When romania was still under communist rule, a christian pastor commented on revelation, the favorite book of. While nahum is a short book of only three chapters comprised of 47 verses, we would be wise to pay attention to the message of nahum. There are many dates assigned to this book and this prophet. His name means comfortcompassion, which highlights the central message of his prophecy. To understand the prophets exultant outburst of joy over the impending. What was the main goal of nahum s message to judah. Nahum the elkoshite had a message of consolation to judah since he foretold the doom of the assyrians and the restoration of gods people.
When god had a message for the people, he spoke through the prophets. If capernaum is a hebrew word, then this is the evident origin. His book is a message of destruction for nineveh, and that would have been a message of consolation for the nations she had oppressed. He was a hebrew and may have written from jerusalem a short time before the downfall of assyria.
Nineveh was conquered by the babylonians, medes, and scythians in 612 b. The very first verse of this book informs us that the message will be the burden against nineveh nahum 1. In jonah we see ninevehs repentance, but in nahum the ninevites have returned to. The major thrust of the book, from beginning to end, is the fall of nineveh, described as the bloody city 3.
But we dont know where that was because it is not mentioned elsewhere in the bible. And thats another whole study to see how the assyrians migrated to europe. This chapter describes the cause of the destruction of nineveh. It is attributed to the prophet nahum, and was probably written in jerusalem in the 7th century bc. In the book of jonah, written in the eighth century bc, we behold a man of god who was called to preach to nineveh. Thus opens nahum s prophecy, and this is the message of this book of the bible for the world today.
Video message from santa for kids 2015 example youtube. The most popular god has more in common with santa claus than jehovah. While scholars have proposed a number of theories about nahum s hometown, elkosh, the best option identifies it with a city in southern judah that later came to be known as elcesi, near where the prophet micah lived. This book contains the prophecies attributed to the prophet nahum, and is a part of the book of the twelve minor prophets. Identify four key themes that run throughout the book of nahum. Nahums announcement was a comfort and a consolation to the inhabitants of judah, as it predicted the downfall of assyria, a savage and cruel enemy of israel and judah. There are many theories as to where that city was though there is no conclusive evidence. His word came in visions, oracles, dreams, parables, and the like. Jonah had already uttered his message of warning, and nahum was followed by zephaniah, who also predicted zephaniah 2. Turn in your bibles to the book of nahum, it can be found in the minor. This is the picture that is given of nineveh, and this is the message of nahum. This is apropos because his message of the coming judgment on nineveh comforted judah after their suffering at assyrias hand.
To understand the prophets exultant outburst of joy over the impending destruction it is necessary to recall the savage cruelty of assyria, which had made it the scourge of the ancient near east. Oracle often indicates a divine message of judgment against a foreign nation isa. The second half of the alphabet is not represented here. Nahum 1 msg god is serious business a report on bible gateway. Nahum united states conference of catholic bishops.
The book s author is nahum, whose name means comfort. To jonahs dismay, the ninevites listened to his message, repented, and were spared gods judgment. While the violence in the text is often difficult to comprehend nahum addresses both the oppressed in judah and the oppressing assyrians. Nahum opened his prophecy by announcing that the lord is a jealous god, who takes vengeance on his enemies and is fierce in his anger. Rabbi nahum wardlev founded and leads beit midrash of santa fe. The book of nahum is a book in the bibles old testament and jewish tanakh we dont know much about who nahum was. This message concerning nineveh came as a vision to nahum, who lived in elkosh. This is the book of the vision of nahum, who was from the town of elkosh l the elkoshite. The unrepentant wicked will receive no comfort see nahum 3. Do we ever reach a point that we cannot be forgiven nahum 3. The discomfiting but urgent message of the prophet nahum a voice of blazing heat and pellucid clarity, nahum reminds us that, like justice and love, vengeance is an element of gods being. He was raised up to preach gods judgment for a second time to nineveh. The author of the book of nahum identifies himself as nahum in the hebrew consoler or comforter the elkoshite 1.
The god of heaven is a god of mercy to the penitent, yet a god of doom to the impenitent. The days of assyrian rule were coming to an end at the hands of the lord. Nahum s book is a sequel to, and a dramatic contrast with, the book of jonah. Sometime around 760 bc, god sent jonah to nineveh to preach repentance and hope to the assyrian people, a message they heard and adoptedat least for a. Choose from 253 different sets of nahum flashcards on quizlet. Nahum 1 expanded bible exb 1 this is the message oracle. One such theory is that it refers to the city later called capernaum which literally means the village of nahum at the sea of galilee. This summary of the book of nahum provides information about the title, authors, date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the book of nahum. The assyrian world power has already devastated samaria, the capital of the tentribe kingdom of israel. Avoiding the fierce punishment of the lord is not dependent on ethnicity, class, intelligence, skin color, or family history, but on repentance and faith. Overview of the book of nahum third millennium ministries. Liturgical calendar sacred art and music prayers and devotions.
Book of nahum overview insight for living ministries. The message of nahum sermon by daniel austin, nahum 1. Jonahs mission to nineveh was probably sometime in the first half of the eighth century b. Though nahum s context is distant, the holy spirit speaks again in a new context that of our modern listeners. The book of nahum is the seventh book of the 12 minor prophets of the hebrew bible. The book of nahum is brutal and bloody, callous and cruel and we often wish nahum were not in the canon 2 for god is the one who incites and executes terrible judgement upon assyria.
The message of nahum judging nineveh part 2 011109 pm text. This christmas, amaze your loved ones by creating a personalized video message and phone call from santa claus. The short book of nahum is largely a poem, a literary masterpiece, predicting the downfall of nineveh, the capital of assyria. Parents, use this app together with your children to encourage good behavior all year long. But every portion of scripture is indispensable, each has its own contribution to make. His name means comforter, and he was from the town of elkosh or alqosh nahum 1. Elkosh is a clan or village of unknown location, perhaps in southern judah. Book of nahum bible survey what are the major prophets and minor prophets. Tucked away among the minor prophets is the relatively unknown book of nahum.
You may recall that god gave the prophet jonah a message for the city of. To which city did nahum deliver a message of judgment from god. Highlights from the books of nahum, habakkuk, and zephaniah. The book of nahum is a stark reminder that those who plot against the lord, will be brought to complete destruction. The lord may be merciful and slow to anger, but the day of judgment does finally come. To which old testament prophetic book do some scholars say nahum owes a literary debt.
Nahum declared that nineveh would fall as did thebes, which the assyrians themselves had conquered in 663. The book of nahum is a book of stern warning to the peoples of nineveh of old, but its also, in a larger sense, a warning to the descendants of ancient assyria, many of whom now live in central europe. The book of nahum is one of two books of the minor prophets that centers on nineveh, the capital city of assyria. Shortly before the fall of nineveh, the capital of assyria, in 612 b. The prophet nahum of judah has a word regarding the assyrian capital, nineveh. The meaning of nahum s name, consoler, plays an important role in the prophets message see bible dictionary, nahum. Nahum can be identified as prophecy based on nahum 1.
The book contains the vision of nahum, whose name means comfort and is related to the name nehemiah, meaning the lord comforts or. This is why the apostle paul could say, all scripture is inspired by god and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for. The book of nahum is prophecy concerning the city of nineveh and reveals a powerful message about gods care for his elect. The only mention in scripture of nahum the elkoshite occurs in the first verse of his own book. It is called an oracle concerning nineveh and the book of the vision of nahum nah. Davis gives the meaning for capernaum as the village of nahum. Introduction the author the name nahum means comfort or consolation. Nahum was a prophet of god and his message comes in the form of a prophetic vision. Nahum is the seventh of the minor prophets, the last 12 books of the old testament.
The next power to rise is the babylonian empire, sometimes ruled by chaldean kings. Ninevehs fall, which is nahum s theme, would bring comfort to judah. The book of nahum is one that is neglected because it is so obscure, and so small that it is seldom read and much less frequently understood. He stands up against his enemies, fierce and raging. An 18thcentury russian orthodox icon of the prophet nahum.
1122 333 177 1173 610 1327 28 900 542 571 1270 1332 300 15 333 1470 706 454 1055 414 754 393 718 109 1365 358 1464 1253 1475