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nahum: God’s certain judgment

Westerville Bible Church • June 27,


27, 2010
In the late seventh century B.C., God gave a message to the prophet Nahum for the wicked
nation of Assyria, the same nation that had destroyed the northern ten tribes of Israel a
hundred years earlier. His message, addressed to Assyria’s capital city, Nineveh, highlights the
certainty of God’s judgment of wickedness.
There is another aspect of God’s justice and judgment: it brings comfort to God’s people,
vindicating their faithfulness. And “comfort” is exactly what Nahum’s name means.
A PSALM PRAISING G OD ’ S JUSTICE AND GOODNE SS (1:2–
(1:2 – 8).
8) .
These seven verses follow the pattern of a psalm, a song of praise to God for who He is and
what He has done. This psalm highlights the contrasting attributes of God’s justice and
goodness. God is totally righteous, a terror to evildoers. God is always good, a comfort to His
people.
God’s justice is inevitable (1:2–
(1:2 – 6).
6) .
God’s goodness is indisputable (1:7–
(1:7 – 8).
8) .
G OD ’ S JUDGMENT ON A SSYRIA AND GOODNESS TOWARD J UDAH (1:9–
(1:9 – 15).
15) .
The scope of Nahum’s psalm about God’s justice begins to narrow. Now we have specific names
for the groups who will receive God’s judgment (Assyria) and His comfort (Judah).
God’s judgment on Assyria is unavoidable
unavoida ble (1:9–
(1:9 – 11).
11) .
God’s mercy on Judah is comforting (1:12–
(1:12 – 15.
15 . )
A G LIMPSE OF THE FUTURE : A SSYRIA IS JUDGED BY G OD (2:1–
(2:1 – 13).
13) .
Chapter two is written in the present tense, like reading tomorrow’s newspaper. Actually, it’s
more like a news magazine from 605 B.C., when the final reinforcements from Egypt were
defeated by Babylon and Assyrian resistance was finally crushed. This chapter points out that
Assyria was not defeated because they had the lesser army, but because God was against them.
The battle is lost (2:1–
(2:1 – 12).
12) .
God is against them (2:13).
(2:13) .
A W OE AGAINST N INEVEH (3:1–
(3:1 – 19).
19) .
Chapter three is a “woe” against Nineveh, a sort of poem lamenting or sorrowing over the
nation that was destroyed. Remember that when Nahum wrote it, Assyria was still a thriving,
powerful nation. Nineveh would not quietly fade away into the history books; rather, it would
be a violent, pointed example of total destruction. No longer would anyone stand up proudly
and claim to be an Assyrian. Her destruction would rank as one of the “all-time great” military
defeats in history.
Her wickedness was judged (3:1–
(3:1 – 4).
4) .
Her judgment is an example to others (3:5– (3:5 – 7).
7) .
Her destruction was like other colossal defeats in history (3:8–
(3:8 – 13).
13) .
Her defeat was unavoidable (3:14–
(3:14 – 19).
19) .

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