#SteepedAndSpendingTime in the Book of Nahum #Nissan (4.30.22)

Brothers & Sisters in Christ,

The book of Nahum is one of the shortest books in the Bible.  With only 3 chapters, the Book of Nahum is a strong and mighty declaration.  

Shortly before the fall of Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, in 612 B.C., Nahum uttered his prophecy against the hated city.  It has been said that the prophet Nahum had an "exultant outburst of joy over the impending destruction" of Nineveh; part and parcel due to the savage cruelty of Assyria, which had made it the scourge of the ancient Near East for almost three centuries. The royal inscriptions of Assyria afford the best commentary on Nahum’s burning denunciation of “the bloody city.” In the wake of their conquests, mounds of heads, impaled bodies, enslaved citizens, and avaricious looters testified to the ruthlessness of the Assyrians. Just such a conquest was suffered by Israel, when its capital Samaria fell to the Assyrians in 722/721 B.C., and by Judah, when its capital Jerusalem nearly fell to invading Assyrian armies twenty years later.   In fact, Nahum 3:19 speaks directly to Judah joining in the general outburst of joy over the destruction of Nineveh!

And to be clear, Nahum the man, is not a prophet of unrestrained revenge.

Nahum asserts God’s moral government of the world. Nineveh’s doom is evidence that God stands against oppression and the abuse of power. Something that we must remember in our present day and age.  God will NOT allow constant oppression and abuse of power; and at the same time, we as Disciples of Christ (not just believers, but Disciples) are called and commanded (and God expects) to do our part, just as Nahum did.  We cannot be reluctant to speak up, to stand up and to show up with our faith as our armor and shield.  Nahum spoke boldly.  And we must as well.  We are called to be disciples.  We are not called to go to church every Sunday or Saturday.  We are not called to be in this group and that group; in this church ministry and that church ministry.  Now to be clear, all of those things (and more) are good and noble and there is nothing wrong with doing those things - but one of the most important things, that many Christians do not do - is to GO OUT AND BE DISCIPLES OF CHRIST.   Many scripture verses speak to this.  Matthew 28:19-20 states “ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age; ~ and other scriptures speak to this mandate for believers followers of Christ, including Mark 6:7 ~ Luke 10:1 ~  Matthew 4:19 ~ 2 Timothy 2:2-3 ~ and John 12:26 to name a few.

And so, as you can see, we are called in this way - the same way as Nahum - to prophetically speak and warn of the impending consequences of particular actions.  That is our part to do.  And God will do the rest, as He always does.  Our job is simple, not to judge, not to enact and enforce mandates; but to warn, to speak unapologetically and unrelenting - and then let it go.  We are called, once we have done our part, to release the individual to their own choice(s), their own discernment, at that point, it is between them and God - and it is none of our business.  

The book of Nahum is the seventh book of the 12 minor prophets of the Hebrew Bible; attributed to the prophet Nahum & is believed to have been written in Jerusalem in the 7th Century BC.  This Book is valuable - for, like many of the books in the Bible, Nahum is a warning, a playbook, a lesson and an instructional correction.  

And because the ancient Near Eastern superpower, Assyria had terrorized its smaller and weaker neighbors, exploiting their economies and subjugating their people for its own ends; Nineveh’s demise is viewed as an act of divine justice, and it is greeted by the small, oppressed countries as a time of deliverance, as a moment of renewal, and as a message of peace.

The book is divided as follows:
I. God’s Terrifying Appearance (1:2–8)
II. Nineveh’s Judgment and Judah’s Restoration (1:9–2:1)
III. The Attack on Nineveh (2:2–3:7)
IV. Nineveh’s Inescapable Fate (3:8–19)

What a mighty God we serve!!!  This journey, like the previous journey's, has been an amazing reflection.     For your joy, soul/spirit/mind nourishment and your own reflection and refraction - all of the posts that have gone up during this #NahumSeason are listed below.  Refer back to it time to time, and we even encourage you to do your own reflection - pick a book of the Bible and dedicate to reading it a bit at a time, until you have read the entire Book.  For there are many things that we can do that pleases GOD, but spending time in His Word is one of the very best things we can do.

~ Rachel Newman, WoGfT Team

~~~~~~~

Enjoy this "walk down memory lane" by revisiting and reflect on our blog posts from the Book of Nahum.  Bless!

Nahum 1  (10.8.19)

Nahum 1:1-6  (4.11.22)

Nahum 1:7-11  (4.12.22)

Nahum 1:12-15 (4.14.22)

Nahum 2:1-4 (3.27.22)

Nahum 2:5-10 (3.29.22)

Nahum 2:11-13 (4.4.22)

Nahum 3:1-10  (4.18.22)

Nahum 3:11-19  (4.19.22)

Bless and be a blessing.

Peace.
Love.
Joy.
Faith.