Intro: Nineveh ancient, famous, founded Nimrod (Gen 10:11), had long history. Located
E bank Tigris (became W & S boundaries). 8 mile wall N & E boundaries. About 3
miles wide and 8 long inside walls. Suburbs extended 14 N and 20 S. Jonah 3:3 no
exaggeration. Flourished until 612 BC. Don’t know exactly when Nahum, but since
mentions Thebes (663 BC) within next 50 yrs. Although repented at Jonah, 40 yrs later
wiped out 10 tribes, 21 yrs later attacked Judah and even took Manasseh w/ hook in nose
(2 Chr 33:11)
1:8
Overflowing flood fulfilled figuratively/literally. “According to history, during
final siege by Persians, Medes, Arabians, and Babylonians, unusually heavy rains along
w/ damming, caused rivers flood and undermine walls, which collapsed . . . invading
armies entered thru breach.” Utter end its place also literally “Not only lost from
history, even city lost until in 1840’s.” Interesting read liberal commentaries pre 1850,
did not believe Jonah/Nahum. Destroyed so completely by flood and enemies that when
Alexander fought battle of Arbela nearby in 331 BC, did not know had been a city there.
Nineveh never rebuilt…confirms prediction in 1:9 that “distress will not rise up twice.“
3:3
Not only terribly cruel, they boasted cruelty on monuments (in museums). “I cut
off their heads and formed them into pillars”…“Bubo, son of Buba, I flayed in the city of
Arbela and I spread his skin upon the city wall”…“I flayed all the chief men who had
revolted, and I covered the pillar with their skins”…“Many within the border of my own
land I flayed, and spread their skins upon the walls”…“I cut off the limbs of the officers,
the royal officers who had rebelled”…“3,000 captives I burned with fire”…“Their
corpses I formed into pillars”…“From some I cut off their hands and their fingers, and
from others I cut off their noses, their ears, and their fingers, of many I put out their
eyes”…“I made one pillar of the living, and another of heads, I bound their heads to
posts round about the city”
3:7
Pre 1840 commentary on disappearance: “What probability was there that the
capital city of a great kingdom, a city which was sixty miles in compass, a city which
contained so many thousand inhabitants, a city which had walls a hundred feet high . . .
And yet so totally was it destroyed that the place is hardly known where it was situated .
. . Great as it was formerly, so little of it is remaining, that authors are not agreed even
about its situation.”
The judgment Ninevah because God’s character. This means basis everything do! God
Sovereign – Nations not built on arms, defenses or $...Nature itself obeys God and
disease, famine or flood powerful enemy. God Just - Assyria's judgment well deserved.
Although God had used them to punish Israel, they attributed to own power and God not
appreciate that. God also deals w/ nations equal to how they dealt. Obadiah Vs. 15
Many same atrocities committed were committed them. God protects His people –
Knew and protected those who trusted Him and did not join ungodliness.