INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF NAHUM

THE BOOK OF NAHUM

Shortly before the fall of Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, in 612 B.C., Nahum uttered his prophecy against the hated city. To understand the prophet’s exultant outburst of joy over the impending destruction it is necessary to recall the savage cruelty of Assyria, which had made it the scourge of the ancient Near East for almost three centuries. The royal inscriptions of Assyria afford the best commentary on Nahum’s burning denunciation of “the bloody city.” In the wake of their conquests, mounds of heads, impaled bodies, enslaved citizens, and avaricious looters testified to the ruthlessness of the Assyrians. Just such a conquest was suffered by Israel, when its capital Samaria fell to the Assyrians in 722/721 B.C., and by Judah, when its capital Jerusalem nearly fell to invading Assyrian armies twenty years later. Little wonder that in 3:19 Judah is shown as joining in the general outburst of joy over the destruction of Nineveh!

But Nahum is not a prophet of unrestrained revenge. He asserts God’s moral government of the world. Nineveh’s doom is evidence that God stands against oppression and the abuse of power. As an ancient Near Eastern superpower, Assyria had terrorized its smaller and weaker neighbors, exploiting their economies and subjugating their people for its own ends. Thus Nineveh’s demise is viewed as an act of divine justice, and it is greeted by the small, oppressed countries as a time of deliverance, as a moment of renewal, and as a message of peace (2:1; 3:19).

The book is divided as follows:

I. God’s Terrifying Appearance (1:2–8)

II. Nineveh’s Judgment and Judah’s Restoration (1:9–2:1)

III. The Attack on Nineveh (2:2–3:7)

IV. Nineveh’s Inescapable Fate (3:8–19)

Serenity prayer

God grant me the serenity 

to accept the things I cannot change, 
courage to change the things I can, 
and the wisdom to know the difference. 
Living one day at a time; enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardship as the pathway to peace. 
Taking as Jesus did this sinful world as it is, 
not as I would have it; 
trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His will; 
that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him forever in the next.

Daily Prayer 318, 2022

Dear Lord, give me the strength through the power of Your Holy Spirit to hear Your voice and follow it. Help me fight the temptation to sin that bubbles up inside me whenever my mind strays from you. Let Your will be done always in my life, Lord.

Let me receive Your Word with an open mind and clear eye. Whenever I read Your Scripture, let Your Holy Spirit guide me to the truth, setting aside my preconception and self-justification. I pray to hear what You intend for me to hear.

And, help me always to an attitude of humility. Fill me with acceptance in place of judgment, sympathy in place of anger, faith in place of resentment. Help me to love others just like You loved them.

Amen