"There is one come out of thee, that imagineth evil against the LORD, a wicked counsellor.
Thus saith the LORD; " Though they be quiet, and likewise many, yet thus shall they be cut down, when he shall pass through. Though I have afflicted thee, I will afflict thee no more. For now will I break his yoke from off thee, and will burst thy bonds in sunder. "
"And the LORD hath given a commandment concerning thee, that no more of thy name be sown: out of the house of thy gods will I cut off the graven image and the molten image: I will make thy grave; for thou art vile. "
Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace! O Judah, keep thy solemn feasts, perform thy vows: for the wicked shall no more pass through thee; he is utterly cut off. " - Nahum 1:11-15
NAHUM - IV
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Observant Jews all over the world are preparing to observe The Feast of Unleavened Bread in a weeks time, Passover this year falling on a Wednesday evening.
A Passover on ---Wednesday--- is probably the historical fact. Using the Hebrew & -Julian- calendar, this could have occurred only on 9 AD, then 87 AD after that... It would mean that Christ was crucified Wednesday afternoon, & was laid to rest before sundown -- because sunset would kick off a High Holy Sabbath day (the Passover), that would last till sundown Thursday.
Thursday evening, and Friday morning, the shops would open for a time, before they would have to be shut down for the regular Sabbath, beginning Friday evening. This would have allowed the women who would later go to the tomb to buy spices and ointments that day.
Sundown on Saturday would signal the end of the sabbath, allowing the women to go to the tomb early on Sunday morning, to see that Christ was not there, but risen!
His 3 days and nights were Wed-Thu, Thu-Fri,Fri-Sat. The day begins at sundown, and the night follows swiftly after.... in the Hebrew system.
[[ For those interested in such things, the current Gregorian calendar started in 1625, the Julian (from Julius Caesar) calendar about 45 BC (which is what we used) for day of the week. ]]
Why are we talking about this?
Well, like the characters in this prophecy, the feasts are a type as well.The Feasts of Israel are joyous, but the events that they commemorate are not.
Passover is a celebration of the deliverance from slavery, the day of Atonement a celebration of the Grace of God against our besetting sins, and the Feast of Tabernacles commemorates the fact that Israel dwelt in makeshift tents in their journey out from Egypt. Christians celebrate Passover ( or rather the Resurrection) as remembering our deliverance from Sin, and the oppression of the enemy!
Our text this week serves as a bridge between the introductory hymn/psalm in the book in verses 1:10, and two specific sections following it...[[ Section A (Nahum 2) speaks about the judgment to fall upon Nineveh, and and Section B (Nahum 3) talks about WHY it was just. ]], but it is interesting to observe that these verses SUMMARIZE the prophecy completely.
In the text we see ...
a. One that imagines evil against the LORD, a wicked counsellor.
This refers to an Assyrian King. This is Sennacherib, mentioned 3 times in the OT -- 2 Kings 18:13, 2 Chronicles 32:1, and Isaiah 36:1 -- who terrorized Israel in the time of Hezekiah.
Can you think of someone else that might be described as a "wicked counsellor" against the LORD, say in the garden of Eden? Sennacherib was the piece on the board in Nahums time, but there is an ongoing battle against the LORD in the OT from day 1, near THAT SAME GEOGRAPHY!
b. This King has been the instrument used to bring much misery to the people of God who have rebelled against Him.
The people are consoled, "Though I have afflicted thee, I will afflict thee no more. For now will I break his yoke from off thee, and will burst thy bonds in sunder. " even though the Assyrians are many in number and united by legal contract as one nation against Him.
( The expression "though they be quiet and likewise many" , is noted in the New Scofield Reference Bible, as actually an old Assyrian formula, to indicate joint and several responsibility for carrying out an operation. )
We Christians, look forward to our deliverance from the death that rules in our body, and we are comforted with the hope of life eternal.
C. The Kings doom is forecast.
"No more of thy name be sown: out of the house of thy gods will I cut off the graven image and the molten image: I will make thy grave; for thou art vile."
No more heirs for this person ... and all that he trusted in, wood/stone gods, or metallic gods will be shown to be worthless. His GRAVE will be constructed by God, and the judgment is pronounced... YOU ARE VILE.
Again, shadows of another king (Cyrus, another type of Satan) that exercises dominion over the earth, but is brought down to Sheol, where all who look at him say --"Is this the man?....
"They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners? " Isaiah 14:16-17
Satans doom is forecast, and written. The people of the earth, and the LORD, WILL BE AVENGED UPON HIM.
d. Israel is asked to rejoice!
The terminology seems familiar to us, as this phraseology of the feet that bring good tidings is repeated in the Word (Isaiah 52:7, and quoted by Paul, of missionaries, in Romans 10:15).
And last, but not least, Judah is reminded to observe the feasts and pay their vows to the LORD. Well, feast observance is lovely, but vow paying??? Apparently both these --duties ENJOINED BY THE LAW --- were what Israel had forgotten, and are being reminded of!
The LORD has been faithful to His covenant, both to judge His nation for evil, and to deliver them from His wrath. The people are reminded of their covenant with Him, one they made at Sinai, to keep the feasts 3 times a year, and to obey the law in the vows they make to the LORD.
As far as the bigger picture goes, the battle with Satan, is raging forth on this planet now. The pursuit of money has distracted mankind from everything else. Politicians, Priests, and Business men are the acolytes at the temple of Mammon today. Yes, Mammon has a FAITHFUL following, as the entire monetary system of the world runs on Faith ALONE!
This faith in money, is the root of all evil in the world today, men doing truly horrible and detestable things in the pursuit of money. And this "money" today, can't even be seen to exist!!!! Whether it is digital bits in a computer system somewhere or in a crypto wallet.... the core thing about money is that it requires you to have faith in the one who says... "this is money."
Thats the way the entire world financial system works ... ? ... and everything in the commercial system is designed for only one thing.... to get ACTUAL money ( the efforts of hardworking men and women) out of the pockets of the "consumers" and into the hand of "industries".... Life Insurance, Health Insurance, Financial systems, Educational systems, religious systems, political systems.... EVERYBODY IS PICKING YOUR POCKET!!!
This is coming down. Life is not about money, but living in harmony with the planet, the animals in it, and the other human beings we get to share the ride with.
Let us remember the works, and words of the LORD from old, and celebrate His Feasts, for they remind us that He has already conquered.
You are ---already accepted--, you have nothing to prove. You have belonged to Him from day 1, and He will bring you safely to Himself!
Hallelujah!!