The Fragility of Strongholds: A Reflection on Nahum 3:12
"All thy strong holds shall be like fig trees with the firstripe figs: if they be shaken, they shall even fall into the mouth of the eater." - Nahum 3:12
In the book of Nahum, we encounter a profound warning to Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian Empire, known for its ruthless conquests and severe oppression of Israel and other nations. Through the prophet Nahum, God communicates a message that foreshadows impending destruction: “All thy strong holds shall be like fig trees with the firstripe figs: if they be shaken, they shall even fall into the mouth of the eater” (Nahum 3:12, KJV). At first glance, this may appear to be a mere metaphor about the downfall of a nation, yet it reflects deeply upon the nature of our strongholds—both in our lives and in society.
To begin with, the imagery of strong holds being compared to fig trees is striking. Figs, particularly the firstripe variety mentioned here, are among the first fruits to ripen and are both sweet and easily picked. They symbolize sustenance and security in the autumn of life. However, Nahum is warning that these strongholds—built upon the perceived security of wealth, power, and military might—are vulnerable. Like figs that shake free from their branches at the slightest disturbance, so too will the might of Nineveh collapse when challenged.
This leads us to consider our own lives. What are the strongholds we have erected? Perhaps they are our careers, relationships, social status, or material possessions—things we lean upon for our sense of worth and security. We can easily fall into the trap of believing that these worldly elements provide us with safety and stability. However, Nahum’s warning serves as a sobering reminder that no matter how strong or formidable they may seem, they are fragile. The image of being "shaken" conjures the picture of an unexpected trial or sudden change that can lead us to question the very foundations upon which we have built our lives.
In the face of adversity, believers may often experience a shaking that reveals the strength or frailty of their strongholds. When life’s storms hit—be it health crises, economic downturns, or personal loss—what have we built our lives upon? Let us not mistake our temporal victories for absolute security. Christ warned in Matthew 7:24-27 about the wise man who built his house upon a rock and the foolish man who built it on sand. The challenge is to evaluate where we put our trust. When the winds blow and the floods come, will our strongholds stand? Or will they fall into the jaws of the ‘eater’—the devourer who seeks to exploit our vulnerabilities?
Nahum 3:12 presents a crucial truth: the edifice of human strength, whether in a society dominated by politics or in our personal lives filled with ambitions, can be leveled at any moment. The 'eater' represents external forces, perhaps demonic or societal, that prey upon our weaknesses. It serves as an allegory for the temptations that arise when we place our trust in the wrong entities. Just as ripe figs fall prey to whoever is waiting beneath the tree, so too do we become vulnerable to the adversities of life if we are based in the transitory things of this world.
However, let us not despair; instead, let us redirect our understanding. The fragility of earthly strongholds points us to the security found in Christ alone—the ultimate stronghold. In Psalm 62:7, we read, "In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God." May we seek refuge in Him, adhering to His Word, allowing it to be our true stronghold.
As we contemplate Nahum 3:12, let us examine our lives for any insecure strongholds we may have placed our faith in. Let us delight in the truths of God, which do not waver or fall away. May our confidence lie firmly in Him, who cannot and will not fall, thus ensuring that we remain steadfast amidst a world of shaking and uncertainty.
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Nahum 3:12 - "All thy strong holds shall be like fig trees with the firstripe figs: if they be shaken, they shall even fall into the mouth of the eater."
"All thy strong holds shall be like fig trees with the firstripe figs: if they be shaken, they shall even fall into the mouth of the eater." - Nahum 3:12
Nahum 3:1 - "Woe to the bloody city! it is all full of lies and robbery; the prey departeth not;"
Nahum 1:3 – "The Lord is slow to anger but great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished."
Nahum 3:2 - "The noise of a whip, and the noise of the rattling of the wheels, and of the pransing horses, and of the jumping chariots."
Nahum 3:6 - "And I will cast abominable filth upon thee, and make thee vile, and will set thee as a gazingstock."
Nahum 3:16 - "Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven: the cankerworm spoileth, and flieth away."
Nahum 3:9 - "Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and it was infinite; Put and Lubim were thy helpers."
Nahum 2:12 - "The lion did tear in pieces enough for his whelps, and strangled for his lionesses, and filled his holes with prey, and his dens with ravin."
Nahum 3:14 - "Draw thee waters for the siege, fortify thy strong holds: go into clay, and tread the morter, make strong the brickkiln."
Nahum 3:11 - "Thou also shalt be drunken: thou shalt be hid, thou also shalt seek strength because of the enemy."
Nahum 3:3 - "The horseman lifteth up both the bright sword and the glittering spear: and there is a multitude of slain, and a great number of carcases; and there is none end of their corpses; they stumble upon their corpses:" bible verse art
Nahum 3:4 - "Because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the wellfavoured harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts, that selleth nations through her whoredoms, and families through her witchcrafts."
Nahum 3:8 - "Art thou better than populous No, that was situate among the rivers, that had the waters round about it, whose rampart was the sea, and her wall was from the sea?"
Nahum 3:18 - "Thy shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria: thy nobles shall dwell in the dust: thy people is scattered upon the mountains, and no man gathereth them."
Nahum 1:3 - "The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet."
"Woe to the bloody city! it is all full of lies and robbery; the prey departeth not;" - Nahum 3:1
"The noise of a whip, and the noise of the rattling of the wheels, and of the pransing horses, and of the jumping chariots." - Nahum 3:2
Nahum 3:13 - "Behold, thy people in the midst of thee are women: the gates of thy land shall be set wide open unto thine enemies: the fire shall devour thy bars."
Nahum 3:17 - "Thy crowned are as the locusts, and thy captains as the great grasshoppers, which camp in the hedges in the cold day, but when the sun ariseth they flee away, and their place is not known where they are."
Nahum 3:19 - "There is no healing of thy bruise; thy wound is grievous: all that hear the bruit of thee shall clap the hands over thee: for upon whom hath not thy wickedness passed continually?"
Nahum 2:3 - "The shield of his mighty men is made red, the valiant men are in scarlet: the chariots shall be with flaming torches in the day of his preparation, and the fir trees shall be terribly shaken."
Nahum 1:12 - "Thus saith the LORD; Though they be quiet, and likewise many, yet thus shall they be cut down, when he shall pass through. Though I have afflicted thee, I will afflict thee no more."
Nahum 3:7 - "And it shall come to pass, that all they that look upon thee shall flee from thee, and say, Nineveh is laid waste: who will bemoan her? whence shall I seek comforters for thee?"
Nahum 3:5 - "Behold, I am against thee, saith the LORD of hosts; and I will discover thy skirts upon thy face, and I will shew the nations thy nakedness, and the kingdoms thy shame."
Nahum 3:15 - "There shall the fire devour thee; the sword shall cut thee off, it shall eat thee up like the cankerworm: make thyself many as the cankerworm, make thyself many as the locusts."
"Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and it was infinite; Put and Lubim were thy helpers." - Nahum 3:9
"And I will cast abominable filth upon thee, and make thee vile, and will set thee as a gazingstock." - Nahum 3:6
"Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven: the cankerworm spoileth, and flieth away." - Nahum 3:16
Nahum 3:10 - "Yet was she carried away, she went into captivity: her young children also were dashed in pieces at the top of all the streets: and they cast lots for her honourable men, and all her great men were bound in chains."