What characteristics define someone who "plots evil" according to Nahum 1:11? Setting the scene Nineveh, capital of Assyria, towered over the ancient world with intimidating power and cruelty. Nahum’s prophecy announces that even such a city cannot escape God’s judgment. Nestled in that oracle is a brief but piercing description of the kind of person who keeps evil in motion. The key verse: Nahum 1:11 “From you, O Nineveh, comes forth a plotter of evil against the LORD, a counselor of wickedness.” Characteristics of an evil plotter • Springs from a godless environment • Actively “plots” rather than merely drifts into sin • Directs hostility “against the LORD” • Serves as a “counselor” who influences others • Pursues “wickedness” as an organized agenda A deeper look at each trait • Springs from a godless environment – The phrase “From you, O Nineveh” shows evil can be culturally nurtured. 2 Timothy 3:13 speaks of people “going from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.” – Immersion in a rebellious society dulls conscience and emboldens sin. • Actively plots – “Plots” (Hebrew ḥāšab) carries the idea of calculating, strategizing, lining up resources. Compare Micah 2:1: “Woe to those who devise iniquity and plot evil on their beds!” – Evil here is intentional, pre-meditated, persistent. • Direct hostility toward God – The target is “against the LORD,” not merely against people. Psalm 2:1-2: “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? … against the LORD and against His Anointed.” – Every scheme that resists God inevitably becomes self-destructive (Proverbs 21:30). • Influences others as a “counselor” – The Hebrew for “counselor” indicates an adviser or strategist. Think of Ahithophel, whose counsel to Absalom was “as if one consulted the word of God” (2 Samuel 16:23) yet opposed the Lord’s chosen king. – Evil plotters rarely act alone; they recruit allies and mold opinion (Proverbs 16:29). • Pursues wickedness as an organized agenda – “Counselor of wickedness” spotlights devotion to what God hates. Proverbs 6:16-19 lists a “heart that devises wicked schemes” among the seven abominations. – Isaiah 5:20 warns of those who “call evil good and good evil,” celebrating sin as progress. Biblical echoes & warnings • Pharaoh (Exodus 1:10) plots to curb Israel: the scheme backfires in the plagues. • Haman (Esther 3:6-15) plots genocide; his gallows become his own downfall. • Satan (Isaiah 14:13-14) plots rebellion: “I will ascend…”—yet is “brought down to Sheol.” • New-Testament reflection: Acts 4:25-28 shows rulers plotting against Christ, yet God turns that plot into the very means of redemption. Living the lesson • Guard the heart: sinful thoughts harden into calculated plans (James 1:14-15). • Stay alert to the influence of culture; reject counsel that contradicts God’s Word (Psalm 1:1-2). • Remember that every scheme against the Lord is ultimately futile—“The counsel of the LORD stands forever” (Psalm 33:11). |
    |