The Pulpit Commentary — Nahum — Section 39

, er. 1-<ih. iii. 19.- Wicked nations: 1. They are often allowed to ea:ist cm this e,arth until they reach a terribu degree ef wickedness. "He that dasheth iu pieces is come up before thy face: keep the munition, watch the WRY, make thy loins strong, fortify thy power mightily," etc. ,ve take these two chapters together, (1) because theJ· treat of one subject, viz. the destruction of Nineveh; (2) because scarcely any detached Yerse would supply suggestions for a practical discourse ; and (3) because our purpose in these sketches is not critical, but homiletic. •The critical part has been admirably done by Henderson, Keil, and others, and is found in the Exposition. We shall therefore endeavour to gather up all that is practical in these two chapters under three f:Cneral headings. 1. That nations are often allowed to exist cm this earth until they reach a t,errible degree <if wi',ckedness. 2. That it is the decree of Heaven that, Jwwever long they exist, the time must come when they shall be utterly destroyed. 3. That Providenu often employs = wicked nation to inflict ruin upon another. We shall devote a separate sketch to each of these propositions. Our subject now is that nations are often allowe<l to exist on this earth until they reach a terrible degree of wickedness. Assyria., the nation referred to here, was one of the oldest kingdoms in the world; it could count its age by centuries. Generation after generation came through centuries, played their part, and passed away, whilst Assyria stood. Its beginning is so far back that it is lost in obscurity. An early reference to it in Scripture will be found in Numb. xx.iv. 22. Reference to its capital, Nineveh, and its founder, Asehur, we have also in Gen. L 11. Our proposition suggests two questions- I. WHAT WERE ITS LEADING CRIMES? From these chapters we can infer a few. L Bapacii;y. The city is described as the dwelling-place of lions. "Where is the dwelling of the lions?" etc. (eh. ii 11, 12). "The point of comparison is," says Keil, "the predatory lust of its rulers and warriors, who crushed the nations like lions, plundering their treasures and bringing them together in Nineveh." As lions prowl about with ravenous instincts in search of their prey, and are utterly regardless of the sufferings and agonies they inflict, so long as they gain their object, so the King of Assyria and his minions weut forth to rifle and to ruin distant countries, in order to augment tbeir wealth and promote their aggrandizement. This rapacity seems to have been their habit; the city was a dwelling-place of lions. What an enormity is this I- man preying upon man like predatory beasts. The epirit of this rapacity Jives too stroncrly in modern nations. It is seen, not only in aggressive wars, but in trade and co~erce-the strong everywhere preying on the weak for the sake of gain. 2. Oruelty. The lion instinct was so prevailing in the population, that the very city is called "the bloody city" (eh. iii. 1). The golden rule," Do unto others as you would have others do unto you," was trampled in the dust. Instead of respect bei □ g paid to the rights of men. life itself was cheaply held; their feet were "swift to shed blood." It lived by rapine. Its cruelty is handed down in its sculptures, where we have lions of every form, winged and unwinged. Cruelty is the worst stage of depravity. When all social love in the human breast gives way to malevolence, what have you but a devil? There are men in every age and country whose chief pleasure is to inflict torture. .Atrocities are being perpetrated to a greater or less extent in all ages and lands. "Beaste,n eays our great dramatist, "are not cruel save when urged by hunger;" but men e.re often so, and into a cruel nature it is impossible to work tLe bl!mane and generoue. "You may as well use question with the wolf, Why Le bath made the ewe bleat for the lamb; You may as well forbid the molllltain pines Oil, tr. 1-13.] THE BOOK OF N AIIUM. 87