Bible Reading Plan

Category: Nahum

  • Rest Day

    Rest Day

    Rest Day

    Today is a Rest Day. There is no new Bible reading to do. Today, the goal is simple: rest in the presence of God. Maybe you need to use today to get caught up on the reading plan if you’re behind, maybe you want to journal what you’re learning so you don’t forget what God is teaching you, or maybe you want to spend time in concentrated prayer–do that. Above all, just spend time in God’s presence. 

    Watch This: Reading the Prophets

    The Bible is made up of several different types of literature that are all meant to be read differently. To learn more about how to read the prophets (which we’re doing right now), check out this five minute video from The Bible Project.

    Worship with us

    Join us in person or online at 9a or 11a at harriscreek.org/live. We will not be having the 7p service for the duration of the summer! We’d love to worship with you! We also desire to connect everyone with a local church body where they can thrive in community and use their gifts to serve. If you’re following our Bible Reading Plan from outside of Waco and are eager to get connected with a great local church, email us at [email protected].

    Leave a Comment below
    Did you learn something today? Share it with our Bible Reading Plan community by commenting below.
  • Nahum 3

    Nahum 3

    Editor’s Note

    We’re also going to take a brief pause from our summer books (1 & 2 Chronicles) to read from some of the minor prophets that are either directly mentioned in 1 & 2 Chronicles or that lived and prophesied within the time frames of those books. 

    These short prophetical books help us understand what God’s people would have been hearing (and feeling) as they lived through some tumultuous times and help add color to the historical books we’re reading over the next couple of months! 

    Read Nahum 3

    Woe to Nineveh

    3 Woe to the city of blood,
        full of lies,
    full of plunder,
        never without victims!
    2 The crack of whips,
        the clatter of wheels,
    galloping horses
        and jolting chariots!
    3 Charging cavalry,
        flashing swords
        and glittering spears!
    Many casualties,
        piles of dead,
    bodies without number,
        people stumbling over the corpses—
    4 all because of the wanton lust of a prostitute,
        alluring, the mistress of sorceries,
    who enslaved nations by her prostitution
        and peoples by her witchcraft.

    5 “I am against you,” declares the Lord Almighty.
        “I will lift your skirts over your face.
    I will show the nations your nakedness
        and the kingdoms your shame.
    6 I will pelt you with filth,
        I will treat you with contempt
        and make you a spectacle.
    7 All who see you will flee from you and say,
        ‘Nineveh is in ruins—who will mourn for her?’
        Where can I find anyone to comfort you?”

    8 Are you better than Thebes,
        situated on the Nile,
        with water around her?
    The river was her defense,
        the waters her wall.
    9 Cush and Egypt were her boundless strength;
        Put and Libya were among her allies.
    10 Yet she was taken captive
        and went into exile.
    Her infants were dashed to pieces
        at every street corner.
    Lots were cast for her nobles,
        and all her great men were put in chains.
    11 You too will become drunk;
        you will go into hiding
        and seek refuge from the enemy.

    12 All your fortresses are like fig trees
        with their first ripe fruit;
    when they are shaken,
        the figs fall into the mouth of the eater.
    13 Look at your troops—
        they are all weaklings.
    The gates of your land
        are wide open to your enemies;
        fire has consumed the bars of your gates.

    14 Draw water for the siege,
        strengthen your defenses!
    Work the clay,
        tread the mortar,
        repair the brickwork!
    15 There the fire will consume you;
        the sword will cut you down—
        they will devour you like a swarm of locusts.
    Multiply like grasshoppers,
        multiply like locusts!
    16 You have increased the number of your merchants
        till they are more numerous than the stars in the sky,
    but like locusts they strip the land
        and then fly away.
    17 Your guards are like locusts,
        your officials like swarms of locusts
        that settle in the walls on a cold day—
    but when the sun appears they fly away,
        and no one knows where.

    18 King of Assyria, your shepherds slumber;
        your nobles lie down to rest.
    Your people are scattered on the mountains
        with no one to gather them.
    19 Nothing can heal you;
        your wound is fatal.
    All who hear the news about you
        clap their hands at your fall,
    for who has not felt
        your endless cruelty?

    Go Deeper

    Nahum begins this chapter with a “woe oracle” announcing impending doom on Nineveh, the city and nation known for its bloodshed, cruelty, and wickedness. As the prophet vividly describes specific sights and sounds of Nineveh’s downfall, his message is clear: God’s judgment will prevent Assyria from ever inflicting horrific practices upon her captives and promoting pagan worship throughout its empire. This destruction would be total devastation of this nation saving Judah from Assyria. 

    Nahum also references the fall of the Egyptian city, Thebes, that was viewed as indestructible and yet the Assyrians destroyed that city. His description predicts an even more devastating fate for Nineveh. These words would be ludicrous to an arrogant Assyrian, but to the people of Judah who were existing in the shadow of the Assyrian empire and had witnessed the northern kingdom of Israel’s defeat and deportation, this brought immense hope. Nahum exalts God’s justice and sovereign power as a place of refuge. God is their refuge and hope. He is the faithful and true judge. God, the Holy One, is faithful to stand with those who belong to Him.

    How are we to process the prophet Nahum’s message? It is often difficult to comprehend God’s great love and His wrath. His perfection and absolute holiness demand that wickedness and cruelty be addressed. Notice that His wrath does not come without warning. Nahum’s prophecy is pronounced to warn and remind the Assyrians of the awesome power of God and to encourage the downtrodden people of Judah that He would orchestrate the downfall of this enemy. As Nahum described in chapter 1, “God is slow to anger, but great in power; He will never leave the guilty unpunished. He is good, a stronghold in the day of distress; He cares for those who take refuge in Him.” In His time, God will confront and bring justice to every oppressor.

    As we read Nahum’s words, let’s be reminded that this holy, righteous, good God sent His Son to bear the full weight of God’s wrath toward our sin, so that we may experience eternity with Him. Jesus’ sacrifice of His life on the cross, experiencing the wrath that we deserve, invites us to mesh God’s righteous wrath and His immense love. This realization prompts grateful love and humility. 

    Questions

    1. How does Nahum’s prophecy encourage you that God will deal with evil?
    2. How does the intensity of God’s wrath also reflect the intensity of His great love?
    3. How does discovering that Nahum’s prophecy was fulfilled increase your trust in God’s promises?

    Did You Know?

    History confirms the fulfillment of Nahum’s prophecy. Nineveh was utterly destroyed in 612 B.C. The Babylonian army conquered the city, which was flooded, burned, and plundered. The Assyrian empire vanished. Its ruins were not discovered until 1845.

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  • Nahum 2

    Nahum 2

    Editor’s Note

    We’re also going to take a brief pause from our summer books (1 & 2 Chronicles) to read from some of the minor prophets that are either directly mentioned in 1 & 2 Chronicles or that lived and prophesied within the time frames of those books. 

    These short prophetical books help us understand what God’s people would have been hearing (and feeling) as they lived through some tumultuous times and help add color to the historical books we’re reading over the next couple of months! 

    Read Nahum 2

    Nineveh to Fall

    2 An attacker advances against you, Nineveh.
        Guard the fortress,
        watch the road,
        brace yourselves,
        marshal all your strength!

    2 The Lord will restore the splendor of Jacob
        like the splendor of Israel,
    though destroyers have laid them waste
        and have ruined their vines.

    3 The shields of the soldiers are red;
        the warriors are clad in scarlet.
    The metal on the chariots flashes
        on the day they are made ready;
        the spears of juniper are brandished.
    4 The chariots storm through the streets,
        rushing back and forth through the squares.
    They look like flaming torches;
        they dart about like lightning.

    5 Nineveh summons her picked troops,
        yet they stumble on their way.
    They dash to the city wall;
        the protective shield is put in place.
    6 The river gates are thrown open
        and the palace collapses.
    7 It is decreed that Nineveh
        be exiled and carried away.
    Her female slaves moan like doves
        and beat on their breasts.
    8 Nineveh is like a pool
        whose water is draining away.
    “Stop! Stop!” they cry,
        but no one turns back.
    9 Plunder the silver!
        Plunder the gold!
    The supply is endless,
        the wealth from all its treasures!
    10 She is pillaged, plundered, stripped!
        Hearts melt, knees give way,
        bodies tremble, every face grows pale.

    11 Where now is the lions’ den,
        the place where they fed their young,
    where the lion and lioness went,
        and the cubs, with nothing to fear?
    12 The lion killed enough for his cubs
        and strangled the prey for his mate,
    filling his lairs with the kill
        and his dens with the prey.

    13 “I am against you,”
        declares the Lord Almighty.
    “I will burn up your chariots in smoke,
        and the sword will devour your young lions.
        I will leave you no prey on the earth.
    The voices of your messengers
        will no longer be heard.”

    Go Deeper

    Nahum 2 is a continuation of the previous chapter as Nahum, the prophet, tells of the vision God gave him. The people of Nineveh had returned to their wicked ways and they faced judgment. This prophecy from Nahum is graphic as it foretells impending doom and destruction. Reading it feels dark; hearing it in person must have felt even more ominous. As we read this today, it’s fair to wonder what we are supposed to do with Nahum 2.

    There are two contrasting pictures painted by Nahum in this chapter: we see that “the Lord will restore the splendor of Jacob like the splendor of Israel” (v. 2) and that Nineveh is facing a crushing defeat, with God opposing the Ninevites (v. 13). This is a reversal of fortunes for the people of God who have faced opposition and resistance. They would experience a restoration and would be lifted up by God. Think of the hope they must have felt hearing those words for the first time! 

    For the Ninevites, however, the opposite was in store for them. Pastor and commentator David Guzik said this in his Enduring Word commentary:

    “What a terrible thing to hear from God! The principle of Romans 8:31 is true for the believer: ‘If God is for us, who can be against us?’ Accordingly, the opposite is also true – if God is against you, then who can be for you?”

    This passage is a reminder God was and still is in the process of reconciling the world to Himself. Nineveh was a broken place overrun with idolatry and evildoers and God promised His people that He would restore them and punish evil all at the same time, even though it seemed like a dark and hopeless place. 

    Fast forward seven centuries (and 400 years of silence!) and God sent His son into a dark world with the promise that He was going to save the World through Jesus. Even though the circumstances seemed less than ideal at the time, God had a plan and knew what He was doing. Today, let’s cling to the hope that we have been given through Jesus and trust that God is still in the process of restoring our broken world. 

    Questions

    1. What stuck out to you in your first read through this passage? Why? 
    2. Can you think of a time you saw God restore a situation that seemed hopeless? What did you learn from watching that?
    3. How is God asking you to be light in a dark world today?

    Keep Digging

    Wondering why God judged Nineveh so harshly? Check out this article from GotQuestions.org.

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    Did you learn something today? Share it with our Bible Reading Plan community by commenting below.

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  • Nahum Overview + 1

    Nahum Overview + 1

    Editor’s Note

    We’re also going to take a brief pause from our summer books (1 & 2 Chronicles) to read from some of the minor prophets that are either directly mentioned in 1 & 2 Chronicles or that lived and prophesied within the time frames of those books. 

    These short prophetical books help us understand what God’s people would have been hearing (and feeling) as they lived through some tumultuous times and help add color to the historical books we’re reading over the next couple of months! 

    Nahum Overview

    There are 17 prophetic books in the Old Testament—five major prophets and twelve minor prophets. These twelve minor prophet books are no less important than the major prophets (like Isaiah, Jeremiah, etc.), they are merely shorter and their scope is more focused. Nahum is one of those short, more focused books. 

    Scholars place Nahum’s prophecy between 663 and 654 B.C. Nahum was a prophet who, like Jonah about a century before him, had a message for Nineveh. While we know from Jonah 4 that there had been repentance from the Ninevites, a hundred years had passed and they had returned to their evil ways. Not only that, but now on the throne was King Manesseh, one of the most evil and depraved kings to ever rule over Judah. 

    While King Manasseh eventually repented a few years before his death, the years prior to that were some of the darkest and most wicked in Judah’s history. It was in that era that God (in His kindness) appointed Nahum, whose name means “comfort”, to speak on His behalf. His message was simple: God was going to judge the people of Nineveh for their sin and wickedness. While this message was dark for the Ninevites, it was hopeful for the faithful remnant who had been holding on to the truth (even in the midst of chaos all around them). 

    Pastor and former seminary professor Chuck Swindoll says this about how we can apply Nahum’s message in our own lives today:

    “No doubt we all have felt overwhelmed by the darkness both within ourselves and in our world. Nahum lived in a dark time, a time in which the faithful few must have wondered how long they would have to resist cultural and spiritual compromise…The prophet Nahum reminds us of God’s active hand, working even in the darkest of times to bring justice and hope throughout the world.”

    As we read this short book over the coming days, let’s collectively ask God to show us how we can live faithfully, even in the midst of increasing idolatry and chaos around us. 

    Read Nahum 1

    1 A prophecy concerning Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.

    The Lord’s Anger Against Nineveh

    2 The Lord is a jealous and avenging God;
        the Lord takes vengeance and is filled with wrath.
    The Lord takes vengeance on his foes
        and vents his wrath against his enemies.
    3 The Lord is slow to anger but great in power;
        the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished.
    His way is in the whirlwind and the storm,
        and clouds are the dust of his feet.
    4 He rebukes the sea and dries it up;
        he makes all the rivers run dry.
    Bashan and Carmel wither
        and the blossoms of Lebanon fade.
    5 The mountains quake before him
        and the hills melt away.
    The earth trembles at his presence,
        the world and all who live in it.
    6 Who can withstand his indignation?
        Who can endure his fierce anger?
    His wrath is poured out like fire;
        the rocks are shattered before him.

    7 The Lord is good,
        a refuge in times of trouble.
    He cares for those who trust in him,
    8     but with an overwhelming flood
    he will make an end of Nineveh;
        he will pursue his foes into the realm of darkness.

    9 Whatever they plot against the Lord
        he will bring to an end;
        trouble will not come a second time.
    10 They will be entangled among thorns
        and drunk from their wine;
        they will be consumed like dry stubble.
    11 From you, Nineveh, has one come forth
        who plots evil against the Lord
        and devises wicked plans.

    12 This is what the Lord says:

    “Although they have allies and are numerous,

        they will be destroyed and pass away.

    Although I have afflicted you, Judah,

        I will afflict you no more.
    13 Now I will break their yoke from your neck
        and tear your shackles away.”

    14 The Lord has given a command concerning you, Nineveh:
        “You will have no descendants to bear your name.
    I will destroy the images and idols
        that are in the temple of your gods.
    I will prepare your grave,
        for you are vile.”

    15 Look, there on the mountains,
        the feet of one who brings good news,
        who proclaims peace!
    Celebrate your festivals, Judah,
        and fulfill your vows.
    No more will the wicked invade you;
        they will be completely destroyed.

    Go Deeper

    The vision of Nahum in this opening chapter displays a God who is willing to protect the people that He has made a covenant with–the people that trust in Him. Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, is a people who have been oppressing the Israelites. This is paralleled to the Egyptians, who oppressed the Israelites centuries earlier. In Nahum’s vision, we hear a parallel from the time of Exodus, “The Lord is slow to anger but great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished. His way is the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are dust of his feet” (Exodus 34:6-7). God is not slow to directly handle the enemies of His people because He is incapable or distant. God is slow to anger, because He has a love that is hopeful for hearts to be softened and turned back towards Him.

    We’re reminded of another aspect of the the powerful nature of God’s love in v. 7-8:

    “The Lord is good,
    a refuge in times of trouble.
    He cares for those who trust in him.”

    Even in the face of wickedness and judgment for the evildoers surrounding God’s people, there’s a reminder that He preserves and protects the faithful remaining remnant who trust in Him. A refuge is a safe place, where we find safety and security. In a confused and broken world, we are often tempted to seek refuge in possessions, substances, or anything else that might bring temporary relief. This truth that Nahum shared almost three thousand years ago is equally true and applicable to us today. 

    Just like the picture of the running father in the story of the prodigal son, we have a credulous Father in heaven, who is ready to welcome home those that He has created. We are called to trust Him that He is protecting us from evil. We are called to hope in Him as we persevere through trials and tribulations. We are called to these things because we have seen the same God do that over and over again, with the Israelties in Egypt and Nineveh, and even with us today. He is the same God with the same love that always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

    Questions

    1. How has God protected you in the past from something difficult in your life?
    2. Do you remember that God is the same and faithful when He is just (like in this chapter) and when allows the wicked to prosper?
    3. Have you processed that God’s wrath for others does not mean He is evil? Instead, He is protecting those that He loves?

    Watch This

    Check out this video overview of Nahum from The Bible Project!

    Leave a Comment below

    Did you learn something today? Share it with our Bible Reading Plan community by commenting below.

    Join the Team

    Interested in writing for the Bible Reading Plan? Email [email protected].