Nahum: Hope
Nahum 1 ESV
1 An oracle concerning Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum of Elkosh.
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.
3 The Lord is slow to anger and great in power,
and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty.
His way is in whirlwind and storm,
and the clouds are the dust of his feet.
4 He rebukes the sea and makes it dry;
he dries up all the rivers;
Bashan and Carmel wither;
the bloom of Lebanon withers.
5 The mountains quake before him;
the hills melt;
the earth heaves before him,
the world and all who dwell in it.
6 Who can stand before his indignation?
Who can endure the heat of his anger?
His wrath is poured out like fire,
and the rocks are broken into pieces by him.
7 The Lord is good,
a stronghold in the day of trouble;
he knows those who take refuge in him.
8 But with an overflowing flood
he will make a complete end of the adversaries,[a]
and will pursue his enemies into darkness.
9 What do you plot against the Lord?
He will make a complete end;
trouble will not rise up a second time.
10 For they are like entangled thorns,
like drunkards as they drink;
they are consumed like stubble fully dried.
11 From you came one
who plotted evil against the Lord,
a worthless counselor.
12 Thus says the Lord,
“Though they are at full strength and many,
they will be cut down and pass away.
Though I have afflicted you,
I will afflict you no more.
13 And now I will break his yoke from off you
and will burst your bonds apart.”
14 The Lord has given commandment about you:
“No more shall your name be perpetuated;
from the house of your gods I will cut off
the carved image and the metal image.
I will make your grave, for you are vile.”
15 [b] Behold, upon the mountains, the feet of him
who brings good news,
who publishes peace!
Keep your feasts, O Judah;
fulfill your vows,
for never again shall the worthless pass through you;
he is utterly cut off.
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Small Group Study
Nahum - Hope
October 25, 2026
Nahum’s prophecy given against the city of Nineveh, the capital of Assyria at the time, gives credence to the truth that nations rise and fall under God’s control and not by a “natural” ebb and flow of national power.
A century after God had spared this city (the book of Jonah) the repentance was replaced with arrogance. Even when Assyria was in the death pangs of defeat by the Medes and Babylonians, they retained atrocious warfare tactics showing no mercy and no compassion upon their neighbors.
Through Nahum’s prophecy God teaches us that the pendulum of justice need not disregard patience and mercy.
Read Nahum 1:1-8 A Psalm
This text is an acrostic (each phrase starts with the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet) song. It is a general declaration of both God’s judgment and God’s protection.
Upon whom does God bring judgment? (verses 2, 8)
Upon whom does God protect? (verse 7)
Discuss the images of HOW God’s justice is enacted?
What feelings do these images invoke in you? How does that impact your relationship with/knowledge of The Lord?
What purpose(s) are there for these general teachings on God’s character?
Read Nahum 1:9-2:2 Nineveh’s Doom/Judah’s Deliverance
Here we see specific accusations against Nineveh, yet still very general.
How do people “plot against the Lord” (verses 9, 11)?
Verse 11 is a reference to Nineveh for the original hearers of this prophecy. Some also see a prophetic reference to the destruction of the devil and his followers.
Verse 15 reminds us of our responsibilities in God’s kingdom as His followers
Compare Nahum’s words with those of Isaiah 52:7. Text critics cite this as a “borrowing” of earlier material and so do not credit it to Nahum.
What might be other explanations for the “exact wording?”
Who is it that is bringing the good news and publishes peace?
How do God’s people today “keep feasts and fulfill vows?”
Chapter 2 verse 2 reminds us of the purpose of God’s vengeance.
How does judgment/justice bring restoration? (i.e. Why is justice important?)
Nahum 2:3-3:19 The Siege of Nineveh
Nahum gives a detailed description of the fall of Nineveh.
Read Verses 11-13 Here Nineveh is characterized as a lion and we get a glimpse of how God saw Nineveh: a lion filling his home with the torn flesh of his prey. Read 1 Peter 5:8
Discuss God’s relationship with and the outcome of God’s judgment on the “lion” in Nahum 2:11-13
Chapter 3 continues with a gruesome rendering of Nineveh’s destruction. Along with the destruction are details of Nineveh’s sins. Discuss the grievances God has against Nineveh in these verses, their manifestation in our lives today and how we can avoid making the same mistakes/sins.
Verse 3:1
Verse 3:4
Verse 3:8
Like a good literary tragedy, Verse 3:19 leaves the reader moved by complete destruction. We see the truth of how this nation acted: unceasing evil. We see the completeness with which acts in justice.
Share if/how this tragic ending helps you internalize the need for justice.
Reflect on how Nahum “tempered” God’s justice with God’s mercy.
How do you see hope in Nahum’s message to God’s people?