Nahum

God can and does use Nations for His purpose, however, that does not mean that if they abuse that power they will remain in power. He does not tolerate injustice and idolatry of any kind and although He is slow to anger there is a consequence to actions. We must not be complacent to abuse of power in our nation or in any other. Those who live by the sword will die by the sword.

The people of the northern kingdom of Israel had been sinning grievously against God and ignoring the warnings of punishment given through God’s prophets. Finally God used the nation of Assyria, with its capital city in Nineveh, to destroy the nation and carry the people into captivity. A century after the fall of Samaria in 722 b.c., the Book of Nahum was written to express a major truth of the prophets. Even when God uses a nation for His own purposes of judgment, this does not excuse that nation from its own guilt before the Lord. It was Nineveh’s turn to feel the wrath of God. The last great emperor of Assyria was Ashurbanipal. After his death, the nation did not last much longer, for the Lord was against it.

The seriousness of coming judgment is never a call for complacency among God’s people. Implicit in any announcement of doom is a call for holy living on the part of God’s people and an urgent call for them to bring the message of salvation to those who, apart from salvation, will experience the wrath of God. Judgment is God’s “unusual act”, but it ultimately arises out of the goodness and justice of God.

Most of the biblical prophets directed their judgment oracles against the sinning peoples of Israel and Judah. Nahum, however, brought the word of God’s judgment against Nineveh. 

Nahum:

1 The burden against Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite. 

² God is jealous, and the Lord avenges; 
The Lord avenges and is furious. 
The Lord will take vengeance on His adversaries, 
And He reserves wrath for His enemies; 
³ The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, 
And will not at all acquit the wicked.