Agere Sequitur Esse

Nahum

Book of Nahum

Notes.. .

. ..Introduction. By Nahum to pronounce God’s judgement on Assyria and comfort Judah with this truth. The people include those from Nineveh and Judah. The place is Nineveh, the capital of Assyria.
. ..Themes. God Judges, and God Rules.
. ..Outline. “The people of Israel had suffered many years under the harsh oppression of the Assyrians who in c. 722 BC had conquered the northern kingdom of Israel. Judah became a vassal under Assyria under king Ahaz and by the time of king Nahum, the southern kingdom was but a small state in a region dominated by the brutal Assyrians” (William Seay 2019, L14 12:08–12:22).
. ..Application. “Nahum speaks to all communities of faith which face oppression. Judah had experienced the ruthless tyranny of Assyria for many years. So, Nahum focused on Tyranny. In the face of such oppression, the prophet reaffirmed the sovereign justice and grace of God” (Seay 2019, L14 19:22–19:44).
. ..Timeline. Written between 663 and 654.

Introduction. 10:15 – The purpose is to pronounce God’s judgement on Assyria and comfort Judah with this truth. The author is Nahum. It was written to the people of Nineveh and Judah. The key place is Nineveh, the capital of Assyria.

Themes. 10:45 – There are two major theological themes. (i) God Judges. God would judge the city of Nineveh for its arrogance, idolatry, and oppression. Although Assyria was the leading military power in the world, God would completely destroy this invincible nation. God allows no person or power to assume or scoff at His authority. (ii) God Rules. God rules over all the earth, even over those who do not acknowledge Him. God is all powerful and no one can thwart His plan. God will overcome any who attempt to defy Him. Human power is futile against God.

16:29 – The book of Nahum brings encouragement and hope to an oppressed people. There are four major themes in the book of Nahum. (i) The sovereignty of God. (ii) The justice of God. (iii) The grace of God. (iv) Hope for God’s people – 16:50

Outline. 11:50 – The people of Israel had suffered many years under the harsh oppression of the Assyrians who in c. 722 BC had conquered the northern kingdom of Israel. Judah became a vassal under Assyria under king Ahaz and by the time of king Nahum, the southern kingdom was but a small state in a region dominated by the brutal Assyrians. The Assyrians were known not only for their power but also their cruelty. Their archives reflect pride in the compete devastation of enemies. Assyrian kings boasted of dragging women and children away from their dead husbands and fathers and taken their captives to Nineveh as part of the spoils of war. The Assyrians also bragged of laying the skins from rebels to display to their enemies. Nahum too described the cruelty of Assyria. He also complained the Assyria practiced harlotry in state [ ] and betraying weaker nations. The evil of the Assyrian empire, in fact, touched the whole region.

Judah left betrayed under the heavy hand of Assyria wondered whether there was any hope in the face of such opposition. In the midst of this apparent hopelessness, the people of Judah had several options: (i) The could sink into an ever-deepening state of despair. They had been oppressed for over a century. Was there no hope for the future? Where was God? They could decide that God had been conquered by the Assyrians and could no longer help them. Their response would be to join in with the worship of the Assyrian gods. Or, they could decide that compromise with the Assyrians was the best path. The result was to make Yahweh one of the many gods of the Assyrian empire that were worshiped. Or, they could fall into the frustrating habit of harboring hatred against the oppressive Assyrians which would drain their energies away from the task of building a responsible future. The again, they could be true to God and look to God for their hope. The book of Nahum does not specific the date, but it does some clues. Nahum prophesied the fall of Nineveh in c. 612 BC. In chapter 3 of this book, the prophet used the fall of these as an analogy for what happened to Nineveh. This analogy assumed that the fall of thieves in c. 663 BC had already taken place. A time between c. 663 BC and c. 612 BC is thus required. The most probable date was around c. 625 BC. At that time, Nahum saw the Assyrian empire as beginning to weaken and Judah begin to assert some independence under king Josiah. The prophet declared that God would remove the affliction from Judah and create a future for the people. God would also bring judgement upon Assyria for the cruelty they had perpetuated against Judah. Nahum used the pain and oppression of Judah, the faithful among the people were frustrated with Assyrian dominance. Other Judahites however, who desired to emulate the Assyrian ways would not like this work from Nahum. Nevertheless, the prophet spoke and did so in eloquent portrait. Nahum spoke of hope. He described God as judging the oppressors and freeing the oppressed. He saw that God’s deliverance was at hand and of this reality, he was an evangelist.

16:50 – For over a century, the Assyrians oppressed Judah. Then Nahum came reminding the oppressed people that God was sovereign, that He created the world and still ruled it. The Assyrian gods and military forces were defenseless in the face of God’s penetrating presence. His sovereignty would be demonstrated in the proud city of Nineveh. Nahum vividly portrayed this coming destruction.

God was also a God of justice. God brought judgement upon Assyria because of their cruel oppression of many peoples. Such destruction of the wicked was a sign of God’s grace toward Judah as well as a sign of His justice. Judah’s actions did not earn victory over her enemies. God, in love, chose to give victory. God did indeed have a future for the people of Judah. This [ ] found some expression in the renewal under king Josiah. Nahum’s prophesy was fulfilled. His call to return to faithfulness provided support for Josiah’s attempts to reform the people and rid them of Assyrian influence.

We need to view Nahum in light of other OT passages. His word was similar to other prophesies about oppressive foreign nations like Edom, Babylon, [ ], and Assyria. They all suffered the consequences of their inhumanity. Such was the victory given by God. Know however, that the primary addressee in such prophesies was the oppressed people of God. A sovereign gracious God offered hope of deliverance. Though, in short, such prophesies functioned for the community as a powerful word of encouragement and hope based on God’s power, justice, and grace in themes found throughout the biblical revelation. The messenger who brings such tidings of peace is called blessed.

Application. 19:15 – Nahum speaks to all communities of faith which face oppression. Judah had experienced the ruthless tyranny of Assyria for many years. So, Nahum focused on Tyranny. In the face of such oppression, the prophet reaffirmed the sovereign justice and grace of God. Unfortunately, the book of Nahum has been described as an attractive nationalist, or even, a patriot born of despair. But, on the contrary, the book presents a universal message. Assyria oppressed many. The oppression was met with the justice of God. Dire consequences await oppressors then and now. That is, God delivers His afflicted people. God offers hope in the midst of affliction. The book of Nahum calls us to recognize the presence of evil in the world and to believe that God is opposed to all evil, to examine our attitudes towards oppression, and to understand that oppression sows its own destruction. Nahum calls us to live in hope and renew our vision of God’s sovereign power and a world ruled by political expediency. We are to resist the temptation to live only by societal norms and embrace living by the Word of God and to act on the behalf of God is a great need throughout life and history. Nahum presents a significant message to a world often dominated by chaos and confusion. God is powerful. He creates a future for the oppressed and community of faith. The reality of God’s justice brings hope and sustenance for living.

Timeline. 21:35 – The book was written sometime during Nahum’s prophetic ministry between c. 663 BC and c. 654 BC.

Ref.

Seay, William. 2019. Old Testament Theology [MP3]. Andersonville Theological Seminary (ATS). Camilla, GA: ATS