{"id":6104,"date":"2012-09-26T01:00:52","date_gmt":"2012-09-26T08:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lighthousebc.com\/beacon\/?p=6104"},"modified":"2012-09-26T09:52:55","modified_gmt":"2012-09-26T16:52:55","slug":"bob-nahum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lighthousebc.com\/beacon\/2012\/09\/26\/bob-nahum\/","title":{"rendered":"BOB – Nahum"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

by Stephen Rodgers<\/em><\/p>\n

NAHUM IN\u00a010\u00a0WORDS\u00a0OR\u00a0LESS<\/strong><\/p>\n

“Powerful, wicked\u00a0Nineveh\u00a0will fall before God’s judgment.”<\/p>\n

TITLE<\/strong><\/p>\n

Like the majority of the other prophetic books, Nahum is named for the prophet who gave the prophecy that bears his name (Nahum 1:1).<\/p>\n

AUTHOR\u00a0&\u00a0AUDIENCE<\/strong><\/p>\n

Per Constable:<\/p>\n

We know nothing about Nahum (\u201ccompassion,\u201d \u201cconsolation,\u201d or \u201ccomfort\u201d) other than what we read in this book. His name proved significant since he brought comfort and consolation to the Judeans with his prophecies. He was \u201cthe Elkoshite\u201d (Nahum 1:1), so he evidently came from a town named Elkosh, but the location of such a town has yet to be discovered. Scholars have suggested that it stood near Nineveh, in Galilee, near Capernaum (City of Nahum?), east of the Jordan River, or somewhere in Judah. Since he was a Jewish prophet and evidently lived after the fall of Samaria in 722 B.C., a location in Judah seems most likely to me.<\/em><\/p>\n

Nahum’s prophecy was delivered both to the Assyrians who had captured and carried off the ten northern tribes, but also to the southern kingdom of Judah who feared that the same thing might happen to them.<\/p>\n

DATE<\/strong><\/p>\n

Nahum can actually be dated fairly easily, since it clearly takes place between two well-known historical events: the fall of Thebes and the fall of Nineveh.<\/p>\n

Per the MSB:<\/p>\n

With no mention of any kings in the introduction, the date of Nahum\u2019s prophecy must be implied by historical data. The message of judgment against Nineveh portrays a nation of strength, intimating a time not only prior to her fall in 612 B.C. but probably before the death of Ashurbanipal in 626 B.C., after which Assyria\u2019s power fell rapidly. Nahum\u2019s mention of the fall of No Amon, also called Thebes (Nahum 3:8\u201310), in 663 B.C. (at the hands of Ashurbanipal) appears to be fresh in their minds and there is no mention of the rekindling that occurred ten years later, suggesting a mid-seventh century B.C. date during the reign of Manasseh (ca. 695\u2013642 B.C.; cf. 2 Kin. 21:1\u201318).<\/em><\/p>\n

BACKGROUND\u00a0&\u00a0SETTING<\/strong><\/p>\n

It helps to think of Nahum as the sequel to Jonah. Over 100 years before, God had used Jonah (worst. prophet. ever.) to proclaim to the Ninevites a message of judgment. In response, the Ninivites repented in rather spectacular fashion (remember the remorseful livestock). However, that spirit of repentance was apparently short lived, since in the intervening years they had managed not only to return to their evil ways, but had been used themselves as an instrument of judgment in the destruction of the northern kingdom of Israel…who themselves had not learned the necessary lessons from Jonah’s message.<\/p>\n

Fast forward to Nahum, and his prophecy concerning Nineveh. Despite the apparently overwhelming odds, he promised that the Assyrians would be judged for their wicked and cruel ways, and that God would ultimately deliver His people.<\/p>\n

HISTORICAL\u00a0&\u00a0THEOLOGICAL\u00a0THEMES<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are two major themes that run through the book of Nahum.<\/p>\n