Nahum was a contemporary of both Jeremiah and Zephaniah. In his prophetic book he predicted the judgment of Nineveh—some 125 years after Jonah’s missionary trip via the big fish! For the people of Nineveh (a city in Assyria) had returned to their old ways and their decadent lifestyles. Those who had once repented, had returned to wickedness.
Those who had once repented, had returned to wickedness.
God is slow to anger, but Nahum said that He was fed up with Nineveh’s sinful ways. The cruel and evil Assyrian Empire, Nineveh included, would fall.
But that is not the only message of this book. The prophet wanted to assure God’s people that He would restore them according to His kingdom promises if they would repent and return to Him. Though God had allowed a painful, crushing defeat at the hands of their enemies because of their sin, He would not let His people’s sins cancel out His promises.
Nahum was reminding them that God is loving, yet He is also just.
Nahum’s name means “consolation,” and through this prophet God sought to console His people in the midst of judgment. Nahum was reminding them that God is loving, yet He is also just. We must not allow one aspect of His character to cancel out the others in our minds.
Here’s a short video that highlights five key themes from the book of Nahum. May you be blessed by it.
