Exposition of Nahum Part 4: Nahum in a Nutshell Part 2

Last installment: Part 3: Nahum in a Nutshell Part 1

 

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 Judah that summarize the “good 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 Judah (v.11-13)
• Second address to Judah (v.15)

 

First address to Judah (11-13)

Passage: “11 From you has gone out One who plotted evil against the Lord, 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.””

Proof

Who is speaking? Verse 11 at first does not specify but in verses 12 it is Yahweh Himself that speaks.

Who is this addressing? Judah here is addressed in the feminine singular (Timmer, 99).  What are the reasons to think it is Judah?

1. With this being feminine singular it is distinct from the masculine plural subject of verses 9-10 that refer to Assyrians.
2. Later the second address to the feminine singular subject in verse 15 is clearly identified as Judah.
3. The message here is one of deliverance, reinforcing this is for Judah, since verse 15 also address Judah as a feminine singular with the topic of deliverance.

From verses 9-10 it predicts the Assyrian’s destruction; and their destruction means Judah’s affliction will end as verse 11-13 indicate (Timmer, 99).

Verse 11 tells us that based upon how God can protect Judah in the past God will gave three promises to Judah concerning the future in verses 12-13.

Deliverance from Assyrians have happened before in history: “From you has gone out One who plotted evil against the Lord, A wicked counselor” (v.11)

1. There is someone who have also plotted against the Lord that is describe as departing from Judah
   1. The phrase “plotted evil against the Lord” uses the same verb “plotted” as in verse 9 in regards to the Assyrians (Timmer, 104).
   2. “Evil” here refers to unacceptable actions (Timmer, 104).
   3. This one is described as “A wicked counselor”
      1. The term “wicked” refers to a wickedness that is subversive of God’s proper order (Timmer, 104).
      2. We see this term “wicked” used to describe the heinous quality of the men who lied to get someone murdered in 1 Kings 21:10, 13 (Timmer, 104).
      3. In Hebrew the word for wicked is Belial which is a name of a demonic being that 2 Corinthians 6:15 mentioned as a name for a demon, kind of how Satan means accuser and is the name for the Devil (Cook, 71).
2. Who is this evil one who plotted against the Lord arising from Judah? It seems this refers to the chief cupbearer Rabshakeh who was Assyrian king Sennacherib’s messenger (Timmer, 104).
   1. Rabshakeh downplaying the power of God compared to King Hezekiah.
   2. The message from Rabshakeh was seen in the Bible as so important to have been recorded in three different places: 2 Chronicles 32, 2 Kings 18-19, Isaiah 36-37 (Timmer, 104).
   3. Rabshakeh’s message is a classic confrontation between God and Assyria (Timmer, 104).
   4. God promises Hezekiah of Judah that Sennacherib will not win in 2 Kings 19:32 and then God sent an angel to struck down 185,000 Assyrians in 2 Kings 19:35-26 (Timmer, 105).

God’s first promise to Judah: What God will do to her enemy: “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.” (v.12a)

1. Strength of the enemies are mentioned “Though they are at full strength and so they are many”
   1. Seeing this mention of Assyria full strength we know that in history this would have been from 663-727 BC (Cook, 73).
   2. The Hebrew for “full strength” is literally “shalom” or peace; they have not lost a battle for a hundred years (Cook, 73).
2. What God will do to them: “So also they will be cut off and pass away”

God’s second promise to Judah: No more affliction: “Though I have afflicted you, I will afflict you no longer.” (v.12b)

1. Judah’s sins has to do with God’s use of the Assyrians to discipline them, yet it is God’s grace that the affliction is removed (Timmer, 106).
2. It does not say when but it will happen one day.

God’s third promise to Judah: Removal of shackles: “So now, I will break his yoke from upon you, And I will tear your shackles to pieces” (v.13)

1. Two illustrations given.
2. “I will break his yoke from upon you”
   1. Yoke is worn by an ox with it implied that the owner is the Assyrian king (Cook, 85).
   2. Assyrians use this as a metaphor for subjugating others politically (Cook, 85).
   3. Good News: God will rid the Assyrian yoke.
3. “I will tear your shackles to pieces”
   1. Shackles are cords attached to a prisoner’s hand or feet holding two bars around someone’s neck (Timmer, 107).
   2. Good News: God will rid the Assyrian shackles.

Practice

1. Do you live your life trusting in God’s promise and also remembering God’s deliverance in your life in your past?
2. Do you long for the day afflictions and oppression be no more? Make sure you trusted in Christ to be in the future eternal state where there will be peace and no more afflictions and oppression.

 

Second address to Judah (15)

Passage: “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.”

Proof

Who is this addressing?

1. Judah here is addressed in the feminine singular (Timmer, 99).
2. Judah of course is explicitly mentioned in this verse.
3. The message here is one of celebration, reinforcing this is for Judah.

This time Judah is called to celebrate in anticipation of the elimination of the Assyrian threat (Timmer, 99)

First word brings attention to look at the mountain abruptly (Timmer, 114): “Behold” (v.15a)

Announcement of good news: “the feet of him who brings good news, Who announces peace!” (v.15a)

1. The messenger brings the news of peace; Peace can refer to political stability or absence of war and other blessings (Timmer, 114).
2. Here this is connected to the news that Nineveh is no longer reigning.

Call to celebrate: “Celebrate your feasts, Judah, Pay your vows.” (v.15b)

1. Both “Celebrate” and “Pay” are commands.
2. Term “feasts” can refer to any of the three Jewish pilgrimage festivals: Passover, Feast of Weeks and Feast of Booths; all three celebrate God’s deliverance and provisions which is very appropriate here (Timmer, 114).
3. Vows can refer to various kinds from self-dedication in Leviticus 27:2-8, with an animal in Leviticus 27:9-13 (Timmer, 115).
4. God bringing about deliverance is always with the goal for us to worship him (Cook, 92).

Reason: “For never again will the wicked one pass through you; He is eliminated completely” (v.15c)

1. “For” indicates the reason.
2. In the Hebrew “the wicked” in “the wicked one” is the same Hebrew word Belilal mentioned earlier in Nahum 1:11.
3. “pass through” should be understood as invade and thus God is saying here Assyria will be not invade anymore (Timmer, 115).
4. That is because the Assyrian king is said as “He is eliminated completely.”

Passage is very similar to Isaiah 52:7 (Cook, 90).

Practice

1. Do you worship and celebrate what God has done to save you?
2. Do you see God’s salvation is good news? Have you trusted in Jesus as Savior?