I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. In order to make that possible I read the passages and write my thoughts a day in advance. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.
As I prepared to read this passage I realized that I really have no idea in my head what the book of Nahum says. I know it is one of the Old Testament’s “minor” prophets, but other than that I have little memory of it being used in sermons or Sunday School lessons(and do not remember what I thought of it when I read it last year). Having read the book I see why it is not used much, but think we would probably benefit from reading it more frequently.
Nahum, which means “comforter”, begins by telling us that God is slow to anger, but that He will not let the wicked go unpunished. He is good and refuge against trouble for those who trust Him. However, none can stand against His anger. Those who scheme against God and rouse Him to anger will be swept away with a single blow. Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, was filled with many mighty warriors and much great wealth. The people of Nineveh were complacent in their lives because of their power and wealth. Nahum tells them that power and wealth will do them no good because they have made God their enemy by their evil acts. He declares that no one will regret the fall of Nineveh because of all have suffered from its wickedness and cruelty.
The people of Nineveh thought there might would last forever and protect them from those whom they had mistreated. Nahum warns that once God’s anger has been aroused no amount of wealth or power will save a nation from destruction. However, those who trust in the Lord and fear His name shall rejoice because they will receive messengers announcing peace in which they will be able to worship the Lord.
John now records what happened in his vision when the seventh seal was broken. The first thing that happened was that there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. For those who attempt to read this vision to interpret when Jesus’ Second Coming will be, this should present an obstacle. Because there is a period of silence between the events of the breaking of the sixth seal and the events which follow the breaking of the seventh seal. After that half an hour of silence, seven angels are each given a trumpet. Then another angel came forth and mixed the smoke from incense with the prayers of God’s people and offered it up to God. After making the smoke offering to God the angel poured out the burning contents of the incense burner upon the earth. This strikes me as a metaphor of pouring out upon the earth the pain and suffering which the people who worshiped and served God had suffered, the pain and suffering which had led them to cry out to God in prayer, in judgment upon the earth.
Once this had happened the seven angels began to sound their trumpets. When the first angel sounded his trumpet, fire fell on the earth and a third of the vegetation on the earth was burned. When the second angel sounded his trumpet, a large asteroid plunged into the sea and a third of the creatures in the sea were killed. When the third angel sounded his trumpet, a star fell from the sky and turned a third of potable water undrinkable, many people died from drinking this water. When the fourth angel sounded his trumpet, one third of the light sources for the earth went dim, days were not as bright and nights were even darker. Then John saw an eagle soaring through the sky warning against even greater troubles to come when the final three trumpets were sounded.
Those who intentionally inflict pain and suffering on others will have that pain and suffering fall upon themselves. The fires we kindle with which to burn others and cause them pain, will instead burn and destroy ourselves. Let us not kindle fires of evil which God will turn back upon us. Let us take the fires which others kindle in order to burn us and use them to offer a smoke offering to God, rather than attempt to turn that fire back upon those who set them against us. In due time, God will turn those fires back against them, let us not start other fires which may come back to burn us.
Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. This psalm reminds us that God has done many great things including creating the universe and saving us from our enemies. Over and over through this psalm the psalmist reminds us that God’s faithful love endures forever. I will praise His name for that and thank Him for all that He has done for me.
This proverb represents what I have long desired. I desire that God’s Spirit move within me to keep me from ever telling a lie. Unfortunately, in the past I have resisted the Spirit’s guidance and told lies to protect my selfish interests, but I continue to strive to allow the Spirit to control my tongue so that I do not lie in the future. I, also, request of God the second part of this proverb. I ask that God not allow me to acquire so much wealth that I begin to believe I can take care of myself without His aid, nor allow me to fall into such poverty that I justify theft and deception as necessary to provide for my needs.