The people in
the city of Nineveh were to be judged by the LORD for their rebellion
against Him. Nahum the prophet told them their “crowned are as
the locusts” and their “captains as the great
grasshoppers, which camp in the hedges in the cold day”. When
the battle came upon Nineveh, these exalted ones would “flee
away” to where their “place is not known where they are”.
As Nahum nears his final words to the Ninevites, he shared concerning
their “shepherds, nobles and people” where we read:
Your shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria: your
nobles shall dwell in the dust:
your people is scattered upon the mountains, and no man gathers them.
The verse begins, “Your
shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria: your nobles shall dwell in
the dust:” Nahum
began with the words, “Your shepherds”
which means “Nineveh's tenders, rulers and teachers” “slumber”
or “are drowsy and sleepy”, “O
king” which refers to “the royal ruler”
“of Assyria” which
means “a step” and refers to “the descendants of Asshur and the
country occupied by them”: “your nobles”
or “great, majestic and chief ones” “shall
dwell” which means “settle down, abide,
establish, fix, abide and lay” “in the
dust” or “the earth”. Those who were
given the responsibility to watch over Assyria, including the king
and “nobles”, were
to be banished to abide in the “dust”
of the earth.
The verse goes on to say, “your
people is scattered upon the mountains, and no man gathers them.”
Nahum continued, “your
people” which refers to “the people of
Nineveh” “is scattered”
or “sprung about, frisked and spread” “upon
the mountains” which refers to “the hill
country and range of hills”, “and no man
gathers them” which means “assembles and
gets them together”. All the people of Nineveh were to be “spread
about throughout the mountain ranges” of Assyria.
When
we meditate upon these words of Nahum, we understand that no one was
exempt from the LORD's pending judgment against Nineveh. The
“shepherds” or “teachers” of Assyria were to be
destroyed, and the “people” themselves were to be spread
everywhere. The idea that position or place would prevent the
“judgment” of God was totally refuted. Some people believe their
stations in life will prevent them from facing God's judgment,
however, this is not true. Those who have refused Jesus Christ as
their Savior and LORD will stand before Him alone, and regardless of
their position over others, they shall give an account for every word
and action they have spoken and done.
Next
time Nahum declares “there
is no healing of your bruise”,
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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