Assyria was a very powerful and much feared empire. Nineveh was its capital. They were proud and haughty, thinking no one could come against them. They believed they were invincible. But no one and nothing is invincible against the Lord. As the Lord sent Assyria to judge Israel's sin, the Lord sent Babylon to judge Nineveh's sin. These verses describe what was going to happen to Nineveh. The attack would be brutal and overwhelming. They would be looted, plundered, and defeated. The Lord would be merciless to them. No amount of shouting, "Stop! Stop!" would slow the tide of the Babylonian army (8). The mighty and brave Ninevites would turn fearful.

Why would this happen? The Lord was against the city of Nineveh. "‘I am against you' declares the Lord Almighty" (13). They had once been so sinful, the Lord sent his prophet Jonah to prophecy their destruction, but the Lord relented when they repented. This time, there would be no repentance. The sword of the Lord would devour them, leaving them too weak to be a threat to anyone. The Lord is the judge of all the earth. He will come again to judge all the earth. We should be ready!


Application: Almighty Heavenly Father, you are the judge of the earth. We know that Jesus will come again to judge the living and the dead. Instill in us a holy fear of you and help us to repent.
One Word: God will come again as Judge!