National Security?

     Nahum prophesied about Assyria and specifically Assyria’s capital city, Nineveh. The book is a sort of “sequel” to Jonah. About a hundred years before Nahum Nineveh had repented through the reluctant preaching of Jonah. By the time Nahum arrived on the scene things in Nineveh had gotten so bad that God had determined it was time for them to suffer one of the terrible “days of the Lord.”

     A wicked nation suffering God’s vengeful judgment (Nahum 1:2) is certainly not unique to Nahum. We can read of the prophets delivering God’s message of judgment to Edom, Philistia, Moab, Babylon, Egypt, and many others. In the case of Nahum’s prophesy, God seems to take special care to point out that it was when Assyria was as her strongest that He would see her humbled. Nahum 1:12-13 says, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Though they are at full strength and many, they will be cut down and pass away. Though I have afflicted you, I will afflict you no more. And now I will break his yoke from off you and will burst your bonds apart.”

     Truly Assyria was as strong as they were only because God permitted it. Though Assyria had destroyed Israel and provided a constant threat to Judah, God wanted His people to know that He was using that wicked nation as a chastening rod. When Assyrian iniquity became complete God broke Assyria’s yoke from off Judah’s neck and burst their bonds apart. The point I want us to get is this: there was nothing Assyria could do about it.

     Take a moment to read Nahum 2 (only 13 verses). Did you see listed all that Nineveh trusted in? Their walls were strong, their soldiers were mighty, their chariots were many, their officers were skilled, and their wealth was immense. They were described as lions! Yet verse 13 makes the one statement that rendered all of Assyria’s assets useless—“Behold, I am against you, declares the Lord of hosts.”

     Friends, when God is against a nation there is no such thing as national security. Nineveh’s wall could have stood a mile high, all of her soldiers could have stood as tall as Goliath, gold and precious metals could have filled the streets for lack of space to store it, all of her allies could have stood at the gates, her chariots could have numbered in the millions with the most skillful soldiers to man them, all of her horses could have been of the finest stock, and every nation could have trembled in terror beholding her. Yet the simple fact that she made God her enemy doomed her and all she trusted in for her security was as useless as a miniscule whisper of wind against a mighty oak. Because Nineveh’s security was not based upon God Nineveh was not secure at all.

     “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stay awake in vain” (Psalm 127:1). Friends, where is your security? Upon what do you base your trust? Jehovah prompted Nineveh to keep her trust where it had been and see the result. In Nahum 3:14 He says, “Draw water for the siege; strengthen your forts; go into the clay; tread the mortar; take hold of the brick mold!”  She had always trusted in her provisions and the strength of her city. Jehovah urged her to keep it up. Grab some water, gather the material to make bricks, and just keep strengthening that wall.  Surely no one could reach them! Verse 15 says, “There will the fire devour you; the sword will cut you off.  It will devour you like the locust.” 

     Nineveh’s national security was an illusion, nothing more. She rejected true security and was destroyed because of it. Her destruction was so thorough, so complete, that the location of that once majestic city was not discovered until 1842. Such is the “security” of those who reject God.