Series: Renewal
*Nahum 1:7 ESV
Nahum 1:1 ESV
Nahum 1:1 MSG
Nahum 1:1 NIV
Jonah 1:1-3 ESV
Jonah 1:4 (God sent a wind)
Jonah 2:10 ESV
Jonah 3:10 (Ninevah turned back to God).
There are times in everyone’s life when they need encouragement or hope in facing tomorrow.
In Seminary Counseling we studied how we can best others who come to us for help and encouragement.
One of the things we discussed was how to help others who have “hit a wall”.
A wall in counseling is exactly what you would expect it to be. It means when something devastating happens that will change your life forever. That means it’s life altering. While it’s rare, a person can have more than one life changing event. It’s been my experience that when the second event comes we are a little more prepared.
See, even though life changes we learn that we can go on.
We remember we did survive even when we didn’t believe it was possible.
We remember ‘how’ we survived.
We’ve learned about what Nahum spoke about in Nahum 1:7,
“The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble;he knows those who take refuge in him.”
Nahum’s words are very comforting but it made me wonder what Nahum had experienced in his life that made him so sure, so very certain that God IS a stronghold for those who turn to God for refuge.
So…let’s back up.
The Prophet Nahum begins in Nahum 1:1 by proclaiming the words following are an oracle, or a burden given him by the Lord. In the Hebrew the word used is ‘mas-sa’ and just like many words in English it can mean several different things. According to the Hebrew usage of this particular Hebrew word it can mean nine different words: burden, tribute, porterage, an utterance, chiefly, a doom, singing, mental, or a desire.
Nahum 1:1 in the ESV says, “An oracle concerning Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum of Elkosh.”
Nahum 1:1 in the Message says, “A report on the problem of Nineveh, the way God gave Nahum of Elkosh to see it.”
Nahum 1:1 in the NIV translates it as, “A prophecy concerning Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.”
When translating, just like in any language you look for the context. In this case Nahum opens by declaring the following words are an oracle, a report, or a prophecy concerning Ninevah.
Even with Nahum’s opening line we are told a great deal. We know the City of Ninevah is the subject Nahum is focusing on. We know there is some kind of problem in a Ninevah. We know that Nahum was sent by God to go and see the problem for himself.
We know Nahum was an Elkoshite. We might want to accept that at face value, but names and places attached to names was often important in ancient Hebrew.
It turns out an Elkoshite is someone from Elkosh. Experts believe it could have been a city in Southern Judah. We get a clue about what the prophet’s life and troubles would have looked like when we realize he prophesied during the reign of evil King Manesseh. That was a very difficult and dark time for Judah. The Hebrew people had turned away from the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It would have been some time between 663 and 654 B.C.
We remember this is not the first time we read about Ninevah. We read in Jonah 1:1-3, “Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.”
We know from Jonah 1:4 that God sent a terrible wind and when the crew found out Jonah was running from God they sought God’s face. Eventually they tossed Jonah into the sea and that calmed the waters. While in the sea Jonah was swallowed up by a whale (a great fish) and he stayed there for three days and three nights. When Jonah turned to God the whale “vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.” (Jonah 2:10).
So, Jonah agreed to go to Ninevah and we know from Jonah 3:10 they repented and turned back to God. That would have been around late 700 B.C.
Now fast forward to mid 600 B.C. and Ninevah is the focus again. Now God is sending yet another prophet to Ninevah. God is certainly not willing to let the people of Ninevah perish! At the time they had an evil King from the Assyrian Empire and when an evil King was on the throne the people did evil things.
However the words Nahum spoke to the people of Ninevah were not words of doom and gloom. Nahum gave them words of Hope in Nahum 1:7.
The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was telling Israel God remembered them. Nahum was telling Ninevah to ‘hold on’ because HE is their refuge.
God wanted them to know they were NOT forgotten.
The evil bad guys will not win.
God WILL have the last word!
And…that’s exactly what happened. In 612-610 B.C.E. the Assyrian Empire was destroyed.
Spiritual Practice: Be Encouraged
If you are waiting for the movement of God in your life, sit with God and listen. Give God the opportunity to encourage you.
In God, Deborah
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