Nahum 2:3-4 reads “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. The chariots shall rage in the streets, they shall justle one against another in the broad ways: they shall seem like torches, they shall run like the lightnings.”
This mighty men refer to the men in the Medo-Babylonian army whom the Lord was raising against the people of Nineveh (Assyria) to punish them for their wickedness against his people and the others who they captured. Shields made and valiant men in scarlet is a possible reference to either shields and armor dyed in red or which bear the blood of the Assyrians whom they would destroy completely. Chariots with flaming torches speaks of the immense speed of the wheels of the chariots that rotated with speeds like a whirlwind, drawn by horses who ran like lightning (Nahum 2:4), whose hooves were like flint (Isaiah 5:28). These chariots would rage in the broad streets of Nineveh justling against one another. The fir trees that shall be terribly shaken is a possible reference to the lances made of fir tree wood that will be used in the battle of Nineveh. In other words, the people of Judah who sought the justice of the Lord would finally get it through the mighty men of red that the Lord God was raising up.
Points to ponder:
First, it is important to recognize that it is not the chariots of the Medo-Babylonian army that brought about the salvation to the people of Judah from the Assyrians, but it was the Lord God who raised the Medo-Babylonian army against the Assyrians. The Scripture makes it evident that we ought not to trust in chariots or horses (military strength) as some do, but we must trust in the Lord (Psalm 20:7).
More importantly, it is imperative for us to recognize that while the mighty and valiant men in red of the Medo-Babylonian army brought justice to the people of God against the vile and evil king of Assyria, Jesus is the true Mighty Man in red, for they put on him a scarlet robe (Matthew 27:28) and his vesture is dipped in blood (Revelation 19:13), as the valiant captain (commander and chief) of the armies of the Lord (Joshua 5:13-15), who has brought about ultimate justice for all mankind (Matthew 5:17; John 19:30) against the vile and evil god of this world, the devil (2 Corinthians 4:4), destroying him completely (1 John 3:8). Jesus shall return on a white horse (Revelation 19:11) as lightning (Matthew 24:27). Do you trust in Jesus?
Nahum 2:3-4 (KJV)
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.
4 The chariots shall rage in the streets, they shall justle one against another in the broad ways: they shall seem like torches, they shall run like the lightnings.
Matthew 27:27-29 (KJV)
27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers.
28 And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe.
29 And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!
Revelation 19:13 (KJV)
13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
