“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17
“Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.” 2 Peter 1:20 – 2:1
Verse 1 The burden of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.
The name, Nahum, means “comfort”. Only the name of this prophet is known, and who he was or his personal history is not known as the Bible is silent regarding this man of God. The name Elkoshite means “God the ensnarer”. The Hebrew word translated as “burden” is “massa” and it means utterance, oracle, a load, or burden. When these prophets of old were given a dream or vision from God Almighty, what they saw placed a heavy responsibility on them to write the Word of God, and often what they saw was extremely troublesome to their soul, causing anxiety or grief. In the book of Daniel it is recorded that one vision he received caused him to be sick for several days. So the prophet Nahum begins his book indicating that the vision was a burden or something that was weighing down his soul. The Hebrew word translated as “vision” is “chazown” and it means vision, oracle or prophecy.
Verse 2 God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies.
For those people who insist that God is all loving and would never bring judgement upon anyone, the verse above abolishes this unbalanced belief about the character of God. He is loving, but He hates sin and He will act accordingly in His time. The Hebrew word translated as “jealous” is “qannow” and it means jealous. When God declares He is jealous, He means He expects faithfulness and exclusive worship and He will not tolerate false gods and goddesses, sin, idolatry, and unfaithfulness. The Hebrew word translated as “revengeth” is “naqam” and it means to avenge, take vengeance, revenge, be avenged or avenge oneself. The Hebrew word translated as “furious” is “chemah” and it means fury, heat, rage, hot displeasure, indignation, anger, wrath, and a burning anger or rage.
Application: Malachi 3:6 states, “For I am the LORD, I change not;” If God was jealous back in the days of the prophet Nahum, He is jealous today. If God revengeth or took vengeance against His adversaries back in the days of the prophet Nahum, He revengeth or takes vengeance against His adversaries today. If God could become furious in the days of the prophet Nahum because of the sin and rebellion against Him of a people or nation, He most likely is furious with the sin and rebellion in the world today which is rampant throughout the whole world. So what does the expression of the wrath of God look like today?
Verse 3 The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.
The Hebrew word translated as “acquit” is “naqah” and it means to be empty, be clear, be pure, be free, be innocent, be clean, or be free from guilt. The Hebrew word translated as “whirlwind” is “cuwphah” and it only occurs 16 times in Scripture, eleven times meaning whirlwind, three times meaning storm, and one time meaning tempest. The character of God demonstrates that He is slow to anger, He is powerful and controlled, but just because He is patient with wicked people and nations does not mean that He will ignore or not punish sin and wickedness. When He takes action, it is a judgement that comes quickly, that is powerful and devastating like a tornado sweeping across the land, and His judgement is just. As with all prophetic writings in the Bible, metaphor or word pictures are used to get a point or teaching across to the reader. So the picture here is of judgement being carried out in the air or heavens with some kind of destruction as represented by the whirlwind and by clouds that represent the movement or passage of the LORD God or His presence in and through a specific area. “For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.” Isaiah 66:15 “The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.” Isaiah 17:13 “When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.” Proverbs 1:27
Application: Although today there are no longer any natural weather patterns because governments, military and corporations have weaponized weather and are creating the devastating weather that is causing death, destruction, and loss of property and finances throughout much of the world, God is allowing this geoengineering to be carried out. And although the goals of the wicked and evil entities behind these practices are not those of Almighty God, He appears to be allowing the geoengineering as the people and nations that have rejected Him are receiving judgement, albeit at the hands of the power elite. Just as God used various nations to punish other nations such as using the Babylonians to bring judgement upon the Assyrians, He is bringing judgement upon the people and nations of the world today through technology that is in the hands of evil people because for the most part, they have rejected the Gospel and the LORD Jesus Christ and have embraced the evil of Satan and his fallen angels or devils.
Verse 4 He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers: Bashan languisheth, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon languisheth. 5 The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein.
Here is pictured the complete sovereignty (supreme power or authority) of God over the creation and all aspects of the natural world. Although these verses are in the context of God pouring out judgement upon Nineveh and Assyria, they are also a type and a shadow of what will happen at the end of time when the LORD Jesus Christ returns to this world for the second and last time as recorded in 2 Peter 3:10. “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.”
Application: In today’s technological world, dams can be built, droughts can be created that affect rivers and streams, earthquakes can be caused, massive fires can be started, and entire towns can be destroyed with direct energy weapons, but the Christian believer needs to remember that God allows these things to happen to bring forth His will in these last of the last days. But just as the Hebrew people living in Goshen in Egypt had light in their dwellings and were kept safe by the power of God when the entire nation of Egypt was being destroyed by plagues and was in darkness both physically and spiritually, so shall Christian believers continue to have light and be safe when trusting in Him. God’s judgement is against the wicked, not against the righteous.
Application: Where is light from and when did time begin? According to Genesis 1:1-5, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.” So light was from the very beginning before the sun, moon and stars were created. That light was the presence of God. As long as a converted, Christian believer has the Holy Ghost/Spirit living in them, the light of the presence of God is with them. And time began as people know and understand it on that very first day of Creation. Mankind has created calendars and clocks in an effort to track time, much of these efforts being futile as calendars have been changed so much over time. But God, who established and who dwells in eternity, sectioned out a small piece of eternity and established time which only He truly can track, and one day soon time will end and eternity will be where people dwell, the righteous in Heaven and the unrighteous in the Lake of Fire. So God’s people walking in His Spirit have the light of the LORD with them every day, all 24 hours of it, as long as time exists. That is why Jesus said in Matthew 5:14 when talking to His disciples, “Ye are the light of the world”, and then in John 8:12 it is recorded, “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.“ The Apostle Paul spoke of this in Philippians 2:15 when he said, “That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as light in the world:”
Verse 6 Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him.
The prophet Nahum asks a question to which the obvious answer is “no one”. The Hebrew word translated as “stand” is “amad” and it means to stand, remain, endure, present oneself, or abide. The Hebrew word translated as “indignation” is “zaam” and it means indignation, anger, or rage. God is presented in Scripture to be a consuming fire. “And there came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces.” Leviticus 9:24 “And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.” Numbers 11:1 “And there came out a fire from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.” Numbers 16:35 “For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.” Deuteronomy 4:24 And in case one should think that only the Old Testament presents God as a consuming fire, the Apostle Paul states in Hebrews 12:29, “For our God is a consuming fire.”
Application: Today the church world contains many of what this writer refers to a “nominal Christians” who play a role existing in name only. They are not truly converted, filled with the Holy Ghost/Spirit and walking with the LORD Jesus Christ. Yet they attend churches, they often have positions of authority including being in the pulpit, and they use religious vocabulary and are tempting the LORD God Almighty with their deception. God is a patient and loving LORD, but be assured, these nominal believers if they do not repent and become converted, will face the fire of God if not in this world, at the judgement at the end of time and on into eternity.
Application: What does “the rocks are thrown down by him” mean in the verse above? Rocks represent strength, longevity, a defense or place of safety, a foundation that is sure, and many other things in metaphor or word pictures. It was from a rock that water was provided supernaturally for the Hebrew children of Israel as they traveled for years in the wilderness with the rock following them. “And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.” 1 Corinthians 10:4 The LORD God is also referred to as a rock. “He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.” Deuteronomy 32:4 Unfortunately, His people can forget He is their Rock. “Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee.” Deuteronomy 32:18 But as 1 Samuel 2:2 states, “There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.” But sinful mankind creates all kinds of “rocks” upon which to trust and live their lives. Rocks like false religions, witchcraft, idolatry of all kinds, the love of money, entertainment, technology, unfaithful relationships, and any other things or activities that take people’s hearts and minds away from worshiping and trusting the one true God makes Him angry. Eventually, those rocks will be thrown down by the LORD both in the individual’s life and in the life of nations so that what was trusted in and supporting wrong thinking, wrong believing, and wrong behavior will no longer be that which can be relied upon and stood upon. The foundation will be thrown down and destroyed by God. The question begs to be asked, “What foundation or rock are you standing upon?”
Verses 7-8 The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him. 8 But with an overrunning flood he will make an utter end of the place thereof, and darkness shall pursue his enemies.
The city of Nineveh, the capital of the nation Assyria, had become totally corrupt and evil and was therefore an adversary or enemy of the LORD God. They had forgotten the prophet Jonah and his warning and had become a violent and cruel people. Hence the prophet Nahum’s writing of this book proclaiming the judgement of God which would come in like a flood and destroy Nineveh and ultimately Assyria when Babylon conquered it and destroyed the one world empire. But God had the prophet Nahum write that those who trusted in Him would have the LORD as a Rock and a strong hold when judgement brought trouble to the land. So even a wicked place like Nineveh apparently had a remnant people who trusted in the LORD, most likely going back to the preaching of the prophet Jonah.
Application: “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” James 4:4 To be an enemy of God, all one has to do is adopt the things of this world that Satan provides which seem to be so desirable and harmless. All Christian believers need to be very aware of what they are putting in their minds, their hearts, and giving their time to as becoming a friend of the world can be a process that is gradual and not necessarily noticed by the believer who is living in a world of “hurry sickness”, confusion, lies, deception, fear, and emotional turmoil.
Verses 9-10 What do ye imagine against the LORD? he will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time. 10 For while they be folden together as thorns, and while they are drunken as drunkards, they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry.
The prophet Nahum asks what the people of Nineveh think or plan (imagine) against the LORD. Are they so proud and rebellious that they think they can fight against an all powerful God? They were warned once by the prophet Jonah and they avoided judgement and catastrophe, but that will not happen a second time. Destruction was coming because of sin and rebellion. The city was destroyed in 612 BC.
Application: Often people will believe something about God that is not true and they will predict His actions. Statements like, “Surely a good God would never hurt sinful people since He loves everyone.” And so when people are warned to repent, because they either do not understand the character of God or they have invented God in their image they do not repent, and they are surprised when a calamity hits.
Verses 11-14 There is one come out of thee, that imagineth evil against the LORD, a wicked counsellor. 12 Thus saith the LORD; Though they be quiet, and likewise many, yet thus shall they be cut down, when he shall pass through. Though I have afflicted thee, I will afflict thee no more. 13 For now will I break his yoke from off thee, and will burst thy bonds in sunder. 14 And the LORD hath given a commandment concerning thee, that no more of thy name be sown: out of the house of thy gods will I cut off the graven image and the molten image: I will make thy grave; for thou art vile.
Scripture does not indicate who the “one” is/was that imagined evil against the LORD and this writer in doing research into the historical events surrounding Nineveh has not discovered any referenced to a wicked counsellor. All that is known is that the situation in Nineveh was extremely wicked, so much so that God was going to destroy it completely. All the false religion and idolatry that permeated the land was going to be destroyed also. The culture, religion and politics of Assyria tainted other nations around it, including the nation Judah which had come very close to being captured along with the nation Israel to the north. God had spared Judah because it was to be the tribe from which the LORD Jesus Christ would come forth.
Verse 15 Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace! O Judah, keep thy solemn feasts, perform thy vows: for the wicked shall no more pass through thee; he is utterly cut off. (Nahum 1)
This verse appears to be a promise to the nation Judah that the one world government and nation of Assyria would no more afflict the remnant people of God.
Application: Who would eventually bring good tidings and publish peace in Judah? The LORD Jesus Christ. Until His appearing on the time line of history, God had the prophet Nahum write to encourage Judah to keep the feasts Moses put in place and to keep their vows to God.