II. The Power of Judgment (Nahum 2:1-13)
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II. The Power of Judgment (2:1-13)
2:1-6 Nahum taunts Nineveh like the Assyrians used to taunt other nations (see 2 Kgs 18:30-35): Man the fortifications! Watch the road! Brace yourself! Summon all your strength! (2:1). He eggs them on with sarcasm, knowing full well that none of those actions will do them any good. They’re like a ninety-eight-pound weakling facing a heavyweight boxer. They can man their chariots and fortify their walls, but it will all prove futile (2:3-5). For the Lord will restore the majesty of Jacob, yes, the majesty of Israel (2:2). Israel has a champion, and he has no equal.
2:7-13 Assyria was the big kid on the block. Nations trembled at its approach. But all of the beauty of Nineveh would be stripped away (2:7). All of its silver and gold would be plundered (2:9). Desolation, decimation, and devastation would be left in their place (2:10). While Judah’s messenger would announce good news (1:15), Assyria’s messengers would never be heard again (2:13).