Nahum

Who were the Assyrians? They were a Semitic people with a long history of civilization spanning from its old empire (2025-1750 BC) to the new (911-605 BC). Culturally, linguistically, genetically and ethnically they were distinct from the middle eastern people.

The Assyrians, however, were more well known for their war-like nature and greatly feared for their extreme cruelty. It was not uncommon to dismember their enemies out of pleasure, to cook them in boiling oil, burn them in bitumen, being skinned alive, used their enemies' heads to build towers and bodies as the supporting frames. Such inhumane acts soon brought down God's righteous judgment on that nation.

Not long after Nahum's prophecy, in 612 BC, a torrential downpour burst the banks of the Tigris river and collapsed a section of the wall of the impregnable city. The Babylonians took advantage of the breach and plundered the capital. Ironically, the Chaldeans employed the same cruel treatments on the defeated Assyrians. The city was captured, destroyed and it never recovered.

The name Nahum is a short form of Nehemiah which means 'comfort' or 'consolation', but it was not meant for the wicked city but those who were oppressed by it. Nahum's message is an indictment of all who commit acts of atrocities to humanity —past, present and in the future, and a reminder that God will not hesitate to exact revenge on those who spun His grace and disregard His righteousness.

OUTLINE OF NAHUM

1. Proclamation of Destruction (1:1-15)

a. God's Awesome Glory (1:1-7)

He will not tolerate sin

b. God's Awesome Judgment (1:8-15)

He will punish sin

2. Portray of the Destruction (2:1-13)

a. Nineveh's Siege (2:1-5)

God will do what He said

b. Nineveh's Breach (2:6-13)

God will bring it to completion

3. Predestined for Destruction (3:1-19)

a. The Sins of Nineveh (3:1-4)

Cruelty | Whoredom | Incorrigible

b. The Doom of Nineveh (3:5-19)

God's final verdict