Nahum 2:8-13

THE RUINS OF WAR. Nahum 2:8-13

RV. But Nineveh hath been from old like a pool of water: yet they flee away. Stand, stand, they cry; but none looketh back. Take ye the spoil of silver, take the spoil of gold; for there is no end of the store, the glory of all goodly furniture. She is empty, and void, and waste; and the heart meketh, and the knees smite together, and anguish is in all loins, and the faces of them all are waxed pale. Where is the den of the lions, and the feeding-place of the young lions, where the lion and the lioness walked, the lion's whelp, and none made them afraid? The lion did tear in pieces enough for his whelps, and strangled for his lionesses, and filled his caves with prey, and his dens with ravin. Behold, I am against thee, saith Jehovah of hosts, and I will burn her chariots in the smoke, and the sword shall devour thy young lions; and I will cut off thy prey from the earth, and the voice of thy messengers shall no more be heard.
LXX. And as for Nineve, her waters shall be as a pool of water: and they fled, and staid not, and there was none to look back. They plundered the silver, they plundered the gold, and there was no end of their adorning; they were loaded with it upon all their pleasant vessels. There is thrusting forth, and shaking, and tumult, and heart-breaking, and loosing of knees, and pangs on all loins; and the faces of all are as the blackening of a pot. Where is the dwelling-place of the lions, and the pasture that belonged to the whelps? where did the lion go, that the lion's whelp should enter in there, and there was none to scare him away? The lion seized enough prey for his whelps, and strangled for his young lions, and filled his lair with prey, and his dwelling-place with spoil. Behold, I am against thee, saith the Lord Almighty, and I will burn up thy multitude in the smoke, and the sword shall devour thy lions; and I will utterly destroy thy prey from off the land, and thy deeds shall no more at all be heard of.

COMMENTS

... BUT NONE SHALL LOOK BACK. Nahum 2:8

As with modern, so with ancient warfare, a stream of refugees poured from the fallen city of Nineveh with no idea where to go. The call to them to stay is in vain. Hollow-eyed, they stumble away from all that has ever been home.

Nineveh has always been populace. as stated by Nahum's picturesque description of her as a pool, the figure of water to symbolize a multitude is a common one. (Cp. Revelation 17:5)

A century earlier, in Jonah's time, the population of the Assyrian capital was estimated as including 120,000 small children. (Jonah 4:11)

Now, in defeat, the multitude flee. The commanders cry for them to return, but they will not so much as look back. Their one thought is escape.

TAKE THE SPOIL. Nahum 2:9-12

Andrew Jackson is quoted in American history as saying to the victors belong the spoils. The Medes and Babylonians, and every other invading army to march through the pages of history, agree.
The wealth of the city becomes the prey of its conquerors. The officers stir up their troops to make a thorough job of looting. Nineveh Was rich, and the chief source of income to the ancient man of war was such loot.
The Assyrian lion will no longer ravage the world in search of prey for his lioness and her whelps. The poetic symbolism is obvious. The destruction of Nineveh with her armies and chariots will forever prevent her from preying as a wild animal upon the victims of her greed for empire.

BEHOLD I AM AGAINST THEE. Nahum 2:13

The prophet is careful to point out that the sack of Nineveh is carried out at the will of Jehovah. It must be pointed out here that this is a strange idea to the people of the prophet's time. Each nation had its own gods and they were credited with that nation's victories over her enemies. It is not, however, the gods of the Medes and Babylonians to whom Nahum credits the fall of Nineveh. It is Jehovah of Israel!
Perhaps Nahum saw, as did Micah, Isaiah and the others that Jehovah is not only the one true God, but that He is Lord of all nations.

Chapter XIIIQuestions

Details of Nineveh's Downfall

1.

In a prophetic vision, Nahum saw Babylon's __________ and the armies of the Median __________ at the very gates of Nineveh.

2.

Nebuchadnezzar's common title __________ was well-deserved.

3.

What sort of attack did the Medo-Babylonian alliance launch against Nineveh?

4.

We can only understand God's punishing of Assyria for destroying Israel, the purpose for which He had raised up Assyria, by remembering __________.

5.

In warfare Assyria had practiced a __________ policy.

6.

How does Nahum describe the chariot charge against Nineveh?

7.

Much of Nahum's poetic vividness is borrowed from __________.

8.

What is meant by The gates of the rivers are opened?

9.

Compare the refugee situation of Nineveh with that of modern war.

10.

Discuss take the spoil. Is this practice still followed in modern warfare?

11.

What is implied in Nahum 2:13 by the statement I am against thee?