The Prophet Nahum must have had some serious courage. Imagine writing a prophecy against the superpower of your day. Not just any superpower, but a superpower so violent that some historians have called it a terrorist state. The Assyrian empire was powerful, brutal, arrogant, and intimidating. Its kings were supreme rulers with unquestioned authority. Along comes Nahum, given a vision from God, and writes, "Thus says the LORD, "Though they are at full strength and many, they will be cut down and pass away. Though I have afflicted you, I will afflict you no more." (Nahum 1:12).
You might think this would bring comfort to the people of Israel so heavily afflicted. We hope that it did, but we might also be correct in thinking that for some Israelites it may have had the opposite effect. We can almost hear them worry, "When the king of Assyria hears about this, there could be huge repercussions."
To receive this prophecy as an Israelite and find comfort you would have to believe that the Lord will absolutely carry out what he says. Your hopes of the end of affliction are tied to the end of those who bring it. God had promised both.
One thing we understand about Old Testament narratives like this is that they always leave us expecting more. While God never afflicted his people again via Nineveh, it wasn't long before a disobedient Israel are facing Babylon. As we read through the Old Testament narrative, we long for a day when God's people would be brought to full obedience, the affliction of God's people would come to a full and final end, and that there would be final justice for all who stand against God and his people. This day will happen. We can believe that because God has promised it.
God promised this day in the coming Messiah. Jesus came and conquered all on the cross. Because of the victory of the cross, we can be certain of God's promise that there is also a coming day of final vengeance against a sinful world that afflicts God's people. Just like God's affliction of Israel will be no more in Nineveh being no more, the affliction of the church will be no more when this oppressively sinful world is no more. What happened to Nineveh will one day be universalized. The book of Revelation uses a picture of Babylon as a representative of the world's empires to describe this.
Revelation 18:21-24 Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, "So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, and will be found no more; 22 and the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters, will be heard in you no more, and a craftsman of any craft will be found in you no more, and the sound of the mill will be heard in you no more, 23 and the light of a lamp will shine in you no more, and the voice of bridegroom and bride will be heard in you no more, for your merchants were the great ones of the earth, and all nations were deceived by your sorcery. 24 And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on earth."
The nations of the earth are proud. They satisfy themselves with power, entertainment, industry, commerce and more. There is no concern for God and his people and the church lives in the oppression of darkness that comes with the godlessness of this world.
Just like God bringing Israel's affliction to an end by bringing Nineveh to an end, the nations of this world will one day stand before God and be no more.
If you are a Christian, there is a message you can believe. Victory has come in Christ and victory is still coming in Christ. He has already gained victory over your affliction, and he will eradicate it forever more.
We live because of that great day of victory past.
We live according to the great day of victory to come.