THE BLOODY CITY
Today’s Reading: Nahum 3
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).
The Karnak Temple ruins can be seen along the Nile River. A Statue to Ramses II still stands tall in the Egyptian sun. Nahum prophesied that Assyria would receive the same treatment that they had given the ancient Egyptian capital city of No Amon (Thebes). According to Egyptian records, the destruction of Thebes by Assyria took place in 664 B.C. The destruction of Nineveh, Assyria, is dated in 612 B.C. The decision to include Nahum in the Bible, made by the council of Rabbis, was based on the fact of his accurate prediction of future events. It has been calculated that Nahum probably wrote the book named after him in the year 654 B.C., at least 42 years before predicted events took place.
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.
Key Verse: Nahum 3:18
“Your shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria; your nobles rest in the dust. Your people are scattered on the mountains, and no one gathers them.”
It is certain that Nahum knew all about the repentance before God by the king, the nobles and the people of Nineveh approximately 65 years before the writing of this book, as a result of the preaching of Jonah (Jonah 3:1-10). Nineveh, over the space of two generations, had degenerated from a God-fearing people to the people Nahum describes, a “bloody city,” “full of lies and robbery,” violence, and sexual seduction (Nahum 3:1-4). There is sadness in Nahum’s words at the decline of the moral standards of a once upright people. In our key verse, Nahum puts the blame for this turning away from doing what is right in God’s sight directly on the business community (“merchants”), the government (“commanders”, “captains”) and religious leaders (“shepherds”), the leaders of Assyria.
We who live in the developed world have seen a huge change in moral standards over the past 65 years. From the end of World War Two until now, there has been a steady rise in violence on our streets, in our schools and in our homes. The greatest change morally has been the destruction of millions of little lives in what should be the safest place on earth, the wombs of their mothers. This holocaust against these defenceless lives must call out to God for judgment, as did the holocaust against the Jews by the Nazis. Today’s reading should teach us the terrible results when leaders abdicate their responsibility. Eventually “people are scattered”… “injury has no healing”… and the “wound is severe.”
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord God, I repent for not doing all I might have done to help prevent the moral decline that is obvious to anyone who studies the statistics on violence, family breakdown, sexual promiscuity, etc. I pray for grace to take a stand daily for what is right in Your eyes, holding the truth in love, and living my life with integrity. Keep me faithful to You, O Lord, in reading and making part of myself Your Holy Word every day. May I do as the Psalmist wrote, “Your Word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against You!” (Psalm 119:11). May my reading today be not just in my head, but may it penetrate my innermost being. In the Name of the only sinless human Person, Your divine Son, Jesus, I pray. Amen!!!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
Some scholars believe that Elkosh (Nahum 1:1), the hometown of Nahum, is Capernaum (“Kafer Nahum” – village of Nahum). After Nahum’s accurate prophesies, some say the name of his village was changed to honour him. Capernaum was the town to which Jesus moved after His rejection in Nazareth. It was the home of Matthew, Peter, Andrew, James and John. A New Testament reading today might be Matthew 4:12-17. Here “Jesus began to preach and to say, ‘Repent.'” I think that Nahum would’ve supported Jesus’ message! I’ll try to put below some pictures of the ruins of Capernaum from the time of Jesus.
I have called myself on several occasions “a champion of loosing causes.” The latest being my attempts to influence a majority of Canada’s political leaders to support the traditional and Biblical meaning of the word “Marriage.” We do have leaders in government who do not “slumber”, as Nahum said of the Assyrian shepherds. But there are not enough leaders who are wide awake and who stand up for just causes. While I believe the marriage issue is important, I also believe that the “slaughter of the innocents” in the abortion industry is the greatest evil in our land. We are in this respect a “bloody city” (Nahum 3:1a). Canada has absolutely no protection in law for the little ones in the womb. The final prophesy given by Jesus is worth reading again in this context (read Luke 23:28-31). May God have mercy on us!
Yours for remembering that on Good Friday, Jesus took into Himself the judgment deserved by all the sin mentioned in today’s reading, all the sins mentioned in the entire Bible, and all the sins of the human race, past, present and future. On that day, Jerusalem was truly “The bloody city”,
David
P.S. Jesus prophesied about the town of Nahum, Capernaum, as recorded in Matthew 11:23-30. Capernaum is only a tourist destination today. This once bustling commercial centre is uninhabited today. Here are some pictures which would seem to support Jesus’ prophecy.
The tourist entrance to the ancient ruins of Capernaum (“Kafer Nahum” – village of Nahum).
An ancient millstone among the ruins of Capernaum.
So much creeping into our society that is against God’s teaching; the school system’s plan for sex-ed, and the problem of porn getting in via their computer systems. We must stand in the gap and pray. Things seem to change so quickly these days. I think the 40s and 50s were good to us. On a Sunday you could see many people walking or driving to church. The stores were not open then and it was a quieter time.
Amen David and Doreen. Very heart wrenching blog. I remember attending and lending support at a lot of meetings on abortion and hearing Tim & Beverly LaHaye when one of my nephews was the head of a local Crisis Pregnancy Centre in Maine and yet the battle was lost. Prayed your prayer David. Thank you saints for all your prayers and Lord help us not to quit praying.
Fascinating scripture, particularly Jesus’ prophecy about Capernaum–and to know it is only a tourist destination, today. Thank you for your message on abortion, David. It is very sad, the state of affairs our country has fallen to and it is just getting more carried away than ever. It seems nothing has boundaries, guidelines, laws, or God’s discernment any longer. Yes, we must pray, saints. God’s continued blessings to all.
“Show me your ways, LORD, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. Remember, LORD, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old.” Psalm 25: 4-6
At the Cross, Hillsong
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOY0mjjmx8Y
Thank you Beverlee for the song!
Heavenly Father have Mercy on us I pray. Heal our land, this Nation of Canada. I pray that it be a Nation under God. I pray Lord God for safety for our children. Father, I pray keep them in the Palm of Your hand, away from the predators. in the Mighty Name of Jesus I pray, Amen!!
Heavenly Father I pray for healing of and in families, for children to feel loved and secure in their own homes. Lord God Almighty I pray this in the Mighty Name of Jesus. Amen!!
From Streams in the Desert, April 18:
“We all know how impossible it is to rescue a drowning man who tries to help his rescuer, and it is equally impossible for the Lord to fight our battles for us when we insist upon trying to fight them ourselves. It is not that He will not, but He cannot. Our interference hinders His working.” C.H.P.
“Spiritual forces cannot work while earthly forces are active.
“It takes God time to answer prayer. We often fail to give God a chance in this respect. It takes time for God to paint a rose. It takes time for God to grow an oak. It takes time for God to make bread from wheat fields. He takes the earth. He pulverizes. He softens. He enriches. He wets with showers and dews. He warms with life. He gives the blade, the stock, the amber grain, and then at last the bread for the hungry.
“All this takes time. Therefore we sow, and till, and wait, and trust, until all God’s purpose has been wrought out. We give God a chance in this matter of time. We need to learn this same lesson in our prayer life. It takes God time to answer prayer.” J. H. M.
Amen!
Yes many things have changed, powers to be make decisions that are not Christ centered; it’s no mystery! When God’s Word is not read anymore or prayers are not being said; then the devil ghas free range! Scritpure tells us that “one Word of God sends the devil fleeing!”
if people don’t like stores being opened on Sundays, then don’t shop on Sundays! Tell the business why!
encourage Christian churches to have evening worship services & Bible Study for anyone in the community! These services can be held outside when weather is warmer and encourage people to bring some cookies & juice! Having food available is very attractive for people in the community while listening to God’s Word!
I wonder what the impace would be if l00’s upon 100’s would send e mails to government officials regarding the issue of marriage and what God’s Word says about marriage and what is marriage! No where in the Bible does it talk about common in law, or after so many years, then you are legally married! I just wonder if floods and floods of e mail went to the government officials, what impact would it make?
And let us not forget about the POWER OF PRAYER!
In my community there are many young people riding bicycles, skateboards, etc and not wearing helmets! Please pray that I could somehow make this information available in my community and that people would be moved to buy helmets for the people who need to wear them! It seems that if the government makes it mandatory, if not obeyed then a fine of at least $100,. then people smarten up! For what it is worth, there it is!
I read 3 pages in the newspaper of couples getting married within the last year; and I noticed only 2 couples out of some 75 got married by a Pastor and only 4 got married in a church with a Pastor!
Lord God forgive us of our sins as we forgive those who sin against us! AMEN
forgive my typing errors!