Nahum prophesied against Nineveh, the capital of the brutal Assyrian empire, the same city Jonah had preached to years earlier. But unlike Jonah’s generation, this time Nineveh had returned to *wickedness*, violence, and arrogance (Nahum 3:1-4). God declares He is personally against them and will expose their evil for all the world to see.
Nahum 3:5 (NLT) “I am your enemy!” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. “And now I will lift your skirts and show all the earth your nakedness and shame.”
Nineveh’s fate was utter destruction, and God’s message to them was that He saw their evil, and their cruelty will be repaid. There are three truths that stood out for me that I wanted to highlight on why evil will not win in this portion of scripture.
The first key truth is that God sees every act of wickedness. Wickedness is defined as the quality of being evil or morally wrong, in other words acting in direct opposition to God’s character. Nineveh thought their crimes were hidden, but God said, “I will lift your skirts and expose you.” No oppression, corruption, or secret sin escapes His notice.
Psalm 5:4 (NLT) “O God, you take no pleasure in wickedness; you cannot tolerate the sins of the wicked.”
There are over 120 references in the New King James Bible to “wickedness”, and over 80 in the New Living Translation. Wickedness does not please God and His judgement over it is swift. Think about modern day wickedness, we see the corruption in government, immorality is celebrated for all to see, persecution of God’s people is rising. We need to remember that God is still sovereign. What He did to Nineveh, He can do to any evil system.
The second truth is that God is the One who humbles the evil oppressors. Assyria boasted in its power (Nahum 3:8-10), but God laughed at their pride (Psalm 2:4). No empire, no evil leader, no demonic force can stand when God says, “Enough.”
Luke 8:17 (NKJV) “For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light.”
Just as God uncovered Nineveh’s sins, He will bring things that are hidden in darkness to light. We need to pray for exposure of corruption whether it is in politics, media, and even the church!
Lastly, history repeats itself and God’s judgement is a promise to those who are oppressed. For every victim of violence, every believer persecuted, every innocent person crushed, God’s word thunders: “Vengeance is Mine!”
Romans 12:19 (NKJV) “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord.”
Romans 12:21 (NKJV) “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
In closing, evil may prosper for a season, but its time is limited. We are not called to retaliate, but to pray, proclaim justice, and live uncompromised lives. Revival is coming, and God will vindicate His people!
“No sin, but the sin of final impenitence, can prove a man reprobate.” ~John Bunyan
Write down one area where evil seems to be winning, whether it is in your place of employment, your neighborhood or in your own family. Pray Nahum 3:5 over it daily and like Nahum, speak up when God gives you the words to say. Trust that God’s justice is coming!
