The book of Nahum is all about the destruction of the ancient city of Nineveh. God destroyed Nineveh with a flood and also with three plundering armies. The modern day city of Mosul is built alongside of the ruins of ancient Nineveh. As a matter of fact Nineveh lays within the city limits of Mosul! The prophet Nahum said that God will judge the place where Nineveh was built. Both cities were built in the same place. By all practical standards Mosul is Nineveh. Therefore the book of Nahum describes the destruction of ancient Nineveh and it also very probably describes the present day destruction of Mosul in northern Iraq! We all know that the Al-Qaeda terrorist group called ISIS has taken control of the city of Mosul. They are killing hundreds of thousands of its residents.

When Hebrew prophets talk about the burden of a city or nation they are describing the portion of God’s judgment that it must endure. Nahum is describing Nineveh’s plight. I think he is also describing the plight of ISIS in Mosul today!

Nahum 1:1 The burden of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.