Nahum 1:1 reads “The burden of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.”
Nahum’s vision is referred to as a burden of (oracle against) Nineveh for what Nahum saw was the fall of Nineveh (the then capital city of Assyria) as the Babylonian/Medo armies would come and overthrow them. Nineveh had once repented in the past, when God’s prophet, Jonah had brought the warning from God (Jonah 1:2), and the burden of the wrath of God had been lifted (Jonah 3:1-10), but now they had returned to their evil ways, that their doom was felt by Nahum as a burden that Nineveh will have to bear, for God was jealous and zealous for his people (and all those oppressed) and would avenge their oppressors.
Points to ponder:
To have to bear the wrath of God for our evil ways is burdensome. Jesus bore the burden of sin and guilt upon himself and he wants us to be yoked with him, for his yoke is easy and his burden is light (Matthew 11:30). Have you placed your faith in Jesus or in other words, have you placed your burden on Jesus?
