Nahum the
prophet continued to describe how the city of Nineveh would be
destroyed by the Babylonian kingdom. In chapter two and verse eight
of his prophesy, Nahum shared how Nineveh was to be “like a pool
of water” and they would “stand” crying, “but
none shall look back”. We read:
But
Nineveh is of old
like a pool of water: yet they shall flee away.
Stand,
stand, shall they cry;
but none shall look back.
The
verse begins, “But Nineveh is
of old like a pool of water: yet they shall flee away.” Nahum
began with the word, “But”
which is a disassociation conjunction that means what is about to be
written takes precedence over what was just stated, “Nineveh”
which means “abode on Ninus” and refers to “capital
of the ancient kingdom of Assyria; located on the east bank of the
Tigris river, 550 miles (880 km) from its mouth and 250 miles (400
km) north of Babylon”
“is of old” or
“of the day, time or year” “like
a pool”
which means “a pond or reservoir at which camels kneels as a
resting place” “of water”
which refers literally to “water as we know” and figuratively
“juice, urine, semen or wasting water”:
“yet they shall flee away” or
“escape, depart, disappear and fly to the attack on horseback”.
Though the city of Nineveh was previously known as a “refreshment
and resting place”, the people within the city would “escape and
depart” from it.
The
verse goes on to say, “Stand, stand, shall
they cry; but none shall look back.”
Nahum continued, “Stand,
stand” which is stated twice for emphasis
and means “remain, endure and take one's stand or hold one's
ground, be erect and upright”, “shall they
cry but none shall look back” which is all
one Hebrew word “panah” which means “turned toward or from and
away”. Though there will be those who will attempt to make a
“stand” and
convince others to do so against their enemies, none of the people
within the city of Nineveh will oblige.
When
we consider these words of Nahum, we see how Nineveh was a place of
refreshment and rest, but when the enemy of the LORD invades them, no
one will make a “stand” to stay. This warns us against the
days ahead. There are people in the world who reject God's offering
of a substitution for their sins through His Son Jesus, and they will
face the “wrath” of God of which none shall escape. The time to
make a “stand” is now, and though they see their current
conditions like a “pool of water” and refreshment, they
must “stand” in alignment with the LORD's provision of
Salvation through His Son Jesus Christ before it is too late.
Next
time Nahum writes how the enemy will “take
the spoil of silver and gold”,
so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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