Exposition of Nahum Part 10: Compassion in the midst of Judgment

Last installment: Part 9: Military Taunts 

Nahum 3:15b-19

Multiply yourself like the creeping locust, Multiply yourself like the migratory locust. 16 You have made your traders more numerous than the stars of heaven— The creeping locust sheds its skin and flies away. 17 Your courtiers are like the migratory locust. Your officials are like a swarm of locusts Settling in the stone shelters on a cold day. The sun rises and they flee, And the place where they are is not known. 18 Your shepherds are sleeping, O king of Assyria; Your officers are lying down. Your people are scattered on the mountains And there is no one to gather them. 19 There is no relief for your collapse, Your wound is incurable. All who hear [j]about you Will clap their hands over you, For upon whom has your evil not come continually?

 

Purpose: We will see two prediction that shows God’s Word is true and we submit to His authority.

• God predicts Assyria’s weakened economy (v.15b-17)
• God predicts Assyria’s king’s demise (v.18-19)

Context

• Nahum 3 has five sections: A woe oracle in verses 1-7, three taunts and a dirge for the Assyrian king.
• Two weeks ago we looked at Nahum 3:1-7 that gives us the reason why God is judging Nineveh and here this section doesn’t focus on Nineveh’s wrong but focus on Nineveh’s downfall.
• Two week we saw Nahum 3:8-11 the taunt: Will Nineveh be far better than Thebes?
• Last week we saw Nahum 3:12-15a featured the military taunt.
• Today’s passage we look at God’s economic taunt and funeral dirge for Assyria’s king.

 

God predicts Assyria’s weakened economy (15b-17)

Passage: “Multiply yourself like the creeping locust, Multiply yourself like the migratory locust. 16 You have made your traders more numerous than the stars of heaven— The creeping locust sheds its skin and flies away. 17 Your courtiers are like the migratory locust. Your officials are like a swarm of locusts Settling in the stone shelters on a cold day. The sun rises and they flee, And the place where they are is not known.”

Proof

Connects with the previous taunt with the reference to locusts (Timmer, 168).

Whereas earlier with the military taunt the reference to locusts is to bring out the idea of destruction here the metaphor is to emphasize Assyria is temporary and will pass away (Timmer, 168).

The ironic command: “Multiply yourself like the creeping locust, Multiply yourself like the migratory locust” (v.15b)

1. There are two commands of “Multiply” to show increasing of personnel.
2. This command is ironic since this is followed by two statements in the next two verses of Assyria’s decrease by losing important section in their population.
3. Two different terms of locusts are used.
   1. First one: “creeping locust”= Rare term for locusts (Timmer, 169).
   2. Second one: “migratory locust”= More frequently used term for locusts (Timmer, 169).
4. Nahum uses these terms to describe Assyrians since Assryians love to use the term locusts to describe their might:
   1. Sargon II (721-705 BC): “In the anger of my heart I overran these lands like a swarm of locusts” (Timmer, 169).
   2. Sennacherib (704-681 BC) said in speaking about his military’s advance: “the onset of the locust swarms of the springtime” (Timmer, 169).

Traders will go away: “You have made your traders more numerous than the stars of heaven— The creeping locust sheds its skin and flies away.” (v.16)

1. International trade back then involve government officials and it was not something pursued by ordinary people (Timmer, 170).
2. Before judgment: “You have made your traders more numerous than the stars of heaven”
3. After judgment: “The creeping locust sheds its skin and flies away”

Political officials will go away: “Your courtiers are like the migratory locust. Your officials are like a swarm of locusts Settling in the stone shelters on a cold day. The sun rises and they flee, And the place where they are is not known” (v.17)

1. Two terms for political officials
   1. “courtiers”= Messengers.
   2. “officials”= An Assyrian loan word referring to some kind of scribe for military and economic records (Timmer, 170).
2. Before judgment: “Your courtiers are like the migratory locust. Your officials are like a swarm of locusts Settling in the stone shelters on a cold day”
3. After judgment: “The sun rises and they flee, And the place where they are is not known”= Not mention of destruction here but only departure.

Other parts of the Bible sometimes tell us God wipe out entire population; but with Nineveh God does not for we see the people fleeing (Cook, 200).

We thus see here God’s mercy even in the midst of judgment (Cook, 201)!

Practice

1. We need to fear God who judges sin. Have you trusted in Jesus to be saved from God’s wrath? Trust in Christ’s life and work!
2. Also note the mercy of God even in the midst of His discipline and judgment. If you are being disciplined by God, keep an eye out for any mercy from God.
3. Sometimes when God judges a nation or those who are globalist secular elites, the judgment isn’t just militarily but also economically and other ways politically. We as ordinary Christians can feel powerless before powerful wicked people but be comforted that God will frustrate those who are wicked and drunk in their own power.

 

God predicts Assyria’s king’s demise (18-19)

Passage: “18 Your shepherds are sleeping, O king of Assyria; Your officers are lying down. Your people are scattered on the mountains And there is no one to gather them. 19 There is no relief for your collapse, Your wound is incurable. All who hear about you Will clap their hands over you, For upon whom has your evil not come continually?”

Proof

A eulogy is given here usually for the dead but this is prophetic (TImmer, 171).

Three parts (Timmer, 171):

King’s officials will become useless: “Your shepherds are sleeping, O king of Assyria; Your officers are lying down. Your people are scattered on the mountains And there is no one to gather them.” (v.18)

1. Gathering is often done to set an army ready to go march out to war so the fact that “there is no one to gather them” shows the end of Assyria’s king’s enterprise of raging war (Cook, 211).
2. In 639 BC Assyria did not responded to King Asshur’s requests to have an army to go out and wage war (Cook, 211).
3. According to Babylonian Chronicle the army of Assyria ran away before their king (Elliott Johnson, “Nahum” in Bible Knowledge Commentary, 1495).
4. Note again how even in the midst of God’s judgment He shows mercy to the people.

King’s death predicted: “There is no relief for your collapse, Your wound is incurable.” (v.19a)

King’s death celebrated: “All who hear about you Will clap their hands over you, For upon whom has your evil not come continually?” (v.19b)

1. Reaction of Assyria’s king’s death is one of celebration: “All who hear about you Will clap their hands over you”
2. This might be shocking for some readers; the word “For” gives us the reason.
3. The reason: “For upon whom has your evil not come continually?”

Practice

1. Be comforted that those who are dictators in this world will be judged by God.
2. Once more: note the mercy of God even in the midst of His discipline and judgment. If you are being disciplined by God, keep an eye out for any mercy from God.
3. Have you trusted in Christ to save you from your sins?