| NAHUM |
| page 2 |
| Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished" (1:3). Decline and Fall of Nineveh Within a few years, Nahum's predictions came true. Nineveh did fall, never to rise again. The greatest city in the world became a pile of rubble overgrown with grass. Both Alexander the Great and Napoleon camped near it but had no idea a city had ever been there. The site became known as "the mound of many sheep." The name Nahum means "comfort." Though Nahum describes God's anger, his message offers comfort to those who live with injustice and evil. "The Lord is good," said Nahum, "a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him, but with an overwhelming flood . . . he will pursue his foes into darkness" (1:7-8). Nineveh is gone, but Nahum's testimony lives on, reminding us that though God's justice seems slow, nothing can ultimately escape it. |
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| How to read Nahum |
| Nahum stands out from the other short prophetic books in two ways. He addressed a foreign city - Nineveh - instead of his own home nation, and he used unusually vivid language. You can read more background on Judah and its relationship to Nineveh in the following historical accounts: 2 Kings 17-19 and 2 Chronicles 32-33:13. The background will help you understand why God was so angry at Nineveh. As you read Nahum, pay special attention to the vivid imagery. Some of the best examples are the following: - Descriptions of warfare: 2:3-7; 3:1-3 - Nineveh like a pool with its water draining out: 2:8 - Nineveh like a lions' den, full of bones: 2:11-12 - Nineveh like a prostitute shamed in the streets: 3:5-6 |