IF GOD IS FOR US
Opening Prayer
God, please open my eyes so that I can see Your bigger picture.
Read Nahum 2
Nineveh to Fall
2 [a]An attacker advances against you, Nineveh.
Guard the fortress,
watch the road,
brace yourselves,
marshal all your strength!
2 The Lord will restore the splendor of Jacob
like the splendor of Israel,
though destroyers have laid them waste
and have ruined their vines.
3 The shields of the soldiers are red;
the warriors are clad in scarlet.
The metal on the chariots flashes
on the day they are made ready;
the spears of juniper are brandished.[b]
4 The chariots storm through the streets,
rushing back and forth through the squares.
They look like flaming torches;
they dart about like lightning.
5 Nineveh summons her picked troops,
yet they stumble on their way.
They dash to the city wall;
the protective shield is put in place.
6 The river gates are thrown open
and the palace collapses.
7 It is decreed[c] that Nineveh
be exiled and carried away.
Her female slaves moan like doves
and beat on their breasts.
8 Nineveh is like a pool
whose water is draining away.
“Stop! Stop!” they cry,
but no one turns back.
9 Plunder the silver!
Plunder the gold!
The supply is endless,
the wealth from all its treasures!
10 She is pillaged, plundered, stripped!
Hearts melt, knees give way,
bodies tremble, every face grows pale.
11 Where now is the lions’ den,
the place where they fed their young,
where the lion and lioness went,
and the cubs, with nothing to fear?
12 The lion killed enough for his cubs
and strangled the prey for his mate,
filling his lairs with the kill
and his dens with the prey.
13 “I am against you,”
declares the Lord Almighty.
“I will burn up your chariots in smoke,
and the sword will devour your young lions.
I will leave you no prey on the earth.
The voices of your messengers
will no longer be heard.”
Footnotes
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Is it hard to imagine things changing for the better in your personal or our national lives?This chapter reads like a running commentary. The prophet pictures the vivid colors of the retreating Assyrian army (3) as Nineveh is invaded by a greater power. It’s an extraordinary piece of prophetic imagination.
At the time of his writing, the Assyrian empire is at its peak, but Nahum sees beyond its imperial might to a more dominant regime. He attributes this to the actions of God, who is against the people of Nineveh (13), and he interprets world events through this understanding of God’s covenant with His people.
At the time of this prophecy, the Assyrian empire was beginning to wane and relied on the resurgent Egyptian army for support. In a dramatic power grab in about 610 BC, the Babylonians overwhelmed all their rivals and established their rule over much of Assyria. Not only did this mark the end of the Assyrian empire, it also meant the complete devastation of Judah as Jerusalem was captured and the people exiled to a distant land. But Nahum is no fatalist. This is God in action and no one can thwart His purposes.
Apply
If God is for us, who can be against us?’ (Romans 8:31). Through Christ, peace and reconciliation now have the final word. What does this mean to you? How can you be a messenger of peace?
Closing prayer
Thank You, Jesus, that You made a way for all humankind to make peace with God. May I share that good news with others.
Book and Author Intros
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