Nahum 2:11-13 - Homiletics

The parable of the lion's den.

I. THE DESCRIPTION OF THE SEN .

1 . Its site. Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian empire.

2 . Its occupants. The lions above referred to.

3 . Its prey. The spoils of the nations Syria, Phoenicia, Philistia, Israel, Judah, and even Egypt had felt the might of Assyria and contributed to swell the ravin she had stored in her cities.

II. THE DESTRUCTION OF THE DEN .

1 . Its certainty. According to Nahum, Jehovah was against Nineveh, and that was enough to secure its overthrow. "The face of the Lord is against them that do evil," etc. ( Psalms 34:16 ). Besides, his uttered threatening, "I will burn her chariots [ i.e. all her military armament] in the smoke," rendered her doom inevitable. The word of Jehovah can as little fail in threatening as in promise.

2 . Its celerity. So little difficult would be the task to Jehovah, that he would not need fire, but only smoke, to consume the power of Nineveh. "In short, the prophet shows that Nineveh would be, as it were in a moment, reduced to nothing, as soon as it pleased God to avenge its wickedness" (Calvin).

3 . Its completeness.

1 . That Jehovah is against sin in nations no less than in individuals.

2 . That national wickedness is the certain prelude to national ruin.