Nahum Prophesies

This post is from Laurie's notes during the Bible Study at Open Door Church Sunday Morning.

 

 

 

This week's Sunday school lesson continued on the book of the prophet, Nahum, and the destruction of Nineveh. 

It was explained that Daniel, when addressing the captives in Babylon, was still alive at the time of Nahum's prophesy. These were times of great battles between the nations for control of power over the people and the land.

Each time the land was besieged, trees would be cut down, and the land would be deforested (a cause of desert waist-lands). In an effort to control the people further, taxes were levied on remaining fruit-bearing trees, causing  famine.

Famine, coupled with the deforestation, drew lions to this area, an area where lions do not typically live. Remember Daniel and the lion's den?

As we read from chapter 1 of Nahum, we learned that Nahum had foretold that trouble was about to befall Nineveh, but that God is good and a safe place of refuge in times of trouble.  We must always look to God.

 

Our teacher showed us a  map of the location of Nineveh and the areas surrounding it as well as a video of a re-creation of Nineveh as it would have been in the days of Nahum. Ninevah was built on the river Tigris. It had magnificent hanging gardens along its city walls, and its culture was very advanced, including having its own postal system. Reservoirs and irrigation systems were developed to control the flow of water in Ninevah. 

During this time, Nineveh was the capitol of Assyria. It was a city of great, lavish buildings and commerce.  Despite repenting for their wicked behavior (bloody and violent sieges on Northern territories, sexual promiscuity, worship of idols and false gods, and infant sacrifices) nearly a century earlier, when Job told of God's anger toward Nineveh, and God sparing them;  the atrocities and debauchery continued.

 

This time, God would deliver justice upon Nineveh through its ultimate destruction.  Also during this time, the  surrounding kingdoms of Akkad and Medes came together to plot to overthrow and take down Nineveh.

 

God was on their side, and they were very strategic in their plans.  A year into the campaign,  God revealed to Nahum what would happen to Nineveh. The water in the reservoirs was lowered and released into the Tigris River, causing a great flood to force open the gates of Nineveh and flood the city. Nahum had a vision of this , and wrote it down, " But with an overwhelming flood, he will make a complete end to his enemies."

The battles fought by the Assyrians, were not just battles of land conquest, but they were also battles against God.

 

The Assyrians tried to pit the power of the gods they worshipped, against the One, True, God of all.

Ephesians 6 :12 tells us, " For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil."

In Nahum 1:10, we see that that the people of Nineveh are tangled up in their own evil ways and drunk on their own power, and they have let it go to their heads.

 

We, ourselves, at times, also become consumed by circumstances, and so, they too are consumed.

 

The Assyrians would often enslave their own people. God allowed this, because they were sinners, bowing down to and worshipping false gods. God gave them a choice, a warning, if you will, during the days of Job: be careful which path you choose--life or death.

 

God said, the people of Nineveh were vile because of their choice to honor false gods and partake of disgusting and evil rituals in obeisance to them.

 

In Deuteronomy 23:21-23, it states, "If you make a vow to the Lord, your God, do not postpone fulfilling it; for the Lord, your God will surely require it of you, and you would incur guilt. But if you refrain from vowing, you will not incur guilt. Whatever your lips utter, you must diligently perform, just as you have freely vowed to the Lord your God with your own mouth.

 

When we make a vow to God, He expects us to keep it. The people of Nineveh made a vow to God, when Job told of God's anger toward them, and that their destruction would be brought about. They repented and vowed to stop their evil ways, and they were initially spared, however, they soon resorted back to their old ways, and God brought justice upon them, and Nineveh was ultimately destroyed.

What is there to be learned from all of this?

Be careful what you vow to the Lord. As He has kept His promises to you, so you, too, are expected to keep your promises to Him.

God is a great and loving Father. He will provide shelter in times of great trouble.

 

It is in times of chaos, loss, strife, and trouble, that we sometimes try to take matters into our own hands. Some turn to drugs, alcohol, over-eating, rioting, violence (power struggles), and promiscuity, etc. as a means of escape.

 

God does not stop us from doing these things, as we do them of our own free will. He allows us to experience the consequences of these actions as a reminder that we cannot find a permanent shelter in these things, these idols that falsely promise relief. 

 

We need to seek the refuge that is God, and find the stillness and peace in Him, until the storm passes.