 Questions and Answers - Nahum 1 - 3 |
| Q. When was the Book of Nahum written? | A. 722 B.C. |
| Q.What does Nahum mean? | A. Compassion. |
| Q. Where was Nahum from? | A. Nahum 1:1 = Elkosh. |
| Q. How did Nahum get his prophecy? | A. Nahum 1:1 = In a vision. |
| Q. Who were Nahum's contemporaries? | A. Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Daniel, Ezekiel and Jeremiah. |
| Q. What is Nahum about? | A. Nahum 1:1-2 = The coming judgment of Nineveh, who was known as a world terror to the nations. God spoke words to Assyria and all nations who strongly opposed Him. |
| Q. What is God's anger like? |
A. Nahum 1:2-6 = It is characterized by His great power in: 1) whirlwinds 2) great storms 3) billowing the clouds beneath His feet 4) natural phenomenon like drying up oceans and rivers, fading other lush pastures and forests 5) leveling mountains in global earthquakes 6) melting hills 7) destroying people as a result 8) No one can stand against God's fierce anger. |
| Q. What else is God's rage like? |
A. Nahum 1:6 = Blazing forth like fire. Note: People write myths of fire-breathing dragons, but all stories and takes are rip-offs of God's Word. The dragin breathing fire? God breathes fire! The dragon is symbolic of the devil. Here we see him again trying to wield God's mighty power for himself, a mere pathetic snake who knows he is doomed to a fiery pit one day, when God speaks it to come to pass. |
| Q. Is God personable? | A. Nahum 1:7-8 = Yes. He knows everyone who trusts in Him. They are protected when judgment comes. |
| Q. How? | A. Nahum 1:7 = God Himself is a strong refuge! |
| Q. How should I behave when under fire in any situation? | A. Nahum 1:15 = I should remember God's words of hope and rejoice, following God and knowing that He will redeem me in good time. |
| Q. Who restores honor and power to a people? | A. Nahum 2:2 = God does. |
| Q. What happened to Nineveh? | A. Nahum 2:7 = They went into exile. |
| Q. What did Nineveh do to their captives? | A. Nahum 2:12 = They made some of them slaves. |
| Q. Why did God declare Nineveh His enemy? |
A. Nahum 3:4 = Nineveh was: 1) beautiful yet faithless 2) practicing idol worship, using deadly charms 3) enticing the nations with her beauty 4) taught all the nations to worship her false gods, enchanting people everywhere. |
| Q. How will God judge Nineveh? | A. Nahum 3:5-6 = God will expose their sin to the nations that they seduced. The nations will have a revelation about what sin really is: ugly, vile, stinky and filthy. |
| Q. Once the nations know the true nature of beautiful Nineveh, how will they respond? |
A. Nahum 3:7 = They'll shrink back in horror and no one will regret their destruction. Note 1: One cannot possibly fathom the true nature of sin unless God reveals it. The good news is that the Bible exposes sin for what it is. Read it and be taken aback by what you may hve found beautiful! One day, every person past, present and future, will see sin for what it is. All will be utterly horrified. Some will take that revelation to Hell with them. Why do they weep and gnash their teeth? Maybe for this reason. To take God lightly is the biggest mistake one can make. Note 2: I sometimes wonder what the revelation of sin's nature will be like. I dialogued one possible dialogue here: "What is this poison eating at my flesh? "Ugh! The sin that entangles me! "I convinced myself it was beautiful and marched to my own drum. How stupid, stubborn I am! "God, get me out of this! "Why don't you hear me? Ow! (gnash, gnash) "This is ridiculous! Get me out of here! "I always thought if there really is a God, He forgot about mankind. See? I was right! (gnash, gnash) "Fine! Leave me here! See what I care! (He shakes his fist at God) (weep, weep, gnash, gnash). |
| Q. Why are God's people persecuted? |
A. Nahum 3:5 = Because they expose sin for what it is. To the unbeliever, sin is beautiful and stands for freedom of choice. Note: We are here to free them. God reveals Himself at will. In the crowd, one new convert may be made. He'll see sin for what it is because he took one step toward God and he'll never be the same. We must make the choice to search for God. He reveals Himself to all who humbly ask Him to. |
| Q. Where did Thebes (Cush) draw its strength from at one time? | A. Nahum 3:8 = Assyria, Egypt, Put and Libya. |
| Q. What became of Thebes? | A. Nahum 3:10 = It fell and its people were taken into captivity. Her babies were dashed against rocks. Here officers were made servants. All leaders were bound in chains. |
| Q. How would Assyria fall? |
A. Nahum 3:11-13 = God will remove the courage of its soldiers and they will hide in fear of ttack and their enemies would easily enter into the city and set it on fire. Note 1: Jonah preceded Nahum. His book was written 38 years before Nahum's. Merely one generation later, Nineveh was back to its evil ways. How long does it take you to forget God? Leave a good legacy. Our kids need it! Draw your strength from God only! Note 2: God sent another Jonah to Assyria. I wonder how many times God's enemies are called to frevival by prophets? Assyria had Jonah, then Nahum. And what sin they buried themselves in! God is just, but always, His mercy comes first, and it covers all sins. |