NINEVEH IS DESTROYED

Nahum 2:1-13 / Keywords 2:13

"I am against you," declares the LORD Almighty. "I will burn up your chariots in smoke, and the sword will devour your young lions. I will leave you no prey on the earth. The voices of your messengers will no longer be heard."

 

1. Assyria was a very powerful and much feared empire. Nineveh was its capital. They were proud and haughty, thinking no one could come against them. They believed they were invincible. But no one and nothing is invincible against the Lord. As the Lord sent Assyria to judge Israel’s sin, the Lord sent Babylon to judge Nineveh’s sin. These verses describe what was going to happen to Nineveh. The attack would be brutal and overwhelming. They would be looted, plundered, and defeated. The Lord would be merciless to them. No amount of shouting, “Stop! Stop!” would slow the tide of the Babylonian army (8). The mighty and brave Ninevites would turn fearful.

 

2. Why would this happen? The Lord was against the city of Nineveh. “‘I am against you’ declares the Lord Almighty” (13). They had once been so sinful, the Lord sent his prophet Jonah to prophecy their destruction, but the Lord relented when they repented. This time, there would be no repentance. The sword of the Lord would devour them, leaving them too weak to be a threat to anyone. The Lord is the judge of all the earth. He will come again to judge all the earth. We should be ready!

 

Prayer Almighty Heavenly Father, you are the judge of the earth. We know that Jesus will come again to judge the living and the dead. Instill in us a holy fear of you and help us to repent.

One Word God will come again as Judge!

A REFUGE AND AN OVERWHELMING FLOOD

Nahum 1:1-15 / Keywords 1:7,8a

7 The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him, 8 but with an overwhelming flood he will make an end of Nineveh ;

 

1. Nahum’s prophecy begins with a description of God’s character. He is slow to anger. He wants everyone to repent and come to him and be saved. He is good, and he is our refuge when in times of trouble. But he is also a wrathful judge. His judgement is like an overwhelming flood and a whirlwind. He takes vengeance on his foes. The whole earth trembles in his presence.

 

2. This is the kind of wrath he was about to bring on Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrians. They had defeated Israel and dragged her into captivity. They were cruel oppressors. But the Lord would completely destroy them for their wickedness and cruelty. Nothing would be able to save them from the Lord’s judgment.

 

3. In punishing Nineveh, the Lord would break the yoke off Israel’s back. He would deliver Israel. More than that, Nahum’s prophecy looks forward to a time when the good news of the gospel would announce the good news of God’s peace to his people. Deliverance from the power of sin through Jesus Christ would be preached!

 

Prayer Father, you are good, and you are our refuge in times of trouble. But you are also like an overwhelming flood when you are confronted with sin. Help us to repent and hold on to your good news.

One Word The Lord is our refuge, but also our Judge

PRAY, AND DON’T BE IDLE

2 Thessalonians 3:1-18 / Keywords 3:1

Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you.

 

1. In the last chapter of this epistle, Paul does two things. First, he made a request that the Thessalonian Christians pray for them. Paul had two prayer topics. The first was that the gospel message may spread and be honored in others, just as the Thessalonians had heard and honored the gospel themselves. They recognized that the gospel was their only salvation. The second was that they be protected from evil people who were seeking to thwart the gospel work. But Paul had confidence that the Lord is faithful and that the Thessalonians were doing all they had been commanded to do.

 

2. Paul urged them to do more than pray. They also needed to make sure they kept away from idle people. Rather, they should follow the example Paul showed them as he lived with them. Paul worked not only in preaching the gospel, but to make his own living as well. He didn’t depend on the charity of others, and he urged the Christians there to do the same. But there were some in the church who were idle. Paul urged them to not even associate with them.

 

3. In closing, Paul commended them to the Lord of peace and prayed the Lord be with them all.

 

Prayer Father, help us to pray diligently that your gospel may spread and be honored in all the world. And help us to not be idle in our gospel labors.

One Word Pray and don’t be idle!

THEN YOU WILL REMEMBER

Numbers 15:22-41 / Keywords 15:40

Then you will remember to obey all my commands and will be consecrated to your God.

 22 “‘Now if you as a community unintentionally fail to keep any of these commands the Lord gave Moses— 23 any of the Lord’s commands to you through him, from the day the Lord gave them and continuing through the generations to come— 24 and if this is done unintentionally without the community being aware of it, then the whole community is to offer a young bull for a burnt offering as an aroma pleasing to the Lord, along with its prescribed grain offering and drink offering, and a male goat for a sin offering.[g] 25 The priest is to make atonement for the whole Israelite community, and they will be forgiven, for it was not intentional and they have presented to the Lord for their wrong a food offering and a sin offering. 26 The whole Israelite community and the foreigners residing among them will be forgiven, because all the people were involved in the unintentional wrong.

27 “‘But if just one person sins unintentionally, that person must bring a year-old female goat for a sin offering. 28 The priest is to make atonement before the Lord for the one who erred by sinning unintentionally, and when atonement has been made, that person will be forgiven. 29 One and the same law applies to everyone who sins unintentionally, whether a native-born Israelite or a foreigner residing among you.

30 “‘But anyone who sins defiantly, whether native-born or foreigner, blasphemes the Lord and must be cut off from the people of Israel. 31 Because they have despised the Lord’s word and broken his commands, they must surely be cut off; their guilt remains on them.’”

The Sabbath-Breaker Put to Death

32 While the Israelites were in the wilderness, a man was found gathering wood on the Sabbath day. 33 Those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses and Aaron and the whole assembly, 34 and they kept him in custody, because it was not clear what should be done to him. 35 Then the Lord said to Moses, “The man must die. The whole assembly must stone him outside the camp.” 36 So the assembly took him outside the camp and stoned him to death, as the Lord commanded Moses.

Tassels on Garments

37 The Lord said to Moses, 38 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘Throughout the generations to come you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel. 39 You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember all the commands of the Lord, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by chasing after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes. 40 Then you will remember to obey all my commands and will be consecrated to your God. 41 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the Lord your God.’”

1. God understands his people would not keep the law perfectly. God repeats the Levitical sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins for the sake of the next generation. God wants to forgive his people. At the same time, God reiterates the seriousness of defiant rebellion. The story of the Sabbath breaker who was stoned underscores how seriously God and his people must treat such rebellion. It also reminds us how great God’s kindness is to us through the gospel of Jesus (Ro 11:22).

 

2. The law of the tassels is far more important than style. That generation had proved their contempt (14:11). But God held hope for the generations to come. There is a saying: “The best defense is a good offense.” The tassels were to remind them of their identity as God’s people, redeemed from Egypt, and to help them keep in mind God’s commands, not following the lusts of the flesh. We, too, are told to seek God’s righteousness (Mt 6:33). This is to be done actively by offering every part of ourselves as instruments of righteousness (Ro 6:13). Our lives are not to be centered on avoiding sin, but obeying God’s commands as his beloved people whom he rescued in order to be his treasured possession (1Pe 2:9).

 

Prayer Father, thank you for forgiving our sins through Jesus, making me your own. Help me to remember and obey your words.

One Word I am the LORD your God

JESUS WILL OVERTHROW THE LAWLESS ONE

2 Thessalonians 2:1-17 / Keywords 2:8

And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.

 

1. Jesus is certainly coming again. This has been a central belief of Christians since Jesus died for our sins on the cross. But some in Thessalonica claimed that Paul had written to them saying that the second coming of Christ had already happened. They said that Jesus’ second coming happened when he was raised from the dead. If that were true, he wouldn’t be coming again in order to gather his believers to be with him in the kingdom of God.

 

2. Paul taught the Thessalonians, “Don’t be deceived by this teaching!” Jesus is coming again! Before that happens, there will be a time of tribulation, when the “man of lawlessness” will come and deceive many. In fact, he is already at work, although he has not been revealed. But he is doomed to destruction. When the Lord Jesus returns, he will destroy him.

 

3. Those who do not love the Lord will be deceived by the lawless one and will themselves end up being destroyed. But those who belong to the Lord will be saved through destruction by the Lord Jesus so that they might share in his glory.

 

Prayer Father, thank you that Jesus is coming again! Help us to stand firm to the end, in faith.

One Word Don’t be deceived; stand firm

YOU WILL BE COUNTED WORTHY

2 Thessalonians 1:1-12 / Keywords 1:5

All this is evidence that God's judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering.

 

1. Paul wrote 2 Thessalonians shortly after he had written 1 Thessalonians. As with the first letter, Paul wrote to a church that was under heavy persecution. But the persecution didn’t cause the Thessalonians to shrink back or to lose their faith. Instead, both their faith and their love for their brothers and sisters in Christ had only grown. For this, Paul was thankful to God. The persecution they were enduring was testimony that God’s judgment against his enemies is right, and that because they had endured, God would reward them with the kingdom of God.

 

2. God is just (6). What does this mean? It means God will bring justice to those who have been harmed. It means that God will repay with trouble those who had troubled his people. On the day the Lord Jesus returns to judge the world, those who have persecuted God’s people will be punished with everlasting destruction.

 

3. But on that same day, the Lord Jesus will be glorified. Those who believe in him will share in his glory on that day. And so, Paul prayed that they might live as worthy of God’s calling and that God brings their desire for goodness to fruition.

 

Prayer Father, make us worthy of your calling by being steadfast and faithful even in the midst of suffering.

One Word God makes us worthy of his calling

REJOICE, PRAY, AND GIVE THANKS

1 Thessalonians 5:12-28 / Keywords 5:16-18

16 Be joyful always; 17 pray continually; 18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

 

1. In this concluding section, Paul gives them 15 instructions regarding their church lives. Paul stresses as of first importance to regard highly the church leaders who care for the well-being of the church. Next, he warns against those who stop working and tear down the community. Rather, we should be “...full of compassion, loving, forgiving, tender and kind, helping the helpless, cheering the fainting, seeking the wandering sinner to find.” (O to be like Thee, T.O. Chisholm, 1897)

 

2. Moreover, Paul commands the church to rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances. This requires real spiritual backbone. This leads a church to surrender to God’s will in Christ Jesus. Are we rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks? Where do I need to improve?

 

3. Paul also cautions the church not to quench the Spirit, nor disregard prophecies, but to test them and have discernment to accept what is good for the church. Lastly, Paul prays for them to have peace, to be sanctified, and to be blameless, awaiting Jesus’ return. No church is perfect. But our God is faithful! When we make it our goal to follow these instructions, God will strengthen our church community and make us mature. Thank God!

 

Prayer Father, thank you for giving us these instructions to grow as a church community.

One Word A healthy church rejoices always, prays continually, and gives

thanks in all circumstances