⁸ “Though Nineveh was like a pool of water throughout her days,

Now they are fleeing;

“Stop, stop,”

But no one turns back.

⁹ Plunder the silver!

Plunder the gold!

For there is no limit to the treasure—

Wealth from every kind of desirable object.

¹⁰ She is emptied! Yes, she is desolate and waste!

Hearts are melting and knees knocking!

Also anguish is in the whole body

And all their faces are grown pale!”

Application

God announces through His prophet, Nahum, the end of the dreaded Assyrian empire. In their days of strength, no one could stand against them. They overtook countries and enemies with ferociousness unheard of until their time. They were famous for their cruelty, their greed, and their power. They trusted in silver, gold, power and intimidation. However, they were soon made low as God raised up His servant, Nebuchadnezzar, to destroy Assyria and be His instrument of judgment on Judah. All of their worldly wealth would be stripped away as they had stripped it away from so many.

Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria, was a center of Assyrian power and wealth. It was a city that prospered from the conquests of a nation with an insatiable appetite for the wealth of other nations. Their reign and prosperity lasted for years so they came to trust in their possessions and their false gods.

But, their actions were abominable to God and despite their wealth and power, judgment from God could not be avoided. When God’s wrath fell upon them, their Gold and their Silver would be meaningless. Their ferocity would turn to fear. Their conquest would turn to retreat. They would be helpless to stop it.

We must examine for ourselves what we trust in. Our abilities, our wealth, our ‘connections’, etc. can make us comfortable but ultimately they cannot be trusted for they are small things in God’s economy. The sovereign God who can raise up and tear down entire nations will ultimately judge us and there is no amount of worldly wealth that will make a bit of difference on that day.