Bible Journaling: Book of Nahum

In this book of Nahum, we find a second prophecy about the people living in Nineveh. A century after Jonah, God sends word to these people through another man. Can you find similarities between these two books? - Can you find a fig tree in both? How about a worm? What about a fish?

For a broader view of this book of the Bible, we encourage you to watch this video:

Bible journaling tip: 

Nahum is one of those books of the Bible that a handful of verses are often quoted from - and usually out of context. I mean, not a lot of people have actually read the book of Nahum, but they can be quick to quote these verses. We need to see the Bible as an authoritative source, because God says that it is breathed over by His Spirit. You can make a point of it to not only Bible journal about the well-known verses in a book like Nahum, but also seek to memorize and visualize other elements of the book that are less famous. This will make you like someone who Paul talks about as eating meat and not only drinking milk anymore - you will develop an appetite for the deeper hidden things of God.

LOOK UP (information): encounter God through the Scripture 

Author:

Nahum the Elkoshite identifies himself as the author of this book in the first verse. Can you remember other books where the authors identified themselves in the first few verses? Why do you think they did this?

Audience:

Nahum’s message was a source of comfort for God’s people since it was a word spoken against their enemies. Can you find other places in the Bible where God is portrayed as for His people, and against their enemies? Look at what David wrote in the Psalms for instance, while King Saul was wanting to kill him in the wilderness. On the other hand, what does Jesus say about our enemies? How do you understand God’s favor to work - is He really for those who love Him and keep His commands? Does that mean that He is against other people? Why does this matter for evangelism and spreading the Good News of Jesus to everyone?

History:

This message to the Ninevites comes a century after Jonah was sent to the same place with a similar message. What does this say about God? What does it say about people?

Genre:

This book is part of the Minor Prophets in our Bibles, meaning it is a shorter piece of prophetic literature. We can see a lot of similarities between these Minor Prophet books that go beyond just that they are all short… They all speak to a specific audience. They all use similar imagery. They all point to characteristics of God. They all speak messages of judgment that are balanced with messages of hope.

LOOK IN (revelation): contemplate / reflect on our own lives

Key verse:

Nahum 1:7 NIV

The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him,

Inspiration:

Can you remember a time when God was a place of refuge for you when you were in a stressful or dangerous situation? We need to pray and ask God to show us ‘Where was Jesus in that moment?’ for every traumatic experience we have lived through. God always cares for us and protects those who run to Him.

LOOK OUT (transformation): respond with creative worship action  

Drawing prompt:

There are a lot of vivid images in the prophecy of Nahum. But these are not weird or out of place- they are key elements that can be seen throughout the Bible. We need to read the Bible as a whole and not only as separate books that stand alone. Draw or paint each of the following visual elements that Nahum describes, and then on the back of the picture, write down all the places where the Bible speaks about those things. 

Words to draw: fig trees, horsemen, city gates, locusts, lions, mountains, chariots

Bible Journey with HolyJot:

Here are some questions / prompts provided by the HolyJot community. 

• How was Nineveh attacked, according to the first six verses of this book? (Nahum 2:1-6)
• How did Nahum characterize Nineveh’s immediate future in verses seven through thirteen? (Nahum 2:7-13)

Follow this link to dive into this book with an online Bible Study group.

Writing prompt:

Where else have we read about Nineveh? That’s right, in Jonah! For today’s writing prompt, we will discover the similarities and differences between these two prophecies about the Ninevites. Even though the two prophecies were centuries apart and speaking to different generations, there are many similarities. 

You can also look at the history of your own country, or family and see if there are any recurring parents. Usually sin entangles generations in similar ways - but Jesus can bring complete freedom and restoration, even breaking sin cycles that are centuries old. It can end with you!

Prayer:

God, I want to thank you for the book of Nahum. Thank you for the beautiful parts of your character that is evident throughout this book. Help me to see you in new and true ways as I read this. Let my response to this text be worship unto you!