Severe Compassion

The Gospel According to Nahum

Gregory D. Cook

• Editorial: P Publishing
• Año: 2016
• ISBN:
  9781629951744
• Categoría: Teologia e religione
• Categoría: Studi biblici

Nahum, a poetic masterpiece about God's love for his adulterous people, shows how we too can be waylaid by our culture and temptations. Fortunately, Christ relentlessly pursues and redeems us.

CHAPTER ONE

JEALOUS LOVE (1:1–2 )

Set me as a seal upon your heart,
as a seal upon your arm,
for love is strong as death,
jealousy is fierce as the grave. (Song 8:6)

Most of us had at least one teacher whose strict rule of the classroom inspired fear. Apparently my grandmother was a legend in this regard—though she mostly gave me Oreos and told me how smart I was, so I did not find her intimidating. On the other hand, my seventh-grade English class was devoid of cookies and compliments; I cowered before my teacher. The many assignments in that class included memorizing a famous poem each week. As I think back on this experience, I find it ironic that my first attempts to understand literary beauty were driven by terror.

If you learned about poetry through academic pressure, I encourage you to pause now and ask God to give you eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart to understand Nahum (Matt. 13:15). Nahum, like many portions of the Old Testament, is poetry. We must read it as poetry to grasp its message. To enjoy Nahum and find edification in it, we must read it carefully, noticing the nuances. Doing this requires a brief and painless return to poetry class.

Poets create literary art. They paint with words. Every aspect of a poem has its place and plays its part. The master poet brings the whole work together into an expressive masterpiece. Nahum created just such a masterpiece. All who study Hebrew poetry recognize the literary brilliance of this book. Over two hundred years ago, Robert Lowth wrote, “None of the minor prophets . . . seem to equal Nahum in boldness, ardour, and sublimity. His prophecy too forms a regular and perfect poem; the exordium is not merely magnificent, it is truly majestic.”¹ These words still represent how critics view the literary expression in this book. As we study Nahum, we will examine how the book uses literary techniques to express its message.

THREE POETIC DEVICES

The first two verses of Nahum provide insight into the character of God as well as into the purpose of the prophecy. To understand this, we need first to discuss three aspects of poetry prevalent in Nahum: brevity, wordplay, and allusion. Brevity simply means that poetry uses fewer words than prose. Sentences are shorter. Poems communicate key details by means other than direct statement. This characteristic may be observed by scanning through the Old Testament. Most English versions indent the poetic portions. The lines are more compact in the indented sections. The brevity of Old Testament poetry warrants careful reading. What does the author say? What does he leave unsaid? In what subtle ways does he communicate to the reader? Perhaps no book of the Bible demands a more careful reading than Nahum; few books, if any, contain as many terse phrases and clauses as this one.

The next poetic device for us to consider, wordplay, occurs frequently in the Old Testament. One book on Hebrew poetry explains that in wordplay, “two words with similar sounds may occur in the same context, or one word may be used with two different meanings.”² This concept is well known in kindergartens around the country. As children begin to develop their sense of humor, they quiz each other with puns. Every punch line in a children’s joke book contains a double meaning. (Why is 6 afraid of 7? Because 7 8 9—it may take you a minute.) Wordplay occurs outside of humor as well. Many advertising slogans make a play on words. My aunt recently ordered bakery goodies for our family. They came in a box marked “Gifts in Good Taste.” Old Testament authors also use wordplays, but they have a serious, theological purpose. These wordplays occur with great frequency in poetry; we will find a number of them in Nahum.

Allusion happens when an author wants the reader to recognize an unstated reference. I first realized the subtlety of allusion when I spent a summer in South Africa. When I watched American movies with South Africans, I found myself laughing at allusions that they completely missed. When a movie, book, or song uses an allusion, those who do not recognize the allusion usually do not realize that they have missed something. Nahum contains many such allusions. These are subtle references either to previous biblical prayers and prophecies or to Assyrian ideology. Since we have no personal experience with the Assyrian Empire and we do not know the Old Testament Scriptures nearly as well as Nahum’s original audience, we are at a disadvantage in discerning these allusions.

AN ORACLE CONCERNING NINEVEH

The first words of Nahum identify the book as an oracle. Nahum uses a Hebrew word that refers to a specific type, or genre, of prophecy. All the prophetic passages described as oracles declare the historical fulfillment of previous prophecies.³ Since the first verse describes the entire book as an oracle, we know that Nahum’s words will declare the fulfillment of promises spoken by earlier prophets.

The next two words establish the subject of this prophecy. The book concerns Nineveh, the capital city of the Assyrian Empire. Nineveh had not always been Assyria’s capital. For most of Assyria’s history, the city of Asshur filled this role. Nineveh was an ancient city mentioned in Genesis 10:11, but it had limited importance to Assyria for most of its history. Then a series of unexpected events changed the fate of Nineveh, making it the most formidable and feared city in the world for a brief period of time. First, Sargon II usurped the Assyrian throne from Shalmaneser V in 722 B.C. He proceeded to build a new capital in Dur-Sharrukin (modern Khorsabad) to consolidate his power. Second, Sargon died in battle. Since Assyrian kings rarely died in battle, this was seen as an evil omen. What compounded this disaster in the eyes of the Assyrians was that they believed his unburied spirit would haunt Dur-Sharrukin. This led to the third event. Sargon’s son, Sennacherib, lost no time in establishing a new capital in Nineveh. In doing so, he greatly expanded and built up the city—using Israelite slaves and money. This ancient city devoted to the goddess Ishtar soon became the largest and most ostentatious city in the world. As rapidly as it had arisen, it would fall even more quickly—due to a prophet.

A VISION

The introductory verse also describes Nahum’s oracle as “the book of the vision.” The word “book” suggests that the book of Nahum originated as a written document rather than as a spoken message. The description “vision” explains why the scenes are so vivid. Apparently Nahum actually saw the events he described. The phrase “the book of the vision” puts Nahum in the same class as Revelation. John said that a loud voice told him, “‘Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.’ Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands” (Rev. 1:11–12). Like John, Nahum recorded events that he had seen in his mind, but which had not yet happened in history.

INTRODUCING THE PROPHET

The final words of Nahum 1:1 introduce our prophet. We know nothing about Nahum except for his name, hometown, and time period. In the Bible, names have purpose. The name-giver prophesied the outcome of the person’s life. Some examples of this include Abraham (“father of many nations”), Peter (“rock”), and Jesus (“salvation”). Nahum’s name means “comfort” or “compassion.” His name strikes people as either fitting or ironic, depending on the perspective of the interpreter. Many people consider the name appropriate because his message brought relief to those who had suffered the brutality of Assyria. Others note the violent language in the book and suggest that Nahum’s parents misnamed him. We will see later that Nahum’s name fits this book in a number of ways, but the compassion proclaimed in the book does not conform to our expectations.

Nahum spoke a message of compassion, yet he hailed from Elkosh, a town named for God’s hardness. The word Elkosh means “God is severe.” We do not know this town’s location. There are many theories. For instance, it has been suggested that Elkosh was renamed Capernaum when later inhabitants wanted to identify it as the hometown of Nahum. None of the theories regarding Elkosh’s location have strong evidence to support them. We may conclude, however, that the town endured a catastrophe attributed to God’s chastisement. The words “Nahum of Elkosh” form a fitting theological introduction to this book, which unites God’s compassion and his severity.

We also know that Nahum’s life experiences included suffering under the most malicious king in Assyria’s history and the most atrocious king in the Davidic line. Unlike many Old Testament books, we can easily establish a range of possible dates for the book of Nahum. The discussion of Nahum’s date will wait until chapter 5, but the entire range of possible dates falls during the reign of Ashurbanipal (668–627 B.C. ). For reasons to be discussed later, Ashurbanipal has the dubious distinction of being the most vicious king in a long line of evil Assyrian rulers. Nahum also lived in the period of King Manasseh of Judah, who reigned approximately from 697 to 642 B.C. (2 Kings 21:1–18; 2 Chron. 33:1–20). Manasseh’s gross wickedness against God and his subjects reached unthinkable levels. Nahum no doubt witnessed abominable deeds practiced by foreigners and kinsmen alike.

A JEALOUS GOD

After a brief introductory verse, Nahum begins by telling the reader that God is jealous. This short statement proclaims theological truth, but also makes an allusion. Nahum uses a specific Hebrew clause that occurs in only six other Old Testament passages (Ex. 20:5; 34:14; Deut. 4:24; 5:9; 6:15; Josh. 24:19). All six passages have two important themes in common. In each case, God establishes or renews his covenant with Israel. In each case, he also gives Israel a dire warning not to worship foreign gods.

Nahum begins his prophecy in this way in order to remind his readers of these warnings. God is jealous and will not permit his people to serve foreign gods. Unfortunately, the people of Nahum’s time had done exactly that, with disastrous consequences. Isaiah 7—a famous prophecy of Jesus—tells the story. When King Ahaz ruled Judah, the king of Israel and the king of Syria united against him. God sent Isaiah to reassure Ahaz and strengthen his faith. In that encounter, Isaiah prophesied,

The Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted. (Isa. 7:14–16)

Ahaz did not honor God’s covenant or trust his message. Instead he “sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, saying, ‘I am your servant and your son. Come up and rescue me from the hand of the king of Syria and from the hand of the king of Israel, who are attacking me’” (2 Kings 16:7). This act of faithlessness resulted in Judah submitting to foreign kings and gods; it also brought one hundred years of brutal tyranny upon the people of Judah. In a few words, Nahum has set his prophecy in the context of God’s covenant with Judah, Judah’s rejection of that covenant, Judah’s submission to Assyrian deities, and God’s resulting curse: “You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me” (Ex. 20:5).

AN AVENGING GOD

Nahum 1:2 proceeds to give one of the clearest statements of God’s vengeance in the Bible. Many people cringe at this aspect of God’s character. Undoubtedly this contributes to the scarcity of references to the book of Nahum in worship services. However, we cannot afford to ignore or avoid any aspect of God’s character. “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16). We read the Bible to know God. He has told us about himself. We will not know God if we refuse to listen to his self-description. Those who will not allow the Bible to describe God do not worship the God of the Bible; they worship a god of their own making. Isaiah says that such a person “fashions a god or casts an idol that is profitable for nothing” (Isa. 44:10). Whether the idol is fashioned with tools or theology, it is a false god.

Nahum 1:2 tells us three times that the God of the Bible takes vengeance on his enemies. Some may object that Nahum’s description speaks only of how God acted in the Old Testament. This objection deserves consideration. In the Old Testament, we find commands for Israel to execute God’s justice by killing people (e.g., Num. 31:17). In the New Testament, the church has no such authority. A closer examination, though, shows that Nahum 1:2 speaks as the New Testament speaks: God alone has the right of vengeance. It is his to dispense, not ours.

According to Nahum 1:2, “The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD is avenging and wrathful; the LORD takes vengeance on his adversaries and keeps wrath for his enemies.” In Hebrew, the language of the Old Testament, the doubling of a word shows emphasis or intensity. In rare cases, a word appears three times to give it extreme emphasis. For instance, the angelic host cry out, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” (Isa. 6:3). Nahum 1:2 three times uses the name Yahweh with the verb avenge. Between the second and third assertions of Yahweh’s vengeance, Nahum inserts a statement that wrath belongs to God. Therefore, Nahum’s prophecy begins with an intensive statement of God’s jealousy, vengeance, and wrath.

At this point, we need to ask whether these characteristics of God can be reconciled with the profound statements of love and grace that are so deeply embedded in the New Testament. The biblical answer is that God’s jealousy, vengeance, and wrath may not be separated from his love and grace. They belong to the same God because they are essential to each other.

NAHUM AND NEW TESTAMENT LOVE

To show this, we may compare Nahum 1:2 with Jesus’ words:

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (Matt. 22:37–39)

First, we need to note that Jesus went on to say, “On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (Matt. 22:40). Jesus claims that these two statements are consistent with the teaching of all the prophets. Does he overstate the case to make a point, sidestepping verses like Nahum 1:2? No, he does not. In saying that we must love our neighbors as ourselves, Jesus quoted part of Leviticus 19:18. The entire verse reads, “Yo...