An Oracle of Divine Retribution for Assyria

Nahum 2:1-13

Main Idea: Due to Assyria’s wicked behavior in the past, the prophet announces their imminent destruction.

1. I. Divine Retribution Executed (2:1-10)
2. II. Divine Retribution Justified (2:11-13)

The second oracle of Nahum is a message of divine retribution for Assyria because of its brutal and oppressive policies toward Judah, God’s people. The prophet issues a detailed description of what is to happen to the Assyrian capitol of Nineveh. It is a harrowing illustration of divine judgment played out through the deterioration of an empire and an impending attack on its capital. Assyria falls apart politically, militarily, and socially. The chaos it imposed on many smaller kingdoms, including Judah, will now come crashing down on it. Nahum has no interest in attributing the political, military, and social disintegration of Assyria to anyone or anything but the divine decree of Yahweh, the God of all the earth. While Assyria’s demise could be attributed to many factors, the most important factor is the divine justice of the Lord. Nahum 1:3 says, “The Lord will never leave the guilty unpunished.” Now the prophet gives a full-length portrait of the punishment of Nineveh.

Divine Retribution Executed

Nahum 2:1-10

While Judah celebrates the good news on the mountains, bad news is on the horizon for Nineveh, the capital of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. For many years Assyria has been bad news for other kingdoms as it scattered them throughout the ancient Near East as part of Assyrian deportation policy. The Assyrians were known for dispersing conquered populations of peoples to other locations. Second Kings 17 records the fall of Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel. Hoshea, the last king of Israel in Samaria, made a calculated decision to rebel against his Assyrian overlord. Hoshea was arrested, Samaria was besieged and captured by the Assyrians, the people were deported, and people from other lands were brought in to replace them (2 Kgs 17:1-6,24). The biblical justification for the overthrowing of Israel is stated succinctly in 2 Kings 17:7:

This disaster happened because the people of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God who had brought them out of the land of Egypt from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt and because they had worshiped other gods.

God’s people committed spiritual treason against Him, and they were punished for it by having to suffer invasion and deportation under the Assyrians. Moses had prophesied in earlier Israelite history that if the people of God committed idolatry they would certainly be invaded and exiled by enemy nations (Deut 4:27; 28:36-37,64). Now Assyria is about to be terrorized and scattered as an act of divine retribution for its sins in the same way that it had invaded and deported Israel and other nations. The scatterer is about to be scattered!

“One who scatters” is perhaps a reference to God, who is also behind an earthly kingdom coming to make war with Assyria—namely, a coalition consisting of the Babylonians along with the Medes. They are determined to rid themselves of the Assyrian yoke forever. This word is used mostly to describe the scattering or dispersing of people. Here it describes someone who will arise to destroy Nineveh. As a result, the inhabitants will be dispersed out of the city. The immediate horizon appears ominous for Nineveh. An enemy is coming quickly to attack the capital of Assyria. A series of imperatives are issued to alert everyone to prepare for the oncoming siege of Nineveh: “Man the fortifications! Watch the road! Brace yourself! Summon all your strength!” (Nah 2:1).^[18]The language indicates the siege is rapidly advancing toward the capital city. The atmosphere is tense. Nerves are strained. Stress is increasing. Hearts are pounding. Courage is teetering on the brink of collapse. All are summoned to assume ready positions in defense of the city.

God’s retribution against Assyria parallels His restoration of Judah. As He takes down Nineveh, He will raise up Jerusalem. But verse 2 seems to suggest a more significant reality of restoration for God’s people beyond the immediate reversal of circumstances for Judah. God will restore the entire nation of Israel after He has conquered His enemies. The “majesty” of Israel will return despite the ravages of the past. Some commentators have viewed this verse as an interruption in the flow of Nahum’s oracle, but it functions as further justification for the impending doom of Assyria. God will punish the enemies of His people, and in so doing He will restore the fortunes of His people. God never forgets His people, no matter what they have done wrong. His eternal love for His people cannot be broken. In fact, God displays His love for Judah by punishing Judah for its sins and, afterward, restoring Judah. Though God’s people had failed because of their sins, their failure would not be final. God’s faithfulness always trumps our failures. Second Timothy 2:13 says, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.” God would faithfully turn things around for them because He is faithful and because His grace and love for His people cannot be denied. It is also true that God is faithful to His people because of His promises to the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Exod 3:6). God is faithful to the word of His promise to His people. We can be assured of God’s faithfulness to His word. He does not change (Mal 3:6). Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

In verses 3-4 the prophet utters a description of the oncoming invaders accompanying the one who scatters and their assault on Nineveh. This is a formidable force advancing on Nineveh. James Montgomery Boice calls Nahum’s description of events “a masterpiece of ancient literature, unsurpassed for its graphic portrayal of a military assault” (Minor Prophets, 376). The prophet is describing an event that had not yet taken place with graphic detail that resembles the scenes one would encounter in today’s movie theaters. One might get the impression from reading verses 3-4 that the invaders have already entered Nineveh, but they are on the outskirts of the city advancing toward the city wall. This is “no ragtag collection of involuntary conscripts” (Roberts, Nahum, 65). They are well equipped, trained, organized, and prepared with a strategic plan of attack against the city. They have quality equipment: red shields, scarlet battle attire, first-class chariots, and spears. They are ready for conquest. They are prepared to take down Nineveh. The scene is scary. The scene begins on the outskirts of Nineveh but rapidly advances to the city wall. The warriors waste no time lunging into the attack against the city. They inflict intentional chaos on the inhabitants and the environment. They specialize in misery and madness in order to overtake the city. Bloodshed is in their eyes. “The chariots dash madly through the streets; they rush around the plazas” is a vivid description of how rapidly the attack unfolds as this army of conquerors inflicts mass casualties on Nineveh. They know exactly what they are doing, even as the inhabitants of Nineveh are confused and crushed. They strike fear and terror into everyone. O. Palmer Robertson comments on this scene:

They have laid claim to all the territory immediately outside the city walls. Suburban roadways and intersections crisscrossing on the way to the various gates of the city are fully under occupation now. The last resistance has retreated behind the safety of the city’s walls, and the fearful chariotry of the enemy rushes about securing every possible escape route. (Nahum, 89)

God will not be mocked. Nineveh is experiencing a lethal dose of its own poison. Nations like Assyria will be brought to divine justice by the Lord. Sinners cannot trample on God’s people with impunity. The Lord will defend His people. The speed and rapidity with which the assault on Nineveh is happening is breathtaking! The invasion is lightning fast. Judgment may seem to be a long time arriving; but when it comes, it comes swiftly, especially for Assyria.

First, the assault begins on the outskirts of Nineveh, but the invaders soon advance on the city itself (v. 5). They converge on the wall of Nineveh and begin to establish siege works immediately. The soldiers almost injure themselves hurrying to break into the city wall. It does not take long for them to achieve a breakthrough. The city is not as strong as perceived in light of the swiftness of this military assault. No matter how strong and impenetrable Nineveh seemed, the Lord has now exposed its weakness. The invaders successfully breach the wall of the city in record time.

Nineveh is shown to be weak in an area of defense where it was thought to be strongest (v. 6). Roberts comments, “The mention of the flood gates is probably due to Nineveh’s famous system of dams and sluice gates that controlled the flow of water into Nineveh” (Nahum, 66–67). The invaders take control of the city’s water system and turn that water system against it. As a result, the city will be flooded with water but also with invaders coming into the city like floodwaters. This leads to the collapse of the will to defend the city. The erosion of the palace is powerful imagery that communicates the profound sense of fear and dread experienced by all the inhabitants of Nineveh and its surrounding jurisdictions. The palace, which is representative of the central government of Nineveh, weakens and falls apart due to the onslaught of invaders. Nineveh is overwhelmed by the coming of divine judgment for its sins against Yahweh. The erosion of the palace is also metaphorical in the sense that the kings of Assyria will no longer have a place to reside. The Assyrian monarchy is finished, and its brutal reign over the kingdoms of the ancient Near East has come to an end. There is an important lesson for us today: No matter how powerful monarchs may get, they will eventually come to an end. In other words, no one reigns forever except the Lord.

In verses 7-8 the prophet Nahum characterizes the city in two interesting ways. First, Nineveh is a princess in mourning. Second, Nineveh is like a rapidly draining pool. Nineveh the princess is stripped of all her beauty and opulence. The city is humiliated by the ravaging destruction of forces that she is no longer strong enough to defeat. The aftermath of the military assault on Nineveh is devastating. The sound of mourning coming from the women left behind is heard. The beautiful servant girls of Nineveh moan and groan in the streets. The beating of the breasts is a sign of lamentation and mourning great loss (see Isa 38:14; Ezek 7:16). All is lost for Nineveh, and no one can help. The city is also said to be like a pool that is being drained out. Everyone who can escape is pouring out of the city and fleeing for their lives. The fullness of the city has turned to emptiness with all its inhabitants running away from it now that it has fallen to a scatterer (v. 1). “‘Stop! Stop!’ they cry, but no one turns back.” People are fleeing Nineveh with no intention of stopping or turning around. The city they had filled is now empty. Each person is desperate to save himself from the total collapse of the regime. The fall of Nineveh represents the fall of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. God has again exercised His divine sovereignty over an empire. It won’t be the last time He does so. God knows how to bring together the exact confluence of factors to cause empires to rise and fall. Assyria would never rise again. Nahum has made the message as clear and convincing as possible through his graphic depictions of the impending fall of Nineveh.

Nineveh was known for its wealth and opulence. Nineveh exacted tribute from countless kings and kingdoms throughout the ancient Near East. No wonder the city is found to possess the greatest treasures (v. 9). Nineveh may have been rich in earthly treasures, but it was poor in true riches. God’s people may not always possess the greatest earthly wealth, but we have been given the greatest wealth in true riches. God’s people possess riches that cannot be bought with the world’s wealth. The riches of this world can be taken away by others, but true riches cannot be plundered by anyone. God had given Nineveh an opportunity to possess true riches back during the time of Jonah. Nineveh repented, but their piety did not last long (see Jonah 3:5-10). Now Nineveh would bear the full weight of its many sins before God. Sinners and sinful nations will be judged by God. Just as there was no escaping the judgment for Nineveh, there will be no escape from divine judgment for sinners. People may run from God, but they will never escape. Nations may deny God, but they will certainly face His judgment.

Nahum comes to a crescendo in his gripping depiction of the fall of Nineveh in verse 10. What better way to articulate the impact on the city than to employ a powerful wordplay that summarizes the state of the situation in the aftermath of divine judgment? “Desolation, decimation, devastation!” all make up “an exclamation of horror at the scene of the ruined city” (Longman, “Nahum,” 807). The first two terms come from the same root, meaning “to empty.” The third term means “to destroy.” These three terms illustrate the totality of the destruction wrought by the invaders. The aftermath is not an attractive scene because the city has been laid to waste and its inhabitants are homeless and utterly destitute. The effects of the scene are described in physiological terms: “Hearts melt, knees tremble, loins shake, every face grows pale!” The devastation is so harrowing that it causes a dire physiological reaction for those who are left to witness it. The inner convulsions are being experienced through adverse physical reactions. All courage has been lost.

The prophet Joel similarly describes the nations’ reaction to the coming of the Day of the Lord when he says, “Nations writhe in horror before them: all faces turn pale” (Joel 2:6). The prophet Isaiah offered this description when he prophesied concerning the judgment to come on the kingdom of Babylon:

Wail! For the day of the Lord is near. It will come like destruction from the Almighty. Therefore everyone’s hands will become weak, and every man’s heart will melt. They will be horrified; pain and agony will seize them; they will be in anguish like a woman in labor. They will look at each other, their faces flushed with fear. Look, the day of the Lord is coming—cruel, with rage and burning anger—to make the earth a desolation and to destroy the sinners on it. (Isa 13:6-9)

Clearly Isaiah was not only describing the eventual doom of Babylon but also the whole world. God will judge the entire world, not just individual kingdoms, and the reaction will be just as the prophet describes. Sinners will certainly face an angry God who called on them to repent, but they refused, to their own eternal detriment.

How is such devastation good news for Judah, the people of God? To the modern reader this might seem cruel and coldhearted, but when one realizes that Assyria is receiving divine justice for its cruel treatment of countless peoples throughout the ancient Near East, then it becomes clear that God is a God of justice, and He will not leave the guilty unpunished (Nah 1:3). God is just as well as loving. Every human possesses some sense of justice even if it has been distorted by sin. When we declare that God is just, we affirm that He is eternally right to exercise justice on humans in accordance with His own character and standard since there is no greater standard for justice than God Himself. The Lord declares to Moses in Exodus 20:5 that He will punish the sins of the fathers to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Him. Though Assyria has mocked God, nevertheless it is God who determines the fate of Assyria and its allies. God will repay people(s) for their sins. God will hold nations accountable for their policies and their practices. God will judge rulers for how they rule and how they conduct themselves while in their seats of power.

Divine Retribution Justified

Nahum 2:11-13

Nineveh was like a large hollow tree. It may stand tall, but it can easily be cut down. The Neo-Assyrian Empire looked strong from the outside, but beneath the surface it was weak and deteriorating. In verses 11-12 the prophet Nahum issues a prophetic taunt of Nineveh. The image of the lion, mighty and fearless, has now disappeared. Nahum uses the lion image with pointed purpose. Roberts comments:

The lion is a traditional symbol for kingship throughout the Near East, but Nahum may have chosen the lion imagery for this taunt precisely because the lion figures so prominently in Assyrian reliefs and because the Assyrian kings loved to compare themselves to lions. (Nahum, 67)

Where are they now? Gone! The lions’ lair is empty. The Assyrian king gone! His palace empty! There will be nothing left of the king and his cohorts.

It’s one thing to have human enemies, but when the Lord is against you, there is no hope of survival. The Lord declares His opposition with the words, “I am against you” (v. 13). This phrase is a common feature of prophetic literature. Jeremiah the prophet employs this phrase in his oracles. For example, in 21:13 the Lord says, “Beware! I am against you” (see also Jer 50:31; 52:25). The Lord repeatedly speaks these words through the prophet Ezekiel. In 5:8 the Lord declares to the leaders of Jerusalem, “Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: See, I am against you, Jerusalem.” In Ezekiel 13:8 the Lord confronts the lying prophets when He says, “I am against you because you have spoken falsely and had lying visions.” The Lord not only declares His opposition to His own people at times, but also He confronts the nations surrounding His people (see Ezek 21:3; 26:3,8; 29:3). The Lord is against those who do evil (Ps 34:16).

In Nahum 2:13 the Lord vows to destroy the Assyrian military hardware (“chariots”), the king’s officers (“young lions”), and supplies for sustenance (“I will cut off your prey”). This is complete routing of the Assyrian monarch and his royal military machinery. Also, the messengers will be eliminated forever (“your messengers will never be heard again”). This is good news for Judah—God’s people—and for many other peoples who had been subjugated to brutal Assyrian hegemony. This enemy of God’s people will be vanquished forever.

Even though Assyria will be replaced by Babylonian hegemony, at least for a short time God’s people will have rest. They would have permanent rest from their enemies if only they would turn to the Lord in repentance and faith in the covenant (cf. Jer 25:1-14). There is no enemy that cannot be overcome if God’s people remain faithful to His Word. Obedience to the Word of the Lord is the path to blessing and peace (Deut 28). This truth is the same today as it was in the days of the prophet Nahum. In every era the Lord says that if “My people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land” (2 Chr 7:14). God will bless His people when we honor Him with true repentance, faith, and holiness.

Reflect and Discuss

1. When have you seen sinful people receive hurtful treatment with disastrous results? How does the Golden Rule (Matt 7:12) offer a more advantageous code of conduct?
2. God brought the powerful Assyrian Empire down suddenly. What regimes have fallen in recent history? Have you seen God’s hand in those events?
3. What evidence is there that some people substitute patriotism for religion? In what ways are Christians in your own country tempted to do the same?
4. Are the people around you pursuing worldly wealth or the true riches of a relationship with God? List the ways that true riches are better.
5. Will the Day of the Lord be good news or bad news for most of the people in your country? What can you do on your part to improve their prospects?
6. Why is it hard to think of God’s justice when people are suffering, even if the people have been wicked in the past? How can people avoid God’s justice and receive God’s mercy instead?
7. What kinds of emotions do you feel when you read this chapter of Nahum?
8. Ancient Nineveh is located at modern-day Mosul, Iraq. What significance does this have for current international events?