In seventh grade, my history class was asked to name all the presidents of the United States. We got all but one, Millard Fillmore. Not only could we not name him, but none of us knew anything about him. I would imagine if Christians were asked to name the books of the Bible, Nahum would be one of the most frequently forgotten. Furthermore, it would be one that many Christians know little about.

Take a moment. Can you name the books that come before and after Nahum? When you hear, “the book of Nahum,” do the words, “Nineveh,” judgment,” or “warrior” come to mind? Just because a book is short doesn’t mean it isn’t significant for us today.

Place in the Old Testament

Nahum is one of the minor prophets. It is similar in themes to the book of Micah, especially dealing with the kingdom of Assyria. The Prophet Nahum pronounces judgment upon Nineveh, the Assyrian capital. He presents a facet of God’s character as a divine warrior who fights for His people and who will bring judgment on His enemies.

Not As Popular As Other Books

Many scholars think that Nahum is overshadowed by the book of Micah. Micah is a more popular book from among the minor prophets as it contains several prophecies of the coming Messiah, whereas Nahum deals with God coming in wrath to destroy His enemies.

It is human nature to gravitate toward the books that emphasize the goodness and love of God and to avoid the books and passages that emphasize the wrath and judgment of God. Even in the church, the message of grace and forgiveness is easier to hear than one of God’s judgment.

This is a good thing! I grew up in a tradition that taught a turn-or-burn gospel. It had a singular focus that you had to accept Jesus or you would go to hell. While this is true—that Jesus is the only way to salvation—this emphasis misses the heart of the gospel. Salvation is not just avoiding hell. Jesus brings a new life and a reconnection to the Lord. It is good that the New Testament articulates this new life that we have now. The gospel proclaims the mercy and grace of God to sinners. But we also need the balance that Nahum brings to our understanding of the Lord’s character.

You need to understand the full-orbed picture the Bible paints of our God. One of those brush strokes is Nahum. This book reveals the holy wrath of God against sinners. This is a needed focus to keep our view and understanding of God in balance.

What Do We Learn about God in Nahum?

The Lord’s wrath and vengeance upon His enemies is real (Nah. 1:2–4). He is slow to anger but will not clear the sins of the guilty (1:4). No one can stand before Him in judgment (1:6), but we are also told that the Lord is good.

In chapters 2–3, we see the promise of God rising in His holy wrath against Nineveh. He will not clear the guilty, especially those who have persecuted His own people. There is the promise of destruction and woe to Nineveh and all of Assyria.

Nahum in the New Testament Context

How does a book of judgment fit in the story of the gospel and God’s love for sinners? At the heart of the gospel is a God of perfect justice who “will not clear the guilty” (Exod. 34:7). We can’t truly rejoice in our salvation unless we know our own sinfulness and that we have been saved from our sin by Jesus’s death and resurrection. Jesus takes the righteous and holy judgment of God your sins deserve and pays its price on the cross. He arose from the grave to bring us new life as His people, so that we know Him as a God slow to anger—a God who is good and who keeps His promises to His people.

One of the purposes of the law of God is to show you your sins and to drive you to Christ and the gospel. The law reveals that we are sinners and enemies of God. Nahum teaches that the Lord is a just and wrathful God who will judge sinners. Seeing that God is holy and we are sinners should drive us to seek salvation. This salvation can only be found in Jesus.

Nahum should also give us hope in a hostile world that the Lord sees and knows those who persecute His people. He will rise up and punish the wicked. They will not escape His holy wrath.

Give Nahum a Look

I encourage you to read through the book of Nahum. It is rather short, with three small chapters. It would be helpful, after you read it through the first time, to read the introduction to the book in your study Bible or an article on Nahum in a Bible encyclopedia. Then reread Nahum again and see if you pick up on the themes discussed. Especially look for what the book teaches us about who God is.