Category Archives: Nahum 1

Nahum 3

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Nahum 3 (all references refer to the NKJV unless otherwise stated)
The final chapter of Nahum is brutal and explains well why God’s judgement is to be upon the Assyrians. This chapter should be a parallel to Jonah knowing what he knew about this bitter enemy of Israel prior to his reluctant message to Nineveh. After reading chapter 3, one would have little doubt God’s patience exists and why they came to an end with the Assyrians.
We begin by abstracting descriptive bible phrases defining the cruelties of Nineveh, Assyria from the first four verses in Nahum 3.
• It is a bloody city full of captured victims
• Full of lies and robbery through unjust law, judges, deception by intent
• Any victim is doomed to death or cruel slavery if in Nineveh
• The sound of whips on victims is constant (the normal sadistic behavior of the Assyrians)
• Swords and lances are used within the city, not just at war (but are their fetish brutalities)
• The slain are a multitude piled in heaps
– This may remind us of the pictures of the holocaust camps of Germany in WWII
• There are countless corpses throughout the land
• Multitudes of harlots walk the streets
• Families are sold to others in the public marketplace
• The skins of many are spread upon the walls of the city
• Eyes are plucked out and limbs severed, then the victims left to die
• Those who dared to object against this cruelty are treated even more cruel
• Pillars of skulls could be seen
• The living and bodies of those slain are burned as a reminder to those who may rebel
• Captives are stripped naked without shelter or food
• No provision given to the captured or revolting leaders in Nineveh per weather conditions be they hot, cold, wet, dry, or storm.
NOTE: Is it any wonder Jonah wanted God’s wrath upon Nineveh, not a message of repentance.

There is more than scripture alone describing the cruelties of the Assyrians. Hundreds if not thousands of clay tablets have been discovered that describe the gruesomeness of the Assyrians upon their perceived enemies. At verse 5 God’s reprisal is prophesied as at-hand.
Nahum 3:5 “I am against you”. This is an absolute in the Hebrew. It simply means God will not withhold punishment. Ninevites have no chance of seeking or finding God’s mercy a second time. Jonah had warned them. Now Nahum 90 years later is telling Ninevites of their pending and certain doom.

As Jesus said at the cross of Calvary…IT IS FINISHED! This is God’s view of Assyria. It is finished! This condemnation is upon them who committed these horrible crimes of absolute and unrestrained cruelty. This included those Assyrians who stood idly-by watching. This same phrase is found in Nahum 2:13…”I am against you”.

JIV NOTE: This is like the world conditions will be during the End Days, God’s final days judgement [on that day] of humanity. There are three groups of people. The believer, and the unbelievers and those who lead and commit the sins against believers. Those who stand idly by trying to take no side at all by not intervening are as guilty as those committing attacks on believers. Taking no side at all is still not an acceptance of Jesus.

Nahum 3:6 means by deduction that God’s punishment will not be a swift death. The Assyrians will see it coming and pay a huge price for their repenting then rejection of the God of Jonah. Nahum is not there to redeem or evangelize them. He is there for one reason; to tell the Assyrians their final days are at hand. In the short of this verse, Ninevites no longer have any opportunity to repent “a second time.” This too will be true of those who take the mark of the beast yet continue to walk the face of the earth for a short time in the Tribulation “on that day.” It begins with the first bowl and angel of judgement found in Revelation 16:1-21.

“So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth; and it became a loathsome and malignant sore on the people who take the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image” [NASB; Revelation 16:2].
No second chance will exist for those with the mark of the Beast!

Nahum 3:7 can be compared to the filthy rejection of the labor or concentration camp conditions of Nazi WWII. They were vile. All who looked upon these concentration camps rejected the conditions to which humans were subjected. “Who will bemoan her?” Who will feel sorry for Nineveh? This is followed in 3:7 with “where will I find comforters [anyone to feel sorry for them] for you”? If God can’t find anyone to feel sorry for the judgment of the Assyrians, who can? Answer: No one! This verse doesn’t state who might God find but WHERE might he find one to sympathize with Assyria. There were none.

Nahum 3:8 No’ Amon is mentioned. This is better known today as Thebes in Upper Egypt. A very great city yet destroyed so fully there hasn’t been found a fully standing wall or monument after King Sargon, the great Ashurbanipal, then Nebuchadnezzar who twice destroyed it. No peoples were found still occupying it after three kings: Sargon of Mesopotamia, Ashurbanipal of Assyria, and Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, leveled it. No’ Amon; the city of No’ and their local god Amon. Is somehow Nineveh greater than was No’ Amon asks God through Nahum? By comparative thinking we can imagine how great this Egyptian city in Upper Egypt must have been. Their greatness did not repel destruction.

Nahum 3:9 Ethiopia, Egypt, Put (Cush), and Lubim (lybia) is a comparison to the greatness against which Assyrians consider themselves to be. The primaries would be Ethiopia and Egypt. Nahum asks if Assyria is greater than the historical greatness of Egypt and/or Ethiopia. Recall that the Queen of Sheba at the time of King Solomon came from and ruled over Ethiopia. No’ Amon [Thebes] is in Upper Egypt.

NOTE: Today many only think of ancient Egypt as one historical EGYPT; one country. This would be incorrect. In ancient times Egypt was one country or it had two sections, north and south. At times both had their own pharaoh. At other times both upper and lower parts were united under one pharaoh. Take note that No Amon is better known by their Greek name Thebes of Egypt. In actuality, No’ is the city and Amon is their god. No’ Amon means the city of the god Amon. The Assyrians knew this comparison well. It was their armies that had previously devastated No’ Amon.

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Nahum 3:10 When one understands what happened to No’ Amon according to this verse, the brutality of the Assyrians becomes even clearer. It was the Assyrians who desecrated No’ Amon. look up the passage Nahum 3:10 and see for what other cruelties for which the Assyrians were known. They did this to the great No’ Amon and its population. Now it was Nineveh’s destiny for similar devastation in 612 B.C.

Nahum 3:11 What Assyria had done to others is now upon them. They will get what they sowed in cruelty. Verse 11 means they will try to hide in drunkenness, just like people still try to do today. They will run to-and-fro in attempts to avoid the consequences of invading enemies. An interesting understanding of the Hebrew for strength or refuge in verse 11 is “they will seek safety anywhere including former conquered peoples within the Assyrian Empire.” This offers a partial explanation as to what God meant by saying “they will be known no more.” They were scattered like ashes in the wind totally losing their identity as Assyrians. This, in part, is what happened to the Northern ten Tribes of Israel when the Assyrians scattered them to the corners of the earth, uninhabited places without clothing, shelter, and weapons for protection.

Nahum 3:12 The imagery of a fig tree full of ripened fruit is not something of encouragement to the Ninevites. A ripened fruit tree will drop its fruit with little encouragement from a picker. No longer is it a part of the tree (nation?). In modern agriculture and husbandry, the first fruit pickings often come from vibrating or shacking the fruit from the tree. It takes little effort and the tree itself is not damaged but the fruit, aka: Assyrian defenses, will fall without effort. Right into the hands of their enemies.

Archaeologists document the burning and fall of Nineveh. “The excavators of Nineveh have remarked on the large deposits of ash, which are evidence of a gigantic conflagration.” (Boice)

Nahum 3:13 “…are women?” This would be totally rejected as sexist in today’s societies. The fact remains that the majority of soldiers during this time period of Nahum was men. Yes, some women defended their homes and homelands when aggressed upon, but women did not constitute the army of their land. Nahum is describing the people of Assyria upon judgement from God.

The word for people in Hebrew is ‛am. This word is not exclusive to women but all people from any walk of life within a tribe or grouping of people such as a kingdom or nation. Assyria’s strength will fall as if their forces were women. Many running in disarray and total fear. Men can do the same thing. Such is called desertion.

Verse 13b: “The gates of your land are (will be) wide open” for the enemy to simply walk into their no longer fortified city walls [emphasis mine]. This may support the secular hypothesis of floods and excessive rains upon Nineveh undermined the walls and gates of Nineveh. This allowed the enemy of Medes, assisted by the Babylonian Persians, to walk into the city. If this is a reference to the natural barriers that surrounded Nineveh north and east, the heavy and relentless rains would hinder or blind Assyrian guards to any invading forces moving in closer. Perhaps the soldiers at the “gates of the land” would be like most in heavy rains. They were initially hiding from the deluge. The guards did not see the enemy closing in around them.

Nahum 3:14 Some may read this verse as Nahum providing the Assyrians good advice to protect Nineveh. This is false. Nahum is making a mockery of any attempt to make void God’s “I am against you” declaration in Nahum 2:13 and in 3:5-7. This mockery is emphasized in 3:15.

Nahum 3:15 Look this passage up and read it for oneself. Modern bulldozers have discovered a great amount of charred remains in Nineveh.

Nahum 3:16 One may wish and perhaps to his or her study chagrin, take note that the Hebrew has ten different names for locust. None are for the good of the land. Nineveh will be wiped clean just as do locust to a field. Nothing will be left. This is precisely what happened when the Medes attacked, laid siege, then utterly destroyed this hated enemy of so many who were held under its powerful thumb of oppression. They vanished as do locust descending on green vegetation. Once the Medes, assisted by the Persian-Babylonians, destroyed Nineveh, they left it in such ruin it was not archaeologically discovered until 1840 A.D. [The Discovery of Nineveh by Austen Henry Layard, Esq., D.C.L.]. This means people walked over the face of the former great city for over 2,000 years without knowing what was below their feet.

We can best sum up chapter 3 of Nahum by looking at verse 19:

“Your injury has no healing, Your wound is severe. All who hear news of you Will clap their hands over you, For upon whom has not your wickedness passed continually?” [NKJV]


Rev. Dr. Jstark
2022

Special JIV ahamoment: Most know of the Queen of Sheba and her trip to Jerusalem to test Solomon’s wisdom. Just as many question her name i.e. Queen of Sheba. Where was “SHEBA”. The original name of Ethiopia was the lands of the Habesha people. “Ha” in Hebrew is the word “the”. This makes the lands of Ha-besha people “the besha.” This famous queen of the gold coast with little play on spelling, the famous Queen of the Sheba (Basha) people.

Nahum 2

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Nahum 2

The year: 612 B.C. The cruel Assyrians were in a heated prolonged family leadership quarrel. To whom did the kingship and authority belong? This strife, the crack that broke the infamous Assyrian Empire’s strength, became the breaking point of the powerful empire of Assyria. The nations and kingdoms under the thumb of Assyria were the likes of Persia, Medes, Babylonians, Arabia, Nubia, Chaldeans, and the territories of what we know today as Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan. Between 616 B.C. and 605 B.C. Assyria fell as an empire in bits and pieces. Knowing of the internal Assyrian civil wars these subject nations and people combined to make war with Assyria. The primary insurrection leaders were the Medes and the Persians (Babylonians).

Enter Nahum chapter 2.

“This chapter is a masterpiece of ancient literature, unsurpassed for its graphic portrayal of a military assault.” (James Montgomery Boice; 1938-2000)

Nahum 2:1 “He who scatters has come up before your face. Man the fort! Watch the road! Strengthen your flanks! Fortify your power mightily”. Nahum is not cautioning the Assyrian capital of Nineveh of what might be, but telling them what is to be. Be prepared! It cannot be avoided. As we learned in our narrative commentary of Nahum 1 there would be no-second chance for Assyrians and Nineveh to repent of their evil ways as they did in the time of Jonah.

Time-after-time God uses another people to bring judgement upon others. A wandering people called Israelites brought this judgement to the Canaanites. The Assyrians then brought this same judgement upon the Northern Kingdom of Israel, 10 Tribes of Israelites. 120 years later the Babylonians did the same to a divided Judah [Isaiah 54:16]. Evil Nebuchadnezzar is called “my servant” by God in Jeremiah 25:9. Assyrian cruelty (Nahum 2:14) was not ignored by God. In short, Nahum is telling Nineveh of their pending doom. The enemies of Assyria (primarily the Medes and Babylonians) were already on their way.

Nahum 2:2 is an interesting verse in and of itself. A contrast of outcomes. Nahum is telling the Ninevites that their doom will be permanent. Why? Good question. Recall that 90 years earlier Jonah had preached repentance in Nineveh. They repented but not for long. They later defeated and dispersed the ten northern Tribes of Israel throughout unsettled lands in Europe, Asia, what we know today as Afghanistan, and amongst the Medes.

The Kingdom of Judah lasted another 100 plus years but under the thumb and tributary yoke of Assyria. Nahum tells us in verse 2, Israel will eventually be restored! Assyria will not be restored. Let’s timeline this for educational and perspective purposes.

  • Jonah preached in Nineveh sometime around 760-750 B.C. Assyria repented.
  • In 722 B.C. Assyria attacked northern Israel dispersing God’s elect, naked and without shelter or provisions.
    • This is the cruelty Jonah recognized in the Assyrians and wanted God to destroy them.
    • Nineveh’s repentance did not last but for a few years.
  • (631 B.C.) King *Ashurbanipal dies. Leadership division begins in Assyria and its empire
    • Note the name Ashurbanipal. Asshur, second son of Shem (Noah’s son) gave his name to Assyria. The city of Asshur was the original capital of Assyria.
    • Asher became the name of the chief god of the Assyrians.
  • (626-612 B.C.) Medea and Persia (Babylon) rebel against Assyria’s heavy hand
  • 612 B.C. Assyrian Empire totally falls to the Medes and Persian-Babylonians
  • (606, 597, 586 B.C.) Babylon’s Nebuchadnezzar captures the southern Kingdom of Judah dispersing the Judeans plus absorbing the likes of Daniel, Shaddrach, Meshak, Aben-Neggo. . 
IT BEARS REPEATING….

It bears repeating that all peoples of this time descended from Noah, Shem, Ham or Japheth, the survivors of the global deluge (flood). Of course, this relationship of mankind remains so of the 7+ billion people on the face of the earth today. Shem was quite familiar with nature due to the flood. He lived 500 years after the great deluge. The god of Assyria being Asher were basic nature, sky, and land worshipers.

The ‘emptiers’ mentioned in Nahum 2:2b are the Assyrians.

Nahum 2:3-7 describe the scene of the fall of Assyria. Nahum had cautioned them to prepare for these attacks in verse 1 even though they would fail and fall as an empire. What a description of this scene as the pages of Assyria’s final chapter unfolds. Nineveh will fall before this mighty army of Medea. She will be humbled and led away captive even as the Assyrians led other nations into captivity. The same fate had previously happened to the Canaanites, both kingdoms of Israel and Judah, now the Assyrians, eventually the Babylonians. The Romans removed millions of Jews from Jerusalem after their revolt against Rome in 70 A.D. All of this in fulfillment of Deuteronomy 28:63-64.

 Verse 6 is somewhat controversial. Some, if not many scholars, attempt to explain that the Assyrian defense of Nineveh was compromised by heavy rains, flooding, and the collapse of sections of their protective walls. This is not the same as in verse 8 where Nineveh is described as a “pool of water.” This has more to do with the flight of its people and troops. They drained away as might a pool of water. How do we conclude this? In verse 8b it also states that Assyrian leadership in Nineveh was crying for its defending troops to HALT (deserting). They didn’t listen and drained away to other places as does a pool of water. They never reunited as a people.

Nahum 2:11,12 in a very real sense describes the past character of Nineveh. A past where they gnawed the bones of their conquests. A den of bones. They feared no one. Assyrians were like prides of lions, lioness, and cubs within lands of plenty. They feasted upon others’ possessions, lands, and servitude. Once nothing is left to pillage they leave to conquer another kingdom, people or territory.

Nahum 2:13 is the bottom line of Nahum’s prophetic purpose and mission to the Assyrians. It was the consequence of what Jonah so much wished to see happen to the Assyrians about 90 years earlier. Nahum conclude chapter 2 by quoting the Lord God…”Behold, I am against you,” says the LORD of hosts, “I will burn your chariots in smoke, and the sword shall devour your young lions; I will cut off your prey from the earth, and the voice of your messengers shall be heard no more.“ Historically they were never heard of again other than through archeological digs.

Rev. Dr. Jstark
2022

Nahum 1b

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Nahum 1:9-15

NOTE: All bible references are from the NKJV unless otherwise stated.

NOTE #2: Given the limited amount of information that we know about Nahum, the best we can do is narrow the time frame in which the Book of Nahum was written to between 663 and 612 B.C. Two events are mentioned that help us to determine these dates. First, Nahum mentions Thebes (No Amon) in Egypt falling to the Assyrians (663 B.C.) in the past tense. This means it had already happened. Second, the lion’s share of Nahum’s prophecies came true in 612 B.C. so they were prior to 612 B.C.

In a possible scenario, Nahum 1:9 is a reminder of the repentance of Nineveh including the king, back in the Book of Jonah some 80 or 90 years earlier.

(v9) What do you conspire against the LORD? He will make an utter end of it. Affliction will not rise up a second time. Assyria’s capital city [Nineveh] is to whom Nahum is addressing. This is the same place Jonah prophesied. There are differences of commentary and Bible scholarly opinions as to what and to whom affliction the second time means in verse 9. Consider that only 80 to 90 years earlier, Jonah brought a strong warning of Nineveh’s pending destruction unless they repent. They did repent to Jonah’s dismay. This warning is not to be Nineveh’s second chance. They had their warning through Jonah. There will not be, according to Nahum, given another warning. Pending is now their utter destruction. This indicates that a warning from God may have a long or short lifetime. However, one must consider God’s warnings have an eternal timeline.

We have no way of documenting this thought, but perhaps the reason Nineveh was so open to repentance at the time of Jonah was they had some “affliction” meaning God’s first warning.

Photo by Brian James on Pexels.com

*The utter end of its place (Nineveh) was also literally fulfilled. “Not only were these people lost from history, even the city was lost until it was discovered by archaeologists, beginning in the 1840’s.” (Boice)

JIV NOTE: Some will wish to argue that Ashur was the capital of Assyria. S/he would be right, until the reign of Assyrian king Sennacherib. He transformed Nineveh and moved the political seat in Ashur to what was already their religious center…Nineveh.

Nahum 1:10 Verse 9-11 should be read in conjunction. They address Nineveh being destroyed and Judah being delivered. Verse 10a may be a prophecy of the Assyrian leadership near their end. The following explains the *“entanglement as in thorns” mentioned in verse 10.

“Many cities have risen and fallen throughout the course of world history, but few have had such a dramatic history as the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh. At its height, Nineveh was arguably the most cultured and sophisticated city in the ancient Near East, but a combination of factors led to its quick demise. *Dynastic quarrels within the Assyrian royal house precipitated the city’s decline, allowing Assyria’s many enemies to ally and eventually siege and sack the once great capital city of Nineveh.” https://dailyhistory.org/How_Did_the_Ancient_City_of_Nineveh_Fall%3F. This tactic was to divide then conquer.

Nahum https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Nahum+1%3A11&version=NKJV 1:11 may be a prophetic vision of the future antichrist. The NKJV states: From you comes forth one Who plots evil against the LORD, A wicked counselor. This is easily read right over without consideration. Many commentaries do not even address its possible implications. Who is the “ONE?” Who is that “wicked counselor”? This verse is specific. It says, “THE ONE. The wicked counselor” It is in the singular. Who fits this role to the proverbial “T”? It must be one of Satan’s trinity: Satan (the Dragon), antichrist (beast #1), and false prophet (beast #2). This is Satan’s imitation of God’s three-in-one person…Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Nahum 1:12 is another challenging verse to understand. It is assumed to be specific to Nineveh, Assyria. One of the concerns with this is the use of the terms “you, they, his.” Does Nahum switch his prophetic focus back and forth between Israel and Nineveh? If Assyria is considered symbolic of the word at-large during end time or the Millennial, the “you”, “they”, and “his” could reference both or each individually. Nahum 1:11-12 are specific to Israel. For God will afflict them no more and their yoke will be removed. In verse 14 it is Israel’s oppressors who are the focus. To dig their grave [v14] means their end. Nineveh lost their legacy to Babylon shortly after the time of Nahum.

JIV NOTE: There is another legacy not mentioned but can be deduced. The legacy of Israel being identified as a target of others in the world. This is easily observed today. When Christ returns no longer will they be the fish in the barrel that others can take potshots at without missing or Israelis (the fish) escaping. Roles will, in a sense, be reversed. Israel will be held in very high esteem. [cf. Micah 4:2]

Nahum 1:13 “…For now I will break off his yoke from you, And burst your bonds apart.” For now can be read as “on that day…” The bonds of Israelis will be gone. The bonds of the world and the bonds of God’s judgements on them will be burst. They will be no longer be in bondage to the world around them. God will have made a new covenant with them. [cf. Jeremiah 31:31-34]

Nahum 1:14 is a reference to Nineveh and prophetically to the world “in that Day” [end time]. The LORD has given a command concerning you: “Your name shall be perpetuated no longer. Out of the house of your gods I will cut off the carved image and the molded image. I will dig your grave, For you are vile.” The carved images and molded images represent all that the world has carved out for their lives, livelihood, institutions, and cultures without God. To dig their graves is symbolic of their destined end in eternity, not heaven but hell’s lake of fire. To symbolically be identified as “in one’s grave” means s/he no longer has control over anything. Each will live out his or her eternal consequence. No longer will there be Free Will. All will then be as determined before the world was created [Ephesians 1:4].

JIV NOTE: This does not mean some are predetermined to be chosen and some chosen to be condemned. It means the end time paths of life and eternity are predetermined.

Nahum 1:15 A point often overlooked in verse 15 is the use of the name Judah instead of Israel. Note the “church” of believers is also not mentioned. This time and passage is about Israelis. The global church of believers has already been removed; raptured. “…the feet of him [who is standing] on the mountains” fits well with the return of Jesus Christ as Messiah [see closing paragraph].

Nahum is stating that since the Northern Kingdom of Israel was dispersed by the Assyrians in 722 B.C., only Judah then remains. They too have a limited amount of time left before the Babylonians invade, conquer, then take the Judean population into captivity. It will also be the end of an independent people-nation or kingdom. When the few who return to Judah after being released from captivity in Babylon 70-years later, all remained subject to the Persians, never again a self-determined people until April, 1948.

“And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, Which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, From east to west, Making a very large valley; Half of the mountain shall move toward the north And half of it toward the south.” [Zechariah 14:4].

Rev. Dr. Jstark
2021

Nahum 1

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Nahum 1:1-8

“…and the clouds are the dust of his feet.” What a powerful idiom describing the majesty and magnificence of God. This is in Nahum 1:3.

JIV NOTE: We are in a series of Minor Prophet narrative commentaries. Following is a list with approximate dates of their prophetic B.C. years. This can be subject to debate but is a good approximation based upon how each one relates their existence to a king or leadership of either, or both, of the kingdoms of the divided Israel. Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel are the Major Prophets but only due to the size of their books.

Jonah (798 B.C.) 
Amos (796 B.C.)
Hosea (796 to 719 B.C.)
Micah (740 to 711 B.C.)
Nahum (711 B.C.)
Habakkuk (626? B.C.)
Zephaniah (626? B.C.)
Joel (596 to 586 B.C.)
Obadiah (590 B.C.)
Haggai (520 B.C.)
Zechariah (520 to 518 B.C.)
Malachi (400 B.C.?)

One may ask, why is Daniel neither a major nor minor prophet? Especially good question when considering chapter 11 of his book. The best deduction is because he wrote from Babylonian captivity. The major prophets wrote to Israelis who were not under captivity. Harassed by enemies, YES, but not removed from their homelands. The minor prophets prophesied while a only a Judean governor was on the throne of Judah.

Nahum 1-8:

Nahum 1:1 Jonah had a sincere and serious problem with the enemies of Israel called the Assyrians. God sent a reluctant Jonah to their capital city Nineveh to warn of God’s pending judgment. They repented and were spared much to the dismay of Jonah. As far as scriptures tell us, little more is shared their repentance.

Enter Nahum. He now deals with Nineveh some 87 to 90 years after Jonah (reference the above list of minor prophets). The word “burden” in most major translations of verse Nahum 1:1 means “utterance or doom.” We do know that Nahum had a vision or a dream, not a visitation by an angel of God. Scripture says so in verse #1…The book of the vision of Nahum…”.

Nahum 1:2 Can God express anger? Verse 2 and 3 say he can and has. Recall that Jonah had delivered a revival message to Nineveh but now these people had slipped back into their old evil ways. There is debate about whether the Assyrians descended from the lineage of Shem or Ham. According to Genesis 10:11 when tracing the lineage of the families of Noah, one can conclude the Assyrians were descendants of Shem even though Nimrod (descendant of Ham and secular history) built the original Nineveh.

The KJV Bible states that Asshur went out of the land of Shinar (Babylon) and built Nineveh, Rehoboh, Calah, and Resen. According to Genesis 10:21-22 Asshur descended from Shem.

AHA MOMENT: This same passage in Genesis tells us that Elam, a son of Shem, established what we know today as the original Persians. They admit they are not Arabs but still hate Israel. This hate is from a contrast to Judaism called Islam.

We should comment on the word “jealous” in verse 2. God is not jealous of us but (z)jealous for us. To not willingly put our own self on the side of God/Jesus, is to forfeit his protection and eternity with him. Satan roams the world [1 Peter 5:8] seeking who he can destroy.  God is jealous for us.

We Teach – You Decide

Nahum 1:3 is often quoted…in part, but few can sight their quote per book and verse from where it comes. “Jehovah God is slow to anger.” It is Nahum 1:3. When one reads the entire verse, we also read that God will NOT ACQUIT (hold blameless) those who do not *trust in him.

*God’s measure in judgement is one’s trust in Him, not a belief he is God. Satan even believes that.

This verse includes our opening sentence. “…and the clouds are the dust of his feet.” Some clouds are beautiful, some are heavy storms. In Nahum one can conclude the clouds, or dust of God’s feet are storm clouds. Nahum 1:3b states this as fact. Storm clouds by then have gathered over Nineveh. Jonah’s earthly, but wrong wish of destruction upon them is now on the way. In absolute commentary, God is saying of those who do not trust in him, s/he will be trampled as is the dust of the earth under his feet.

Nahum 1:4 has an interesting set of parameters. It includes the area of Bashan. Remember that the Tribe of Dan settled this area after leaving the lands assigned to them by the casting of Lots during the leadership of Joshua. Deuteronomy 33:22 tells us they will “leap from Bashan.” Why Nahum included this identity of Bashan in verse 4 is difficult to understand. We have several other narrative commentaries on this website that explain Dan’s migrations to the territories of Scandinavia after leaping out of Bashan.

Nahum 1:4 He (God) rebukes the sea and makes it dry, And dries up all the rivers. Bashan and Carmel wither, And the flower of Lebanon wilts.

Nahum 1:5 continues this analogy of the power of God. In short, all creations including the angels who fell when Satan (Lucifer) himself rebelled against God. “…the earth quakes, the mountains and hills melt, the earth heaves at his presence and command (paraphrased).” And all who are in it!” This should remind one of Jeremiah 51:25 and 51:56b.

Nahum 1:6 and 7 seem to be an oxymoron. Verse 6 says who can stand against God’s anger yet verse 7a states that the Lord (God) is good so who would stand against him?

One can ask, what is the source of or for his fierce anger versus his goodness in back-to-back verses? The answer is of a single purpose, one and the same reason. It is all in what a person puts his or her trust. Is it God or self? God is not a religion! Example: Canaanites came from the same Noah family as did Israeli. Their forefathers knew about the flood, Noah, and God’s justified anger with human sin thus the flood. Yet, they developed and adhered to a god (religion) outside of God. After *1656 years of pre-flood patience, God dealt with them. NOW Micah includes both the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah (all Israelis) in his prophesies.

*Adam to Noah

1:7 does not say God knows who he can trust but “he knows who trusts in him (and him alone).” This is his goodness and his anger. Trust is an example of using one’s free-will.

Nahum 1:8 The word “flood” in verse 8 sends some Bible studies into a tailspin. Strong’s H7858 and H7857 is shay’-tef for a local flood. In Noah’s flood (Genesis 6-9) the word flood is mabbûl. This is a great deluge. In verse 8 of Nahum 1 the word flood means an outrageous outpouring or overflowing (YLT) passing over of judgement. Note: There was a major shay’-tef flood but not global flood in Nineveh in 612 B.C.

AHAMOMENT: This is not part of the Book of Nahum but is related to it. Many articles from supposedly science-based research and time stamping include huge numbers for the existence of the world. It is in the hundreds of millions. We will not contend with that, but we have recent proof of the global Genesis flood. You decide, but young and mostly intact dinosaurs that were recently discovered in two distant areas of Siberia both choked to death on mud. [Life Science Magazine published this in 2021].

AHAMOMENT #2 In 2011: Alberta, Canada. Rather than explain its relationship to the Noah Flood, let me cut and paste their own words. Some 110 million years ago, this (particular) armored plant-eater [dinosaur] lumbered through what is now western Canada, until a flooded river swept it into open sea. The dinosaur’s undersea burial preserved its armor in exquisite detail. (Emphasis mine)

Note two things:

  1. Secular science wants to date this dinosaur at 110 million years old.
  2. Secular science wants to make us believe it drowned by a local river flooding.

Note a third thing: This huge creature was unearthed from dry land, not in the depths of the sea or ocean. It was also buried deep in sand [mud?] on dry land. Please note how easy it is to misguide people by how scientific assumptions are made. Was this dinosaur swept into a sea that no longer exists during a river flood? Perhaps the answer is much simpler. Yes, this creature drowned in the depths of deep waters. When the waters subsided, it was left buried on dry land. Noah’s flood? With great caution so as to not be dubbed into false thinking, check the Internet at https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/article/dinosaur-nodosaur-fossil-discovery

It is even more profound to read in this National Geographic web article that somehow science has determined by looking at skeletal remains this dinosaur discovered in March 2011 even had a bad attitude. To reference and substantiate other articles written for ahabiblemoments, these scientists admit that during the time of this creature’s life, Canada had a south Florida climate. At this time, the world was probably squared up to the sun’s rays. The sheer weight of the Noah-tic Flood waters and its water run off tilted the earth to its wobbling or rotating 30 which gives us our current 4 seasons. This constant globally mild weather of Adam to Noah’s time is great. What God originally created was perfect. This supports the fact that other so-called scientific discoveries of tropical plant life frozen deep in arctic ice came from a “South Florida” climate in the far north. Secular science has no incentive or desire to allow much discussion of this fact.They wish only to tell us what to think instead of how to think.

We stated in a previous commentary article concerning the Great Deluge of Noah, that the world up to Noah’s flood was not tilted at a 3o but had equal global sunshine. This National Geographic article fails to understand their claims actually support the Bible context of the flood.

We will pick up on this narrative commentary next week; Nahum 1:9 to the end of chapter 1.

Rev. Dr. Jstark
2021