Sharper Iron — Majoring in the Minors - Nahum 3:1-19: Where Are Your Comforters?

The coming destruction of Nineveh is full of woe for Assyria as a consequence of their idolatry and sin. The LORD is against them and will leave them with nothing but shame because they have rejected Him as their comforter. As the Egyptian city of Thebes was once powerless before Assyria, so Nineveh will now be powerless before the LORD, as will anyone who rejects the gift of faith in Christ. Though the kings of Assyria could not keep the people of Nineveh safe, the LORD as the Good Shepherd will gather His people into His holy Church.

Rev. Jeremy Swem, pastor at Our Savior Lutheran Church and School in Grand Rapids, MI, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Nahum 3:1-19.

To learn more about Our Savior, visit oursavior-gr.org.

“Majoring in the Minors” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that goes through the books of Hosea, Joel, Jonah, Micah, and Nahum. Although the books of these prophets are shorter, the Word of God they preached was important in the years leading up to the coming of the Christ, and that Word remains important for the Church today. Just as we still need to listen to their call to repentance over our idolatry, so we still need to heed their call to trust in the Savior, Jesus.

Sharper Iron, hosted by Rev. Timothy Appel, looks at the text of Holy Scripture both in its broad context and its narrow detail, all for the sake of proclaiming Christ crucified and risen for sinners. Two pastors engage with God’s Word to sharpen not only their own faith and knowledge, but the faith and knowledge of all who listen. Submit comments or questions to: listener@kfuo.org

Sharper Iron is underwritten by Lutheran Church Extension Fund. Together in faith, LCEF helps to start, sustain and strengthen LCMS ministries through financial and strategic partnerships. Visit lcef.org.

Nahum 3:1-19

Woe to Nineveh

3 Woe to the bloody city,
    all full of lies and plunder—
    no end to the prey!
²The crack of the whip, and rumble of the wheel,
    galloping horse and bounding chariot!
³Horsemen charging,
    flashing sword and glittering spear,
hosts of slain,
    heaps of corpses,
dead bodies without end—
    they stumble over the bodies!
⁴And all for the countless whorings of the prostitute,
    graceful and of deadly charms,
who betrays nations with her whorings,
    and peoples with her charms.

⁵Behold, I am against you,
    declares the Lord of hosts,
    and will lift up your skirts over your face;
and I will make nations look at your nakedness
    and kingdoms at your shame.
⁶I will throw filth at you
    and treat you with contempt
    and make you a spectacle.
⁷And all who look at you will shrink from you and say,
“Wasted is Nineveh; who will grieve for her?”
    Where shall I seek comforters for you?

⁸Are you better than Thebes^[a]
    that sat by the Nile,
with water around her,
    her rampart a sea,
    and water her wall?
⁹Cush was her strength;
    Egypt too, and that without limit;
    Put and the Libyans were her^[b] helpers.

¹⁰Yet she became an exile;
    she went into captivity;
her infants were dashed in pieces
    at the head of every street;
for her honored men lots were cast,
    and all her great men were bound in chains.
¹¹You also will be drunken;
    you will go into hiding;
you will seek a refuge from the enemy.
¹²All your fortresses are like fig trees
    with first-ripe figs—
if shaken they fall
    into the mouth of the eater.
¹³Behold, your troops
    are women in your midst.
The gates of your land
    are wide open to your enemies;
    fire has devoured your bars.

¹⁴Draw water for the siege;
    strengthen your forts;
go into the clay;
    tread the mortar;
    take hold of the brick mold!
¹⁵There will the fire devour you;
    the sword will cut you off.
    It will devour you like the locust.
Multiply yourselves like the locust;
    multiply like the grasshopper!
¹⁶You increased your merchants
    more than the stars of the heavens.
    The locust spreads its wings and flies away.

¹⁷Your princes^[c] are like grasshoppers,
    your scribes^[d] like clouds of locusts
settling on the fences
    in a day of cold—
when the sun rises, they fly away;
    no one knows where they are.

¹⁸Your shepherds are asleep,
    O king of Assyria;
    your nobles slumber.
Your people are scattered on the mountains
    with none to gather them.
¹⁹There is no easing your hurt;
    your wound is grievous.
All who hear the news about you
    clap their hands over you.
For upon whom has not come
    your unceasing evil?

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Footnotes

Nahum 3:8 Hebrew No-amon
Nahum 3:9 Hebrew your
Nahum 3:17 Or guards
Nahum 3:17 Or marshals

Rev. Timothy Appel

Although a mathematics degree may not be incredibly helpful to (proudly born-and-raised Texan) Rev. Timothy Appel while hosting Sharper Iron, his love of CFW Walther and the season of Easter will come in handy. His Call is shepherding the flock at Faith Lutheran Church in Godfrey, Illinois, and he’s also husband to wife Kristin and dad to their growing basketball team of children. When he’s not carrying out pastoral duties, you may find him reading “The Lord of the Rings,” snacking on Reese’s peanut butter cups, playing dominoes with his boys, or studying up on Texas history (including Sam Houston, of course).