The Prophet Nahum, one of the twelve “minor prophets” of the Hebrew Bible is seldom read as part of the lectionary — never in the Sunday Cycle. He lived in the seventh Century before Christ at the time after the Northern Kingdom of Israel had been conquered and taken into exile by the Assyrians. This caused the Southern Kingdom of Judah no end of (well-founded) anxiety that they would be next. The prophet took some delight when Babylon conquered the Assyrians. Celebrate your feasts, O Judah, fulfill your vows! For nevermore shall you be invaded by the scoundrel; he is completely destroyed. What Nahum did not foresee was that a new scoundrel, that of Babylon, would be the next invader. That serves as a vivid reminder that everything in this world is interim. We can’t wipe our brows and say, that’s take care of. There is always one more thing challenging us to respond to the presence of God in the world.
