Affliction Will Not Rise Again: Nahum 1 Explained

Scriptures for Today

Nahum 1:9-15
What do ye imagine against the LORD? he will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time.  10 For while they be folden together as thorns, and while they are drunken as drunkards, they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry.  11 There is one come out of thee, that imagineth evil against the LORD, a wicked counseller.  12 Thus saith the LORD; Though they be quiet, and likewise many, yet thus shall they be cut down, when he shall pass through. Though I have afflicted thee, I will afflict thee no more.  13 For now will I break his yoke from off thee, and will burst thy bonds in sunder.  14 And the LORD hath given a commandment concerning thee, that no more of thy name be sown: out of the house of thy gods will I cut off the graven image and the molten image: I will make thy grave; for thou art vile.  15 Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace! O Judah, keep thy solemn feasts, perform thy vows: for the wicked shall no more pass through thee; he is utterly cut off.

Introduction — The Book of Nahum

The book of Nahum is focused on the judgment of one specific place: Nineveh. Nineveh was the capital city of the Assyrian empire, and at this time, Assyria was one of the most powerful nations in the world. They were known for their strength, their military power, and especially their cruelty.

This is the same Nineveh that we saw in the book of Jonah. When Jonah preached there, the people repented. They turned from their sin, and God held back His judgment. But that repentance did not last.

Years later, Nineveh returned to their old ways. They became violent again. They became proud. They oppressed other nations. They brought suffering and destruction wherever they went. And now God sends Nahum with a different message.

This time, there is no warning to repent. This time, there is no delay. This time, judgment is coming, and it will be complete.

Nahum 1:1
The burden of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.

The word “burden” tells you exactly what kind of message this is. This is heavy. This is serious. This is not encouragement for Nineveh. This is judgment from God. Before we get to our passage for today, God tells us who He is once again.

Nahum 1:2
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.

God is patient, but He is also just. He does not ignore sin forever. There comes a point where judgment comes. That is exactly where we are in this chapter. Now starting in verse 9, God begins to explain what He is going to do. And this helps us understand how God works.

God Will Make an Utter End

Nahum 1:9
What do ye imagine against the LORD? he will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time.

God begins with a question. “What do ye imagine against the LORD?” In other words, what do you think you are going to do? What plans do you have? What do you think is going to happen when you go against God?

People always think they can get away with it. Nations think they can rise up, make plans, build power, and stand against God without consequences. But God answers immediately. He says, “he will make an utter end.” That means complete destruction. Not partial. Not temporary. Not something they recover from. This is the end.

Then He says, “affliction shall not rise up the second time.” That means when God finishes this judgment, it is done. There is not going to be another round. There is not going to be a comeback. Nineveh will not rise again. This shows you something very important. When God says He will make an utter end, you know it’s completely over.

Easily Consumed

Nahum 1:10
For while they be folden together as thorns, and while they are drunken as drunkards, they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry.

God now describes them in a way that shows how weak they really are. He says they are like thorns folded together. Thorns are tangled, messy, and useless. When you gather thorns together, they are just ready to be burned.

Then He says they are like drunken men. That means they are not thinking clearly. They are careless. They feel secure, but they are not paying attention to what is actually happening. They think everything is fine. They think they are safe.

But then God says they will be devoured as stubble fully dry. Stubble burns fast. Dry stubble burns instantly. There is nothing to stop it. That means when judgment comes, it will be quick, and it will be complete. All that strength they thought they had will not matter.

A Wicked Counseller

Nahum 1:11
There is one come out of thee, that imagineth evil against the LORD, a wicked counseller.

Now God points directly to leadership. There is someone who is planning evil. Someone who is imagining things against the LORD. The Bible calls him a wicked counseller. This shows that sin is not just random. There are people leading it. There are people planning it. There are people influencing others.

And God sees that. God knows exactly who is behind it. Nothing is hidden. The people who lead others into sin are not overlooked by God. So, who could this ONE be right here in this verse? Who is this wicked counsellor?

This is talking about a specific leader from Nineveh/Assyria who was leading the opposition against God and against God’s people. The best biblical match for this is most likely the king of Assyria at that time, especially the one who came against Judah and spoke against God.

We see this very clearly in other Scriptures. When Assyria came against Judah, their king didn’t just attack the people — he spoke directly against God. This was prior to Nahum, but it could be something very similar.

2 Kings 18:33–35
Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered at all his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath, and of Arpad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? have they delivered Samaria out of mine hand? Who are they among all the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of mine hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of mine hand?

This is not just pride. This is imagining evil against the LORD. This is exactly what Nahum 1:11 is describing. Those Scriptures happened during the reign of king Hezekiah. That’s Sennacherib king of Assyria speaking. He’s threatening Jerusalem.

The same nation that stood up and spoke against God in the days of Hezekiah is the nation God is now judging in Nahum. Back then, they were strong. Back then, they thought nothing could stop them. But now God is saying their end is coming, and it will be complete.

They Will Be Cut Down

Nahum 1:12
Thus saith the LORD; Though they be quiet, and likewise many, yet thus shall they be cut down, when he shall pass through. Though I have afflicted thee, I will afflict thee no more.

God says even if they look stable, even if they look strong, even if there are many of them, they will still be cut down. When God is going to do something, numbers do not matter. Strength does not matter. Power does not matter. None of that can stand against God.

Then God turns and speaks to His people. He says, “Though I have afflicted thee, I will afflict thee no more.” God allowed His people to go through hardship. He allowed them to be under pressure. But now that is ending. God is shifting the focus. Now He is going to deal with the enemy.

Breaking the Yoke

Nahum 1:13
For now will I break his yoke from off thee, and will burst thy bonds in sunder.

This verse is talking about real oppression that God’s people were under. The Assyrians had power over them, controlled them, and made life difficult. That is what the Bible calls a yoke, something placed on an animal to control it and keep it under pressure.

When God says He will break that yoke, He is saying that control is going to be completely removed. The power Assyria had over them will not continue, and God Himself is the one who is going to break it. This is not something they could fix on their own.

Then it says He will burst their bonds in sunder, which means those restraints will be broken apart completely. This is not a partial freedom. This is total and complete freedom. God is removing the weight, the pressure, and the control all at once.

The point is simple. God sees what is holding His people down, and when the time comes, He breaks it completely.

The End of Their Name

Nahum 1:14
And the LORD hath given a commandment concerning thee, that no more of thy name be sown: out of the house of thy gods will I cut off the graven image and the molten image: I will make thy grave; for thou art vile.

God now speaks directly to Nineveh. He says their name will not continue. That means their nation will end. Their identity will be gone. They will not carry on into the future. Then He says He will cut off their idols. Their false gods will not save them. Their religion will not protect them.

Then God says, “I will make thy grave.” That means God Himself is declaring their end. And He gives the reason: “for thou art vile.” Vile is morally filthy, disgusting, and corrupt in the sight of God. It’s not just bad. It’s not just wrong. It’s something so nasty and so sinful that God hates it with a passion. VILE. This is God’s judgment on their sin. This is not random. This is not unfair. This is because of who they became. Sick, nasty, and vile. What were they doing?

Extreme violence. Brutal. Taking from others. Lies and deception. Robbery. Taking what was not theirs. Full of robbery. Constant sin that never stopped. And pride against God. The sodomites throughout the world are similar in their pride against the Almighty God. He tells them over and over again they they are wrong, but they tell God that He’s wrong.

Good News for Judah

Nahum 1:15
Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace! O Judah, keep thy solemn feasts, perform thy vows: for the wicked shall no more pass through thee; he is utterly cut off.

Now everything changes. Up to this point, it has all been judgment. But now this becomes good news for Judah. It says, “the feet of him that bringeth good tidings.” That means someone is coming with news. And it is good news.

Peace. Relief. Freedom. Then God tells Judah to return to normal worship. Keep your feasts. Perform your vows. Go back to serving God. Why? Because the enemy is gone. “The wicked shall no more pass through thee.” That means it is finished. “He is utterly cut off.” Completely.

Practical Applications

1. God finishes what He starts. When He judges, it is complete.
2. Strength and numbers do not matter against God. No one is too powerful.
3. God sees leadership and influence. He knows who is leading sin.
4. God can remove burdens and oppression. He can break what is holding you down.
5. False security will always fail. Only God does not fail.

Conclusion

Nahum shows us something very clear. God does not ignore sin forever. Nineveh was powerful. Nineveh was feared. Nineveh looked like it would last forever. But God said it would end. And it did.

God made an utter end. And when God finished, it was done. Affliction did not rise again. That is the message. God sees everything. God judges sin. And when He does, it is final.

Let’s pray.