The Glad News Is Brought To God's People (Nahum 1:15)
In words similar to Isaiah 52:7, Nahum declares the end of Nineveh. A messenger is on the way with the good news of peace. Judah can now worship freely because Assyria will trouble her no more. (Perhaps had Josiah not tried to interfere in things and thereby lost his life (2 Kings 23:29) such conditions might have continued a good while longer. The prophets rarely approved of interfering in things which were not strictly Judah's concern).
‘Behold on the mountains the feet of him who brings good tidings, who proclaims peace. Keep your feasts, O Judah, perform your vows. For the worthless will no more pass through you. He is utterly cut off.'
A messenger is seen as on his way. He will soon be there with the good news, promising peace from the activities of Assyria, because Nineveh is destroyed. Judah will now be able to worship in the purity of their religion, not being forced to have the gods of Assyria in their temple, nor to make Assyrian religion central to their worship. These words are a direct reference to Isaiah 52:7.
“Keep your feasts, O Judah. Perform your vows”. The one who stood in the way of the keeping of their feasts and the fulfilling of their vows to YHWH is about to be removed totally. They can now return to the unadulterated worship of YHWH.
‘For the worthless will no more pass through you. He is utterly cut off.' Literally ‘the thing of worthlessness (or Belial)'. He who took them away from God. But now he is utterly cut off. There is therefore now no restraint on true worship.
So Nahum's exultancy is based on the fact that wickedness has been dealt with, and that God's people are now free to worship in purity. He announces it as though it had already happened.
The importance to us of this chapter is that it first reminds us of the greatness of God, and the reality of His judgment, and yet of His mercy to those who call on Him. All is under His control and we respond or fail to respond to Him for good or ill. It reminds us that He is the protector of His people and will in the end punish those who use them ill, or behave ill, however great they may think they are. Before Him all are minute. The point that come out is that although at times things may be difficult, we can always be sure that in the end we will see on the mountains the feet of those who bring the good news of deliverance.