Nahum: A Jealous and Avenging God

Nineveh, the same city that Jonah visited, was the capital of the Assyrian empire.  By Nahum's time, almost 200 years have passed since Jonah's visit and the repentance of the people.  Just as Israel had done, the people of Nineveh resumed their sinful ways.  Now, Nahum, a minor prophet, about whom little is known, categorizes Niniveh's transgressions.  As Nahum says,
 The LORD is a jealous and avenging God;
       the LORD takes vengeance and is filled with wrath.
       The LORD takes vengeance on his foes
       and maintains his wrath against his enemies.
  The LORD is slow to anger and great in power;
       the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished.
       His way is in the whirlwind and the storm,
       and clouds are the dust of his feet.   -Nahum 1:3 NIV
God gave the people of Nineveh a second chance when he sent Jonah to them to deliver a warning.  God acknowledged their repentance and didn't destroy the city, but this time is different.  While God is slow to anger, he will not leave the guilty unpunished.