Judah Would Not Be Conquered By Assyria

Nahum 2:1-13

“He that dasheth in pieces is come up before thy face: keep the munition, watch the way, make thy loins strong, fortify thy power mightily.  For the LORD hath turned away the excellency of Jacob, as the excellency of Israel: for the emptiers have emptied them out, and marred their vine branches. “ (Nahum 2:1-2)

The Assyrians were attempting to invade Judah, after having conquered Israel.  Because of the ongoing sin, Judah would eventually be defeated just as Israel had been, despite their efforts to build their defenses.    The land will be deserted and the orchards and vineyards left untended.

“The shield of his mighty men is made red, the valiant men are in scarlet: the chariots shall be with flaming torches in the day of his preparation, and the fir trees shall be terribly shaken.  The chariots shall rage in the streets, they shall justle one against another in the broad ways: they shall seem like torches, they shall run like the lightnings.   He shall recount his worthies: they shall stumble in their walk; they shall make haste to the wall thereof, and the defence shall be prepared. ” (Nahum 2:3-5)

Judah will polish their weapons and make patriotic displays of the military might.  There will be parades and great speeches about the skills of their old generals who  shuffle to the front.  .  They will go to the walls to demonstrate their preparedness. 

“The gates of the rivers shall be opened, and the palace shall be dissolved.  And Huzzab shall be led away captive, she shall be brought up, and her maids shall lead her as with the voice of doves, tabering upon their breasts.” (Nahum 2:6-7)

The various gates giving access to the rivers will be breached, and the fortress razed.  The king and appointed rulers will be taken captive, joined by their supporters, weeping and trying to comfort them. 

“But Nineveh is of old like a pool of water: yet they shall flee away. Stand, stand, shall they cry; but none shall look back.  Take ye the spoil of silver, take the spoil of gold: for there is none end of the store and glory out of all the pleasant furniture.  She is empty, and void, and waste: and the heart melteth, and the knees smite together, and much pain is in all loins, and the faces of them all gather blackness.” (Nahum 2:8-10)

Though Nineveh and the Assyrians were the threat at the time, they were not the ones who would conquer Judah.   The Babylonians would defeat the Assyrians and destroy Nineveh, taking everything and leaving it uninhabited, and her territories in fear. 

“Where is the dwelling of the lions, and the feedingplace of the young lions, where the lion, even the old lion, walked, and the lion's whelp, and none made them afraid?  The lion did tear in pieces enough for his whelps, and strangled for his lionesses, and filled his holes with prey, and his dens with ravin. “ (Nahum 3:11-12)

In the past Nineveh and the Assyrians had beel like an old lion, taking whatever they wanted.  They had not backed away from any country, and had everything they wants.  God asked where they were now.

“Behold, I am against thee, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will burn her chariots in the smoke, and the sword shall devour thy young lions: and I will cut off thy prey from the earth, and the voice of thy messengers shall no more be heard.” (Nahum 2:13)

God was going to turn on them.  Their chariots would be burned and their young warriors killed.  They will no longer have control of other peoples, and they will not send messengers, expecting other nations to obey what they ordered.  Both Nineveh and her power will cease to exist.