Exploring the Meaning of Nahum 1
By Rev. Ian Arnold , Joe David
What's the Book of Nahum about?
We can never really satisfactorily find our way into a book of the Bible, especially a book of the Old Testament, unless we take on board that it's a mirror to us of the inner challenges and experiences we face. Its message, for us, is not about the world outside of us, but about the world inside of us. Beneath the surface, these Bible books focus on this inner world of our thoughts and feelings, burdens and challenges, successes and failures, achievements and disappointments, as we make our journey towards being a more spiritual person.
Most people readily see this "inner meaning" when it comes to the story of Moses leading the ancient people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt to, eventually, the Promised Land. It's movement forward, and movement backward, a longing for what we dream was the past, and more. It speaks to us all.
All of ancient Israel’s enemies symbolize things that attack, plunder, weaken, marginalise and imprison what is from the Lord in our lives. We try to stand up for what's right and decent in a given situation, but in no time, a voice is whispering to us ‘Why bother?’, ‘Who cares?’
Some of those enemies of ancient Israel were fearsome, like the Assyrians and the Babylonians. They were ruthless, rich, powerful and had massive armies.
So think for a moment: what might be amongst the most intimidating ‘enemies’ of our spiritual well-being? What are those things likely to do the most damage?
Babylon has long been recognized as a symbol of power and self-aggrandizement. But what about the Assyrians, who are the antagonists here in the Book of Nahum?
The Assyrians were menacing the ancient Israelites for more than a century, first sweeping away the northern kingdom of Israel in 721 BC, and then hanging around in the area for decades afterwards, a considerable threat to the remaining, southern, kingdom of Judea. How feared and despised they were is so evident in this prophecy of Nahum.
So, in us, what might the Assyrians symbolize? Outside the fortified and walled city of Jerusalem, on one famous occasion they showed themselves to be adept talkers and persuaders. (See the story, in 2 Kings 18).
Hold to this for a moment – “talkers and persuaders”. The thing is that there are those forces and influences that become active within us, trying to talk and persuade us that, for example, sin is fine if it remains undiscovered, or that the Ten Commandments don’t have a place in this day and age, or that 'my lapses are nothing by comparison with what goes on in the world generally'.
If we can see this for what it is, it is pretty fearsome stuff, capable of inflicting great damage to us spiritually.
So, read the Book of Nahum - just 3 chapters of prophecy - with this in mind. It is not people, or tribes, that the Lord pits Himself against - but those very things which hold the potential to devastate us spiritually.
In Chapter 1, “Nineveh” represents a state of life in which we're bringing bad things on ourselves because we aren't basing our lives on spiritual truths from the Lord's Word.
In Nahum 1:2-6, it's saying that Jehovah appears as an enemy to people who are wanting to stay in evil ways. In the spiritual world, all pretences of innocence or any good thing are stripped away, and our true selfish motives are seen.
In Nahum 1:7, there's a hopeful note; people who turn to the Lord and walk with Him are helped.
But, next there's a warning... in Nahum 1:8-11, that people who stick with their false ideas and evils will perish. It's worth noting that, in New Christian thought, there's the concept that God doesn't condemn us; we end up living in a society that fits our own values. If we're essentially selfish, we'll find a spiritual home in a society of essentially selfish people, and... it's probably pretty grim. It's a form of "perishing".
In Nahum 1:12-14, it's talking about people who are in evil because they don't know any better -- it's evil from ignorance. They can be helped if they listen and repent, and allow their false ideas to be removed (as was described in Jonah 3. That's what is meant by this: “…for I will break his, (Belial’s) brace from off thee and pull apart thy bonds.”
Finally, in Nahum 1:15, there's the beginning of a new theme, which leads into Nahum 2.
2 Kings 18
1
Now it happened in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign.
2
He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah.
3
He did that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh, according to all that David his father had done.
4
He removed the high places, and broke the pillars, and cut down the Asherah: and he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made; for to those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it; and he called it Nehushtan.
5
He trusted in Yahweh, the God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor [among them] that were before him.
6
For he joined with Yahweh; he didn't depart from following him, but kept his commandments, which Yahweh commanded Moses.
7
Yahweh was with him; wherever he went forth he prospered: and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and didn't serve him.
8
He struck the Philistines to Gaza and its borders, from the tower of the watchmen to the fortified city.
9
It happened in the fourth year of king Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria, and besieged it.
10
At the end of three years they took it: in the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken.
11
The king of Assyria carried Israel away to Assyria, and put them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes,
12
because they didn't obey the voice of Yahweh their God, but transgressed his covenant, even all that Moses the servant of Yahweh commanded, and would not hear it, nor do it.
13
Now in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah did Sennacherib king of Assyria come up against all the fortified cities of Judah, and took them.
14
Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish, saying, "I have offended; return from me. That which you put on me, I will bear." The king of Assyria appointed to Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.
15
Hezekiah gave [him] all the silver that was found in the house of Yahweh, and in the treasures of the king's house.
16
At that time did Hezekiah cut off [the gold from] the doors of the temple of Yahweh, and [from] the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria.
17
The king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rabshakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah with a great army to Jerusalem. They went up and came to Jerusalem. When they were come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is in the highway of the fuller's field.
18
When they had called to the king, there came out to them Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebnah the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder.
19
Rabshakeh said to them, "Say now to Hezekiah, 'Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria, "What confidence is this in which you trust?
20
You say (but they are but vain words), 'There is counsel and strength for war.' Now on whom do you trust, that you have rebelled against me?
21
Now, behold, you trust in the staff of this bruised reed, even in Egypt. If a man leans on it, it will go into his hand, and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust on him.
22
But if you tell me, 'We trust in Yahweh our God;' isn't that he whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and has said to Judah and to Jerusalem, 'You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?'
23
Now therefore, please give pledges to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to set riders on them.
24
How then can you turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master's servants, and put your trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?
25
Have I now come up without Yahweh against this place to destroy it? Yahweh said to me, 'Go up against this land, and destroy it.'"'"
26
Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebnah, and Joah, said to Rabshakeh, "Please speak to your servants in the Syrian language; for we understand it. Don't speak with us in the Jews' language, in the hearing of the people who are on the wall."
27
But Rabshakeh said to them, "Has my master sent me to your master, and to you, to speak these words? Hasn't he sent me to the men who sit on the wall, to eat their own dung, and to drink their own water with you?"
28
Then Rabshakeh stood, and cried with a loud voice in the Jews' language, and spoke, saying, "Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria.
29
Thus says the king, 'Don't let Hezekiah deceive you; for he will not be able to deliver you out of his hand.
30
Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in Yahweh, saying, "Yahweh will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria."
31
Don't listen to Hezekiah.' For thus says the king of Assyria, 'Make your peace with me, and come out to me; and everyone of you eat of his vine, and everyone of his fig tree, and everyone drink the waters of his own cistern;
32
until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and of honey, that you may live, and not die. Don't listen to Hezekiah, when he persuades you, saying, "Yahweh will deliver us."
33
Has any of the gods of the nations ever delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?
34
Where are the gods of Hamath, and of Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivvah? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?
35
Who are they among all the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of my hand, that Yahweh should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?'"
36
But the people held their peace, and answered him not a word; for the king's commandment was, "Don't answer him."
37
Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, came with Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder, to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and told him the words of Rabshakeh.
