Two prophets were given messages against Nineveh; Jonah who brought a message of mercy and Nahum who brought a message of doom.  Mercy came because the people repented.  And later doom came because they did not.

Nineveh was at the heart of the vast and powerful empire of the Assyrians - the commercial center of the world.  The wealth of the city came from wide-spread lucrative trade and also from the practice of deceit and the plundering of neighboring nations.

Excavations over the last several hundred years have determined that the wall around the city of Nineveh was 100 feet high, four chariots wide and eight miles in perimeter.

Nahum’s prophecy against Nineveh has some specific applications for us today. Nineveh was a wicked city when Jonah was sent there. They were so wicked that, according to Jonah, they didn’t deserve to be saved. Can you make any applications to humanity today? After Jonah finally obeyed God and went to Nineveh preaching repentance, the people in Nineveh believed God and repented, and then turned from their evil ways. God had compassion and did not destroy them. See any connections yet? Unfortunately, Nineveh shortly returned to their evil practices, even worse than before. The commentary in the Chronological Bible only touched on the surface when describing their many sinful and wicked ways. Making the applications to today yet?

Nahum lists some specific practices of the people of Nineveh; sorcery, prostitution, and witchcraft, all outward symptoms of inward character. God says He will treat them with contempt. Connections to today?

One message that comes through loud and clear through the prophet Nahum is that God will not allow rampant and unrestrained wickedness to prosper and increase indefinitely.  Connections today? Anyone who believes in Jesus as personal Lord and Savior is safe from God's promised punishment and judgment upon sin.  But the sin must be atoned for and Jesus took care of that on the cross through His sacrificial death.  However, that does not give us a license to sin.

Following Jonah's preaching, the people of Nineveh believed God, repented, and turned, however they didn’t necessarily believe IN God. They would be as the man Jesus spoke of in Matthew’s gospel.

Matthew 12:43-45
"When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation."

Unbelievers can believe, repent, and turn from their life of sin. God has compassion and saves those persons from destruction even though they may not deserve it. They, like the people of Nineveh may believe that God exists (even Satan knows that God exists) and yet not believe IN God (Jesus) and so have the indwellment of the Holy Spirit. When temptations of the former life resurface, their condition may be worse than before.

How about unbelievers who believe IN God (Jesus), repent, and turn from their life of sin? Believers are saved from eternal destruction (eternal death), yet still give sanctuary to some former sins. For example, as Believers, we can sometimes be very soft concerning stands on sins, such as prostitution, sorcery and witchcraft. Sorcery and witchcraft can come in many forms, such as the celebration of Halloween, reading of novels and watching movies concerning sorcery and witchcraft. The sin of prostitution also can take many forms, not all necessarily connected with sexual sins. Remember our relationship with our Savior is as a marriage. Anytime we Believers “sell out” to the ways of the world we prostitute ourselves.

Interestingly, today's reading mentions celebrating festivals (the God-ordained feast and festivals) and fulfilling vows to the Lord.   Again, we can make many connections to today.

Everything that Nahum predicted came true.  Ancient Nineveh is in ruins today. As Believers in Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior, we don’t have to be in ruin. We can put on our figurative “sackcloth and ashes”, repent, and turn from our wicked ways. Then our gracious and merciful God will have compassion on us, forgive us, and restore us to a right relationship with Him.