Nahum 3

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TALKS FOR GROWING CHRISTIANS

The Fall of Nineveh, Continued

BACKGROUND NOTES



DOCTRINAL POINT(S)

  1. God is against those who practice sin.

  2. God will judge those who practice sin.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

  1. Let's thank the Lord that there is an escape from the wrath of God.

QUESTIONS

  1. In Nahum 3:8-10, there is a reference to the destruction of No Amon. How do these verses help in the dating of the prophecy of Nahum?

  2. What was the approximate date of the writing of Nahum's prophecy?

  3. What is the point of the verses about the destruction of No Amon?

  4. Which allies of Thebes (No Amon) were able to rescue her?

  5. How does Question #4 relate to Assyria? 6. What does it mean that Nineveh would be hidden? (Nahum 3:11)

ANSWERS

  1. No Amon is ancient Thebes in Upper Egypt. Assyria had conquered Thebes in 663 B.C. Nahum obviously wrote his prophecy about the fall of Nineveh after the fall of Thebes, and before the fall of Nineveh in 612 B.C.

  2. About 650 B.C.

  3. It is that just as Assyria destroyed Thebes of Egypt (No Amon) with cruel and evil ways, so Nineveh of Assyria would be destroyed.

  4. None of them.

  5. Nineveh would also be helpless. Nineveh's children would be dashed to pieces in public, as Assyria had done in Thebes, and her great men would be taken away in chains as Assyria had done to the men in Thebes. See Nahum 3:10.

  6. Nineveh would not be rebuilt. In fact, Nineveh was so destroyed and buried that when Alexander the Great traveled through this area a couple of hundred years later, he was unaware that he was marching over the ruins of the once-great Nineveh.

DISCUSS/CONSIDER

  1. Assyria was infamous for cruelty, and Nineveh was called a city of blood.  God opposed it because of its sins.  Looking at our own nation, with practices like abortion, we are reminded that God holds both nations and individuals accountable.  How does God’s judgment on Nineveh challenge us to examine the moral state of our society, and what responsibility do we have to respond faithfully?

  2. Nahum 3:18–19 shows the complete destruction of Nineveh and the Assyrian Empire because of their sin. How does this example of God’s judgment shape our understanding of His justice today, both for nations and for individuals?

CHALLENGE

  1. Nineveh reached the point of no return and faced God’s wrath for its sin. Scripture reminds us that all have sinned (Romans 3:23) and the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Yet, God offers a way of escape: “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life” (John 3:36).  Have you turned from sin and received Jesus as your Savior to escape God’s wrath?

KEY VERSES

  • “Woe to the bloody city!” Nahum 3:1

  • “Behold, I am against you, says the Lord…it shall come to pass that all who look upon you will say, ‘Nineveh is laid waste.’” Nahum 3:5-7



Nahum, Old Testament, TalksDeb HarmsNahum 3