Dr. J. Vernon McGee :: Outline for Nahum

I. Justice and goodness of God, Chapter 1:1-8

II. Justice and goodness of God demonstrated in decision to destroy Nineveh and to give the gospel, Chapter 1:9-15

III. Justice and goodness of God exhibited in execution of His decision to destroy Nineveh, Chapters 2, 3

A. Annihilation of Assyria, Chapter 2

B. Avenging action of God justified, Chapter 3

COMMENT:

I. Justice and goodness of God, Chapter 1:1-8

v. 1 — Nineveh was the capital of ancient Assyria. About 100 years before Nahum, Jonah preached in Nineveh, and the city turned to God. In Nahum’s day the city had turned again from God, but Nahum did not go there. Jonah reveals the love of God; Nahum reveals the justice of God. Nahum issues the sentence of God upon a godless and sinful civilization (see notes on Jonah).
“Burden” is judgment (see Isaiah 13).

v. 2 — “Jealous,” according to Webster, means exacting exclusive devotion. God demands that His people worship Him alone (Exodus 20:3-6).
“Revengeth” (KJV) is rightly translated avengeth in the New Scofield Reference Bible.

v. 3 — The goodness of God is seen in His judgment. He is “slow to anger.” He was over 100 years in executing the judgment He had announced through Jonah. Although the repentance under Jonah delayed the judgment of God for more than a century, He cannot “at all acquit the wicked,” for He is just and righteous.

vv. 4, 5 — The entire world must be judged on the basis of verse 3.

v. 6 — There is only one place of safety and security (Acts 4:12).

v. 7 — The Lord is good, and He will save.

v. 8 — The Lord is just, and He must judge.
Nineveh experienced the salvation of God before the judgment of God.

II. Justice and goodness of God demonstrated in decision to destroy Nineveh and to give the gospel, Chapter 1:9-15

v. 9 — Nineveh is to be totally destroyed.

v. 11 — Some identify this “wicked counselor” as Sennacherib (2 Kings 18:13-16; Isaiah 37:14-38).

v. 14 — “Grave” — God said, in substance, “I’ll bury you.” The Assyrian has disappeared from the stage of history.

v. 15 — This speaks of deliverance from Assyria. (See Isaiah 52:7 — here the deliverance is from Babylon. See Romans 10:15 — here the deliverance is from sin for the sinner, salvation.)

III. Justice and goodness of God exhibited in execution of His decision to destroy Nineveh, Chapters 2, 3

A. Annihilation of Assyria, Chapter 2

v. 1 — The picture is of a hammer, the handle of which is held by God. Total destruction of Assyria was accomplished by the Medes and Babylonians.

vv. 2-13 — This is a detailed prophecy which is today an accurate historical record.
“Chariots” (vv. 3, 4) is not a prediction of the automobile. To say that it is reveals a woeful ignorance of this prophecy.
God is justified in saying He is against Assyria (v. 13) because of her crimes. In Ezekiel (Ezekiel 38:3; 39:1), Russia had not yet appeared when the prophecy was given, yet God is still just because of antagonistic atheism.

B. Avenging action of God justified, Chapter 3

vv. 1, 2 — This describes the internal condition of the city. Lies mark the total culture. They make slaves.

vv. 3, 4 — This characterizes the external condition of the city. They were a brutal and cruel enemy. They sold slaves.

v. 5 — God opposes this (see Nahum 2:13).

v. 7 — They are hated and dreaded by other nations.

v. 8 — “No-amon,” or Thebes, capital of Upper Egypt, had been destroyed by Sargon of Assyria and should have been an example to Assyria.

v. 9 — Thebes had been protected by buffer states — Ethiopia at the south, Egypt at the north — and by desert on both ends.

v. 10 — Thebes was destroyed.

vv. 11-18 — This is a detailed description of the destruction of Nineveh.

v. 19 — There is now no healing, no turning to God. God had been slow to anger, but He does not clear the guilty.

God will save today (cf. Jonah).
God will destroy tomorrow (cf. Nahum).

God does not change; men do.