| Date | Version | Reading Plan |
|---|---|---|
| @December 3, 2023 | ESV (2016) | ESV Prophets Plan 2023 |
Pericopes
- Woe to Nineveh
Notes/Application
Nahum proclaims a woe to the fall of Nineveh, a bloody city full of lies and plunder. Her destruction will be so severe that people will stumble over the bodies. The nation was being judged for her prostitution and charms, corrupting others with her idolatry and commerce. The LORD declares that He is against Nineveh to expose her sinfulness and cover her with shame. Nineveh is compared to other nations and that their worldly strength did not keep them from being cast out. She is called to prepare for the coming siege, an ironic and rhetorical exhortation as these efforts would have no preventative effect. Though their merchants, commanders and generals were many, they would desert the city like swarming locusts. The shepherds (leaders) of Nineveh were asleep in death and news of her fall would cause great rejoicing.
God telling Nineveh to “Draw water for the siege; strengthen your forts” (Nahum 3:14) even though He was set to destroy them is admittedly a challenging text. One might ask why He would bother with such a gesture. And yet, it is written. Difficult as it may be, it amplifies the futility of worldly power in the face of the unsurpassed strength of the God. There will be nothing to avert God’s complete obliteration of evil and wickedness. This should serve as a healthy check as to where (or with Whom) we align. It is only through Jesus that lasting security can be found.
Commentaries & Resources Used
- ESV Study Bible. (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2008)
- Faithlife Study Bible (Lexham Press, 2016)
- Believer’s Bible Commentary (Thomas Nelson, 2016)
- CSB Study Bible Notes (Holman Bible Publishers, 2017)
- Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible (Guardian Press, 1976)
- The Bible: A Reader’s Guide (Sterling Publishing, 2011)
- The Infographic Bible (Zondervan, 2018)
- ESV Digital Scripture Journal (Crossway, 2019)