The Empty Lair and the God Who Is Against You Text: Nahum 2:11-13
Introduction: The Pride of the Lion
We live in an age that has domesticated the lion. We have turned the king of the beasts into a cartoon character, a corporate logo, or a plush toy for our children. We have forgotten what a lion actually is. A lion is a predator. It is a walking engine of violence, designed for the hunt, the kill, and the feast. Its roar is not a friendly greeting; it is a declaration of terror that paralyzes its prey. A lion's den is not a cozy suburban home; it is a charnel house, a place littered with the bones and torn flesh of its victims.
The prophet Nahum wants us to understand this, because he is describing the Assyrian empire, and its capital city, Nineveh. In the ancient world, the Assyrians were the lions among men. They were the undisputed apex predators. Their national policy was calculated ferocity. They perfected the art of empire-building through sheer, unadulterated terror. They flayed men alive, they built pyramids of skulls, they deported entire populations, and they boasted about it on their monuments. They were the lion, lioness, and cub, prowling the ancient Near East, and for a very long time, there was nothing to make them tremble.
But the book of Nahum is a prophecy of comfort for Judah, and it is a prophecy of utter desolation for Nineveh. It is a detailed, poetic, and unflinching description of the deconstruction of a superpower. Our modern, sentimental age does not know what to do with a book like Nahum. We prefer a God who is a divine therapist, a celestial guidance counselor, who would never, ever be against anyone. But the God of the Bible, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, is a God of justice. And His justice is not an abstract concept; it is an active, world-shaping power. When a nation or a civilization builds its entire existence on pride, plunder, and bloodshed, it will eventually have to deal with Him. And the God who is for us in Christ is the same God who is implacably against those who defy Him.
In these final verses of chapter two, Nahum uses the Assyrians' own proud symbol against them. He paints a picture of their bloody den and then pronounces its utter obliteration by the only one in the universe who is stronger than the lion: the Lord of Hosts Himself.
The Text
Where is the den of the lions
And the feeding place of the young lions,
Where the lion, lioness, and lion’s cub prowled,
With nothing to make them tremble?
The lion tore enough for its cubs
And strangled enough for its lionesses
And filled its lairs with torn up prey
And its dens with torn up flesh.
"Behold, I am against you," declares Yahweh of hosts. "And I will burn up her chariots in smoke, and a sword will devour your young lions; and I will cut off your prey from the land, and no longer will the voice of your messengers be heard."
(Nahum 2:11-13 LSB)
The Taunt of the Empty Den (v. 11-12)
We begin with a taunt song, a piece of scathing, divine sarcasm.
"Where is the den of the lions And the feeding place of the young lions, Where the lion, lioness, and lion’s cub prowled, With nothing to make them tremble? The lion tore enough for its cubs And strangled enough for its lionesses And filled its lairs with torn up prey And its dens with torn up flesh." (Nahum 2:11-12)
This is a rhetorical question dripping with irony. The prophet is looking at the future ruins of Nineveh and asking, "What happened to the great predator? Where did the mighty Assyrian empire go?" The imagery is precise and powerful. Nineveh is the lion's den. The king is the lion, the queen is the lioness, and the princes and armies are the cubs. For generations, they had prowled the earth, taking what they wanted, killing whom they pleased, and dragging the plunder of nations back to their capital.
Notice the description of their activity. They "tore enough," "strangled enough," and "filled its lairs with torn up prey." This is a picture of rapacious, insatiable greed. The Assyrian war machine was not about defense. It was not about justice. It was about plunder. They went out, conquered, slaughtered, and hauled the wealth of the world back to Nineveh. The city was a storehouse of stolen goods, a feeding trough filled with the flesh of other nations. They were fat, secure, and arrogant. There was "nothing to make them tremble." They were the baddest thing in the valley, and they knew it.
This is the very nature of godless power. It consumes, it destroys, and it feels utterly secure in its own strength. It cannot imagine a day when it will be called to account. It believes its own propaganda. The Assyrians carved reliefs of their lion hunts and their military conquests on the walls of their palaces. They saw themselves as the lions, the kings of the world, ordained by their own gods to rule. Nahum takes this very image, this central piece of their national identity, and turns it into a funeral dirge. He is saying that the day is coming when archaeologists will sift through the rubble and ask, "Was this the place where the great lion lived?" The den will be empty. The bones will be scattered. The roar will be silenced.
This is a timeless principle. Any nation, any institution, any individual that lives by the law of the jungle, by predation and violence, will eventually be undone. Power built on sheer terror has no foundation. It is a hollowed-out tree, waiting for the storm. The very thing that made Nineveh feel secure, its reputation for cruelty, was the very thing that guaranteed its utter destruction. When they finally showed a moment of weakness, the whole world they had terrorized rose up to tear them apart. And God was behind it all.
The Divine Declaration of War (v. 13)
Verse 13 is one of the most terrifying declarations in all of Scripture. The taunt song ends, and the King of Heaven speaks directly. The tone shifts from sarcastic inquiry to solemn, sovereign judgment.
"'Behold, I am against you,' declares Yahweh of hosts." (Nahum 2:13a)
Stop and consider those words. "Behold, I am against you." There is no greater terror in the universe than this. It does not matter who is for you. If God is against you, it is over. You can have the largest armies, the most advanced technology, the most fortified cities, and the most arrogant confidence, but it all amounts to nothing. It is a pile of dust. This is not the declaration of a rival deity. This is the Creator of heaven and earth declaring war on His own rebellious creature.
And who is it that makes this declaration? It is "Yahweh of hosts." This is the covenant name of God, Yahweh, combined with His title as the commander of all the armies of heaven and earth. The "hosts" are the angelic armies, the stars in their courses, and the armies of men. It means God Almighty, the Lord of Armies. The Assyrians were proud of their hosts, their military might. But God says, "You have your hosts, but I am the Lord of all hosts." He is the generalissimo of the universe. All power, all authority, all armies are His to command. He can raise up one nation and put down another. He used Assyria as His rod to discipline Israel (Isaiah 10:5), but now that the rod has become arrogant and attributed its success to its own power, He is going to break that rod and throw it into the fire.
This is the fundamental error of all proud and godless powers. They forget they are tools. They think they are the craftsman. They are a borrowed axe that boasts against the one who wields it (Isaiah 10:15). And so, God personally steps onto the field of battle. "I am against you."
The rest of the verse details the specific results of this divine opposition.
"And I will burn up her chariots in smoke, and a sword will devour your young lions; and I will cut off your prey from the land, and no longer will the voice of your messengers be heard." (Nahum 2:13b)
Every aspect of Assyria's power is systematically dismantled. First, their military technology: "I will burn up her chariots in smoke." The chariot was the ancient equivalent of the battle tank, the symbol of military supremacy. God says He will turn them into a bonfire. Second, their manpower: "a sword will devour your young lions." The next generation of soldiers, the princes and warriors, will be slaughtered. The lion's cubs will not grow up to continue the dynasty of terror. Third, their economy: "I will cut off your prey from the land." The whole system of plunder and tribute that sustained the empire will be shut down. The supply lines will be severed. The stolen goods will cease to flow into Nineveh. Fourth, their diplomacy and influence: "no longer will the voice of your messengers be heard." The arrogant demands of Assyrian envoys, who blasphemed God and terrorized kings like Hezekiah (Isaiah 36), will be silenced forever. Their global megaphone will be unplugged.
This is total, comprehensive, and final destruction. When God is against a nation, He does not just defeat it; He unravels it. He takes it apart piece by piece until nothing is left but a memory and a warning.
The Lion of Judah Has Conquered
So what are we to do with a passage like this? First, we must see that the justice of God is a comfort to the people of God. For Judah, hearing these words was good news. It meant that their oppressor had a shelf life. It meant that God had not forgotten His covenant promises. When we see proud, blasphemous, and tyrannical systems in our own day, we should not despair. We should remember that Yahweh of hosts is still on His throne, and He is still against such things. The arc of history is long, but it bends toward justice because Jesus is Lord.
Second, we must recognize that the ultimate lion is not Assyria, nor is it any earthly empire. The apostle Peter tells us that "your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8). Satan is the ultimate predator, the arch-rebel, the one who fills his den with the souls of men. His global system is built on lies, murder, and pride. And for a time, it seems as though there is nothing to make him tremble.
But the good news of the gospel is that a stronger lion has come. Jesus Christ is the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5). He is the true king. And on the cross, He met the roaring lion of hell head-on. It looked like the predator had won. It looked like the lion of Judah was torn and strangled and left for dead. But on the third day, He rose in power, having plundered the plunderer and disarmed the principalities and powers (Colossians 2:15). He has conquered the strong man and is now plundering his house.
Because of this, the terrifying declaration, "Behold, I am against you," is transformed for all who are in Christ. God was against Jesus on the cross. The full, undiluted wrath of Yahweh of hosts was poured out upon Him. He was burned up in the smoke of judgment. He was devoured by the sword of justice. And because God was against Him, He can now turn to us and say, "Behold, I am for you."
If God is for us, who can be against us? Not the lions of this world. Not the empires and ideologies that roar and threaten. Not even the devil himself. Their dens will all be empty one day. But the kingdom of the Lion of Judah will have no end. Therefore, do not fear the prowling lions of this age. Fear God, trust in His Son, and know that the Lord of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.