BLOG

Nahum, Prophet of Comfort and Justice, part 1, Introduction

Nahum is a short but powerful prophetic book announcing the doom of Nineveh and the comfort of Judah. It shows God as both patient and just — slow to anger, but certain to act against persistent evil. Its poetry paints the fall of a great empire as a reminder that the Lord, not human power, rules history.

Nahum’s three chapters each focuses on a different revelation:

Chapter 1: God’s nature (justice and goodness).

Chapter 2: God’s action (Nineveh’s fall).

Chapter 3: God’s reason (Nineveh’s violence and pride).

Dr. Bullinger points out that the order in which the Minor Prophets appear are meant to pair Jonah with Nahum. Both of these books deal with Nineveh, not only as a powerful city but also as a prophetic end-time system of sin and oppression. Yet there is a contrast as well.

Jonah highlights repentance and mercy — no one is beyond God’s compassion.

Nahum highlights judgment and comfort — no oppressor can escape God’s justice forever.

Together, the two books balance God’s character: “abundant in loving-kindness” (Jonah 4:2) yet also “a jealous and avenging God” (Nahum 1:2).

Nacham and Naqam

Nahum means “comfort,” (nacham) making him a prophet who reveals the work of the Holy Spirit. The positive side of the Comforter is His work in one’s heart to bring repentance so that justice is achieved through Christ’s death on the cross. The negative side can be seen in the word naqam, which executes judgment upon the unrepentant sinner.

Though not strict homonyms, nacham (comfort/relent) and naqam (avenge; execute justice) sound strikingly similar in Hebrew. So Jonah 3:10 says,“God relented (נִחָם, nicham) of the disaster,” while Nahum 1:2 says, “The LORD is a jealous and avenging God” (יְהוָה נֹקֵם, YHWH noqēm). This resonance underscores the contrast between Jonah and Nahum:

In Jonah, God relents (nacham) when Nineveh repents.

In Nahum, God avenges (naqam) when Nineveh relapses into violence.

Jesus explained the role of the “Helper” (or Comforter, KJV) in John 16:8-11,

⁷ But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. ⁸ And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; ⁹ concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; ¹⁰ and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; ¹¹ and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.

Nahum himself, whose name means “comfort,” delivers a message of vengeance that is at the same time comfort (because God’s vengeance on Assyria brings consolation to His people). At the same time, we must note that God’s “vengeance” is not like man’s vengeance. Man’s vengeance is consumed by emotion and self-interest, and for this reason God says in Deuteronomy 32:35, “vengeance is Mine, and retribution.” Paul explains the meaning of this in Romans 12:19-21,

¹⁹ Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. ²⁰ But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” ²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

In those days, when a family traveled out of town, the fire in his hearth died out. When he returned home, he would normally go to his neighbor with a clay jar, asking for a live coal in order to restart his own fire. Sometimes neighbors did not get along so well, and they would give just one small coal. But to love one’s neighbor could be expressed by giving a heap of burning coals, which was then put in the jar and carried on the head.

To show such neighborly love was to imitate the “vengeance” of God. Such generosity had the potential of restoring friendships among neighbors. This, it seems to me, minimized the distance between nacham and naqam.

The Jealous Avenger

Nahum 1:1-3 says,

¹ The oracle of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite. ² A jealous [qanno] and avenging [noqem] God is the Lord; the Lord is avenging and wrathful. The Lord takes vengeance on His adversaries, and He reserves wrath for His enemies. ³ The Lord is slow to anger [erekh appayim, “long of nostrils,” or “long-nosed”] and great in power….

The “jealousy” of God refers to His passionate devotion and zeal (qana, or Cana) in His determination to bring about full loyalty to Himself with no rival lovers. We see this expressed earlier in Exodus 20:5. This is not to be confused with petty envy, nor does God react with carnal emotions as men often do. In Nahum 1:2, it pairs with נֹקֵם (noqem), “avenger,” stressing both His passionate commitment and His role as a just and impartial judge.

Whereas men are often quick to anger, God is “slow to anger.” The literal Hebrew means “long of nostrils.” To be “long nosed” is to be patient, or slow to anger. “Anger” here is appayim, from the word aph, “nose.” Anger is expressed in terms of one’s nostrils flaring and becoming hot. It describes God as burning with zeal to fulfill His covenant.

Again, this is related to God’s nature as a consuming fire. He is consumed with passion and godly jealousy, which is zealous and determined to fulfill His covenant promises. It also speaks of the “fiery law” (Deuteronomy 33:2 KJV), by which He judges mankind with the purpose of writing His laws (nature) upon their hearts.

Hence, when God brings judgment upon Nineveh as a city, His purpose is ultimately to set men free of an oppressive, ungodly government, bring the people to repentance, and change their citizenship status to become citizens of the Kingdom of God. On a personal level, repentance is brought about by the baptism of fire, which burns the “chaff” (Matthew 3:12), that is, the fleshly desires of the Adamic nature.

When dealing with the judgments of God, one must be careful not to think that God’s judgments are meted out by mere power. All of His judgments proceed from His nature (Love), and His power ensures that His original purpose for creation will be fulfilled with no loss to Himself.

This is especially important when studying the visions of Nahum, for there we see the result of the Comforter (Nacham) convicting the world of sin and establishing righteousness by the power of the flame. The wrath of God upon Nineveh (as also upon Babylon) cannot be understood properly without understanding the very nature of the God of Love.

Our God has three main characteristics: Wisdom, Power, and Love. He was wise enough to devise a plan whereby He would lose nothing in the end. He has the power to fulfill His plan for creation. He is motivated by Love to restore all things to Himself.