Saturday, April 18, 2020

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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.

17 thoughts on “Saturday, April 18, 2020”

  1. Amazing history ,and message, today. So thankful to You Lord Jesus, for forgiving us of our sins, when You died on the cross for us. We value innocent human life and restore Your virtue. Praying for all the saints, this morning. In Jesus’ mighty Name. Amen. ✝️

    Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. James 1:17 ESV

    Father of Lights – Vineyard
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Bqdm6AI-wI

    Reply ↓

  2. Nineveh was very sinful but do you think we are not far off? May many, many, people take stock of their lives and call out to the Living God in this time of great trouble. Father in Jesus Name, open eyes & understanding as to Who You are and draw us all closer to Yourself. Help us Lord. Amen

    Reply ↓

  3. Amen,Beverlee,Eleanor and Doreen.In my late teens I could not help notice that all the prosperous (blessed) and peaceful nations were Christian.At that time,I think it was nude beaches in France that drew my attention to this fact.I noticed through the years that as other nations also lowered their morals that the standard of living began slowly to decline and so it began.If we find our lost morals then greatness will return assuming we find God amongst too.If we help other nations find good morals then we will make them our friends but we must teach through example and not just talk-the-talk but walk-the-walk.Yall be blessed
    (The note is attached in my files.)
    WHY Mommy?

    Why did you kill me mommy?
    Why do you seek to be defiled?
    Why was I killed inside your tummy?
    Why could I not be your child?

    Why do you call sex ‘making love’?
    Why is that lie portrayed to be true?
    Why do you hate gifts from above?
    Why do you freely do what you do?

    Why is sex like shaking hands?
    Why can’t you control your lust?
    Why do devils from foreign lands
    Give us laws while stealing our trust?
    G W (Bill) Marshall / 31 July, 2014
    Abortinists from the US came to help
    PEI abortinists change the law and
    legalize the murder of unborn children
    instead of teaching women not to use
    their bodies as amusements parks.
    No copyright intended​

    Reply ↓

  4. Thank you Beverlee for your prayers for Vinal and the beautiful song. Was up in the night praying for him and the world situation that many will turn to the Lord and that His Word will go forth through the media and individuals. May God use each one of us. Amen to all the posts above and God bless you.

    Reply ↓

  6. Blessings to all, May God continue to bless us every day.
    please pray for me, Lord God please bring back the truck and tools for Carlo; You know where they are;
    Lord God bless me with a BIG financial windfall to enable me to clear debts;help family;others;missions;invest the rest for a better income thank You Lord In Jesus Name we pray amen

    Reply ↓

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