Category: Nahum

Nahum 3:1 Woe to the city of blood, full of lies, full of plunder, never without victims!

From a literary standpoint, verses 1-3 with their rich sensory descriptions, really strike me. We are placed into the scene with the flashing swords, glittering spears, crack of the whips, clatter of the wheels, blood and broken bodies everywhere.

Nahum 3:2 The crack of whips, the clatter of wheels, galloping horses and jolting chariots!

Not only that, but there is a pervading sense of hopelessness and defeat in this scene: Not only can no one and nothing save them, but all who hear of their defeat will celebrate.

Nahum 3:3 Charging cavalry, flashing swords and glittering spears! Many casualties, piles of dead, bodies without number, people stumbling over the corpses….

Lord, Thank You that this fate is not the end for those who trust in You, for those who repent and return. While this chapter is rich with detail from a literary standpoint, from a personal standpoint, I do not wish to ever suffer this fate. Thank You that You not only show me the way out of this proud trap, but also that You keep after my heart, showing me what is keeping me from You and how to fully return. I don’t deserve anything You give me, Lord, but I am so grateful. Amen.

Nahum 3:19 Nothing can heal you; your wound is fatal. All who hear the news about you clap their hands at your fall, for who has not felt your endless cruelty?

Have a blessed day.

Nahum 2:1 An attacker advances against you, Nineveh. Guard the fortress, watch the road, brace yourselves, marshal all your strength!

It is said that God brings beauty from ashes. This verse seems to show almost the reverse. Because Nineveh refuses to submit, the Lord is turning this once rich, formidable place into a wasteland.

Nahum 2:2 The Lord will restore the splendor of Jacob like the splendor of Israel, though destroyers have laid them waste and have ruined their vines.

In verse 13, the Lord says “I am against you.” The verse brings to mind Romans 8:31, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Even with everything Nineveh had going for it, even with all the destruction Jacob had suffered, the battle belongs to the Lord, not to man. Might, wealth, power, ruin and waste, none of it matters. Only God.

Nahum 2:10 She is pillaged, plundered, stripped! Hearts melt, knees give way, bodies tremble, every face grows pale.

Lord, We have such definite, human ideas about might and mercy, about victors and victims. But none of that matters in Your eyes. Help me always remember that You are my strength and my refuge, that the battle is not mine but Yours alone. Help me not to put trust in human measures but only in You. Amen.

Nahum 2:13 “I am against you,” declares the Lord Almighty. “I will burn up your chariots in smoke, and the sword will devour your young lions. I will leave you no prey on the earth. The voices of your messengers will no longer be heard.”

Have a blessed day.

Nahum 1:3 The Lord is slow to anger but great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished.…

Many times I have talked about the mercy, love, and compassion of the Lord as seen through His word, the fact that He gives opportunity after opportunity for return and repentance. This chapter seems to show that God’s mercy, love, and compassion aren’t infinite, that He will call those to task who steadfastly refuse to repent and return.

Nahum 1:7 The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him….

However, for those who trust in Him, verse 7 reminds us, He is a trustworthy refuge. The violent imagery in verse 13 (embodied by words like break and tear) show that that repentance and return aren’t always easy, especially when there is much hesitation, a sobering thought.

Nahum 1:13 Now I will break their yoke from your neck and tear your shackles away.”

Lord, I struggle with images of You that aren’t loving, merciful, and compassionate, perhaps because mercy and compassion are what I so need. Thank You for an honest look at what happens when we repeatedly fail to repent and return to You. Help me to never have to experience that side of You first-hand. Soften my heart. Help me to stay centered on You always. Amen.

Nahum 1:15 Look, there on the mountains, the feet of one who brings good news, who proclaims peace!

Have a blessed day.