Lesson # 5

Nahum & Habakkuk

Scripture Readings:

Day 1: Nahum 1-2

Day 2: Nahum 3

Day 3: Habakkuk 1

Day 4: Habakkuk 2

Day 5: Habakkuk 3

Nahum

Very little is known about the prophet Nahum. He is introduced to us as Nahum the Elkoshite. A case can be made for at least four different residences of Nahum. Al-Kush, a village opposite Nineveh, seems to be the most common view held among Christians, Jews and Muslims that live in the area today. We know that his name means comforter or consolation and that his message comforted the people of Judah.

Who repented at the preaching of Jonah? Nineveh did approximately 150 years before Nahum’s proclamation of their destruction. Nineveh’s repentance was very short-lived. Approximately 25-30 years after Nineveh repented, Assyria conquered Israel‘s northern kingdom. (Nineveh was Assyria’s capitol.) Another 20 years and Assyria nearly destroyed Judah! 100 years goes by and Assyria sets her sights on Judah again. God calls Nahum to proclaim His final judgment against Nineveh. Enough is enough!

2. Who will destroy Nineveh? Site verse(s):____________________________________

3. Why is it so important that God preserve Judah? _____________________________

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4. Backtracking a little, look at Nineveh’s rapid moral decline. Do you think the U.S., morally speaking, was a better place 25, 50, 100, 150 years ago? Elaborate._________

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God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies.

The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. Nahum 1:2-3 Read these verses 3 or 4 more times slowly. How many people who claim to know God, advocate something contrary to these verses about Him? They say things like, “God won’t punish me. He knows my heart.” I tell them, “He does know your heart, and believe me this is not a good thing!”

5. How were the Ninevites imagining, conspiring or devising against the Lord? ________

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6. Read Acts 8:1-3, 9:1-6 How was Saul persecuting the Lord?____________________

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7. Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth ________ ____________, that ____________ ________! O ________, keep thy solemn _________, perform thy ______: for the _______ shall no more pass through thee; he is __________ ______ ______. Nahum 1:15 Chapter 1 concludes with good tidings of Nineveh’s impending demise.

He that dasheth in pieces is come up before thy face: keep the munition, watch the way, make thy loins strong, fortify thy power mightily. 2:1 “Get ready, Nineveh: You’re next!” Nahum is warning Nineveh to prepare for an attack. He does not declare who the enemy is that will dash Nineveh into pieces, but history shows that it was an army comprised of Babylonians and Medes. Since God was behind the forthcoming attack, there was no hope of survival for Nineveh.

But Nineveh is of old like a pool of water: yet they shall flee away. Stand, stand, shall they cry; but none shall look back. Take ye the spoil of silver, take the spoil of gold: for there is none end of the store and glory out of all the pleasant furniture. She is empty, and void, and waste: and the heart melteth, and the knees smite together, and much pain is in all loins, and the faces of them all gather blackness. 2:8-10 We have all probably heard the expression, “What goes around, comes around.” Wicked, heartless, Nineveh was about to be victimized, plundered, hunted and ultimately, destroyed.

Chapter 3 could be described as the “how and why” chapter. God, through the prophet Nahum, delivers a guilty verdict against Nineveh. Sentencing ensues and the case is made once again in the closing arguments.

8. List some of Nineveh’s sins as described in chapter 3:1,4 ______________________

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There is no healing of thy bruise; thy wound is grievous: all that hear the bruit of thee shall clap the hands over thee: for upon whom hath not thy wickedness passed continually? 3:19 What a fitting end to a wicked nation that was without excuse.

Habakkuk

Habakkuk is the eighth Minor Prophet we will be studying. His parentage and birthplace are not recorded for us. We know that he was a prophet to Judah. Rabbinical tradition suggests that he is the son of the Shunammite woman Elisha raised in 2 Kings 4. Habakkuk has been referred to as the questioning prophet. His name means to embrace. The entirety of this book is a conversation between God and Habakkuk.

1. __ ______, how long shall I cry, and ______ ______ _____ ____! even cry out unto thee of ___________, and thou wilt ____ ______! Why dost thou shew me __________, and cause me to behold ___________? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up _______ and ___________. Therefore the ____ is __________, and ___________ doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth. Habakkuk 1:2-4

Habakkuk seems to be frustrated by Judah’s declining morals and confused by God’s seeming lack of interest. “God, don’t you see what is going on here? Your people are wicked and violent. Your law is being ignored! Aren’t you going to punish them?”

God answers Habakkuk. “I am doing something about it. I am raising up the dreaded Chaldeans (Babylon) to bring judgment against Judah.”

2. What were some characteristics of the Chaldeans? ___________________________

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“Now, I’m really confused God! You are Holy and pure! Are you really going to use them to punish us? They are worse than we are!”

3. Thou art of ________ ______ than to __________ ______, and canst not look on ___________: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the __________ ____________ the man that is _______ __________ than he? Habakkuk 1:13

I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. Habakkuk 2:1 Up until this point, my jaw has been dropped because of the boldness of the prophet. I have wanted to grab hold of Habakkuk’s ear and remind him that he was speaking to the creator of the universe! I was reminded of a conversation God had with Job.(Job 38-39)

I was expecting the Lord to rebuke Habakkuk! It seems Habakkuk was awaiting some sort of correction from God as well. He was already wondering how he would answer God’s reproof. The Lord answered Habakkuk.

4. And the ______ ___________ ____, and said, _______ ____ _______, and make it ______ upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. Habakkuk 2:2 God is saying, “Write this down, so there will be no mistake, make it plain so that it will be understood and relayed to others.”

5. Behold, ____ ______ which is ________ ____ is not __________ in him: but the ______ _______ _____ by his _______. Habakkuk 2:4 Key verse.

6. Do a search on the just shall live by faith. How many times is this phrase found in the New Testament? Copy them here.___________________________________________

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7. Look up the word woe: what does it mean?__________________________________

8. What are the five woes listed in Habakkuk 2 and who are they against?____________

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Chapter three contains Habakkuk’s prayer. It has also been referred to as his song of salvation. The word Shigionoth vs.1 is a musical notation. The term Selah, which is common in the Psalms, is found three times in Habakkuk’s prayer. The prayer also closes with To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.

The rest of Habakkuk’s prayer/song can be divided up this way: God’s Glory, God’s power, God’s judgment and Habakkuk’s faith.

9. Optional: Tell how you think the following verses apply to these headings.

God’s Glory, 3:3-4 ______________________________________________________

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God’s Power, 3:5-11______________________________________________________

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God’s Judgment, 3:12-15__________________________________________________

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Habakkuk’s Faith, 3:16-19_________________________________________________

Additional comments are appreciated

Have a wonderful week!

Jenni Valencia

jennivalencia@comcast.net