Today’s passage: Nahum 2
Helpful thoughts:
- The defeat and destruction of Nineveh is depicted in chapter 2.
- God reminds the people of Assyria, no matter who the nation is who brings about this destruction (The Medes and Babylonians), they were to know that it happened according to His sovereign will.
- And in the end, the fall of Assyria would eventually lead to the restoration of Israel (Verse 2).
- The Khoser river ran through the city of Nineveh. It is thought that the enemy armies could have closed up the dam which controlled the flow of water into the city prior to their invasion. This would have cut off the cities water supply. But after the water had built up over time, if the dam was opened up or destroyed, the water would have raced toward the city and done a great deal of damage. This is depicted in verses 6 and 8, and possibly as a metaphor in verse 7 as well.
- The imagery of lions refers to the kings. The “young lions” would then be the princes (Those next in line to the throne).
Questions to consider:
- How might the last phrase in verse 13 have sounded in the ears of the Assyrians and the Jews after what had occurred years prior in 2 King 18:28-35?
- When the world (People, governments, etc.) thinks they are stronger than the Lord, are they? When it looks like they are “winning,” are they? Who can defeat the LORD of hosts?
- To what day is all history moving toward? What will be true of all who have put their faith and trust in the promised Messiah, Jesus Christ, when he comes to rule and reign?