Nahum 1:1–8 ‘But with an overwhelming flood he will make an end of Nineveh; he will pursue his foes into the realm of darkness.’ (v8)
Around 760 BC, God sent Jonah to warn the people of Nineveh, the Assyrians, that judgment was coming. When the Assyrians repented, God withheld His action.
At the time, the Assyrians were the superpower of the day, they ruled the world, from Libya and Ethiopia to Babylon and beyond.
But around 100 years later, Nahum was sent to announce that God’s judgment was now coming.
The Assyrians had become absolutely brutal in their war against their opponents and tortured them mercilessly.
Nahum was telling the people of Judah to not despair, because God had pronounced judgment on the Assyrians.
The city of Nineveh fell to the Babylonians, Medes, and Scythians in August 612 BC. During the third year of a siege, heavy rains brought a flood which broke down part of the walls.
This allowed the Babylonians to enter the city and destroy it. According to some reports, the king of Nineveh, in seeing that walls were breached, ordered the city to be burned, and died there with his family rather than be captured.
So, Nahum’s prophecy of being destroyed by flood (1:8) and fire (3:15) was amazingly fulfilled.
We may think that God is slow to halt the actions of evil men and women. The truth is that God weighs all things and even the apparently ‘innocent’ are not blame free.
But He will eventually step in. For some it will be judgment in the next world, but evil empires will eventually have their day. Don’t despair; trust God and do what you can to stay close to Him.
A Prayer To Make:
Lord, You came not to condemn the world but to save it. Thank You that Your judgments are just but that You act in mercy. Amen.
An Action To Take:
Next time you watch or listen to the news, or read a newspaper, remember that God judges all things and all peoples.
Scripture To Consider:
Jonah 3:6–10; Isa. 10:12–19; Matt. 24:22–35; 2 Pet. 3:1–9
