Small children love to say ‘no.’ They are quick to discover agency and autonomy. They don’t know the big words, of course, but they understand the ideas: I don’t have to do what Mommy says. I can choose to do what I want. Even toddlers will assert themselves by saying No to everything. My cousin Josh discovered the word No when he was two or three years old. One day his mother found him in his room yelling No! into his pillow. He was not quite ready to disobey, but he was getting close!
No was a wealthy city on the Nile river that was the capitol of Egypt for centuries. The Kingdom of No (also known as “Thebes”)[1] was nearly surrounded by water. The rivers and seas served as a moat, rendering the city impregnable.
“Are you better than populous No, that was situated among the rivers, that had the waters about it, whose rampart was the sea, and her wall was from the sea? Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and it was infinite” Nahum 3:8-9.
Imagine that. The prophet Nahum describes the Kingdom of No as having “infinite” strength. No might also be said to have had “infinite” wealth. Many of Egypt’s greatest archaeological and historical treasures are located in and around the ruins of the ancient city of No.
But who were the people of No? Did they follow Yahweh? No.
Did they serve the one true God? No.
Did they live righteous lives? No.
Did they come to God in true repentance? No.
Was the city truly impregnable? No.
Invulnerable? No.
Did the Kingdom of No actually possess infinite strength? No.
In fact, the Kingdom of No was conquered, captured, and carried away. The destruction was what sports fans would call a blowout.
“She was carried away. She went into captivity. Her young children were dashed in pieces at the top of all the streets. They cast lots for her honorable men, and all her great men were bound in chains” Nahum 3:10.
In the time of Nahum the destruction of No was recent and well-known. Why bring it up? Because Nahum is prophesying the destruction of Nineveh. The prophet is warning the people of Nineveh, as did Jonah before him, that they will soon be conquered just as No was conquered.
A century before Nahum, the people of Nineveh repented when Jonah warned them of God’s coming judgment. But a hundred years later, they have returned to their evil ways, conquering, plundering, enslaving. The primary income of the people of Nineveh is actually plunder. They live off what they can steal from other nations. They even eat by stealing the crops of others.
“The lion [Nineveh] did tear in pieces enough for his whelps, and strangled for his lionesses, and filled his rooms with prey, and his dens with meat … Woe to the bloody city! It is full of lies and robbery” Nahum 2:12, 3:1.
Nahum charges Nineveh with crimes, then compares it to the fallen Kingdom of No:
“Art thou better than populous No?” Nahum 3:8.
Did Nineveh follow Yahweh? No.
Did they serve the one true God? No.
Did they live righteous lives? No.
Did they come to God in true repentance? No.
Were they impregnable? No.
Invulnerable? No.
Did Nineveh possess infinite strength? No.
In fact, Nineveh and its Assyrian Kingdom would soon be conquered, captured, and carried away.
I’m all for agency and autonomy: we must prepare children for adulthood. Everyone grows up. Future adults need to be given more and more independence every day and taught when to say no—and when to say yes.
If you live in the Kingdom of No you will be destroyed.
You must submit to God. Submit to your Lord and say YES!
Believers need hearts tender to the Holy Spirit. We must say YES to God in whatever he leads. And often we must say yes to those around us, not only to authority figures, but to peers, partners, and those who need our help.
“Submit to one another in the fear of God” Ephesians 5:21.
And we must learn when to say no and how to say it with grace. (Even if that means shouting it into your pillow!)
God, make us humble before you. May we turn from our rebellion, from sinful ways, from selfishness, and pride. Give us tender hearts that are sensitive to your Spirit of mercy, compassion, and holiness. Help us to submit to you and to others as you would lead us. Give us hearts that submit and say Yes.
AΩ
[1] No or Thebes, Egypt should not be confused with Thebes, Greece.
Household Words: 