Habakkuk 1:1

Habakkuk 1:1 says, The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see.  Matthew Henry places the time of Habakkuk's prophesies during the reign of Manasseh, one of the most evil of Israel's kings.  Though they were God's people by His calling them into a covenant relationship, they were not His in action, especially in their leadership.  This was a common situation in the Old Testament world, and we as followers of Christ must insure that it doesn't happen in our lives.  Habakkuk said that what he saw was a burden to him.  When we see evil and injustice occurring in the world today, it should be a burden to us if we are following God's will.  Verse two adds, O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!  Habakkuk felt that God was not listening when he cried out to Him.  This too is a common feeling of God's prophets.  When nothing happens immediately, they question whether God is listening or not.  We today may have prayed about something and feel that God is not listening, but we can be certain that when we as His followers speak to Him, He always hears and answers.  The answer may not come immediately, and if it is not what we want it to be we may not acknowledge it, but God's answer will come.  Verse three continues, Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention.  Habakkuk wanted to know why all he saw was iniquity.   This sounds a lot like what goes on in much of the world today.  We don't even have to look to the rest of the world, because it is happening even here, where we call ourselves a Christian nation.  Verse four states, Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.  Habakkuk said that there was no fair judgment and that the wicked had power over the righteous.  Even though this may have been true, God still had power over everyone and everything.  Just because we may see mostly evil when we look at the world today, we need to remember that God has promised His people everlasting security.  Verse five adds, Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you.  In this verse, God begins His answer to Habakkuk.  God tells the heathen, those who are not a part of His kingdom, to behold the work that He was about to do against Judah, or His people.  When we who call ourselves God's people allow evil and injustice to become the norm of our lives, then we should not be surprised when God allows us to suffer defeat.  Verse six continues, For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwelling places that are not theirs.  God told Judah who was going to defeat them.  Again, we can debate whether God empowered the Chaldeans or simply removed His protective hand from His people.  I believe He removed His protection knowing what would happen without it.  When God removes His protection from someone due to their disobedience, then they are powerless against the forces of the world.  Verse seven says, They are terrible and dreadful: their judgment and their dignity shall proceed of themselves.  Then verse eight adds, Their horses also are swifter than the leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves: and their horsemen shall spread themselves, and their horsemen shall come from far; they shall fly as the eagle that hasteth to eat.  Habakkuk speaking God's word told the people how powerful and terrible the Chaldeans were.  When we are outside God's will and protection, then we face some powerful and terrible enemies with only our own strength to rely on.  Verse nine continues, They shall come all for violence: their faces shall sup up as the east wind, and they shall gather the captivity as the sand.  Verse ten states, And they shall scoff at the kings, and the princes shall be a scorn unto them: they shall deride every strong hold; for they shall heap dust, and take it.  Verse eleven adds, Then shall his mind change, and he shall pass over, and offend, imputing this his power unto his god.  Without God's protection, the people of Israel were helpless, and so are we as followers of Christ today.  In their pride and victory, the Chaldeans would even give credit to their god.

Nahum Review

As we look at the lessons learned from Nahum, the first is that just because one generation repents and turns to God doesn't mean that the coming generations are secure in their relationship to God.  The city of Nineveh had escaped destruction earlier because the people had honestly repented and turned to God, but the coming generations did not continue to follow God.  We may call ourselves a Christian nation today, but being a Christian nation cannot be based on how preceding generations believed and lived in relationship to God.  Unless the majority of the current generation are followers of Christ, then we cannot be a true Christian nation.  Next, though Nineveh was still a thriving city, their days of wealth and power were soon to end. We today may still be a rich and powerful nation, but unless we are living by God's standards, we can be certain that this will not last.  Even if we are still a rich and powerful nation when Christ returns, those things attained outside of God's will can never last.  Next, we see that those who are called God's people cannot find security outside of following His will, and those who do not claim to be God's people certainly cannot.  Nineveh felt secure in their alliances, but they found out that it was a false security.  We today may feel secure in our national strength and alliances, but if we are not following God's will, then we also have a false security.  We also see that allowing the worship of idols led to God destroying not only those who worshipped them, but also the idols themselves.  The things that people worship instead of God today will ultimately be totally destroyed.

Nahum 3:11

Nahum 3:11 says, Thou also shalt be drunken: thou shalt be hid, thou also shalt seek strength because of the enemy.  Nineveh was to be reduced to a state of drunkenness.  Those who are drunk cannot be expected to act rationally. They would look for a place to hide in from their enemies, but none would be found.  When we make God our enemy through sin, we are as illogical as a drunk, and there is no place to hide from His judgment.  Verse twelve adds, All thy strong holds shall be like fig trees with the first ripe figs: if they be shaken, they shall even fall into the mouth of the eater.  God said that all their strongholds would be devoured by others.  They may have been rich and powerful, but others would take all that away.  Verse thirteen continues, Behold, thy people in the midst of thee are women: the gates of thy land shall be set wide open unto thine enemies: the fire shall devour thy bars.  At the risk of being called sexist, this says that the men of Nineveh would be as weak as women and all their defenses would be destroyed.  Verse fourteen states, Draw thee waters for the siege, fortify thy strong holds: go into clay, and tread the morter, make strong the brickkiln.  Nahum's prophecy from God was that the people of Nineveh prepare for a siege.  When we are in defiance against God, we may lay up stores to see us through life, but they will ultimately be destroyed.  Verse fifteen adds, There shall the fire devour thee; the sword shall cut thee off, it shall eat thee up like the cankerworm: make thyself many as the cankerworm, make thyself many as the locusts.  This is a continuation of the warning of the coming total destruction of Nineveh.  Verse sixteen says, Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven: the cankerworm spoileth, and flieth away.  Though Nineveh was exceedingly rich, their riches would soon be spoiled and fly away.  Anything we gain outside the will of God will be the same.  No matter how much we accumulate in this world, it will eventually pass away.  Only those things done for God will last.  Verse seventeen adds, Thy crowned are as the locusts, and thy captains as the great grasshoppers, which camp in the hedges in the cold day, but when the sun ariseth they flee away, and their place is not known where they are.  The rulers and military leaders were going to flee when trouble came.  They thought of themselves as powerful men, but Nahum said God saw them as grasshoppers.  That is the total of our strength before God.  Verse eighteen continues, Thy shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria: thy nobles shall dwell in the dust: thy people is scattered upon the mountains, and no man gathereth them.  God said that those who were supposed to protect and care for the people were asleep.  They felt secure in their own power and were not prepared for the coming destruction.  People may be asleep in their sinful nature and feeling secure today, but God has already sent His warning that judgment is coming.  Verse nineteen concludes, There is no healing of thy bruise; thy wound is grievous: all that hear the bruit of thee shall clap the hands over thee: for upon whom hath not thy wickedness passed continually?  Nahum concludes God's prediction of the coming destruction saying that there was no healing for them.  When someone rejects God's gift of salvation there is no healing for them.  Though God is patient in love, He will not wait forever for a person to accept His gift of salvation.

Nahum 3:1

Nahum 3:1 says, Woe to the bloody city! it is all full of lies and robbery; the prey departeth not;   Nahum begins to pronounce God's reasons for His judgment against Nineveh.  The city was full of lies, robbery, and violence.  That sounds like many cities that we know of today.  If God pronounced judgment on Nineveh, then we should not be surprised if He pronounces judgment on cities, or countries, today.  Still, the ultimate destruction will not come until the return of Christ.  Verse two adds, The noise of a whip, and the noise of the rattling of the wheels, and of the pransing horses, and of the jumping chariots.  The city of Nineveh had relied on their military might to suppress their people.  The rulers had no concern for those they ruled over but only wanted what would enrich themselves.  When a country's rulers begin to favor the rich at the expense of the poor, I believe that God still warns that woe is coming to them.  Verse three continues, The horseman lifteth up both the bright sword and the glittering spear: and there is a multitude of slain, and a great number of carcases; and there is none end of their corpses; they stumble upon their corpses: I believe that this was just a continuation of a list of the ways that those in power abused those that they were to rule.  God expects rulers to govern in fairness and concern for even the poorest and weakest of citizens.  Verse four states, Because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the wellfavoured harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts, that selleth nations through her whoredoms, and families through her witchcrafts.  The people of Nineveh were devoted to witchcraft and led other people to follow witchcraft.  Whether it is witchcraft or idolatry, God will ultimately destroy both and those who follow these practices will be punished.  Even if they are successful during their whole life, they will be separated forever from God in the coming judgment.  Verse five adds, Behold, I am against thee, saith the LORD of hosts; and I will discover thy skirts upon thy face, and I will shew the nations thy nakedness, and the kingdoms thy shame.  God declared Himself to be against Nineveh and that He would expose their shame.  When God is against a nation or a person, He will eventually reveal their shame, their sinful nature, to the world.  Verse six continues, And I will cast abominable filth upon thee, and make thee vile, and will set thee as a gazingstock.  This is just a continuation of how low Nineveh would become in the eyes of those around them.  They were proud of their wealth and finery, but they were to be reduced to a vile gazing stock.  So it is with all sin driven life.  One day, God will reveal the true nature of sinful people, those who have refused to acknowledge Christ as Savior and Lord.  Verse seven says, And it shall come to pass, that all they that look upon thee shall flee from thee, and say, Nineveh is laid waste: who will bemoan her? whence shall I seek comforters for thee?  The destruction of Nineveh was to be so terrible that everyone would flee when they saw what had happened to it.  No one would mourn nor offer comfort to them.  When God sends His judgment on sin, there is no reason to mourn and no comfort can be found except for the forgiveness and comfort available through Christ.  Verse eight adds, Art thou better than populous No, that was situate among the rivers, that had the waters round about it, whose rampart was the sea, and her wall was from the sea?  Nahum was referring to another city that had felt secure in the world.  Verse nine continues, Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and it was infinite; Put and Lubim were thy helpers.  This city thought themselves to be safe and secure because of their alliance with other countries.  We may feel that we have strength in numbers when we align ourselves against God, but that will never be the case.  Verse ten concludes, Yet was she carried away, she went into captivity: her young children also were dashed in pieces at the top of all the streets: and they cast lots for her honourable men, and all her great men were bound in chains.  When we rely on anyone or anything for our strength other than our relationship to God, we will be carried away captive by sin.

Nahum 2:8

Nahum 2:8 says, But Nineveh is of old like a pool of water: yet they shall flee away. Stand, stand, shall they cry; but none shall look back.  Nahum said that Nineveh of old had been like a pool of water, always replenishing itself.  Now, instead of relying on that refreshing pool and defending it, they would flee from the army coming to defeat them.  They would be called on to stand, but no one would even look back from their flight.  People today may have what they think is an inexhaustible supply of wealth and power, but when God comes in judgment, all they will think of is to flee from His sight.  None will be able to stand and fight.  Verse nine adds, Take ye the spoil of silver, take the spoil of gold: for there is none end of the store and glory out of all the pleasant furniture.  All the wealth that Nineveh had and the things she prided herself on were going to be taken away.  All the things that we pride ourselves on will be taken away when we stand before God, because it all belonged to Him from the beginning.  All we can offer to God is ourselves.  Verse ten continues, She is empty, and void, and waste: and the heart melteth, and the knees smite together, and much pain is in all loins, and the faces of them all gather blackness.  From a rich and powerful city, Nineveh would we empty and void.  Nineveh's leaders and riches would be gone.   Verse eleven states, Where is the dwelling of the lions, and the feedingplace of the young lions, where the lion, even the old lion, walked, and the lion’s whelp, and none made them afraid?  Then verse twelve adds, The lion did tear in pieces enough for his whelps, and strangled for his lionesses, and filled his holes with prey, and his dens with ravin.  The rulers of Nineveh were compared to lions, who had destroyed anything in their way and claimed anything they wanted as their own.  The question in verse eleven was where were they now that God was pronouncing judgment on them.  They would no longer have these dwelling places and strongholds.  Verse thirteen continues, Behold, I am against thee, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will burn her chariots in the smoke, and the sword shall devour thy young lions: and I will cut off thy prey from the earth, and the voice of thy messengers shall no more be heard.  God told them that their destruction would be complete.  The people of Nineveh had avoided destruction before by turning briefly to God, but they had soon fallen back into their old ways.  If people are not totally dedicated to God, then they will soon fall back into their old sinful nature.  We are forever saved by Christ, but that does not mean that all our descendants nor all those around us are, which is why we must continually proclaim the gospel.

Nahum 2:1

Nahum 2:1 says, He that dasheth in pieces is come up before thy face: keep the munition, watch the way, make thy loins strong, fortify thy power mightily.  Nahum was now speaking to the people of Nineveh.  The people of Nineveh had turned away from God and started to rely on their own military power and false God's, but Nahum warned them that their destruction was coming.  No matter how powerful a country, or a person, may feel, when outside of God's will, destruction is coming.  Even if a country, or a person, remains powerful when defying God until the return of Christ, their destruction is still certain at that time.  Verse two adds, For the LORD hath turned away the excellency of Jacob, as the excellency of Israel: for the emptiers have emptied them out, and marred their vine branches.  The Assyrians had taken away the sovereignty of God's people and led them to bring the worship of idols into their religious ceremonies.  Now, if God's people had been His by faith and not simply in name, we know this could not occur.  Today, if we are followers of Christ by faith and not simply by words, the idolatry of the world will not creep into our worship of God, either individually or collectively.  The people of Nineveh felt indestructible, but God was sending His judgment on them.  Verse three continues, The shield of his mighty men is made red, the valiant men are in scarlet: the chariots shall be with flaming torches in the day of his preparation, and the fir trees shall be terribly shaken.  I believe that Nahum was simply warning the people of Nineveh that their defeat was going to be total.  God had spared them when Jonah had come proclaiming their destruction because they had repented and turned to God.  Their worship of God did not last long, and now His judgment was coming.  As followers of Christ, we need to ensure that His message continues to go out to the world.  Those who come after us cannot be saved by our faith.  Verse four states, The chariots shall rage in the streets, they shall justle one against another in the broad ways: they shall seem like torches, they shall run like the lightnings.  This is a continuation of Nahum's warning of the destruction that was coming.  Their military power was not going to save Nineveh.  Our personal strength, no matter how much we may feel that it is, will never save us from the power of sin.  Only our faith in and obedience to God can do so.  Verse five adds, He shall recount his worthies: they shall stumble in their walk; they shall make haste to the wall thereof, and the defence shall be prepared.  The armies, probably of Nebuchadnezzar, would drive the army of Nineveh away.  They would quickly take the walls and lay siege to the city.  No matter what defences we may think we have when we stand in opposition to God, He will easily overcome them.  Verse six continues, The gates of the rivers shall be opened, and the palace shall be dissolved.  The people of Nineveh thought that since they were a large and powerful city that they were safe, but all their defences would soon be destroyed and their capital, the seat of their authority, dissolved.  The same thing will ultimately happen to everyone that stands against God.  No matter how powerful they feel they are, the very seat of their power will be dissolved, or utterly destroyed.  Verse seven concludes, And Huzzab shall be led away captive, she shall be brought up, and her maids shall lead her as with the voice of doves, tabering upon their breasts.  Matthew Henry says this refers to the queen being led away captive.  She would basically be led through the streets to show her weakness.  When God defeats those that stand against Him all their weaknesses will be put on display.  We cannot hide our sins from God, no matter how rich and powerful we may think we are.

Nahum 1:9

Nahum 1:9 says, What do ye imagine against the LORD? he will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time.  This was likely a prophecy to the Assyrians and certainly to Nineveh, but it applies just as well to anyone.  What can we imagine against God that is going to give us any power over Him.  People may believe that God is powerless in the world, but they confuse His patient grace with an inability to act.  Verse ten adds, For while they be folden together as thorns, and while they are drunken as drunkards, they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry.  Though the Assyrians felt they were a great power in the world and denied the existence and power of God, they would be like drunks caught in thorns before God's judgment.  Verse eleven continues, There is one come out of thee, that imagineth evil against the LORD, a wicked counseller.  This likely referred to  Sennacherib, who spoke blasphemy against God.  He felt that his power was greater than that of God, and taught others to believe that God was powerless if He even existed.  There are countries in the world today that teach that there is no God and who put their faith in their own power.  They will ultimately be just as tangled up in their own lies and face God in His wrath and not His mercy.  Verse twelve states, Thus saith the LORD; Though they be quiet, and likewise many, yet thus shall they be cut down, when he shall pass through. Though I have afflicted thee, I will afflict thee no more.  Though referring immediately to those who had oppressed God's people in that day, we can take comfort in the fact that those who oppress God's people today will ultimately be defeated.  When we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord then God will afflict us no more.  Verse thirteen adds, For now will I break his yoke from off thee, and will burst thy bonds in sunder.  God was going to remove the bond of captivity from His people.  When Christ came into the world, this promise was completely fulfilled.  Until we come to God through Christ the bond of sin will never be broken.  Verse fourteen continues, And the LORD hath given a commandment concerning thee, that no more of thy name be sown: out of the house of thy gods will I cut off the graven image and the molten image: I will make thy grave; for thou art vile.  Though God's people were going to be set free, Sennacherib and those in power were going to be destroyed completely.  They had brought idolatry into the worship of God's people.  When we accept Christ, all of the idols of our life are destroyed.  If we allow them to come back into our lives, or our worship of God, then we become vile in God's eyes.  Though through our faith in Christ we are still God's children forever, the things that we do that are not guided by God will be destroyed.  Verse fifteen concludes, Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace! O Judah, keep thy solemn feasts, perform thy vows: for the wicked shall no more pass through thee; he is utterly cut off.  Nahum stated that upon the mountains were the feet of the One Who brought good tidings.  I believe this is a reference to the coming of Christ.  Judah was told to keep their feasts and perform their vows because the wicked would no longer pass through.  This will only be true when Christ returns for His people, but in the meantime we are to remain faithful to Him.  The power of sin and death over us, as followers of Christ, has been utterly cut off.