Shabbat Shalom, everyone. I would like us to open in our Bibles to the Old Testament, to the Tanach, to a book that we are not often reading. And I wonder when we last time read the book of Nahum, as we call it in Hebrew, Nahum in English. It is just as you follow in the order we read, we studied the book of Jonah, Yonah already, we finished the book of Yonah. And then we have the book of Micha, which we haven't covered yet. In the will of the Lord we'll do so in due time. We're going to read today the first chapter of the prophet Nahum.

And we are going to follow the next few meetings together with these three chapters of this book. I think Nahum is a very important prophet to study, especially in connection with the book of Yonah that we just have finished. And you will notice that there is a great lesson to learn from the prophecy of Nahum. A Hebrew prophet was speaking specifically in his prophecy concerning the city of Nineveh, which we just concluded in our study in the book of Jonah, the book of Yonah. Let me read the first 15 verses, the first chapter, and follow me please. The burden of Nineveh, the book of the vision of Nahum the Al-Koshayt.

God is jealous, and the Lord revenges. The Lord revengeth and is furious. The Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies. The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked. The Lord has his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. He rebukes the sea, and makes it dry, and drieth up all the rivers. Bashan languishes, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon languishes. The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence. Yet the world and all that dwelleth therein.

Who can stand before his indignation? And who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? His fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him. The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and he knoweth them that trust in him. But with an overrunning flood, he will make an utter end of the place thereof, and darkness shall pursue his enemies. What do ye imagine against the Lord? He will make an utter end. Affliction shall not rise up the second time. For while they be folded together as thorns, and while they are drunken as drunken, they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry.

There is one come out of thee that imagineth evil against the Lord, a wicked counselor. Thus saith the Lord, though they be quiet, and likewise many, yet thus shall they be cut down when he shall pass through. Though I have afflicted thee, I will afflict thee no more. For now will I break his yoke from of thee, and will burst thy bonds in sandal. And the Lord has given a 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 grave, for thou art vile.

Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publishes peace. O Judah, keep thy solemn feasts. Perform thy vows, for the wicked shall no more pass through thee. He is utterly cut off. And I will stop with the first chapter of the prophet Nachum. Now you notice that I am using the Hebrew word Nachum rather than Nahum, because it is very similar maybe with the English, but the word Nachum is a beautiful word. If you remember in the prophet Isaiah, when Isaiah was speaking concerning the restoration of our nation Israel, Isaiah was speaking on behalf of the Lord when the Lord spoke to Israel.

And he said in Isaiah 40 and verse 1, he says, Comfort ye my people, saith your God. Comfort ye. Comfort ye my people, saith your God. And the word is in Isaiah 40 verse 1, Comfort ye my people. It comes from the same root word of the name of the prophet Nachum. His name is a very beautiful name, very similar to the name of Noah, which speaks of rest, which speaks of comfort, which speaks of consolation. And here, beloved brothers and sisters, we have a man by the name of Nachum that was given a vision by the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the city of Nineveh. We just finished the study of the prophet Yonah, if you remember.

And the story of Yonah was very important. Yonah was called by God to go to the city of Nineveh. The city of Nineveh was the capital city of Assyria. And Yonah was told by God, you go to this great city and cry against it, because the wickedness has come up before me. And you remember in our lesson about the prophet Yonah, Yonah preached about 100 or 150 years before the prophet Nachum. And Yonah did not want to go to Nineveh. And as we have learned from the book of Yonah, that he had fled from the presence of the Lord on the way to Tarshish. And God had made it in such a way that he will be restored by placing him in the fish's belly for three days and three nights.

Then Yonah, after this, the second time was restored by the Lord, and he had gone again to preach to Nineveh. And he preached and he said 40 days and Nineveh going to be overthrown. And you remember what happened. The whole city, wicked city, have repented. And have come to believe the message of Yonah. And they have repented from the king to the youngest one. And if you remember, when they have repented, Yonah went outside of the city at the end of the prophecy, if you remember, of the book of Yonah. And in chapter four, he was so displeased that he waited until the time of judgment will come upon them.

And you remember what he said to the Lord? He says, I remember, for I knew that thou art a gracious God, merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee at the doing evil against that city. He said to the Lord, O Lord, was it not my saying to you? I knew that you are a gracious God. I knew that you are going to not to judge them if they will repent. And so they repented. And Yonah knew actually, dear beloved brothers and sisters, that God will use the city of Nineveh and the people of Assyria to judge his own brethren, the nation of Israel, the northern tribes of Israel.

And therefore, he said, I did not want to go because I knew that this is the nation that will judge our people Israel. That's why I didn't go. Because I knew that you are gracious that if they will repent, you will forgive and restore. But time passed by. And very quickly, the people of Nineveh have went back to their own wicked way. And about 100 years later on, God raises another prophet. And this prophet is not so much that he is asking him to go now to Nineveh, but this prophet by the name of Nachum, comfort, consolation, is now not being told to go to Nineveh, but he is being told through a vision to speak about the coming judgment of the city of Nineveh.

Nineveh. And the whole book of Nachum, with the meaning of his name, comfort, is actually a message of comfort by virtue of his name to the people of Judah, Judah, the southern tribes of Israel, that there is coming a day when the city of Nineveh and the people of Assyria, who were ready to consume Judah, and they have already put an end to the northern tribes of Israel and took them captive, there is coming a day when Nineveh will have an end. That is the message of the prophet Nachum. It is a message of comfort for Judah, but of judgment to the city of Nineveh and to the Assyrian, the nation of Assyria.

Now, just a couple of words, beloved brothers and sisters, as we are speaking here by way of introduction. The theme, as we have mentioned, is the theme of the destruction of Nineveh, because God will have vengeance against his own enemies. The date that Nachum is presenting his message is around 700 BC, somewhere like that. They differ between various Bible teachers, between 700, 750 to 700 BC. The city of Nineveh actually was destroyed in about 612 BC. So, after the message of Nachum, it took a little while before Nineveh were totally destroyed. And now he is speaking the message to comfort Judah, but he is speaking concerning the coming day that Nineveh is going to be destroyed.

The city of Nineveh was an amazing city when it has come to its situation. It was situated there by the rivers, the present day area of Iraq, and greater Assyria, beyond there, you know, Turkey, Iraq. And this area where Nineveh was there, and Nineveh was the capital city of Assyria. Apparently, this city was such a great city when it has come to the way that it was organized. It had a wall that was a huge wall surrounded the city. The bottom of the wall, it was about 50 feet wide. At the top of it, it was like a triangle shape. At the top one, it was about 12 feet wide.

And three chariots could go one by one at the top of the wall. There was about various towers all around that city, and no one could ever enter into that city. There was a river that was going underneath, coming right in the center of the city. It was a tremendous city. No one could ever take this city. And they had a time of prosperity. The city was preserved and kept. There was much prosperity. But there was much idolatry. There was much ungodliness. There was much defiance of the true and living God in that city. And there was much paganism. And when Assyria ever took any other country, they have treated the people that they have taken captive in an awful way.

Some said from the history that was mentioned that when they were taken captive, they were cutting hands and cutting fingers and cutting toes and ears and nose. And were placing on the walls parts of the skins of the body to represent before the nations that they are taken captive. That if anyone would dare to rise up against this nation, they show them what's going to happen to them. And so it was a city and a nation that prided itself. They did not need God. There was a powerful nation at that time. It was a world empire before the Babylonians. And what we learn even more about the city of Nineveh, that it was because of the way that they have treated the people of Israel and the people of God.

God is now is going to pour vengeance upon the city of Nineveh and the nation of Assyria. And so here in the verses that we have before us in chapter one, the first eight verses, there is a promise by God that he will destroy the city of Nineveh. He will destroy. He will destroy. And it began here with the message that was given to Nahum. It says the burden, by the way, the word for burden in the Hebrew is the word Massah. Massah is something that you carry on your shoulder. You carry something very heavy. It's called a burden. It's a Massah in Hebrew. You are carrying something that is very heavy.

And the burden was is the burden of Nineveh, that city, that Jonah would have liked to preach that message. But God said differently. He sent Jonah to give them a message that will put them into repentance. But here, Nahum received that burden, these writings, in order to tell Nineveh that there is coming judgment that is going to fall upon them. And that teaches a very important lesson, brothers and sisters. Even though God was gracious, and God is gracious, long-suffering, and very willing always to restore people to himself, those that reject him and despise him will ultimately going to experience his righteous indignation against sin. And that's why it is a burden.

It is a Massah of Nineveh, the book of the vision of Nachum the Al-Koshite. In Hebrew, Nachum Ha-El-Koshi. Nobody really knows where does Nachum come from. Some suggest that because he was speaking to the people of Judah, there may have been a little village somewhere in Judah that is called El-Kosh. And he may have come from Judah. And others give us the suggestion that if you know there is a place where Yeshua the Messiah ministered a lot in Galilee called Kfar Nachum, Kapar Nachum, as you would say it in English. Kfar means village. Nachum is a name of a person. And some suggest that it may be called the village of Nachum because of the prophet Nachum.

But Nachum is a name in Hebrew, in our own language, in our own country. In Israel is a name that many boys are being called Nachum. It's a very common name. So it may be stretching it to say that the village of Nachum belonged actually or was given because of this prophet Nachum. But nevertheless, his name was Nachum. He received a vision, a burden concerning Nineveh. And he was called Ha-El-Koshi, the El-Koshite. And so here is the vision that was given to Nachum. Notice the vision. What is the vision about? God will destroy this wicked city of Nineveh. In verse 2, we learn that God is jealous.

He's a jealous God. Jehovah will take vengeance against those that are his adversaries, his enemies. You see, verse 2, God is jealous. And the Lord revenges and is furious. The Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries. And he reserves wrath for his enemies. This is an important principle to learn. That even though God is gracious and loving, he's also just and holy. And that's what we learn in the Brit HaChadasha, in the New Testament, 1 John 1, God is holy. God is light. 1 John 4, God is love. So God is light. And God is love. In his love for men, he provided a way of salvation through Yeshua the Messiah.

But in his justice and holiness, he must judge those that are his enemies and those that have not accepted him. And here we see that he revenges those that are his adversary. The word for vengeance is the Hebrew word nokem. And we learn from scripture that we are not to have vengeance towards one another or towards others that have wronged us. You remember what we read? Apostle Paul said in Romans chapter 12 and verse 19, "Vengeance is mine, sayeth the Lord, I will repay." Don't you do that, he said to his own brothers and sisters, but God will do his justice. No one will be eliminated from the vengeance of God when they have rejected God and did not follow his will and did not accept his ways.

God will deal with them. God already said that to our own people in Deuteronomy chapter 32. I just want to read that verse as well, if you don't mind to turn with me to Deuteronomy 32 and verse 35. God said to our own people in Israel, he says, "To me belongs vengeance and recompense." Not to you, but to me. I will deal with the enemies of God's people. I will deal with the enemies of God. God said, "You just leave it for me. I'm going to be the one that's going to deal with the enemies." And here, Nachum is saying, "God is jealous." The Lord will take vengeance on his adversary and he reserveth wrath for his enemies.

This is the way God is. He is the one that is just. He is the one that is going to deal with mankind. You know that word for jealous here? You know, you and I sometimes are very jealous because somebody has something that I don't have. Somebody has something you don't have and we are jealous. But when it comes to God, his jealousy is just. It's not sinful, but it's just. Because he made the world. The universe belongs to him. And he wants that this world will run his way, not our way. And therefore, he is jealous of his creation. And that's why when his creation has shifted its direction and have gone in the wrong direction, whether it is a nation, whether it is a tribe, whether it is a family, whether it is an individual, God is jealous over his creation.

But he is also jealous over his own wife. The nation of Israel is called in the scripture, the wife of Jehovah. And when the enemies of Assyria have treated his own nation, Israel, in an evil way, God says, listen, I'm going to deal with the enemies of my people, Israel. I'm a God who is jealous. I'm a God who is jealous. And I'm the one that is going to deal with my adversary. And that's what he's saying through the prophet Nahum. In the first part of verse 3, we learn that the Lord is slow to anger. He's not in a hurry to get to be angry.

Notice it says the Lord is slow to anger and great in power. But that's just a thought slow to anger. He's not in a hurry to be angry with mankind. He's slow to anger. This is, by the way, what Jonah said about the Lord in his book in chapter 4. He said, you are gracious, God, and merciful, slow to anger. Yes, God is slow to anger. But he's also going to judge that in due time, he's righteous in his timing as well. And that's why in verse 3a, we find out that God is slow to anger. But in verse 3b to verse 5, we see that God is in full control over his creation.

And everything in the world is done in his time. God is in full control. Look, brothers and sisters, of the things that God is in full control, where we learn here in verses 3b to verse 5. Four things we learn here. The first thing we learn in verse 3b, that the Lord is in control over the elements and the weather. Look at this. Verse 3b. He says, He will not at all acquit the wicked. The Lord has his ways in the whirlwind and in the storm. And the clouds are the dust of his feet. You see, he is in full control over the weather. He is in control.

You remember in the time of Jonah, he sent the wind to the sea and the storm came there. You remember in the time of the flood, in the time of Noah and his family, he sent the flood and the whole world except eight souls were preserved. The rest died. God is in full control. He has his way in the whirlwind. He has a way in the storm. He has his ways in the clouds. Actually, the clouds, that you and I look upward to see the clouds, as far as the Bible says, that the clouds are the dust of his feet. While for you and I, we look upward and we see the clouds above in the sky, but as far as God is concerned, the clouds are the dust of his own feet.

He is in full control over the elements here in this world, over the weather. Brothers and sisters, it is wonderful to see that he is in total control. In verse 4, we see another thing that God is in control. He is in control over the seas and the rivers. Not only over the weather, but also over the waters. Verse 4, he rebukes the sea and he makes it dry. He dries up all the rivers. Well, you remember that, when our own nation Israel came out of Egypt, how is it possible that God can speak to the sea and the sea open? And our nation Israel, the Hebrews, came out of Egypt on dry shod, walking in the midst of the sea, the red sea or the red sea, as they walked dry shod.

When they enter into the promised land, the rivers of Jordan, Yarden, stood still, and the nation entered into the promised land. He is in full control. He rebuked the sea. He makes it dry. He dries up all the rivers. He is in control, brothers and sisters, over the seas and the rivers. It says that words here, the word Bashan, that takes us to actually to the Golan Heights. Then we learn of the Carmel. You remember in the time of the Mount Carmel, it's by the city of Haifa, that Mount Carmel. In the time of Eliyahu, Elijah, even though everywhere it was dry in the land of Israel and three and a half years there was no rain.

But Elijah had plenty of water there that he could pour over the sacrifice and the altar because God is in control. In verse 4 at the end. And the flower of Lebanon language. Lebanon is again in the north of Israel. It's a fertile area. It's a place where a lot of rain is coming. And the place in the north where there is a lot more rain than in the south. And so God is in full control, not only over the weather, but also over the seas and the rivers. That's what Nahum, as he's speaking the prophecy of God concerning the city of Nineveh, the coming judgment.

Look what he's saying in verse 5. A, that God is also in control over what's going on in the land. It says the mountain quakes at him. The hills melt. The earth is burned at his presence. Look at that. The mountains. The hills. The hills. And all the earth burns at his presence. He's in control over everything that is going on here upon the face of this earth. That's what Nahum is saying. And finally, in verse 5 at the end. He's in control over the human race and the animal kingdom. As it says here in verse 5. The world and all that dwells therein. You know that God is in control today over what's going on in Iran, what's going on in Afghanistan, what's going on in Egypt, what's going on in Jordan, what's going on in the United States, America and Canada, and what's going on around our nation Israel in the promised land.

He's in full control over the human race as well as the animal kingdom. Everything. God is in control. People think that God can have gone for a vacation and he doesn't know what's going on here in this world. But beloved brothers and sisters, he is in full control. And God tells us this in the scripture. Nahum described this for us. He knows the weather. He knows the seas and the rivers. He knows very well the land and the human race and the animal kingdom. If you remember brothers and sisters, when Jonah, the last words of the prophet Jonah in Jonah chapter 4, God said to you now in the last verse 11, he said, should not I spare Nineveh?

That great city where there's more than 120,000 person that cannot discern between right and wrong or left and right. And it said at the end, so much cattle, he's as well care for the animal kingdom. He's in control over everything. That is exactly what Nahum is saying in these verses. Now, all what he says, he really summed up in the verse that is found in Psalm 24 and verses 1 and 2, where David said years ago, the Psalmist of Israel, who said the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and they that dwell therein. You know, as David said many years ago, that already everything belongs to God, to Jehovah, the God of Israel, who created all things.

So what we learned here so far in the first five verses, brothers and sisters, that God is a jealous God. He's going to avenge his enemies and that he's in control over the elements of this world. I want to make just another thought here that we will have to make sure that we connect this with the Brita Hadashah, with the New Testament. Do you remember what the Apostle Paul said to the Colossian believers concerning Yeshua the Messiah? In Colossians chapter one and verse 15 and 16, Paul said to the Colossian believers, speaking of Yeshua the Messiah, who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature.

For by him were all things created that are in heaven and are in the earth, visible and invisible, whether they be throne or dominion or principalities or powers. All things were created by him and for him. What we learned in the New Testament, in the Brita Hadashah, that everything that is written about the God of Israel in the Tanakh, in the Old Testament, also applied to the person of Yeshua the Messiah. All things were made by him and all things were made for him. It is he the one who has created all things. And it is he is the one that all things were made for him.

So these are the first five verses of Nachum chapter one. And he continue now in verses six and seven and eight to show us a few things in connection with the fact that God is going to destroy Nineveh. Look what he says in verse six. In verse six now, he asked the question in verse six, who can stand before his indignation? You notice that verse six A and verse six B, who can abide at the fierceness of his anger? Who can stand, beloved brothers and sisters? Who can stand before God when he has his righteous indignation pour upon this world? No one can stand. All the proud, all the arrogant, all the evil men and women of this world who rejected God, all who raise up their fist against God.

And in a sense saying, I don't need you in my life. In the day of vengeance and a day of judgment, they will have to stand before the Lord and they will have to answer to God. The question, of course, is in verse six, who can stand, he says, before his indignation? Who can do that? And who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? When God is going to unleash the judgment upon Nineveh and later on in a future day, in a day of judgment of the tribulation, who is going to stand? No one going to be able to stand. All those who are proud and arrogant, all those who rejected the Messiah will have to fall before him and to receive the judgment that he is going to pour upon them.

It is a righteous judgment. It is a just judgment because of who God is. See, when I judge, when you judge, much of it is unjust and unrighteous. But when God judge, it's a righteous judgment. It's a just judgment that men deserve to receive because of the rejection of the Lord Yeshua, the Messiah. Malachi said this similar thing to that in Malachi chapter three in verse two. I'll read that verse as well. He says, but who may abide in a day of his coming? And who shall stand when he appeareth? For he is like a refining fire and like a fuller's soap. You know, God is a refining fire.

The Bible tells us in the book of Hebrews, it is a fearful thing to stand before the living God. It is a fearful thing. Why? Because he is pure and holy and just. And all has sinned and came short of his glory. That's why Yeshua was judged on the tree. So we will never need to be judged. Who shall abide in the day of his coming? Who shall stand when he is going to appear? He is like a refiner's file. And that's why brothers and sisters, Nahum is emphasizing the fact that no one will be able to stand when God is going to come in the day of judgment.

And Nineveh, who rebelled against God, after he was so gracious to forgive their sins, when they repented, they fell back into that old sin and they have gone and have done so much evil to the people of Israel, to the people of God and to many other nations that they conquer. And God is saying, your time is coming, Nineveh will be judged. In verse seven, look what he says in verse seven, that for the people of God, for the believers, the Lord is a stronghold to don't the trust in him. He is a place of safety. Look, verse seven, the Lord is good and a stronghold in a day of trouble.

And he knows them that trust in him. You know, he knows every one of us that have trusted in him. He knows those that put their faith in him. And he knows when Nahum was speaking about 100 or 55, 50 to 100 years before the judgment of Nineveh, when he was preaching, God knew the condition of Nineveh. He knew when they have repented. He knew when they have fallen into sin and to evilness. He knew that. But for the believers, for the people of Israel, for the people of God, he is a good God. He is a stronghold. The word for stronghold is the word maoz in Hebrew. Maoz is like a fortress.

It's a place of safety, a place of protection. And in a day of trouble, we can always turn to him. We can always come to him when there is problems in our life. When there are challenges that we are facing, we can always turn to him. And Israel, Judah was supposed to turn to him in a time of trouble. Because the Ninevites, the Assyrians were also not only that they took over the northern tribes of Israel at that time, but they also were ready to take over Judah and Jerusalem. And Judah was in distress and despair. And that's why there was this encouragement from the Lord for Judah that the Lord is good and is a stronghold in a day of trouble and he knows them that trust in him.

You know, no one can ever fool God because he knows them that trust in him. He knows them. In John 10, Yeshua said, "My sheep hear my voice and I know them and I'll give unto them eternal life and no one will ever be able to take them out of my hand." That's what he said in John 10. In 2 Timothy, I'm going to read that verse as well. He also mentioned about the fact that the Lord knows them that are his. In 2 Timothy, chapter 2 and verse 19, we read this verse. Nevertheless, the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his. And let every one that names the name of the Messiah or the name of God depart from iniquity.

The Lord knows those that belong to him. And that's what Nachum was preaching concerning Nineveh and encouraging the people of Judah. And now notice in verse 8. When it's coming to speak about God will destroy Nineveh. Look what he says to us here in verse 8 because this is a very important verse. In verse 8, the Lord make an utter end to Nineveh. He gave this prophecy to Nachum. He says, "But with an overrunning flood, he will make an utter end." The end is to the city of Nineveh. The flood, time in the Bible when you read about the flood, sometimes it's used for military campaign. Another time it's used for actual literal flooding of the city.

Or in the case of Nineveh, apparently the wall, the surrounding wall of the city, this great huge wall. It's about six miles all around the city. In a certain portion of that wall, there was a rainy season and apparently from history, the certain portion of the wall was crumbling because of the flood that came from the river. The river of Chidekel in the old name, the Tigris river. And apparently the water flooded the portion of the wall and broke that wall so the Babylonian could enter in and take the city of Nineveh. So, in a sense, when we are talking about that flood here in verse eight, that can be in two ways, the flood of an army campaign and the flood of the water from the river that caused, made it possible for the Babylonian to enter into the city of Nineveh and to take the city over.

However, it says in the second half of verse eight, God make an end of the place. You notice that? The word place here is Nineveh. Therefore, in darkness shall pursue his enemies. Really, Nineveh will be destroyed by the hands of the Babylonian. There will be an end. Darkness shall pursue God's enemies, the Assyrians, because of their evil way, because of their wicked way. This is the first eight verses, beloved brothers and sisters. God will end up to destroy the people of Nineveh in the coming days. Now, we're going to move on to the next half of this chapter one. In verse nine, to the end of the chapter is the actual destruction of Nineveh.

While in verses one to eight, we have the promise of the destruction of Nineveh. In verses nine to 15, we have the actual destruction of the city of Nineveh. And listen to that. First of all, in verse nine, we have the fact that the Nineveh's imaginations against the Lord. It says, what do you imagine against the Lord? Nachum is saying, he will make an utter end. Affliction shall not rise up the second time. Now, look what Nachum is saying. Now, you and I, when we read such a text, we don't see in between the lines what is happening here. You see, what happened is that by the time that Nachum is speaking about the destruction of Nineveh, something have already happened that Nineveh, the Assyrian, already took over the northern tribes of Israel.

And they carry them captive. So they have already come against the northern tribes of Israel. And if you remember, Israel had been divided into two because of the friction that occurred already in the earlier period of Israel history. When Solomon's son, Shlomo, had not continued the way that Solomon had intended, the way that King David had led the nation. And what happened? There was a division between the northern tribes and the southern tribes. And if you remember, it was that king, that wicked king of Israel, who led Israel astray. His name was Yeruvam. He led Israel astray to worship idols. While Rehovam was the son of Solomon, remained the king of Judah.

But in the north, Israel departed further and further from the Lord. So God says, listen, I'm going to raise a nation that is going to destroy you and to judge you. And he did raise a nation. And that nation was none other but the Assyrian. And Assyria rose and Assyria ultimately took the people of Israel captive. And they ended up deporting them away from Samaria, the Shomron. And they ended up to kind of disperse the ten tribes. So now the people of Assyria were also ready to take Judah. And that's where we have here the thought in verse 9. He says, what do you imagine? Against the Lord.

He will make an utter end to you, Nineveh. And then he says, affliction shall not rise up the second time. In other words, you will not be able to do to Judah what you have already done to Israel. You will not be able to do so. This is what we learn here from verse 9. Now put your finger here for a moment and turn to 2 Kings chapter 17. I would like us to read these verses in context with the passage that we are studying today. 2 Kings chapter 17 in verse 3. And I'm reading. Against him came up Shalmaneser, the king of Ashur, the king of Assyria. And Hosea became his servant.

Hosea was the king of Israel. He became his servant and he gave him presents. In verse 4 we read. And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hosea. And he had sent messengers to the king of Egypt. And he brought no presents to the king of Assyria as he had done year by year. So apparently Hosea did not bring the presents that he used to give the king of Ashur in order that he would not harm him. Therefore the king of Assyria shut him up and he bound him in prison. In other words, you don't bring me presents. You don't bring me what I want. I'm going to lock you in prison.

Then verse 5. And the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land and went up to Samaria. That's where we have the Shomron today where the Samaritans live. This is the capital city, if you will, or the capital area of the northern tribes of Israel. And he besieged it for three years. And then verse 6 says, In the ninth year of Hosea, the king of Assyria took Samaria and he carried Israel away into Assyria. And he placed them in Chala and in Chavor by the river of Gozan and in the cities of the Medes. You see what happened? The king of Assyria took the ten tribes of Israel captive and he deported them out of Samaria and took them to Assyria.

And then he placed them by the river of Gozan in Chala and in Chavor. Those are names of locations in Assyria. Now, if you will notice that a little bit in chapter 18 now, in verse 9, it says this: And it came to pass in the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hosea, the son of Elah, king of Israel, that again, Shalmanetzer, the king of Assyria, came up against Samaria and besieged it. And at the end of the years, they took it. Even the sixth year of Hezekiah and in the ninth year of Hosea, the king of Israel, Samaria was taken. Verse 11: And the king of Assyria did carry away Israel into Assyria.

And he put them in Chala and in Chabor by the river of Gozan and in the cities of the Medes. And notice the reason in verse 12: Because they obeyed not the voice of the Lord their God, but transgressed his covenant, and all that Moses, the son of the Lord, commended, and would not heal them, nor do them. So you see what we have here, beloved brothers and sisters: Israel is taken captive by the Assyrians. Now please bear with me, chapter 19 of 2 Kings. And now you can see how this Sennacherib is the one, the king of Assyria, who lived in Nineveh. Look at this, chapter 19 and verse 35: And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the Lord went out and he smote the camp of the Assyrian.

And fourscore and five thousand, one hundred and eighty-five thousand of them. And then it says that when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses. And then verse 36: And Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, departed, and he went and he returned, and he dwelt in Nineveh. You see what we have here, beloved brothers and sisters? We see here that there is one by the name of Sennacherib, this wicked king, that he had ended up dealing with the nation of Israel, and also now is ready to take over Judah. And we are back now to the prophet Nachum. And in verse 9, where we have been reading today, verse 9 of chapter 1, God is saying, why do you imagine against the Lord?

He will make an utter end. Affliction shall not rise up the second time. In other words, Assyria, you are not going to be able to do to Judah what you have done already to the northern tribes of Israel. In verse 10, the Ninevites will be devoured a stubble, where he says, For while they be folded together as thorn, and while they be drunken as drunken, they shall be devoured a stubble fully dry. Apparently, when the coming of the Babylonians to enter into the city of Nineveh and to take them over, apparently, they were having parties. And they were getting drunken. And they thought that they are safe.

And they don't need to worry about anything. And so he says, while they are be folded together as thorn, you know, they are together. And then he says, while they are drunken as drunken. In other words, they're having party and they're drinking and they're having great time and so on. While this thing happened, God is saying they are going to be devoured a stubble fully dry. In other words, I'm going to judge them. I'm going to avenge against them. Those my adversary in a time where they are not thinking. They are just having great time. They are seemingly secure within the six mile surrounding great wall of the city of Nineveh.

They are getting party and they are drunken. They are worshipping idols. They do what they please. And then God said that they will be devoured a stubble fully dry. In verse 11, he's speaking about the man that I've just read about in 2nd Kings chapter 17, 18 and 19. In verse 11, look what he says about a person. And that person is Sennacherib, the king of Assyria. In verse 11, he says, there is one coming out of thee. This is out of Nineveh. That imagine evil against the Lord, a wicked counselor. There is one that is coming. There is one that is going to imagine all sort of wickedness against the Lord.

And that one is the one that we read about in 2nd Kings 18 and 2nd Kings 19. This is that man by the name of Sennacherib, the king of Assyria. He's imagining evil things against the Lord and against the Lord's people. And so, the prophet Nahum is prophesying concerning the actual events of the destruction of the city of Nineveh, whose king was that man by the name of Sennacherib. In verse 12 now, it says that Assyria will surely be cut down. And Judah can be assured that it will be done by the Lord himself. And I'm reading verse 12. Thus says the Lord, Though they be quiet, and likewise many, yet thus shall they be cut down.

When he shall pass through, though I have afflicted thee, I will afflict thee no more. And you can see, it's like speaking to the tribe of Judah and Benjamin, the southern tribe. And comforting them. Menachem otam. To comfort them. That's where the word Nahum comes from. And to tell them, listen. I assure you that Nineveh will be cut down. And I can assure you that I will not allow them to afflict you anymore. That's what he's really saying in verse 12b to the tribe of Judah, where he says, When he shall pass through, though I have afflicted thee, I will afflict thee no more. You know, God sometimes, in the history of our nation, Israel, he used nations to afflict his own people.

It's a discipline. It's a way to discipline his own people. You know, you and I as believers are also going to be disciplined by the Lord. You know, whom the Lord loveth, he chases and he scourges every son whom he received. So you and I, the Lord will have to discipline. See, if we are not his people, it's another story. But when we have accepted Yeshua the Messiah, we are the sons and the daughters of the Father, and he will have to discipline us as well. So he uses situation in our life. He uses people in our life. He uses circumstances and all kind of things to bring us into line with him.

It's not always easy. We don't always like that. But that's what he did with Israel. That's what he did with our own nation historically. He said, I have afflicted you. Though I have afflicted you in the past, I will afflict you no more. He is saying to the people of Judah. And here is especially in connection with the people of Nineveh. And he is moving on to the end. Notice now verse 13. God will break Assyria's yoke from Judah. For now will I break his yoke from of thee, and I will burst thy bonds in sunder. You know, the yoke, the Assyrian treated Israel so wickedly.

Become like a yoke for the northern tribe. Now for the Judah, for the southern tribe. And it's become like a yoke. It's an evil way of treatment of the nation. Warning them that they will take them over and so on. And by the gates, if you will, of the city of Jerusalem, ready to take them the city over. And it's become like a yoke, like a tie, like a bonds. And they're tying them. They don't give them liberty and freedom. And God is making that promise. He says, I will break his Assyria, Nineveh, yoke from of thee, Judah. And I will burst thy bonds, Judah's bonds, in sunder.

I will break them so you will be free, Judah, from the harm of the Assyrian. And in verse 14, brothers and sisters, we have the Lord will make an end of Nineveh of the people of Assyria. Look how he gave us this verse. He says in verse 14, the Lord has given a commandment concerning thee, Nineveh, that no more of thy name be sown. Out of the house of thy gods, these are the idols, will I cut off the graven images and the molten images. I will make thy grave, for thou art evil. You know, God is not slacking when he's waiting patiently for people to be restored, nations to be restored to him.

And he waited patiently for Assyria to be restored. But Assyria had been such a wicked nation. Nineveh, such a wicked city. And though God had forgiven them when they repented in the time of the preaching of Jonah, now he gave their final judgment that God will ultimately cut off the graven images, the molten images. He will make thy grave. In other words, God is going to prepare a grave for Nineveh to be placed in the grave and have an end. Why, he says, at the end of verse 14? For your evil sin will be judged. And no more your name is going to be sown. You know, when you think about the sowing, one of the things that the Assyrians always wanted to do is to sow their name.

For everywhere they have gone. To show their mark of their power. Their mark of their ways. Everywhere when they controlled, they took over a nation. And God says, it's not going to happen. It's going to have an end now. No more your name is going to be sown. You are evil. No more. I'm going to cut off the graven image. Cut off the molten images and so on. And I'm going to be the one that is going to judge you, Nineveh. And he concludes, by the way, in verse 15 with this statement. And by the way, verse 15 in the Hebrew Masoretic text is actually verse 1 of chapter 2.

But it is interesting that the one who compiled the English scripture, the English Bible, placed verse 15 with chapter 1 after verse 14, instead of putting it together with chapter 2. And perhaps they had a reason for that, but in the Masoretic text, it is verse 1 of chapter 2. But look what it says here in verse 15. Nahum is quoting what Isaiah said concerning the coming of the Messiah, but he is applying that in connection with the city of Nineveh. He says here in verse 15. He says here in verse 15. Behold upon the mountain the feet of him that bring good tidings, that publisheth shalom, peace. O Judah, keep thy psalm feasts, perform thy vows, for the wicked shall no more pass through thee.

He shall utterly be cut off. You see what Nahum is doing here. He is taking a verse that is mentioned by the prophet Isaiah in chapter 52, verse 7, that has to do with the Messiah who is going to come announcing shalom to our nation Israel in a future day. And he is taking it and he is applying this here to the condition that existed in the time that Nineveh wanted to take over Judah, after Nineveh took over the northern tribes of Israel. So, Nahum is telling what God said through Isaiah, upon the mountain, the feet of him that bring good news, good tidings. Judah, here is the good tidings to you.

You are no longer going to have to be afraid from the people of Ashur, the people of Assyrian. You are going to have shalom, Judah. You don't need to fear anymore the Assyrian. Keep your solemn feasts. Keep your vows. What you promised to God, do it. What you were called by God to celebrate, do it. Because the wicked shall no more pass through thee. For he is utterly is going to be cut off. In a sense, it was a message of Nahum, or a message of comfort to Judah. You can now celebrate your feasts. You can now keep your promises to the Lord. Praise God and worship him because your enemies are surely going to be destroyed.

Totally be cut off. And if you make an application for us today, brothers and sisters, we too can sing. You know, sometimes we sing that song, I will sing of the mercy of the Lord forever. The mercies of the Lord reaching us every morning. Morning by morning, he shows his mercy towards us. And we should have a reason to praise him, to sing to him, to worship him, to keep our feasts, in a sense, to celebrate him, to worship him, to learn from him, to serve him, to live for him. Because of what you have done. Even though we have many enemies today, but the enemies of the people of God, as far as God is concerned, are defeated.

And there is a victory for those who belong to Yeshua, the Messiah. So this is the first chapter of the prophet Nahum totally deals with the destruction of the city of Nineveh. One time it's mentioned here in chapter 1, one time in chapter 2, and one time in chapter 3. The whole prophecy deals with the coming destruction of Nineveh, because the Lord will take vengeance against his adversaries. Praise God that you and I are not his adversaries. We have accepted his provision. We believed in the Lord Yeshua, the Messiah. And therefore the judgments that we deserve already fell on the Messiah himself. And we have been liberated and free now to worship the Lord and to praise him.

Can you say amen to that? Amen.