Title: Where can you Place your Trust?

Focus: Since God displays his power by overthrowing and setting up nations, and ultimately by overthrowing sin at the cross, he is the only one in whom we can place our trust because trust in anything or anyone else will fail.

Function: To motivate the hearers to place their trust in God and not on human institutions

Intro:
1.  Continue to look at Nahum tonight
2.  Keep in mind - His name means "comfort"
	a.  Comfort or encouragement seems to be a theme
	b.  Seems very hard to see at first
3.  Read

I.  Nahum 2
	A.  The scatterer comes against Ninevah
	B.  Who is the scatterer
		1.  v.1-3 - Looks like the Babylonian coalition dressed in scarlet
		2.  v.3-7 Describes how Babylon will destroy
		3.  v.8-12 - Describes how all in Assyrian run away
		4.  v.13 - Makes clear that Yahweh is the ultimate warrior
	C.  Yahweh is often called, "Yahweh of Armies" (The Lord of Hosts)
		1.  Hannah called him this in 1 Sam 1 when asking for child
		2.  David called him this in 1 Sam 17 when facing Goliath
		3.  James calls him this when condemn rich who oppress Jas 4
		4.  Often used in context when Yahweh defends the helpless
	D.  Yaweh fights for his people
		1.  Even for something like Hannah wanting a child
		2.  Or like David facing a giant enemy
		3.  Now, He will fight against Assyria, using Babylon
		4.  Text goes on to explain this

II.  Nahum 3
	A.  Says that even powerful Assyria is weak
	B.  This is a Woe oracle - Describes how bad things will be
		1.  v.1-3 - Appears the Assyria is strong
		2.  v.4-7 - God will expose Assyrias shame a disgrace
		3.  v.8-11 - No-Amon (Thebes of Egypt) as a metaphor
			a.  It was a great city from 2000 to 663
			b.  Seemed invincible
			c.  But it fell and was devastated
			d.  Great Assyria will suffer the same fate
		4.  v.12-19 - Assyrias strongholds and leaders are weak
	C.  This is poetic justice
		1.  The plunderers become the plundered
		2.  They were like locusts, but the swarm dissapears
		3.  Yahweh is against them, and destroyed them
	D.  What does this have to do with future generations?
		1.  Is there something relevant?
		2.  There is relevance, oracle preserved for future generations
		3.  So why would a prophecy against Assyria preserved in the
		      Jewish Canon
		4.  Makes sense in the backdrop of Biblical history

III.  If you familiar with what else going on, the Prophecy contributes much
	A.  Some historical information concerning Israel and Assyria
		1.  Isa 7:1-12
			a.  Isaiah to tell Ahaz not to worry
			b.  Even wanted to give a sign
			c.  Ahaz would not ask for a sign
			d.  Sounds noble doesn't it?
		2.  Isa 7:13-20 - Egypt and Assyria will overun them
			a.  Why?  What did Ahaz do?
			b.  2 King 16:5-7 - Ahaz didnot want to trust in God
			c.  He made a treaty with Assyria
			d.  Later, kings will make a treaty with Egypt against Assyria
		3.  All thes treaties will backfire because of lack of trust in God
		4.  God's response to alliances:
			a.  Isa 30:1 - Alliance without God - Woe to them
			b.  Isa 30:15 - Quietness and trust
	C.  Heb 11:6 - Without faith it's impossible to please him
	D.  So Nahum shows us that Assyria destroyed
		1.  Alliance with it doomed from the start
		2.  Cannot trust in horses, military might, or even alliances
		3.  Only one we can trust is God

Concl:
1.  Where have you placed your trust?
2.  Whether it alliance, or your own strength, it wil fail
3.  God is the only one who will not let you down
4.  Displayed ultimate power at the cross
	a.  No alliance can bring someone back from the dead
	b.  Jesus payed for your sins with his life
5.  Come to him