Wednesday 9th July
Read Nahum 2:3-4
“3 The shields of the soldiers are red;
the warriors are clad in scarlet.
The metal on the chariots flashes
on the day they are made ready;
the spears of juniper are brandished.
4 The chariots storm through the streets,
rushing back and forth through the squares.
They look like flaming torches;
they dart about like lightning.” (NIVUK)
The ambiguity around who is referred to, attackers or defenders, continues. Traditionally these lines are assumed to be the attackers of Nineveh approaching in splendour and then, in the blink of an eye, found rampaging within the city. The attack is over before it even begins such is the power of the forces brought against Nineveh.
I prefer the reading Renz, who persuasively argues that we have the two sides presented before the siege of Nineveh begins (for chariots are not used to attack cities…). The first side approaches with such confidence that their chariots are decked out in metal, as if marching in triumph (v3). There is order and glory and splendour – the very things Nineveh was renowned for.
The Assyrians by contrast, known for their skill with chariots, are in chaos. The wide and palatial streets of the capital only serve as the backdrop for the disorder within. The Hebrew poetry, a classic chiasm, makes this clear and draws our attention to the impotence of the chariots of the once mighty Assyrians.
“Through the streets
rush madly
the chariots
race each other
through the plazas” (v4)
When the end comes, those who oppose God will be panicked beyond description (cf Revelation 6:15-17). Judgment comes quickly and unexpectedly. Be prepared!
