Moment in the Word

Matthew 11:23  And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.

 

To completely appreciate what Jesus meant, we must understand the word - Capernaum, (kaw-fawr - "village" & Nachum - "Nahum"). Capernaum was the "village" of "Nahum."

But who was Nahum?

 

The man in question was one of the minor prophets in the Old Testament, given the unique task of preaching to the ancient superpower of Assyria. In three short chapters, Nahum promised that the Lord would not leave the guilty unpunished (Nahum 1:3) since a destroyer was already headed to the capital city of Nineveh (Nahum 2:1). Even if the Ninevites guarded the fortress, watched the road, braced themselves, and marshaled all their strength... still their city of blood was full of lies, full of plunder, and never without victims (Nahum 3:1). That tragic truth could not be hidden since God had already seen their sin!

 

Like an overwhelming flood, God would make an end of Nineveh; by pursuing them all the way to the grave and leaving no descendants behind to start the next generation. Assyria was a dead branch of human civilization,  swept away for all time (Nahum 1:8 &14).

 

God actually told Nahum the exact way Assyria would be destroyed, "The river gates are thrown open and the palace collapses (Nahum 2:6). According to Ctesias - as retold by Diodorus Siculus, "For over two years the immense thickness of the walls of Nineveh baffled the engineers of the besiegers; but in the third year a continual series of great storms flooded the Euphrates and inundated part of the city until more than 2 miles of mud-brick wall collapsed." Immediately, Nineveh became a plunder of silver and a plunder of gold! The supply of wealth from all of Assyria's treasures was endless and became the bait that attracted her fiercest enemies. The ancient world's greatest superpower was pillaged, plundered, and stripped (Nahum 2:9-10).  

 

The prophet concluded, "...all because of a prostitute's wanton lust. The alluring mistress of sorceries, enslaved nations by her prostitution and peoples by her witchcraft. 'I am against you,' declares the Lord Almighty. 'I will lift your skirts over your head. I will show the nations your private parts and the kingdoms your shame. I will smear you with manure (Nahum 3:4-6).'" What had previously been revered as the mightiest nation on earth was reduced to a shameful display of utter helplessness.

 

But oddly, when Jesus taught his object lesson in Matthew 11:23, He never once mentioned Assyria, to whom God's prophecy was sent. Possibly the reason was the kingdom's repentance and subsequent revival after hearing the sermon of Jonah, another preacher God sent to exclusively call Nineveh (Jonah 3:6-10). 

 

Instead, Christ rebuked the descendants of Nahum's family, friends, and neighbors... residents of the prophet's hometown, "If the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day."

 

Forgetting the core meaning of the old prophet's message, these people had become self-assured based on the geography of where they lived... Capernaum - Nahum's town. And in their ignorant arrogance and unbelief, they convinced themselves that God overlooked their sinful wickedness due to the proximity of a dead prophet's real estate. But, giving Nineveh a pass, Jesus forcefully focused on Sodom for His analogy! Sadly, Capernaum's haughty self-righteousness wasn't sufficient without life-changing faith!

 

What about us today? Could we pass Christ's "Capernaum" test? Or have associations with various factions, cliques, and clubs misdirected a singular affection for God, making us feel self-sufficient and self-justified in our silly connections? Inordinate pride in being right or left, Republican or Democrat, conservative or liberal, capitalist or communist, straight or gay, etc., etc., etc... won't get us to Heaven without God's saving grace!

 

Right now, what if Jesus Christ warned us... for the very last time, "And you, America, which are exalted up to heaven, shall be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in you, were done in Sodom, they would have remained until this day (Matthew 11:23)?"