Nahum

Nahum is a book of visions and contrasts.

It describes the pagan nation of Nineveh and presents the justice and sovereignty of God. I represented that justice with the scales Nahum is holding.
Nahum sees Assyria’s military might, economic wealth, and oppression of Judah. He also sees that Nineveh will fall and that Judah will be vindicated.
The book reminds me of Jeremiah and the wrath of God, so I repeated several images from my Jeremiah painting. The lion, horsemen, and wolf appear in the upper left and center of this picture.
Nahum sees mountains melting, rocks breaking, and fire destroying. God’s wrath is poured out like fire. You can see a fireball in the sky and fires burning on the ground on both sides of the painting.
He also sees tangled thorns in the upper left and drunken people in the lower left, all of whom will be consumed.
Nahum envisions idols, such as the golden calf at the center right, being cut off, and graves being prepared. He sees lions devouring men and animals in the upper left.
He hears the crack of the whip, the rattling of wheels, galloping horses, rushing chariots, and the clash and shine of swords and spears.
He sees many dead because of Nineveh’s harlotry, sorcery, witchcraft, greed, and wickedness.
Nineveh will fall and be utterly destroyed.
Chapter 3 ends with the words:
“There is no relief for your breakdown. Your wound is incurable. All who hear about you will clap their hands over you, for on whom has not your evil passed continually?”
The end.
Yet Nahum also includes this reminder:
“The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who take refuge in Him.”
That is the contrast at the heart of the book. God’s displeasure against wickedness is real, but so is His goodness toward those who trust in Him.