Nahum

It had been a while since I had read Nahum. Going into it, I knew that Nahum was a prophecy against Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian Empire. It was the second time a prophet was sent to Nineveh. About 150 years earlier, Jonah had been sent (and eventually went) to give a message of warning. The king and the city repented. This time there was no warning being given. The prophecy was about the coming destruction of Nineveh.

On this reading, I was a little more aware of the picture of God's anger given in the words Nahum carried to Nineveh. He begins with a statement of God's justice and power. A quick note in 1:7 that God is not simply a God of wrath is followed by more words about the coming destruction. Nineveh's sins are seen as plots against the Lord in 1:9.

This is to be a total destruction. There will be no descendants. No survivors. Judah is avenged! Assyria will rise no more.

The battle details of chapter 2 and 3 are verified by history. The Sycthians laid seige to Nineveh for two years. When the flood waters of the Tigris washed away part of the city's wall, the invaders took advantage to gain entrance to the city itself. Everything was destroyed.

God calls to Nineveh in 3:8 and following, reminding them that Thebes, another great city had already fallen, even with the mighty Nile as it's protectorate. Could Nineveh count on the Tigris to protect it? It actually helped the destruction. "Look at your toops -- they are all women!" The taunt of 3:13 sheds some light on the shame of a woman in battle (see Judges 11). "You fight like girls," would be the modern equivalent.

In the end, what no one thought could happen, did. The surprise of the surrounding nations that mighty Nineheh could fall was predicted and fulfilled.