Nahum 1:14-15

DESTRUCTION OF FALSE GODS AND VILE MEN. Nahum 1:14-15

RV. And Jehovah hath given commandment concerning thee, that no more of thy name be sown; out of the house of thy gods will I cut off the graven image and the molten image; I will make thy gave; for thou art vile. Behold, upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace! Keep thy feasts, O Judah, perform thy vows; for the wicked one shall no more pass through thee; he is utterly cut off.
LXX. And the Lord shall give a command concerning thee; there shall no more of thy name be scattered: I will utterly destroy the graven images out of the house of thy god, and molten images: I will make thy grave; for they are swift. Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that brings glad tidings, and publishes peace! O Juda, keep thy feasts, pay thy vows: for they shall no more pass through thee to thy decay.

COMMENTS

JEHOVAH HATH GIVEN COMMANDMENT. Nahum 1:14

The decree has gone forth. even memory of the Assyrian kings will dim. Their fame will no more be spread abroad. The name i.e. the house and lineage of Sennacherib, will be sown no more.

Actually, Sennacherib's son succeeded him to the throne in Nineveh. It seems Nahum's poetic prophecy here personifies the empire in the king. It was only shortly after Sennacherib that Nineveh, the capital, was destroyed.

... OUT OF THE HOUSE OF THY GODS. Nahum 1:14

Not only will the king and his country be cut off, the gods he worshipped will also perish. In the ancient near-east, as in the contemporary City states of Greece, the defeat of an empire was not just the disgrace of a people, it was the overthrow of a god.
In the case of Assyria, both the dynasty and the deity fell together. The two sons of Sennacherib were killed in the temple while worshipping their chief god, Nisroch. No doubt the desecration of the temple occurred at the same time. Nahum's prophecy that the graven and molten images would be cut off was fulfilled very literally.
Not only in the temple, but throughout the land, the conquerors, unlike the later Greeks and Romans who absorbed local gods, smashed the deities of Assyria wherever they were found.

I WILL MAKE THY GRAVE.

Some take the latter part of Nahum 1:14 to mean that Sennacherib's grave was actually to be made in the temple of Nisroch. In view of the fact that the temple remained in use some time following his death this seems unlikely.

It is more likely Nahum intends here to foretell the ignominious fall of the Assryian dynasty itself. When Babylon was later building on the ruins of Assyria much was said about the grave of that once formidable empire.

Just how despicable were the sins of Nineveh is described in Ezekiel 31:3; Ezekiel 31:11; Ezekiel 31:15-16. Her downfall was commensurate with the heinousness of her sin. Nahum says simply thou art vile and in this vileness sees the reason for her destruction.

BEHOLD UPON THE MOUNTAIN. Nahum 1:15

With these words so familiar to the Christian, Nahum introduces the contrasting comfort of God's people in comparison to the utter ruin of her enemies. We find these same words in Isaiah 52:7 and again in Romans 10:15. In each case they are words of deliverance.

The destruction of Nineveh, brought on the marching feet of the Babylonian army, burst asunder the bonds of vassalage and set Jerusalem free, albeit her freedom was short-lived, for her sins, as we saw in Micah, were becoming as great as those of Nineveh.
It is no strange thing that three writers inspired by the same Spirit, should use the same words. By so doing they simply give their consent to wholesome truths (1 Timothy 6:3) and concur in the same forms of sound words. (2 Timothy 1:13)

KEEP THY FEASTS. PERFORM THY VOWS

Along with Nahum's assurance that they will have no more trouble with Assyria is the subtle warning to remain faithful to God's covenant. He could not but be aware, as were the other prophets, that Judah herself stood in the way of God's wrath unless she stood firm in her faith.
During the troublesome days of Assyria's invasion, the feasts had been interrupted. They had made vows to God, that if He would deliver them out of their distress, they would do Him extraordinary service. Now the poet reminds them to perform that which they have promised.
We may also learn a valuable lesson here from Nahum. We are prone, in times of trouble to plead prayerfully for succor and promise service only to forget when the burden has been lifted.

Chapter XIIQuestions

Introduction

1.

Jonah prophesied to Nineveh about __________ years before Nahum.

2.

How do you explain God's destruction of Nineveh in view of her repentance at Jonah's preaching?

3.

What two phrases in Nahum 1:1 establish the work as inspired Scripture?

4.

God assures His faithful and loyal people of His __________ and at the same time He pronounces His wrath against Nineveh.

5.

What had been Nineveh's past dealing with Israel?

6.

Comment on the idea that God is a jealous God.

7.

Explain Jehovah is full of wrath!-'

8.

In light of Nahum 1:3(b) - Nahum 1:7 discuss the power of God.

9.

What is meant by the overrunning flood in Nahim Nahum 1:8?

10.

Show how Nineveh's attempts at self-defense were to prove futile.

11.

What sort of person was Sennacherib?

12.

What was to become of the gods Nineveh worshipped?

13.

Discuss (Nahum 1:15) Behold upon the mountain.

14.

Discuss (Nahum 1:15) keep thy feasts. perform thy vows.