is raised! Question: How will it fall?
This would make an excellent study for a church life group! May I use it?
Yes you may use this study for your group! Any of the outlines in this series! Let me know how it goes, yeah? Timmer’s commentary can be purchased here: https://amzn.to/3u9gBqG
Thank you so much sir! Keep on enhancing lives! You are welcome to follow me at Flip Side – Word Up! My new blog site along with my present one!
Does Timmer have a book out that one can purchase!
Excellent insight brother.
Love this: “Be warned not to trust in kings and empires; trust in God. Our passage is a direct rebuke against a political idolatry of a state/government nation that is without God (and applicable towards secular idolatry of the state too).”
That sums things up well.
Blessings.
This is the one that struck me, too.
I agree with Michael and Craig. This is such a timely study, brother! I am thankful for your efforts that you are putting into this study and how they overflow on others!!!! Love and blessings to y’all!!!!
Mandy thanks for your love and support! I think Erik and I was encouraged that even on vacation you can join us for the Bible study yesterday! Hope things are warming up in Florida?
It’s a joy and an honor, brother! Honestly, flights from Philly or Baltimore were red eyes and when I searched from Tampa they had the best times! So it worked out I was able to see my mom for a few days as a pit stop to y’all!!!
Nicely done, Pastor Jim. I particularly like the practice questions and statements at the end of each section. Like Mandy, I also think this is a very timely study. A reading of this small prophetic book, along with your exposition, could help people navigate the fog that so much of the world is in.
God’s blessings brother.
Thanks for reading this outline, I’m really enjoying working on this series even as it takes a lot of time since I’m slow with Hebrew. I am blessed that you are following this series! Pray for me as I work through Nahum!!!
Know that you are in my prayers, Pastor Jim and thank you for this series.
A beautiful post thank you so much
Thanks for this outline on Nahum. The arrogance of the Assyrian kings regarding God is laughable from our historical perspective. Empires, kingdoms, and great nations come and go according to God’s plan. But I admit I still put too much trust in the temporal rather than in God.
Ah we all can work on not trusting in the temporal. I’ve been enjoying working through Nahum to teach on Tuesday but it also takes a lot of time for me with Old Testament Hebrew as opposed to Greek New Testament which is easier for me. I finished this outline at 3:30 AM and just in the Nick of time to email the church the outline! Formatting always takes time and of course the study. How goes your organizing of the home office???
You’re speaking Hebrew when you tell me you’re working at 3:30AM. That’s outside of my universe! 🧐 I’m sure it’s even tougher seeing as you’re not yet 100%.
RE: Organizing
Thanks! I just got done putting in another hour today. It’s looking better but I still have a long way to go. Things “got away from me” a bit with unemployment, new job, and sister project. Got the essentials done, but now have to clean up the details.
How do things look for Wednesday?
A wonderful lesson, Jim!
Thanks RG!!! Also thanks for rescuing my comments on your blogs! I so appreciate that
No problem! WP didn’t notify me about them so thanks for calling it to my attention! 🙂
Good question to ask at the end whether success brings us closer to God or further away. Good recommendation: “The only way you can be closer to God with success is thanksgiving towards God.”
A message that is relevant for the secular statists
So true. I doubt many SJW types even see that with Nahum
“Do NOT trust anyone but God”. A powerful message for today!! And judgement is coming just as surely as we see it in this passage of Scripture.
Thank you brother Jim for your faithfulness in serving our God.
Aww thanks for this encouragement! May His Word does His work in our lives!
Good teaching.
Reblogged this on My Logos Word.
[…] Last installment: Part 3: Nahum in a Nutshell Part 1 […]
I’m so glad I got back to WP to check on your posts and saw the Nahum series! My WP break has let me catch up on books that have been stacking up and meditating and praying more. Winter is heck on my RA and I’m weathering through with the Lord’s help. Grateful for your concern, Jimmy, and your prayers. May grace and peace overflow to you, brother, in Christ.
~~Dora
Thanks for reading this. Dora I’m praying for your RA; does it hurt more when the weather is cold???
Oh so much worse, especially when a front goes through! Go figure! Thank you for praying! You and your family are in mine.
[…] Part 3: Nahum in a Nutshell Part 1 […]
Thanks Slim so for this outline. Exegesis -> good. Eisegesis -> bad.