NAHUM LESSON 3


     We will begin in Nahum 3:1 "Woe to the bloody city! it [is] all
full of lies [and] robbery; the prey departeth not;"

     In the last lesson, we saw the punishment that God brought upon
Nineveh. In this lesson, we see some of the reasons why God judged
them so harshly. They were ruthless people, and they killed people
without reason. They are called bloody, because of all the innocent
blood they shed. They were not satisfied with their own wealth, but
cheated and stole to get what belonged to others. They looted the
countries that they took of all of their wealth.

     Nahum 3:2 "The noise of a whip, and the noise of the rattling of
the wheels, and of the prancing horses, and of the jumping chariots."

     The noise of the army was accompanied by the whip cracking over
the back of the horses, and the rattling of the chariot wheels. The
prancing horses were speaking of the horses pulling the chariots. The
chariots were coming so fast, they would jump up in the air, when they
hit a bump.

     Nahum 3:3 "The horseman lifteth up both the bright sword and the
glittering spear: and [there is] a multitude of slain, and a great
number of carcases; and [there is] none end of [their] corpses; they
stumble upon their corpses:"

     This is speaking of so many being killed in battle, that the
horses and chariots just ride right over the dead bodies. The
glittering spear and sword means they have been shined up for battle.

     Nahum 3:4 "Because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the
wellfavoured harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts, that selleth nations
through her whoredoms, and families through her witchcrafts."

     "Whoredoms", in the spirit, are speaking of idolatry. It is
unusual to speak of it in that nature with these people who had always
been idolaters, but the worship of false gods was a sin, whether they
were heathen, or Jewish. Their Worship was of a sensual nature as well
and whoredom in the physical was part of it. They practiced sorcery
and witchcraft, as well. They conquered other countries and drug them
into their idolatrous way of life, as well. There was really nothing
good that could be said about their mode of worship.

     Nahum 3:5 "Behold, I [am] against thee, saith the LORD of hosts;
and I will discover thy skirts upon thy face, and I will shew the
nations thy nakedness, and the kingdoms thy shame."

     This is just saying, that God would not only destroy her, but
humiliate her in the process. He would expose her shameful ways as an
example of what would happen to others who did such terrible things.

     Nahum 3:6 "And I will cast abominable filth upon thee, and make
thee vile, and will set thee as a gazingstock."

     This whole land will be a public spectacle, and all of her
abominations would be out where they could be seen. Her punishments
would be public, too.

     Nahum 3:7 "And it shall come to pass, [that] all they that look
upon thee shall flee from thee, and say, Nineveh is laid waste: who
will bemoan her? whence shall I seek comforters for thee?"

     No one wanted to be associated with her. They were afraid God
would think they were caught up in her sins. They fled away from her,
to prove they had no association with her. No one would comfort her.

     Nahum 3:8 "Art thou better than populous No, that was situate
among the rivers, [that had] the waters round about it, whose rampart
[was] the sea, [and] her wall [was] from the sea?"

     No worshipped the solar god Amon. They were worshipping false
gods, as well as Nineveh was. It was a large populated city, as well.
We can see in the following Scriptures, that No is destroyed like
Nineveh for the same sins. Jeremiah 46:25 "The LORD of hosts, the God
of Israel, saith; Behold, I will punish the multitude of No, and
Pharaoh, and Egypt, with their gods, and their kings; even Pharaoh,
and [all] them that trust in him:" Jeremiah 46:26 "And I will deliver
them into the hand of those that seek their lives, and into the hand
of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of his servants:
and afterward it shall be inhabited, as in the days of old, saith the
LORD."  No was an unwalled city, with the sea as her protection from
attack. Worship of false gods brought the destruction of No, as it did
of Nineveh.

     Nahum 3:9 "Ethiopia and Egypt [were] her strength, and [it was]
infinite; Put and Lubim were thy helpers."

     "Lubim" is speaking of the Lybians. These were a confederate, and
all of them were evil. They all worshipped false gods. In a sense,
they all symbolized the unsaved world.

     Nahum 3:10 "Yet [was] she carried away, she went into captivity:
her young children also were dashed in pieces at the top of all the
streets: and they cast lots for her honourable men, and all her great
men were bound in chains."

     The great sins of No brought great destruction, as it had on
Nineveh. The size of both of these cities was great, but God does not
look at their size. He looks at their sins. They brought the judgement
of God upon themselves.

     Nahum 3:11 "Thou also shalt be drunken: thou shalt be hid, thou
also shalt seek strength because of the enemy."

     This has returned to speaking of Nineveh. God's wrath will be
poured on Nineveh, as it was on NO. They can hide in their strong
drink, but it will not save them.

     Nahum 3:12 "All thy strong holds [shall be like] fig trees with
the firstripe figs: if they be shaken, they shall even fall into the
mouth of the eater."

     Just as it is easy to shake ripe fruit from the tree, the strong
holds will be easily turned over. They will not stand.

     Nahum 3:13 "Behold, thy people in the midst of thee [are] women:
the gates of thy land shall be set wide open unto thine enemies: the
fire shall devour thy bars."

     This is not speaking of females, but of men who are as weak as
women. The gates open wide let the invaders in. The bars that the
gates were closed with have been burned, and are gone. It was no
trouble for the enemy to just walk in and take them.

     Nahum 3:14 "Draw thee waters for the siege, fortify thy strong
holds: go into clay, and tread the mortar, make strong the brickkiln."

     Nahum is warning them that the battle is now. They must draw
water to drink. Making the brick walls and buildings even stronger
would be good, if this battle was not ordained of God. God has judged
them and all the preparation they can make will not be enough.

     Nahum 3:15 "There shall the fire devour thee; the sword shall cut
thee off, it shall eat thee up like the cankerworm: make thyself many
as the cankerworm, make thyself many as the locusts."

     This fire is sent by God, it destroys everything before it. Those
who do not die in battle will be destroyed, because there will be no
food. The locusts have eaten the food.

     Nahum 3:16 "Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of
heaven: the cankerworm spoileth, and fleeth away."

     As we said in an earlier lesson, this had been a trade center to
many cities around Nineveh. There will be no merchants left after this
war. They will be destroyed from within.

     Nahum 3:17 "Thy crowned [are] as the locusts, and thy captains as
the great grasshoppers, which camp in the hedges in the cold day,
[but] when the sun ariseth they flee away, and their place is not
known where they [are]."

     The "crowned" are speaking of those who were in authority. It
appears, they had run in and took what they could, from other
countries they had conquered, and had run away. There were many high
officials.  Their actions were done secretly. They are not equipped to
fight, all they know how to do is take something someone else has
worked for.  They are helpless, in battle, to save Nineveh.

     Nahum 3:18 "Thy shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria: thy nobles
shall dwell [in the dust]: thy people is scattered upon the mountains,
and no man gathereth [them]."

     Those who were to be caring for the people, are some of the first
to be killed, and they have no shepherd to lead them. The people,
without a leader, scatter for safety.

     Nahum 3:19 "[There is] no healing of thy bruise; thy wound is
grievous: all that hear the bruit of thee shall clap the hands over
thee: for upon whom hath not thy wickedness passed continually?"

     This injury to Nineveh will not be healed. All of those who
Nineveh had abused, are tickled at her destruction. They are so glad,
they clap their hands in joy. They had been so cruel to others, that
no one really cared that they were destroyed. They had sown
wickedness, and now, they were reaping their evil rewards.





































                          Nahum 3 Questions


1.  What is Nineveh called in verse 1?
2.  Why were they called by that name?
3.  What was the noise of the whip?
4.  What is verse 3 speaking of?
5.  "Whoredoms", in the spiritual sense, are speaking of what?
6.  They practiced _________ and _________, as well.
7.  What does Nahum mean by "discover thy skirts upon thy face"?
8.  And I will cast ____________ filth upon thee.
9.  Why did all who looked on flee?
10. What sin was in the city of No?
11. What did No have in common with Nineveh?
12. What false god did they worship at No?
13. Quote Jeremiah chapter 46 verses 25 and 26.
14. What protected No, if they were an unwalled city?
15. Who is "Lubim" speaking of?
16. What did Egypt, Ethiopia, and Lybia have in common?
17. They all symbolize the ___________ _______.
18. What horrible thing happened to the children of No?
19. What did they try to hide in?
20. How were their strong holds like ripe fig trees?
21. Who were the women, in verse 13, speaking of?
22. What is Nahum warning them of in verse 14?
23. What were some of the ways they would be destroyed?
24. The merchants tell us they were a ________ center.
25. Who are the "crowned" speaking of?
26. Thy shepherds __________.
27. Who were some of the first to be killed?
28. What happens to the people without a leader?
29. The injury of Nineveh will ______ be healed.
30. What reaction did their neighboring countries have to Nineveh's
    fall?