Nahum 3:1-5
1 Woe to the bloody city, all full of lies and plunder— no end to the prey! 2 The crack of the whip, and rumble of the wheel, galloping horse and bounding chariot! 3 Horsemen charging, flashing sword and glittering spear, hosts of slain, heaps of corpses, dead bodies without end— they stumble over the bodies! 4 And all for the countless whorings of the prostitute, graceful and of deadly charms, who betrays nations with her whorings, and peoples with her charms. 5 Behold, I am against you, declares the Lord of hosts, and will lift up your skirts over your face; and I will make nations look at your nakedness and kingdoms at your shame.
The book of Nahum is about the destruction of the great city of Ninevah. The reason for the judgement and devastation is given in verse 4: "all for the countless whorings of the prostitute, graceful and of deadly charms, who betrays nations with her whorings, and peoples with her charms". This is probably not saying that a single prostitute deceived the nation, but rather that it is the result of a spirit of prostitution. Prostitution is the giving of ourselves to immorality for material gain. In Ninevah's case it associated with anyone who could provide an advantage, promising rewards with her "charms" but also betraying nations when done with them. This is the spirit of prostitution that devalues sex and uses it as a means to an end. Yet we are often blinded by how it appears "graceful and of deadly charms" (verse 4). The problem is that we don't see the long-term result of falling prey to the charms. Although we are enticed in the moment, the end result will be exposure of our nakedness and shame (verse 5).
Lord, help me to resist deadly charms, and see the long-term result of my choices.
1 Woe to the bloody city, all full of lies and plunder— no end to the prey! 2 The crack of the whip, and rumble of the wheel, galloping horse and bounding chariot! 3 Horsemen charging, flashing sword and glittering spear, hosts of slain, heaps of corpses, dead bodies without end— they stumble over the bodies! 4 And all for the countless whorings of the prostitute, graceful and of deadly charms, who betrays nations with her whorings, and peoples with her charms. 5 Behold, I am against you, declares the Lord of hosts, and will lift up your skirts over your face; and I will make nations look at your nakedness and kingdoms at your shame.
The book of Nahum is about the destruction of the great city of Ninevah. The reason for the judgement and devastation is given in verse 4: "all for the countless whorings of the prostitute, graceful and of deadly charms, who betrays nations with her whorings, and peoples with her charms". This is probably not saying that a single prostitute deceived the nation, but rather that it is the result of a spirit of prostitution. Prostitution is the giving of ourselves to immorality for material gain. In Ninevah's case it associated with anyone who could provide an advantage, promising rewards with her "charms" but also betraying nations when done with them. This is the spirit of prostitution that devalues sex and uses it as a means to an end. Yet we are often blinded by how it appears "graceful and of deadly charms" (verse 4). The problem is that we don't see the long-term result of falling prey to the charms. Although we are enticed in the moment, the end result will be exposure of our nakedness and shame (verse 5).
Lord, help me to resist deadly charms, and see the long-term result of my choices.