Nahum 3

The Explanation

Nahum 3 is a hard chapter. The prophet Nahum speaks about the city of Nineveh, the capital of the mighty Assyrian empire. Assyria was the superpower of that time. Their soldiers were feared everywhere. They had conquered countries, taken people away as slaves, and treated them cruelly. And now God says through Nahum that it is over.

The chapter begins with the words: "Woe to the bloody city!" Nahum paints a picture you can almost hear. He talks about the crack of whips, the noise of rattling wheels, galloping horses, and bouncing chariots. You can see the battle before you. Nineveh, which itself caused so much bloodshed, now sees war coming to its own gates.

Nahum compares Nineveh to a woman who deceived nations with her beauty and sorcery. She lured other peoples in and then destroyed them. God says, "I am against you." Those are heavy words. God Himself stands against this city.

Then Nahum asks a sharp question. Are you better than No-Amon? That was another huge city, in Egypt, also called Thebes. Everyone thought it was invincible. And yet it fell. Nahum says: if that could happen to No-Amon, do not think that you, Nineveh, will escape.

The chapter ends with a strange image. Nahum says the leaders of Nineveh are like locusts that swarm when it is cold and fly away when the sun rises. When the trouble really comes, they will be gone. Nobody is left to help. And the last sentence is striking: everyone who hears about Nineveh's fall will clap their hands, because who was not hurt by their endless cruelty?

What Does This Mean?

This chapter shows something important about God. God sees what happens on earth. He sees violence, injustice, and cruelty, and He does not shrug His shoulders. He is not indifferent. Nineveh had trampled countless people for years, and God says: enough.

That may sound harsh, but think about it the other way. If God did nothing about evil, would He be good? A judge who lets murderers walk free is not a good judge. God is good precisely because He does something about evil.

At the same time, this chapter is not cheerful. There is no joy over destruction here, but a serious warning. Nahum shows that no power on earth is so great that it can defy God forever. Not then, not now.

The Common Thread

In the Bible you see two lines running through everything. God loves people, and God hates evil. Those two go together. In the book of Jonah, roughly a hundred years earlier, Nineveh got a chance and the people turned back. God forgave them then. Now, generations later, they have forgotten everything and become worse than before.

The big story points forward to Jesus. Jesus takes evil seriously too, more seriously than anyone. On the cross something amazing happens: God's judgment on evil and God's love for people come together in one place. Jesus bears what should have come upon us. That is why the message of Nahum is not the last word. The last word is the cross and the empty tomb.

For You

You may wonder: what do I have to do with an ancient city that no longer exists? More than you think. Nahum shows that God sees everything. Also what happens at your school, in your class, in your group of friends. When someone is bullied, God sees it. When you are treated unfairly, God sees it. And when you yourself do something you would rather hide, He sees that too.

That can be scary, but it can also be a comfort. You are never invisible to God. And precisely because Jesus came, you can go to Him with everything. With the wrong things you did, and with the wrong things that were done to you.

Talk About It

Why do you think God sometimes waits a long time before He acts against evil? What could be a reason?

Is there something you find unfair in the world or around you? What would you want to say to God about that?

Praying Together

Lord God, thank You that You see everything. Thank You that You do not forget injustice, and that You are also a God of love. Help me to be honest with You, about myself and about what I find difficult. Thank You for Jesus, who took evil upon Himself so I may come to You. Amen.