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By Tyson Thorne

January 29, 2019
 

Nahum Intro Large

In Genesis chapter twelve we see the promise that the nation of Israel will be founded by God through Abraham, “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing." In this disclosure of future events, God also makes a promise saying, "I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse....”  Centuries later, (about 750 BC), Jonah visits Nineveh and prevailed upon them a mass revival. Because of their remarkable about-face and repentance to Elohim, God spared them.

They lived for a while in the light of God’s truth, but it didn't last long. While the people of that great city were quick to repent, they were also quick to forget Elohim. They started causing trouble for Israel once more. By the time Nahum delivers this prophecy (between 80 to 100 years after Jonah's revival) Assyria had already conquered Israel and were causing tensions with Judah. God, through Nahum, gave two reasons why his judgment will not be turned back again: (1) they were sinning against Israel, and (2) they had cursed Israel. First, their sin was one of war and conquest waged against a people under Elohim's rule. They knew who Israel's God was and invaded anyway. Second, the curse they issued against Israel was a call to Nineveh's deity to injure the nation of Israel. It is never a good idea to set up a god against the God. Beyond that, however, going back to Genesis 12 Elohim promised to curse those who curse Israel. As a result of their actions God’s punishment on Nineveh was eminent. They had dished up for themselves a double helping of God’s wrath. For this reason, God sent Nahum, like Jonah before him, with a message of judgment. 

Author & Date of Composition 

Nahum the Elkoshite wrote this prophecy about 650 b.c., an hundred and thirty years after Jonah prophesied to the same city. There is much debate as to the meaning of the term Elkoshite. Clearly the author intended to give us a clue as to the region he was from, but this city or region is not known by modern scholars. Some have suggested it was a city in Judah south of Jerusalem. Others claim it was an Assyrian city, making Nahum a prophet from Assyria to its own city of Nineveh. Still others claim it was a local name for the city of Capernaum, Galilee, which has an historic claim as “the Village of Nahum.” Though both Capernaum and the city south of Jerusalem have merit as possible sites for Nahum’s home town, this author gives little credence to the possibility of Nahum being from Assyria. It is unlikely that an Assyrian would know the Jewish God, much less be a prophet of Elohim. Even if those two requirements were met, how would an Assyrians prophet’s message to an Assyrian city across the desert from Israel find its way into the Jewish Scriptures? 

The date of the prophecy can be ascertained with fair precision. Nahum uses the destruction of Thebes (no-Amon) to illustrate a point. This city was destroyed in 661 BC, necessitating the prophecy being given after this date. Further, the judgment he pronounces on the city occurred in 612 BC. Therefore, we can affix a date between 661 and 612 BC.

The Book 

  1. Elohim's Anger
  2. Elohim's Judgment
  3. Elohim's Vindication.