Psalm 41:1-3

If we truly believe that the USA is a  Christian nation we would do well to heed this Psalm as we let Congress decide our financial concerns. In the midst of a global recession and uprise we need to be very thankful for the nation that we call home. We need to note that the wealthy were not mentioned in this psalm and throughout Scripture God always notices the plight of the poor, the widow and the downtrodden.

The poem is ascribed to David and speaks of the plight of a person suffering from serious physical illness. Ultimately, it presents the victory of the Savior Jesus over His enemies, especially the great enemy Satan. The poor refers not only to those who do not have enough money, but also to those who suffer illness or misfortune through no fault of their own. For such persons, God is Defender, Deliverer, and Sustainer . 

Blessed on the earth refers to the acts of God’s goodness in a person’s life, including health, wealth, longevity, spiritual vitality, and harmony with God and people.

Psalm 41:1-3

¹ Blessed is he who considers the poor; 
The Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. 
² The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive, 
And he will be blessed on the earth; 
You will not deliver him to the will of his enemies. 
³ The Lord will strengthen him on his bed of illness; 
You will sustain him on his sickbed. 

The Book Of Matthew

God, knowing from the beginning that the Messiah would be rejected by His own people, had a plan of salvation He would extend to all of His creation. The 12 Apostles were Jews who accepted the Messiah and through their written account we have access to that plan from the beginning in the Old Testament to the end in the New Testament. With that knowledge comes the power of the Holy Spirit to do what we ourselves cannot do. He would use the Gentile Church to spread the Gospel of Hope to all men so that all would have the opportunity for everlasting life with Him in His heavenly kingdom. Go tell it on the mountains......Jesus Christ is King!

The Book of Matthew

One purpose of the book is to outline the characteristics of the kingdom of God, both for Israel and the church. Orthodox Jews would typically scoff at any assertion that Jesus is their Messiah, let alone their King. They would retort, “If Jesus is King, where is the promised restoration of the kingdom of Israel?” Many Jews of Jesus’ day rejected Him as Messiah, even though both Jesus and John the Baptist continually preached that the kingdom was “at hand”. This rejection of Jesus by the Jews is a dominant theme of Matthew. Because of this rejection, God postponed the fulfillment of His promises to Israel and subsequently extended His blessings to both Jew and Gentile in the church.

Matthew is the only Gospel writer who speaks directly of the church . He points to the Gentile composition of this church by including several stories of the Gentiles’ faith in Jesus: the wise men, the centurion, and the Canaanite woman. He records Jesus’ prediction that the gospel will be preached to all nations , and the commission to the disciples to “make disciples of all the nations”. Jesus’ teaching pointed to the blessings of the kingdom being extended to Gentiles. But one day, Israel will be restored to its place of blessing.

A final purpose of Matthew is to instruct the church. An obvious clue to this is in the Great Commission: “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you” . The discipling process involves instruction in the words of Christ, and the Gospel of Matthew revolves around five of Jesus’ discourses. Instead of emphasizing a narrative of Jesus’ life as Mark does, Matthew uses the narrative elements in his Gospel as a setting for Jesus’ sermons.

Psalm 18:35-36

You are sheltered in the arms of a loving Father and your past, present and future is in His hands. Put on the breastplate of righteousness who stands at the right hand of the Father, Jesus Christ, trusting in Him alone and you will be saved. He takes everything meant to destroy you and changes it for your good. Keep the faith!

The use of battle armor, such as a shield, as an image of God’s provision for the righteous, is found in both the OT and NT : 

Ephesians 6:14-20

¹⁴ Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; ¹⁶ above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. ¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; ¹⁸ praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— ¹⁹ and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. 

Psalm 18:35-36

³⁵ You have also given me the shield of Your salvation; 
Your right hand has held me up, 
Your gentleness has made me great. 
³⁶ You enlarged my path under me, 
So my feet did not slip. 

John 11:9-11

Jesus has the power of life and death in His hands.....He can raise you from the deadness of sin and bring you into the light of the world. He can speak but a word and your soul will be cleansed. Choose life :)

By the time that Jesus arrived Lazarus had been in the tomb for 4 days....his body would have started to decompose....Jesus can take those dead parts and fill them with abundant life. Martha believed and knew that nothing that Jesus asked of His Father would be denied him for He and the Father were one. Miracles happen when we trust in Him! Just believe :)

God’s purpose was to glorify His Son and to cause the disciples to grow. Had Jesus immediately rushed to Lazarus’s bedside and healed him, Lazarus would not have died and Jesus would not have been able to manifest His glory by raising Lazarus. God’s timing to accomplish His purpose is perfect.

John 11:9-11

⁹ Jesus answered,  “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. ¹⁰ But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” ¹¹ These things He said, and after that He said to them,  “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.” 

Mark 2:17

Church attendance is about worshiping God. Our purpose as believers is to make others aware of the salvation of Jesus Christ, with the forgiveness that only He has the power to give, this mercy and grace extended to man from His Creator. We need to remember that there is no one righteous and He wants no one to perish. One way that Christ makes us different from the rest of society is the love that we show to others and this will draw them to ask us about the source of our hope.......Christ Jesus!

In this instance Jesus was speaking tongue-in-cheek when He used the word righteous. None are righteous, though some, such as the Pharisees, fancied themselves as such. Instead, Christ came to call sinners to repentance. Jesus did not condone the activities of sinners, but required repentance—a change of mind that recognizes the need of a Savior and recognizes Jesus Christ as the only Savior.

Mark 2:17

¹⁷ When Jesus heard it, He said to them,  “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” 

Mark 3:1-5

Jesus often went against the traditions of men, the religious right, and did what was right in the eyes of God! We would do well to take heed and follow His example. We need to support those believers who are doing His will not mans’.

The Sabbath controversy continued as Jesus visited the synagogue. The Pharisees , watched Him closely, not to hear the words of life but to accuse Him. Christ put the meaning of the Sabbath to the test. Certainly it was more consistent with the intention of the law to restore this man’s afflicted hand, even on the Sabbath, than to destroy his hopes for the sake of keeping human tradition. The Pharisees did not respond, for they knew that they would condemn themselves. Jesus demonstrated this righteous anger. He was grieved with sin but did not sin Himself by retaliating or losing control of His emotions.

Mark 3:1-5

3 And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. ² So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. ³ And He said to the man who had the withered hand,  “Step forward.” ⁴ Then He said to them,  “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent. ⁵ And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man,  “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other. 

1 Corinthians 5:9-13

We are supposed to be an example, a light to the world for Jesus Christ and the gift of salvation that only He can give. When we sin it becomes fodder for the unbeliever to reject Christianity. Since no sin is greater than another when our divorce rates, greed, sex scandals and business cons become known to the world....Satan has a hay day. Satan would love to bring you down and he will stop at nothing to get to you if you are out and about your Father’s business. We need to confess our sins, ask for forgiveness, be aware of Satan’s schemes and put on the full armor of God as protection in order to fulfill God’s will for our lives.

Paul here corrects a misunderstanding arising out of his previous letter. He had commanded the Corinthians to withdraw themselves from sexually immoral people. In this letter, Paul explains that he was not speaking of the pagan culture around them. If they withdrew totally they would be unable to function in the world. Instead, he was talking about the immorality in their midst. They should judge the sin among themselves, while still reaching out to the lost in Corinth.

1 Corinthians 5:9-13

⁹ I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. ¹⁰ Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 

¹¹ But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner— not even to eat with such a person. 

¹² For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? ¹³ But those who are outside God judges. Therefore “put away from yourselves the evil person.” 

Matthew 23

There are things that I am not absolutely certain of but one thing I know without a doubt.......I never want to be one of the self righteous! We need to be very careful about judging others especially those outside of our circle. 

We will know true followers of Christ by the love they show to others, not just other Christians, but especially those that are not! Others are drawn to Christ by that love and it is God’s desire that no one perish, NO NOT ONE, and we are to be about His Father’s business. 

Everyone loves those who love them and that they love BUT how do we treat those that are different or unknown by us? Christ said to love your enemies and do good to those that mistreat you...Christianity Christ’s way! He also said if we love God above anyone or anything and LOVE our neighbors as we love ourself then we would fulfill the Law and the Prophets.....we need to think before we speak! 

The Pharisees and scribes could never fairly be accused of being lazy, but they were clearly misdirected and dangerous to the cause of God. 

The scribes and Pharisees were meticulous about tithing tiny seeds, but they failed to be obedient in more significant matters such as ensuring that all their actions were governed by justice and mercy and faith (see Mic. 6:8). Similarly, we can become so preoccupied with external rules and regulations in the church that we forget the principles behind them. Sometimes those who most loudly protest the sins of others are secretly guilty of those or worse sins themselves.

Matthew 23:15_23-28

¹⁵ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. 

²³ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. ²⁴ Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! 

²⁵ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. ²⁶ Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. 

²⁷ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. ²⁸ Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. 

The Harmony of the Gospels and what we should learn from it

The Harmony of the Gospels is our example of how to live. Everything happens in God’s perfect timing....We are to rely on His perfect plan “to have a close relationship with us” so that He can teach us all things. Our part is to stay in His peace, not the peace that the world gives, but in His perfect peace and trust Him!

peace (Gk. eirēnē) (1:2; 3:15; Eph. 2:17; Phil. 1:2; 4:7) Strong’s #1515; rule (Gk. brabeuō) (3:15) Strong’s #1018: The Greek term eirēnē has a variety of meanings, including “unity,” “tranquility,” and “concord,” and corresponds to the Hebrew word shalom, which primarily means “wholeness.” In the NT, the Greek word is used for a harmonious relationship between people (Rom. 14:19), the order produced by a ruling government (Acts 24:2), and the reconciliation between God and a person through the saving work of Christ (Eph. 2:17). In 3:15, Paul encourages the believers to let “the peace of God rule” in their hearts. The Greek word for rule means “to act as umpire” or “to arbitrate.” 

The peace of God should act as our umpire when anger, envy, and other such passions arise in our hearts.

1514 εἰρηνεύω [eireneuo /i·rane·yoo·o/] v. From 1515; TDNT 2:417; TDNTA 207; GK 1644; Four occurrences; AV translates as “have peace” once, “live peaceably” once, “live in peace” once, and “be at peace” once. 

1 to make peace. 2 to cultivate or keep peace, harmony. 3 to be at peace, live in peace.

advocate (Gk. paraklētos) (2:1; John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7) Strong’s #3875: The Greek word literally means “one who is called to our side.” This could be a comforter, a consoler, or a defense attorney. In John 14:26 and 15:26, the Holy Spirit is called our paraklētos, our Comforter. Here Christ is called our paraklētos, our Advocate. While the Holy Spirit works within us to comfort and help us, Christ represents us before the Father in heaven. 

The two Paracletes work together in perfect harmony (see Rom. 8:26, 27, 34).

1515 εἰρήνη [eirene /i·ray·nay/] n f. Probably from a primary verb eiro (to join); TDNT 2:400; TDNTA 207; GK 1645; 92 occurrences; AV translates as “peace” 89 times, “one” once, “rest” once, and “quietness” once. 

1 a state of national tranquillity. 1a exemption from the rage and havoc of war. 2 peace between individuals, i.e. harmony, concord. 3 security, safety, prosperity, felicity, (because peace and harmony make and keep things safe and prosperous). 4 of the Messiah’s peace. 4a the way that leads to peace (salvation). 5 of Christianity, the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is. 6 the blessed state of devout and upright men after death.

Ezekiel 34:16

We need to be spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ knowing that others will be drawn to Him by the love we show.  Remember Jesus went about seeking the lost and the broken. He had the most problems with the religious Scribes and Pharisees who rejected Him because He was not political and did not come to overthrow the government.....hatred and discontent is never from God it is a tool of Satan to divide us.

Israel, though guilty and misguided, would eventually be rescued by the divine Good Shepherd and restored to the Promised Land.

Ezekiel 34:16

¹⁶ “I will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick; but I will destroy the fat and the strong, and feed them in judgment.” 

Luke 11:27-28

We cannot be hearers of the word and not doers.....we either believe the Scriptures are the inspired words of God or we do not! How do we fulfill the Scriptures? Love God above anyone or anything and love others as much as we love ourselves...by the love we show, one to another, we will be known as followers of God!

The woman offered praise for Jesus’ mother. Though Jesus always honored Mary, He commented carefully on the woman’s blessing to keep the focus on the word of God. It is easy to allow traditional practices to take the place of the authority of the Scriptures. Jesus offers His blessing to those who respond concretely to God’s will as expressed in the Bible.

Luke 11:27-28

²⁷ And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!” 

²⁸ But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” 

Matthew 5:1-11

God gave us one life to live for Him on this earth. We must listen carefully to His teachings and not be afraid to stand  up for what He shows us is right.

The Sermon on the Mount was not given as the way of salvation for the lost, but as the way of life for true children of the kingdom. These disciples were probably confused as to the true nature of righteousness and God’s kingdom. In this address, Jesus clarified both the heart of the law and the nature of true religion in God’s kingdom. 

Micah 6:8 
⁸ He has shown you, O man, what is good; 
And what does the Lord require of you 
But to do justly, 
To love mercy, 
And to walk humbly with your God? 

The Beatitudes are comprised of three elements: a pronouncement of blessing, a quality of life, and a reason why the recipient should be considered blessed. The first element is found in the word Blessed, which introduces each beatitude. The second element does not describe different groups of people, but a composite picture of the kind of person who will inherit Christ’s kingdom. The third element looks ahead to some aspect of the coming kingdom.

Matthew 5:1-11

5 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. ² Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: 

³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit, 
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 
⁴ Blessed are those who mourn, 
For they shall be comforted. 
⁵ Blessed are the meek, 
For they shall inherit the earth. 
⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, 
For they shall be filled. 
⁷ Blessed are the merciful, 
For they shall obtain mercy. 
⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart, 
For they shall see God. 
⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers, 
For they shall be called sons of God. 
¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, 
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 
¹¹ “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. ¹² Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. 

Ezekiel 34:15-16

God seeks the broken and discarded of the world and makes them whole! Keep in mind that the ones Jesus had the most disdain for were the religious right who thought that they had all the answers by their rules and regulations... tossing aside the love of God. God loves all people.... we better get used to it if we want to do His work.

Compare the Lord’s persistent shepherding and guiding of His people with the faithlessness of Israel’s leaders in v. 6....⁶ My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill; yes, My flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth, and no one was seeking or searching for them.” 

Israel, though guilty and misguided, would eventually be rescued by the divine Good Shepherd and restored to the Promised Land.

Ezekiel 34:15-16

¹⁵ I will feed My flock, and I will make them lie down,” says the Lord God. ¹⁶ “I will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick; but I will destroy the fat and the strong, and feed them in judgment.” 

1 Kings 1:11-14

King David was subject to all the social pressures and unrest of the people of his time......but David, even in his sin, clung to God and was the friend of God and like the Father he kept his promises. If Bathsheba had not asked, based upon David’s promises, she would not have received. Sometimes we just need to ask! 

Traditionally, Jeremiah was identified as the author of 1 and 2 Kings. However, contemporary critical scholarship has suggested that the books were the result of a compilation process that began with its initial composition in the late seventh century b.c. and concluded in the middle of the sixth century b.c. The proponents of this view have identified a Deuteronomic school of writers as the source of 1 and 2 Kings.

Evangelical biblical scholars have largely rejected the idea of a Deuteronomic school of writers. Many continue to endorse the traditional view that Jeremiah wrote the books of the Kings. They cite as evidence for his authorship his priestly origin, his prophetic activity, his access to governmental authorities at the highest level, and his great personal involvement in the complex religious, social, and political activities that occurred during the collapse and fall of Judah in the early sixth century b.c. 

It is a mark of David’s integrity that Nathan, who had confronted him with his terrible sin, was still welcome in the royal household. Nathan went to Bathsheba because she would not want to see Adonijah displace her son Solomon as heir to the throne. As David’s wife, Bathsheba had immediate access to him, and she also had considerable influence in civil and social matters. If Adonijah became king she and Solomon could probably expect to die in a royal purge of all potential claimants to the throne.

1 Kings 1:11-14

¹¹ So Nathan spoke to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, “Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has become king, and David our lord does not know it? ¹² Come, please, let me now give you advice, that you may save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. 

¹³ Go immediately to King David and say to him, ‘Did you not, my lord, O king, swear to your maidservant, saying, “Assuredly your son Solomon shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne”? Why then has Adonijah become king?’ ¹⁴ Then, while you are still talking there with the king, I also will come in after you and confirm your words.” 

Ezkiel 34:25-31

We pray that You, God, will bless America the land that we all love! May we learn to live in peace and give dignity and respect to ALL of her people. Peace, His peace He gives to us, not in the ways of the world, but in the depths of our spirit.

Shepherds Throughout the Bible, the image of the shepherd is very important. From David, the shepherd boy who became the first king of Israel, to Jesus Christ, who said of Himself, “I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11), the shepherd represents one who loves and cares for his flock just as a leader or ruler cares for those under his charge.

Some characteristics of a good shepherd include feeding the flock, tending the weak and sick, searching for the lost, guiding with love, gathering and protecting the sheep, and giving one’s best to them. On the other hand, a bad shepherd is more concerned about feeding himself, worrying about his own health, guiding with a heavy hand, abandoning or scattering his flock, and keeping the best for himself.

The exiles were encouraged through this promise of a covenant of peace, characterized by these promises: (1) security from foreign aggressor nations, the wild beasts; (2) showers of blessing, meaning productivity and prosperity; and (3) the certainty that the Lord is Israel’s God and desires reunion with His people and a lasting relationship built on a new covenant.

Ezekiel 34:25-31

²⁵ “I will make a covenant of peace with them, and cause wild beasts to cease from the land; and they will dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. ²⁶ I will make them and the places all around My hill a blessing; and I will cause showers to come down in their season; there shall be showers of blessing. ²⁷ Then the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase. They shall be safe in their land; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the bands of their yoke and delivered them from the hand of those who enslaved them. ²⁸ And they shall no longer be a prey for the nations, nor shall beasts of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and no one shall make them afraid. ²⁹ I will raise up for them a garden of renown, and they shall no longer be consumed with hunger in the land, nor bear the shame of the Gentiles anymore. ³⁰ Thus they shall know that I, the Lord their God, am with them, and they, the house of Israel, are My people,” says the Lord God.’ ” 
³¹ “You are My flock, the flock of My pasture; you are men, and I am your God,” says the Lord God. 

The Harmony of the Gospels

The New Testament in the NKJ Study Bible starts with the Harmony of the Gospels with the genealogy and the introduction of Jesus Christ and ends with the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. God’s plan will be complete, outlined in The Book of Revelations, with His Second Coming. 

Everything is in Godly order..... preordained before the earth began. Nothing happens without His knowledge and without His planning. Praise be to God!

John 14:23-27

And what did Jesus say? Love God above all, and love your neighbor as yourself, and you will fulfill all of the commandments. 

We must put God above any thing, any person or any personal goals and we must treat people, all people, with dignity and respect... wanting for them the very things that we want for ourselves and our families. Only in Christ will we have the peace of God that He gives to those who trust in Him.

Many of Jesus’ contemporaries believed in Jesus’ miraculous powers, but they would not believe in Jesus Himself (6:23–26). Others wanted to believe in a political Messiah, but would not believe in the One who suffered for their sins (Mark 15:32). But we must be careful to believe and trust in the Jesus presented in the Scriptures, in the Son of God who sacrificed His life for our sins 

If a believer loves and obeys the Lord, he or she will experience fellowship with God. If a person does not love Jesus, he or she will not obey Him. Disobedience is a serious matter, for Jesus’ words are the words of God. The peace that Christ gives banishes fear and dread from the heart, for Jesus is in control of all circumstances.

John 14:23-27

²³ Jesus answered and said to him,  “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. ²⁴ He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me. 
²⁵  “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. ²⁶ But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. ²⁷ Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Nahum 3:4-6

God does not give His people freedom to sin. All of His creation is subject to Him and He will especially discipline those He loves. Even though God used Assyria to punish His people, Assyria did not escape judgement. Ultimately how we treat others is how we will be treated. God sent messengers to Nineveh to repent of the repression and destruction they brought about but they ignored them.....it is a dangerous thing to be brought under the judgement of Almighty God. We must be careful that the seductiveness of money and the power that comes with it does not become our stronghold individually or as a nation. The work of the Christian like the messengers of the Old Testament is to save lives, through the goodness of the Father in Christ Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit, by giving others the Good News of salvation.

The Lord would publicly humiliate Nineveh.

Nahum

Historical Context • The people of the northern kingdom of Israel had been sinning grievously against God and ignoring the warnings of punishment given through God’s prophets. Finally God used the nation of Assyria, with its capital city in Nineveh, to destroy the nation and carry the people into captivity. A century after the fall of Samaria in 722 b.c., the Book of Nahum was written to express a major truth of the prophets. Even when God uses a nation for His own purposes of judgment, this does not excuse that nation from its own guilt before the Lord. It was Nineveh’s turn to feel the wrath of God. The last great emperor of Assyria was Ashurbanipal (669–627 b.c.). After his death, the nation did not last much longer, for the Lord was against it.

In many ways, the Book of Nahum is a theology of the maxim of the sword. Nineveh had an international reputation for bloodthirsty acts of repression, destruction, and wantonness. God could not be good if He failed to call such an evil nation to account. The theology of the Book of Nahum is a theology of the goodness of God in bringing about the final destruction of those who oppose His will and abuse His people.

The seriousness of coming judgment is never a call for complacency among God’s people. Implicit in any announcement of doom is a call for holy living on the part of God’s people and an urgent call for them to bring the message of salvation to those who, apart from salvation, will experience the wrath of God. Judgment is God’s “unusual act”, but it ultimately arises out of the goodness and justice of God.

Nahum himself is a type of Christ. His name means “comfort,” yet this one called a comforter does not offer soft love. Nahum, like Jesus, expects responsible action on the part of those who are loved by God. Such action is a way to prove that they acknowledge His love.
Because Nahum’s name means “comfort,” it is legitimate to say he pictures the Holy Spirit’s subsequent ministry of instruction and comfort that Jesus promised His followers. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit “will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you”. But sadly, similar to the rejection Jesus faced at the hand of the scribes and Pharisees, the Ninevites do not act on what Nahum teaches them.

Nahum 3:4-6

⁴ Because of the multitude of harlotries of the seductive harlot, 
The mistress of sorceries, 
Who sells nations through her harlotries, 
And families through her sorceries. 
⁵ “Behold, I am against you,” says the Lord of hosts; 
“I will lift your skirts over your face, 
I will show the nations your nakedness, 
And the kingdoms your shame. 
⁶ I will cast abominable filth upon you, 
Make you vile, 
And make you a spectacle. 

Ezekiel 22:6-16

God is not pleased when we use others to better ourselves....it makes Him angry, very angry! Dear Lord, help us to do what is right in Your eyes and to be lights of hope in a world of darkness.

Jerusalem’s princes had shed the blood of innocent people. These evil leaders had been: (1) taking advantage of parents and the weak  (2) rejecting God and His covenant, leading to ungodliness and inhumanity  (3) murdering the innocent by slandering them; preferring idolatrous religion and its immoral rituals; (5) engaging in sexual immorality with neighbors, family, and relatives; and (6) loving money and using it to get ahead of fellow citizens.

 Ezekiel 22:6-16

⁶ “Look, the princes of Israel: each one has used his power to shed blood in you. ⁷ In you they have made light of father and mother; in your midst they have oppressed the stranger; in you they have mistreated the fatherless and the widow. ⁸ You have despised My holy things and profaned My Sabbaths. ⁹ In you are men who slander to cause bloodshed; in you are those who eat on the mountains; in your midst they commit lewdness. ¹⁰ In you men uncover their fathers’ nakedness; in you they violate women who are set apart during their impurity. ¹¹ One commits abomination with his neighbor’s wife; another lewdly defiles his daughter-in-law; and another in you violates his sister, his father’s daughter. ¹² In you they take bribes to shed blood; you take usury and increase; you have made profit from your neighbors by extortion, and have forgotten Me,” says the Lord God. 

¹³ “Behold, therefore, I beat My fists at the dishonest profit which you have made, and at the bloodshed which has been in your midst. ¹⁴ Can your heart endure, or can your hands remain strong, in the days when I shall deal with you? I, the Lord, have spoken, and will do it. ¹⁵ I will scatter you among the nations, disperse you throughout the countries, and remove your filthiness completely from you. ¹⁶ You shall defile yourself in the sight of the nations; then you shall know that I am the Lord.” ’ ”