The book of NAHUM!
The Story - The sister BatYah strikes Word gold again! This time I was thinking of making a video about Nahum so tried to enlist some contributors. The video ended up being a bigger project that I’m still working out to this day. But there is some cool info here that I enjoyed very much, Word studies with a partner are a grand time! Making a project out of it, seemed to take me pretty deep in The Word and various ties.
The book of Nahum is very short, read it. See if you can see some parallels in our time. Part of what held me up is a picture I found of a sculpture that kind of crept me out, so I’ll update this at some point. Also there is new updates about Nineveh, so I’m going to try to get back into that as soon as possible. In the mean time…
So what I find at first interesting is Nahum’s name which means “comfort”. From the verb נחם (naham), to be sorry or to comfort, and can also mean compassion, or consolation. And also found that Nahum was around during the time of Jeremiah and Zephaniah which explains some of the mirroring and reflective prophecy, as they were contemporaries. I learned that Nahum, as an oracle, was prophesying the fall of Ninevah as early as possibly 50 years prior to its fall in 612 bc…according to scholars anywhere between 663 and 612. So that is pretty cool to know, because when it comes to prophecy and the way modern people and I assume even historically is that people hear something is coming, like let’s say the Return of our King and if it doesn’t happen tomorrow or next year or whenever their carnal minds expect it to happen, they quickly forget and/or dismiss. So, we see that here as well, with Nahum. The book of Nahum is also known as "the Burden of Ninevah" so that's a self-explanatory title, I suppose.
I also thought about Jonah and realized that Jonah’s time to prophesy came even well before Nahum, and as we know, Ninevah did repent, as the story was told in the book of Jonah. However, they eventually went back to their evil ways and wickedness! So then I began to think of how GREAT GOD”S MERCY was to even send another prophet to them(Nahum), who may have then prophesied up to 50 years prior to their eventual destruction. WOW, right? God is so good! But also, He is so serious when He says Repent!
So in the beginning of Nahum we see again, about His mercy…He is slow to anger…but will not allow the guilty to go unpunished! So it’s like a comfort and a promise is how I read that….the promise and nature of His tremendous mercy, as well as the guarantee that He will avenge, as He is just and righteous and vengeance belongs to the LORD (Psalm 94:1, Romans 12:19). HALLELUYAH!
And so when I see the Whirlwind in Nahum 1:3, I auto think of Jeremiah as He mentions the whirlwind much (Jeremiah Chapters 4, 23, 30 etc). And the LORD even spoke to me on this Whirlwind and a north storm through a message HS gave to me using Jeremiah 4, so I’m pretty familiar with that theme of judgment on the wicked, but also, His promise of protection for His people. Glory to the TMH God of Israel!
The overwhelming flood in Nahum is more of that righteous judgment. A flooding of souls perhaps?
So who is the evil one who comes from Ninevah devising wicked plans? Well I see an AC parallel of course, but this was also probably the king of Assyria or whomever was in control of Ninevah at that time because it was the capital of Assyria until it fell in 612, apparently. And the Assyrians or those in leadership were known to be especially brutal, cruel and wicked, so it makes sense that the LORD destroyed them for their evil and injustices that they inflicted on His people.
So then by verse 12 we see the LORD says “Although I have afflicted you (Judah) I will afflict you no more”, so we see this pattern in the prophets regarding restoration, another of His promises which He always keeps as He is the ultimate promise keeper! And then of course I see Jesus/Yeshua in verse 14 as the beautiful feet Who brings the good news, proclaiming peace. And naturally all of His disciples who are called to do the same, pointing to our Messiah always and following all of His ways! And in the end of Nahum 1 we see more promises of joy and protection, or a coming fulfillment of these things with festivals and vows!
And just by brief refreshment of Nahum 2, I see a little more on the restoration promise, as well as the war declaration and positioning for battle, etc, like a warning. Then Nahum 3 is the total destruction of that evil kingdom, which follows the prophecy pattern of this is what is coming, this is why, and get ready because this will be your END! Unless you(they) repent (if you/they can) or it's like He already knows who will and who will not repent so then sometimes it's more of sure thing, as in, all this destruction much come upon you(meaning them) because they did not or refused to repent, and so they brought it upon themselves, essentially. I find the talk of locusts also very interesting in Ch. 3 because of course my mind goes to Rev. But also Joel 2, as it relates to the promise of restoration, as He promises to restore all that has been stripped and eaten away, bringing His people back into fullness and wholeness that can only be found in obedience to Him and eventually reconciliation through Christ Jesus, HALLELUYAH!