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Daily Devotions

Nahum

Nahum 
Day 
Day 8

"I will break off his yoke from you"

Text: Nahum 1:13

THE ARROGANCE OF THE ASSYRIANS

The Assyrians were not satisfied with the tribute they had demanded of king Hezekiah. Sennacherib had sent his highly skilled Rabshakeh to intimidate Judah. The Rabshakeh insulted Judah and blasphemed the Lord in his arrogant speech. He had gone too far!

“Has any one of the gods of the nations delivered its land
from the hand of the king of Assyria?
Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are
the gods of Sepharvaim? Indeed, have they delivered
Samaria from my hand? Who among all the gods of
these lands have delivered their countries from my hand,
that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem from my hand?”
Isaiah 36:18-20

1. Their boast

a) They had defeated all the nations they came across.
b) They had defeated the gods of the nations as well.
c) Samaria, that is, Israel was cited as one of the nations conquered.

2. The insult

a) No god had been able to withstand the might of the Assyrians.
b) Neither the LORD of Judah would be able to defend the tiny nation against mighty Assyria.

GOD’S WORD OF ASSURANCE

The Lord God was of course not in the least impressed with the Rabshakeh and all his boasts. He gave a quiet word of assurance to Judah.

“For now I will break off his yoke from you,
and burst your bonds apart.”
Nahum 1:13

1. “For now I will break off his yoke from you”

a) The tribute Judah had to pay was like a yoke.
b) How long would Judah be able to pay this heavy tribute?
c) The answer would have to come from the Lord.

2. “And burst your bonds apart”

a) This signaled the defeat of the Assyrians.
b) Judah’s bonds would be burst asunder completely.

THE DEATH OF KING SENNACHERIB

The Assyrian army was destroyed by an angel of the Lord. Sennacherib had to return home empty-handed and in shame. In the temple of his god Nisroch, his own sons assassinated him (2 Kings 19:35-37).