Nahum 2:1-13
1 He who scatters has come up before your face.
Man the fort!
Watch the road!
Strengthen your flanks!
Fortify your power mightily.
2 For the LORD will restore the excellence of Jacob
Like the excellence of Israel,
For the emptiers have emptied them out
And ruined their vine branches.
3 The shields of his mighty men are made red,
The valiant men are in scarlet.
The chariots come with flaming torches
In the day of his preparation,
And the spears are brandished.
4 The chariots rage in the streets,
They jostle one another in the broad roads;
They seem like torches,
They run like lightning.
5 He remembers his nobles;
They stumble in their walk;
They make haste to her walls,
And the defense is prepared.
6 The gates of the rivers are opened,
And the palace is dissolved.
7 It is decreed:
She shall be led away captive,
She shall be brought up;
And her maidservants shall lead her as with the voice of doves,
Beating their breasts.
8 Though Nineveh of old was like a pool of water,
Now they flee away.
"Halt! Halt!" they cry;
But no one turns back.
9 Take spoil of silver!
Take spoil of gold!
There is no end of treasure,
Or wealth of every desirable prize.
10 She is empty, desolate, and waste!
The heart melts, and the knees shake;
Much pain is in every side,
And all their faces are drained of color.
11 Where is the dwelling of the lions,
And the feeding place of the young lions,
Where the lion walked, the lioness and lion's cub,
And no one made them afraid?
12 The lion tore in pieces enough for his cubs,
Killed for his lionesses,
Filled his caves with prey,
And his dens with flesh.
13 "Behold, I am against you," says the LORD of hosts, "I will burn your chariots in smoke, and the sword shall devour your young lions; I will cut off your prey from the earth, and the voice of your messengers shall be heard no more."
God’s message to Nineveh was twofold as were many texts of Job’s accusers. Though the message was against the sinful city, the words also encourage us. The LORD came face to face in judgment to scatter that great and sinful city with words to man the fort with defenses, watch the road for the attack, strengthen the flank to prevent the unforeseen, and to strengthen what might of armies and weaponry they had. It was all in vain for them because God had pronounced their defeat and destruction for turning back to sin after about one hundred years earlier repenting at Jonah’s warning preached and heard. These words can also be encouraging to we who follow God in Christ and in His righteousness because we are in Him. We can see Him coming face to face for our good and not destruction. We can then be encouraged to man the fort in hope with Him defending us, opening our eyes in warning of the devil’s wiles in the frontal and rear attacks, and with the knowledge that He defends us by His strength and oversight because He is the Lord of hosts who fights for us in the heavenly realm. Just like the LORD restored the excellence of Jacob like that of Israel, so will His remnant on the narrow road to him be made wholly holy in His holiness because we also have been delivered from the sinful enemy now and forever. The wicked descendants of the men of Nineveh who rejected the message of forgiveness and deliverance earned the wages of sin while we have been forgiven them by the one who paid the price for us and no longer holds us accountable unto eternal judgment and spiritual death. Nineveh ran away trying to escape judgment to no end while we ran into the Savior’s arms instead. Nineveh was left empty, desolate, and a waste while we have everything for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3) in His word to which we hold in willing obedience. The lions devoured Nineveh while we watch the fort against the roaring lion (Psalm 22:13, 1 Peter 5:8) walking about to trap us in sin and lies and muddy our faith’s effectiveness in bearing witness to the gospel. God was completely against Nineveh and destroyed her armies and self-reliant might to silence her sinful words against Him. We have the Lord Christ on our side who leads His army to victory in this world and the next. The voice of His messengers with the gospel will not be ever silenced but heard evermore. This is our positive hope as the negative example of Nineveh brings to mind in contrast as we trust our deliverance in Christ. Man the true fort, watch the road we travel as we follow Christ and imitate Him (1 Corinthians 11:1), strengthen our flanks by being aware of the lion’s methods of attack, and most of all find our strength in our Lord and not in or from ourselves (2 Corinthians 3:4-5). Behold, He is with us as Romans 8:31 assures us all who are His!
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