Nineveh 2016

Matthew 12:41 “The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.”

In the Bible, Nineveh is first mentioned in Genesis 10:11 "Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah…” Many theologians believe that Nimrod was the builder of Nineveh since the name "Ashur" in the Hebrew can be translated as a person or a country. Nimrod is described in the Bible as the son of Cush, a grandson of Ham, and a great-grandson of Noah.  He is also known as "a mighty one on the earth" and "a mighty hunter before God". Since ancient times, Nimrod has traditionally been considered the leader of those who built the Tower of Babel in the land of Shinar, though the Bible never actually states this. In fact Jewish historians state that the phrase, "a mighty hunter before the Lord" actually means"in opposition to the Lord".

Josephus wrote, "It was Nimrod who excited them to such an affront and contempt of God. He was the grandson of Ham, the son of Noah, a bold man, and of great strength of hand. He persuaded them not to ascribe it to God, as if it were through his means they were happy, but to believe that it was their own courage which procured that happiness. He also gradually changed the government into tyranny, seeing no other way of turning men from the fear of God, but to bring them into a constant dependence on his power. He also said he would be revenged on God, if he should have a mind to drown the world again; for that he would build a tower too high for the waters to reach. And that he would avenge himself on God for destroying their forefathers.

"Now the multitude were very ready to follow the determination of Nimrod, and to esteem it a piece of cowardice to submit to God; and they built a tower, neither sparing any pains, nor being in any degree negligent about the work: and, by reason of the multitude of hands employed in it, it grew very high, sooner than anyone could expect; but the thickness of it was so great, and it was so strongly built, that thereby its great height seemed, upon the view, to be less than it really was. It was built of burnt brick, cemented together with mortar, made of bitumen, that it might not be liable to admit water. When God saw that they acted so madly, he did not resolve to destroy them utterly, since they were not grown wiser by the destruction of the former sinners; but he caused a tumult among them, by producing in them diverse languages, and causing that, through the multitude of those languages, they should not be able to understand one another. The place wherein they built the tower is now called Babylon, because of the confusion of that language which they readily understood before; for the Hebrews mean by the word Babel, confusion…"

Although the Books of Kings and Books of Chronicles talk a great deal about the Assyrian empire, Nineveh itself is not again noticed till the days of Jonah, when it is described in Jonah 3:3 as an "exceeding great city of three days' journey". This would give Nineveh a circumference of about 62 miles. It is also possible that it took three days to cover all its neighborhoods by walking, which would match the size of ancient Nineveh.

The book of Jonah depicts Nineveh as a wicked city worthy of destruction. God sent Jonah to preach and the Ninevites fasted and repented and as a result, God spared the city. When Jonah protests against this, God states in 4:11 that He is showing pity for the population who are ignorant of the difference between right and wrong ("who cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand") and the animals in the city.

Nineveh was the flourishing capital of the Assyrian empire and the home of King Sennacherib, King of Assyria, during the Biblical reign of King Hezekiah and the prophetic career of Isaiah according to 2 Kings 19:36: “So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh.”

Nineveh was also the place where Sennacherib died at the hands of his two sons, Adrammelech and Sharezer, who then fled to the land of Armenia in 2 Kings 19:37. Isaiah 37:37, 38 also repeats the same two verses.

The Prophet Nahum in his writings declared many prophetic denunciations against the city.

-He foretold its ruin and utter desolation.                                                                      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.”

3:19 “There is no healing of thy bruise; thy wound is grievous: all that hear the bruit of thee shall clap the hands over thee: for upon whom hath not thy wickedness passed continually?”

-He declared its end would be strange, sudden, and tragic.                   
Nahum 2:6–11 “The gates of the rivers shall be opened, and the palace shall be dissolved. And Huzzab shall be led away captive, she shall be brought up, and her maids shall lead her as with the voice of doves, tabering upon their breasts. But Nineveh is of old like a pool of water: yet they shall flee away. Stand, stand, shall they cry; but none shall look back. Take ye the spoil of silver, take the spoil of gold: for there is none end of the store and glory out of all the pleasant furniture. She is empty, and void, and waste: and the heart melteth, and the knees smite together, and much pain is in all loins, and the faces of them all gather blackness. Where is the dwelling of the lions, and the feeding place of the young lions, where the lion, even the old lion, walked, and the lion's whelp, and none made them afraid?”

-It was God's doing, or his judgment on Assyria's pride. In fulfillment of prophecy, God made "an utter end of the place".                            

Nahum 1:8, 9 “But with an overrunning flood he will make an utter end of the place thereof, and darkness shall pursue his enemies. What do ye imagine against the LORD? He will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time.”

-Nineveh became a place of  desolation.                                              
Zephaniah 2:13–15 “And he will stretch out his hand against the north, and destroy Assyria; and will make Nineveh a desolation, and dry like a wilderness. And flocks shall lie down in the midst of her, all the beasts of the nations: both the cormorant and the bittern shall lodge in the upper lintels of it; their voice shall sing in the windows; desolation shall be in the thresholds; for he shall uncover the cedar work. This is the rejoicing city that dwelt carelessly, that said in her heart, I am, and there is none beside me: how is she become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down in! every one that passeth by her shall hiss, and wag his hand.”

Could the men of Ninevah rise in judgement against our generation? The message of repentance is here-Jesus-Will you receive Him today?