Burunche’s Blog

Zephaniah Prophesies Judgment on Judah (Matthew 13:36-43)

“This is the word of the LORD that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah: “I will completely sweep away everything from the face of the earth,” declares the LORD. “I will sweep away man and beast; I will sweep away the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, and the idols with their wicked worshipers. (Or and the idols that cause the wicked to stumble) I will cut off mankind from the face of the earth,” declares the LORD.

“I will stretch out My hand against Judah and against all who dwell in Jerusalem. I will cut off from this place every remnant of Baal, the names of the idolatrous and pagan priests— those who bow on the rooftops to worship the host of heaven, those who bow down and swear by the LORD but also swear by Milcom, (Molech) and those who turn back from following the LORD and neither seek the LORD nor inquire of Him.”

The Day of the LORD (Amos 5:16-27; Malachi 4:1-6; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11; 2 Peter 3:8-13)

Be silent in the presence of the Lord GOD, for the Day of the LORD is near. Indeed, the LORD has prepared a sacrifice; He has consecrated His guests. On the Day of the LORD’s sacrifice I will punish the princes, the king’s sons, and all who are dressed in foreign apparel. On that day I will punish all who leap over the threshold, (in the temple of their gods) who fill the house of their master with violence and deceit.

“On that day,” declares the LORD, “a cry will go up from the Fish Gate, a wail from the Second District, and a loud crashing from the hills. Wail, O dwellers of the Hollow, for all your merchants will be silenced; all who weigh out silver will be cut off. And at that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps

and punish the men settled in complacency, (thickening on the dregs) who say to themselves, ‘The LORD will do nothing, either good or bad.’ Their wealth will be plundered and their houses laid waste.

They will build houses but not inhabit them, and plant vineyards but never drink their wine.

The great Day of the LORD is near—near and coming quickly. Listen, the Day of the LORD! Then the cry of the mighty will be bitter. That day will be a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of destruction and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness, a day of horn blast and battle cry against the fortified cities, and against the high corner towers. I will bring such distress on mankind that they will walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the LORD.

Their blood will be poured out like dust and their flesh like dung. Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them on the Day of the LORD’s wrath. The whole earth will be consumed by the fire of His jealousy.” For indeed, He will make a sudden end of all who dwell on the earth.

WOW! For generations, those in Judah and Jerusalem who should have been worshiping God have been playing religious games in the temple and then running off to Asherah fertility rites, child sacrifices to Molech, sewing charms in garments to catch souls, indulging in midnight rituals in graveyards, and all kinds of horrible things. God is patient, but He has given the citizens of Judah every opportunity to repent and they have not. Now God is sending Zephaniah to sound a final warning that destruction is looming.

“I will completely sweep away everything from the face of the earth,” declares the LORD. “I will sweep away man and beast; I will sweep away the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, and the idols with their wicked worshipers.”  “I will stretch out My hand against Judah and against all who dwell in Jerusalem. I will cut off from this place every remnant of Baal, the names of the idolatrous and pagan priests— those who bow on the rooftops to worship the host of heaven, those who bow down and swear by the LORD but also swear by Milcom, (Molech) and those who turn back from following the LORD and neither seek the LORD nor inquire of Him.”  Hmm! All the time these people were sneaking off to pagan rituals, God has been watching.  How God’s heart must be breaking as He watches men and women whom He has designed for His praise and glory debasing themselves in pursuit of pleasure, wealth, and demonic power.

“Be silent in the presence of the Lord GOD, for the Day of the LORD is near. Indeed, the LORD has prepared a sacrifice; He has consecrated His guests. On the Day of the LORD’s sacrifice I will punish the princes, the king’s sons, and all who are dressed in foreign apparel. On that day I will punish all who leap over the threshold, (in the temple of their gods) who fill the house of their master with violence and deceit.”

Why the mention of leaping over the thresholds of the temple? In the time of the prophet Samuel, when the Ark was captured by the Philistines and they hauled it into the temple of Dagon, the statue of Dagon toppled, shattering on the threshold of the temple. Those worshiping Dagon would leap over the threshold rather than touching it because of this. Why the mention of “foreign apparel?” It is likely that worshipers of strange gods are also wearing costumes particular to the cult in which they are involved; meanwhile, God has already given the Israelites specific commands as to the manner in which they should dress. Dressing in ritual costumes is another form of rebellion against the One True Living God.  

“I will bring such distress on mankind that they will walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the LORD. Their blood will be poured out like dust and their flesh like dung. Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them on the Day of the LORD’s wrath. The whole earth will be consumed by the fire of His jealousy.” For indeed, He will make a sudden end of all who dwell on the earth.” The Creator of the Universe is very thorough. Not so much as a single detail escapes His attention. All the ill-gotten gains these idol worshipers have amassed will disappear.

APPLICATION: This is a very disturbing chapter. Today, a flood tide of evil appears to be advancing throughout the earth. Human trafficking and slavery, political corruption, corruption of justice, endangerment of the most vulnerable – the list is endless. Looking around us, we might wonder when God will become fed up with the evil that surrounds us. In the last several years, all manner of business empires have arisen, only to collapse. The internet has brought instant fame to many, but it has equally brought ruin and shame to others.

Why is God so angry with the people of Judah and Jerusalem? These people have had the opportunity to continue to worship in the temple; however, they are only going through the motions, saving most of their resources for worshiping demons instead. Study the Song of Moses in Deuteronomy 33 and you will see that even at that time, God already knows what will happen. It is not God’s will for people to be destroyed; many people choose their own destruction. There are innocent victims of evil because evil people exercise their God-given rights of free will to commit crimes. But many others are in the same situation as the people to whom Zephaniah is speaking.

What should be our response to these warnings? We need to search our hearts and worship God alone. Jesus told his disciples that nobody can serve two masters, and we will either serve God or we will serve Satan by serving something else. Today, while we have the chance, let us choose to serve God!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to completely serve You. Show us those things that we have put in Your place and let us throw out our idols. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

This information comes from a combination of Wikipedia and Chuck Swindoll’s Insight for Living website. The name Zephaniah means “Yahweh has hidden/protected,” or “Yahweh hides.”

Swindoll continues, “In Zephaniah 1:1, the author introduces himself as “Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah.” Among the prophets, this is a unique introduction with its long list of fathers back to Zephaniah’s great-great grandfather, Hezekiah. So why stop with Hezekiah? Most likely, the prophet wanted to highlight his royal lineage as a descendant of one of Judah’s good kings. The reference to “this place” in Zephaniah 1:4 indicates that he prophesied in Jerusalem, while his many references to temple worship display a strong familiarity with Israel’s religious culture. All these factors paint the picture of a man who was at the center of Judah’s political and religious world, a man whose close proximity to those in power would have given his shocking message an even greater impact.

The book tells us that Zephaniah prophesied during the reign of Josiah, the king of Judah from 640 to 609 BC (Zephaniah 1:1). We can begin to pinpoint exactly when Zephaniah prophesied by accounting for a few details in the text. First, in 2:13 the prophet predicted the fall of Nineveh, an event which occurred in 612 BC. Further, Zephaniah made frequent quotations from the Law (for example, compare 1:13 to Deuteronomy 28:30, 39), a document that remained lost in Judah for much of Josiah’s reign. Therefore, Zephaniah more than likely prophesied in the latter part of Josiah’s rule, after the king discovered the scrolls of the Law in 622 BC (2 Chronicles 34:3–7).

This all means that Zephaniah grew up under the reign of Josiah’s predecessors: Josiah’s grandfather, the evil king Manasseh, and Manasseh’s son, the young and evil Amon. As a young man, the prophet-to-be would have been surrounded by the trappings of idolatry, child sacrifice, and unjust killings—strong influences on a young mind (2 Kings 21:16; 2 Chronicles 33:1–10). But Zephaniah grew into a man of God, able to stand before the people and proclaim God’s message of judgment and hope to a people that had gone astray.

Why is Zephaniah so important? This book mentions the day of the Lord more than does any other book in the Old Testament, clarifying the picture of Judah’s fall to Babylon and the eventual judgment and restoration of all humanity in the future. In this case, it refers primarily to God’s impending time of judgment on the nation of Judah. Zephaniah saw in the day of the Lord the destruction of his country, his neighbors, and eventually the whole earth (Zephaniah 1:2, 4; 2:10). Zephaniah wrote that the day of the Lord was near (1:14), that it would be a time of wrath (1:15), that it would come as judgment on sin (1:17), and that ultimately it would result in the blessing of God’s presence among His people (3:17).

What’s the big idea? Like the writings of many of the prophets, the book of Zephaniah follows a pattern of judgment on all people for their sin followed by the restoration of God’s chosen people. Zephaniah’s primary target for God’s message of judgment, the nation of Judah, had fallen into grievous sin under the reign of their king, Manasseh. Zephaniah’s prophecy shouted out for godliness and purity in a nation sinful to its core. The people of Judah had long since turned their backs on God, not only in their personal lives but also in their worship. This reflected the depth of their sin and the deep need for God’s people to be purged on their path to restoration.”

APPLICATION: Feel as if your culture has suddenly turned on you? Don’t recognize your culture anymore? Welcome to Zephaniah’s world! Zephaniah has been born to a royal family and presumably to a family that still worships the God of Israel. But Zephaniah is growing up during a time of incredible evil when Kings Manasseh and Amon are dragging the nation of Judah down an increasingly slippery slope of unspeakable evil. Zephaniah is another prophet called to witness to a profligate people who have already turned their backs on God and are pursuing wealth and power through idols. The last thing most of Zephaniah’s audience want is a call to righteousness.

Many of us can sympathize with Zephaniah. We may find ourselves in morally slippery situations in school or at work. Is it cheating if we use AI (Artificial Intelligence) to write term papers? Do we report wrong – doing, knowing we might suffer as a result, or even lose our positions? Do we speak out against injustice, even when we might find ourselves investigated by government organizations? These days it is unfortunately easy to find oneself caught between God’s requirements and the demands of culture. As we study Zephaniah, let’s remember that we are not alone; others have faced the same challenges we are now facing. The same God who gave Zephaniah the necessary strength to persevere and deliver these messages is also the God who will keep us and guide us.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives, even when it is difficult. Guide us into Your ways of righteousness, knowing that Your ways will bring us peace in the midst of cultural storms. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Habakkuk’s Prayer

“This is a prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, according to Shigionoth: O LORD, I have heard the report of You; I stand in awe, O LORD, of Your deeds. Revive them in these years; make them known in these years. In Your wrath, remember mercy! God came from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran.

Selah (Pause and calmly think on that)

His glory covered the heavens, and His praise filled the earth. His radiance was like the sunlight; rays flashed from His hand, where His power is hidden. Plague went before Him, and fever followed in His steps. He stood and measured the earth; He looked and startled the nations; the ancient mountains crumbled; the perpetual hills collapsed. His ways are everlasting. I saw the tents of Cushan in distress; the curtains of Midian were trembling. Were You angry at the rivers, O LORD? Was Your wrath against the streams? Did You rage against the sea when You rode on Your horses, on Your chariots of salvation? You brandished Your bow; You called for many arrows.

Selah (Pause and calmly think on that)

You split the earth with rivers. The mountains saw You and quaked; torrents of water swept by. The deep roared with its voice and lifted its hands on high. Sun and moon stood still in their places at the flash of Your flying arrows, at the brightness of Your shining spear. You marched across the earth with fury; You threshed the nations in wrath. You went forth for the salvation of Your people, to save Your anointed. You crushed the head of the house of the wicked and stripped him from head to toe.

Selah (Pause and calmly think on that)

With his own spear You pierced his head, when his warriors stormed out to scatter us, gloating as though ready to secretly devour the weak. You trampled the sea with Your horses, churning the great waters. I heard and trembled within; my lips quivered at the sound. Decay entered my bones; I trembled where I stood. Yet I must wait patiently for the day of distress to come upon the people who invade us.

Habakkuk Rejoices

Though the fig tree does not bud and no fruit is on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though the sheep are cut off from the fold and no cattle are in the stalls, yet I will exult in the LORD; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation! GOD the Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like those of a deer; He makes me walk upon the heights!” (For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments)

Habakkuk has complained to God about His lack of action and has received God’s answer. Now Habakkuk is doing something that all of us should do when we are in distress: he is reminding himself of the power and glory of God and all the wonders God has done for the Israelites in the past. Much of this prayer harks  back to the prayer of Moses in Deuteronomy 33. “I stand in awe, O LORD, of Your deeds. Revive them in these years; make them known in these years. In Your wrath, remember mercy! God came from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran.”

Selah (Pause and calmly think on that)  Question: How many of us are willing to pause, let alone CALMLY THINK on anything?

“His glory covered the heavens, and His praise filled the earth. His radiance was like the sunlight; rays flashed from His hand, where His power is hidden. Plague went before Him, and fever followed in His steps. He stood and measured the earth; He looked and startled the nations; the ancient mountains crumbled; the perpetual hills collapsed. His ways are everlasting.”  Anybody who doubts God’s power should try something simple: look at the sun at noon. Remember that our sun is one of the smaller stars in the sky, and yet it’s too bright for us to look at directly. We don’t normally think of God as employing plagues and fevers to accomplish His will, but in Egypt God sent plagues and fevers on the Egyptians to convince them they needed to get the Israelites out of their country before their country was completely destroyed. God knows the exact measure of everything on the earth; He can easily startle the nations. And even if God simply shrugs, mountains and hills will crumble, rivers will pierce the earth, the sun and moon stand still, and nations are destroyed.

Finally, after meditating on the glory and majesty of God, Habakkuk reaches a final conclusion: “Though the fig tree does not bud and no fruit is on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though the sheep are cut off from the fold and no cattle are in the stalls, yet I will exult in the LORD; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation! GOD the Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like those of a deer; He makes me walk upon the heights!”

APPLICATION: At the beginning, I dedicated this Bible study to the late Dr. Tom Elkins. Dr. Thomas E. Elkins was an outstanding Obstetrician/Gynecologist who taught at several major medical schools while also serving as a missionary in various parts of West Africa. As a member of the faculty at Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Elkins was considered an international authority on pelvic reconstruction surgery. It was Dr. Elkins who quoted the last several verses of Habakkuk 3 to me at a time when my husband and I were facing a crisis in our missionary careers. Dr. Elkins told me that he had been given those verses by a veteran missionary surgeon at a mission hospital in Nigeria when he was a medical student. Now I am sharing this encouragement with all of you.

Many times, we assume that God can only bless us when everything is going smoothly and when we have plenty of resources. But Habakkuk was watching the Babylonians mercilessly crush surrounding nations. Will we only trust God when everything is going fine, or will we trust Him even when crops are failing and famine is looming? Do we only love God for what He can give, or do we love Him for Himself? The promise for us is that if we will rejoice in the God of our salvation, God the Lord WILL be our strength, and He WILL make us sure – footed and establish our ways, even on treacherous mountain paths.

PRAYER:Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to praise You, even when things look bleak, In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

“Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by iniquity! Is it not indeed from the LORD of Hosts that the labor of the people only feeds the fire, and the nations weary themselves in vain? For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.

Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbors, pouring it from the wineskin until they are drunk, in order to gaze at their nakedness! You will be filled with shame instead of glory. You too must drink and expose your uncircumcision! The cup in the LORD’s right hand will come around to you, and utter disgrace will cover your glory. For your violence against Lebanon will overwhelm you, and the destruction of animals will terrify you, because of your bloodshed against men and your violence against the land, the city, and all their dwellers.

What use is an idol, that a craftsman should carve it—or an image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak. Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Awake!’ or to silent stone, ‘Arise!’ Can it give guidance? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, yet there is no breath in it at all. But the LORD is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him.”

Those who refuse to serve the One True Living God are bound for disaster. “Is it not indeed from the LORD of Hosts that the labor of the people only feeds the fire, and the nations weary themselves in vain? “ Psalm 2:1-5 says, “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together, against the LORD and against His Anointed One: “Let us break Their chains and cast away Their cords.” The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord taunts them. Then He rebukes them in His anger, and terrifies them in His fury…”

When people think they are deceiving or mocking God, they are only fooling themselves. How do you deny the Creator of the universe? All creation bears witness to His glory. “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.”

“Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbors, pouring it from the wineskin until they are drunk, in order to gaze at their nakedness! You will be filled with shame instead of glory.” In parts of the ancient Middle East, it was customary for kings to hold drinking parties at which people were compelled to drink themselves into oblivion. In the story of Esther, one of the notable things about King Ahasuerus’ banquet was that drinking was NOT compulsory, a fact so surprising that the writer took note of it. (Esther 1:8)

“For your violence against Lebanon will overwhelm you, and the destruction of animals will terrify you, because of your bloodshed against men and your violence against the land, the city, and all their dwellers.”  Again, God is addressing the Babylonians, here referred to as the Chaldeans. Evidently, the Babylonians cut a wide swath through Lebanon, and God is now promising retribution for this wholesale slaughter.

“What use is an idol, that a craftsman should carve it—or an image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak. Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Awake!’ or to silent stone, ‘Arise!’ Can it give guidance? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, yet there is no breath in it at all. But the LORD is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him.”

Finally, God is mocking Satan and his demons, who try to convince the unwary that they are God when they are not. Even if men create idols that purport to represent Bel or any other pagan deity, those idosl are worthless.

APPLICATION: Throughout the world, there are many idols, some of them enormous and some covered with gold, precious jewels, etc. Is God impressed with these things? Are you kidding? There is a story told by a pioneer missionary to northeastern Ghana. The people of a village wanted to repent, but there was one idol that they could not destroy, no matter how hard they tried. One day in dry season, the people were gathered together with the missionary outside a huge round room near the idol. The missionary was preaching against the idol. Suddenly in the west, they saw black storm clouds gathering with bolts of lightning flashing out of the clouds. In that part of the world, storms move in from the northeast, nor from the west, and this was not the time of year for a storm anyway. All the people rushed into the huge round room to take shelter. As the storm broke overhead, lightning struck the center pole of the roof, traveled down the center pole and out the door without hurting anyone. The lightning streaked straight to the idol, striking it and vaporizing it. At one blow, God graphically demonstrated His power over the demon controlling that idol, causing everyone in the village to repent and follow Jesus Christ!

If God can exert such power over an idol in an obscure African village, what might He do to the idols in our lives? “But I don’t worship idols!” you cry indignantly. Oh? What is most important to you? What do you talk about the most whenever you have time? Is it your favorite athletic team? Your family? Your hobbies? Your work? The political party you favor? Jesus told his disciples that “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Whatever absorbs your time, your energy, and your enthusiasm can readily become an idol.

Why does God hate idols? Idols take a place that rightfully belongs to God alone. Here is God’s final statement on the matter: “But the LORD is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him.”

Let us examine our hearts to make sure that nothing else is occupying the place God should have. May God be in our hearts, just as He is in His holy temple!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. Show us those things that we have unwittingly made into idols and help us to clear them out, so that You have first place in our lives and hearts. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

The LORD Answers Again

“I will stand at my guard post and station myself on the ramparts. I will watch to see what He will say to me, and how I should answer when corrected. Then the LORD answered me: “Write down this vision and clearly inscribe it on tablets, so that a herald may run with it. For the vision awaits an appointed time; it testifies of the end, and will not lie. Though it lingers, wait for it, since it will surely come and not delay.

Look at the proud one; his soul is not upright — but the righteous will live by faith — and wealth indeed betrays him; an arrogant man is never at rest. He enlarges his appetite like Sheol, and like Death, he is never satisfied. He gathers all the nations to himself and collects all the peoples as his own.

Woe to the Chaldeans Will not all of these take up a taunt against him, speaking with mockery and derision: ‘Woe to him who amasses what is not his and makes himself rich with many loans! How long will this go on?’ Will not your creditors suddenly arise and those who disturb you awaken? Then you will become their prey.

Because you have plundered many nations, the remnant of the people will plunder you because of your bloodshed against man and your violence against the land, the city, and all their dwellers. Woe to him who builds his house by unjust gain, to place his nest on high and escape the hand of disaster! You have plotted shame for your house by cutting off many peoples and forfeiting your life. For the stones will cry out from the wall, and the rafters will echo it from the woodwork.”

Habakkuk is becoming impatient! Why isn’t God taking care of these horrible people? Has Habakkuk made a mistake; has he not heard God correctly? “Then the LORD answered me: “Write down this vision and clearly inscribe it on tablets, so that a herald may run with it. For the vision awaits an appointed time; it testifies of the end, and will not lie. Though it lingers, wait for it, since it will surely come and not delay.” No, Habakkuk, you have heard God correctly. But God’s timing and yours are different. Exercise patience, but record this vision so that it may be distributed widely at the appropriate time. Don’t give up! God will still fulfill His promises.

Now God begins calling out wrong-doers. “Look at the proud one; his soul is not upright — but the righteous will live by faith — and wealth indeed betrays him; an arrogant man is never at rest.” “Woe to him who amasses what is not his and makes himself rich with many loans! How long will this go on?’ Will not your creditors suddenly arise and those who disturb you awaken? Then you will become their prey.”  

When God gave Moses the Law for the Israelites, usury among Israelites was forbidden. Israelites were allowed to charge non-Israelites interest on loans, but not their fellow Israelites. And even if someone issuing a loan took a man’s cloak as surety, the cloak had to be returned to the owner at nightfall so the man could wrap up in it to go to sleep. Israelites were to be compassionate to foreigners, remembering that they had been slaves in Egypt and fugitives for forty years.

Leviticus 19:35-36: “You must not use dishonest measures of length, weight, or volume. You shall maintain honest scales and weights, an honest ephah, and an honest hin. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.”

Deuteronomy 24:6, 10-15:”Do not take a pair of millstones or even an upper millstone as security for a debt, because that would be taking one’s livelihood as security.”…v. 10 – 15 “When you lend anything to your neighbor, do not enter his house to collect security. You are to stand outside while the man to whom you are lending brings the security out to you. If he is a poor man, you must not go to sleep with the security in your possession; be sure to return it to him by sunset, so that he may sleep in his own cloak and bless you, and this will be credited to you as righteousness before the LORD your God.”

Do not oppress a hired hand who is poor and needy, whether he is a brother or a foreigner residing in one of your towns. You are to pay his wages each day before sunset, because he is poor and depends on them. Otherwise he may cry out to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty of sin.”

“Because you have plundered many nations, the remnant of the people will plunder you because of your bloodshed against man and your violence against the land, the city, and all their dwellers. Woe to him who builds his house by unjust gain, to place his nest on high and escape the hand of disaster! You have plotted shame for your house by cutting off many peoples and forfeiting your life. For the stones will cry out from the wall, and the rafters will echo it from the woodwork.” “Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by iniquity!” “Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbors, pouring it from the wineskin until they are drunk, in order to gaze at their nakedness!

One of the principles of God’s kingdom is that the measure you give out is the measure you will receive. Americans say, “What goes around comes around.” The Chaldeans have plundered their way across the Middle East; now the nations that are left will turn and plunder the Chaldeans. “For the stones will cry out from the wall, and the rafters will echo it from the woodwork.”  Although we might think that inanimate objects have no feelings, that is not necessarily true. God’s creation responds in ways we might not anticipate. Evil acts have repercussions.

APPLICATION: I am splitting the chapter into two parts because there is so much to consider. “For the vision awaits an appointed time; it testifies of the end, and will not lie. Though it lingers, wait for it, since it will surely come and not delay.”  Through the years, countless believers have received comfort and encouragement from these verses. Most of us share Habakkuk’s impatience, wishing God would act rapidly rather than forcing us to wait. God has used these verses to encourage us to wait for HIS timing rather than demanding He follow ours.

“Look at the proud one; his soul is not upright — but the righteous will live by faith — and wealth indeed betrays him; an arrogant man is never at rest.”  “The righteous (just) will live by faith” is another major encouragement. As I was writing this study this morning, two different television preachers from different countries used this verse as the foundation for their messages. In a world dominated by the rich, famous, noteworthy, and corrupt, we need reminding that God sees things much differently than we do.

‘Woe to him who amasses what is not his and makes himself rich with many loans! How long will this go on?’ Will not your creditors suddenly arise and those who disturb you awaken? Then you will become their prey.” God does not like cheaters, thieves, and manipulators. Hudson Taylor, the founder of the China Inland Mission, was fond of saying that “God’s work, done God’s way, will never lack God’s supply. We should view any resources we have as belonging to God; this means we should seek God’s will in allocating those resources. If we are careful to follow God’s leading, God will continue to provide.

For nearly thirty-six years, my husband and I have worked in missions. During those years, we have repeatedly seen God’s hand of provision just when we needed it. The key to receiving is giving – as long as we give out to others as God guides us, God will continue to pour resources into our hands. But we must make sure that nothing sticks to our fingers. John Wesley was fond of saying, “Earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can.” Those tenets continue to challenge us today. May we continue to look to God for His guidance as we strive to share His resources.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to trust in Your timing and Your provision, even when the vision seems to take too long for its fulfillment. Thank You for helping us to be patient. In the mighty and precious name of King Jesus. Amen.  

Habakkuk’s First Complaint (Psalm 13:1-6)

“This is the burden that Habakkuk the prophet received in a vision: How long, O LORD, must I call for help but You do not hear, or cry out to You, “Violence!” but You do not save? Why do You make me see iniquity? Why do You tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me. Strife is ongoing, and conflict abounds. Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.”

The LORD’s Answer

“Look at the nations and observe—be utterly astounded! For I am doing a work in your days that you would never believe even if someone told you. For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans(Babylonians) — that ruthless and impetuous nation which marches through the breadth of the earth to seize dwellings not their own. They are dreaded and feared; from themselves they derive justice and sovereignty. Their horses are swifter than leopards, fiercer than wolves of the night. Their horsemen charge ahead, and their cavalry comes from afar. They fly like a vulture, swooping down to devour. All of them come bent on violence; their hordes advance like the east wind; they gather prisoners like sand. They scoff at kings and make rulers an object of scorn. They laugh at every fortress and build up siege ramps to seize it. Then they sweep by like the wind and pass on through. They are guilty; their own strength is their god.

Habakkuk’s Second Complaint (Psalm 11:1-7)

Are You not from everlasting, O LORD, my God, my Holy One? We will not die. O LORD, You have appointed them to execute judgment; O Rock, You have established them for correction. Your eyes are too pure to look upon evil, and You cannot tolerate wrongdoing. So why do You tolerate the faithless?

Why are You silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves? You have made men like the fish of the sea, like creeping things that have no ruler. The foe pulls all of them up with a hook; he catches them in his dragnet, and gathers them in his fishing net; so he rejoices gladly. Therefore he sacrifices to his dragnet and burns incense to his fishing net, for by these things his portion is sumptuous and his food is rich. Will he, therefore, empty his net and continue to slay nations without mercy?”

Talk about presumption! Habakkuk is a righteous man living in an unrighteous society. The country of Israel has already been swallowed up by the Assyrians and now the Babylonians are threatening to annihilate Judah. Things are deteriorating in Judah, and Habakkuk must acknowledge that fact. “Why do You make me see iniquity? Why do You tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me. Strife is ongoing, and conflict abounds. Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.”

But while Habakkuk sees the problems in his own society, he is aghast at the behavior of the approaching conquerors. And God is not giving Habakkuk any comfort. ““Look at the nations and observe—be utterly astounded! For I am doing a work in your days that you would never believe even if someone told you. For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans(Babylonians) — that ruthless and impetuous nation which marches through the breadth of the earth to seize dwellings not their own. They are dreaded and feared; from themselves they derive justice and sovereignty. Their horses are swifter than leopards, fiercer than wolves of the night. Their horsemen charge ahead, and their cavalry comes from afar. They fly like a vulture, swooping down to devour. All of them come bent on violence; their hordes advance like the east wind; they gather prisoners like sand. They scoff at kings and make rulers an object of scorn. They laugh at every fortress and build up siege ramps to seize it. Then they sweep by like the wind and pass on through. They are guilty; their own strength is their god.”

God tells Habakkuk that He is using the Babylonians, even though He knows exactly how ruthlessly they behave. Habakkuk then responds by agreeing that God has appointed the Babylonians to execute judgment, BUT why is God allowing the Babylonians to murder the righteous along with the guilty?  

“Why are You silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves? You have made men like the fish of the sea, like creeping things that have no ruler. The foe pulls all of them up with a hook; he catches them in his dragnet, and gathers them in his fishing net; so he rejoices gladly. Therefore he sacrifices to his dragnet and burns incense to his fishing net, for by these things his portion is sumptuous and his food is rich. Will he, therefore, empty his net and continue to slay nations without mercy?”

Habakkuk is incensed because God is using a horde of vicious idolaters to execute judgement. How long is God going to allow this horrific situation to continue?

APPLICATION: At times, many of us have found ourselves trapped in situations from which we long to be delivered. The deterioration of mainline Protestant denominations has led to many churches withdrawing and forming new groups that hopefully will operate on scriptural grounds. The rise of the North American Lutheran Church, the Reformed Presbyterian Church and the Global Methodist Church are examples. But there are also many people whose congregations have refused to leave their original denominations. Now individuals are facing the agonizing choice of leaving groups with whom they have fellowshipped for years to join new groups who are operating on spiritually sound principles.

Habakkuk is demanding answers from God because he can’t understand why God is allowing the Babylonian juggernaut to maul the nations in its path. Surely, God must have some answers. One principle that gets relatively little attention these days is the sovereignty of God. God is the Ruler of the universe, the Creator and Sustainer. God is almighty, all powerful, all knowing, and all understanding. As human beings, we never know the end from the beginning; we only see things in little bits.

The Nazis attempted to annihilate the entire Jewish race and did everything they could to destroy Jewish culture in the countries they controlled. Six million Jews died, as did untold numbers of Jewish sympathizers. Yet, God use these appalling events to encourage those who remained to return to Israel and to build it up as a new nation. Could God have accomplished this feat in some other fashion? Certainly! But Hitler and the other Nazis exercised their free will to do these terrible deeds. In Habakkuk’s time, God used the Babylonians. Could God have struck all the wicked down with a plague? Of course. But would that have served God’s purposes as well? We cannot tell because none of us knows the human heart as God does.

As we continue through Habakkuk and look at our own struggles, let’s remember that God is still in the business of discernment. God is the only One who knows the end from the beginning, and God is the One who can make all things right, even when marauding armies are wreaking havoc.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to trust where we do not understand. Thank You that You are not threatened or dismayed when we question You. Increase our faith so that we will trust You completely. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

(Dedicated to the late Dr. Tom Elkins, Obstetrician/Gynecologist, missionary, believer, and inspiration.) It was Dr. Elkins who first pointed me to some of the most encouraging verses in Habakkuk, verses shared with him by a missionary in Nigeria.)

We are about to study another one of the minor prophets, Habakkuk. Pastor Chuck Swindoll, Insight for Living, says this about Habakkuk:

“We know little of Habakkuk beyond the two mentions of his name in this book of prophecy. Both times, he identified himself as “Habakkuk the prophet” (Habakkuk 1:1; 3:1), a term that seems to indicate Habakkuk was a professional prophet. This could mean that Habakkuk was trained in the Law of Moses in a prophetic school, an institution for educating prophets that cropped up after the days of Samuel (1 Samuel 19:20; 2 Kings 4:38). Habakkuk also could have been a priest involved with the worship of God at the temple. This assumption is based on the book’s final, psalm-like statement: “For the choir director, on my stringed instruments” (Habakkuk 3:19).

Determining the date of the book of Habakkuk is quite a bit easier than dating most books. He spoke often of an imminent Babylonian invasion (Habakkuk 1:6; 2:1; 3:16), an event that occurred on a smaller scale in 605 BC before the total destruction of Judah’s capital city, Jerusalem, in 586 BC. The way Habakkuk described Judah indicates a low time in its history. If the dating is to remain close to the Babylonian invasion, Habakkuk likely prophesied in the first five years of Jehoiakim’s reign (609–598 BC) to a king who led his people into evil.

Habakkuk’s prophecy was directed to a world that, through the eyes of God’s people, must have seemed on the edge of disaster. Even when the northern kingdom had been destroyed in 722 BC, God’s people remained in Judah. However, with another powerful foreign army on the rampage, faithful people like Habakkuk were wondering what God was doing. Hadn’t He given the land to His people? Would He now take it away? Habakkuk’s prayer of faith for the remainder of God’s people in the face of such destruction still stands today as a remarkable witness of true faith and undying hope.

Habakkuk provides us one of the most remarkable sections in all of Scripture, as it contains an extended dialogue between Habakkuk and God (Habakkuk 1–2). The prophet initiated this conversation based on his distress about God’s “inaction” in the world. He wanted to see God do something more, particularly in the area of justice for evildoers. The book of Habakkuk pictures a frustrated prophet, much like Jonah, though Habakkuk channeled his frustration into prayers and eventually praise to God, rather than trying to run from the Lord as Jonah did.

As the prophet Habakkuk stood in Jerusalem and pondered the state of his nation, Judah, he must have been dumbfounded. So much evil thrived, completely in the open, but God remained strangely silent. Where was He? How long would He allow this mess to continue? Not long, according to the Lord (Habakkuk 2:2–3). Another nation, the Babylonians, would come and execute justice on the Lord’s behalf. The wicked in Judah, those who thought they would get away with their evil deeds forever, were soon to be punished.

The book of Habakkuk offers us a picture of a prideful people being humbled, while the righteous live by faith in God (2:4). It reminds us that while God may seem silent and uninvolved in our world, He always has a plan to deal with evil and always works out justice . . . eventually. The example of the prophet Habakkuk encourages believers to wait on the Lord, expecting that He will indeed work out all things for our good (Romans 8:28).”

APPLICATION: Habakkuk is a short book, but it’s full of good stuff. Who among us has not become disgusted with the tides of sin and filth flooding current society? Who among us has not longed for God to step in and take control, instead of allowing people to continue to mess things up? And who among us has not become impatient with God, wondering WHY isn’t He doing something RIGHT NOW?!? If you have ever treasured any of those sentiments, then Habakkuk is the book for you.

The truth is that being a firm believer has never been an easy task. As Jesus warned his disciples, there have always been “wars and rumors of wars.” These days the internet and social media have facilitated the spread of evil on a scale unmatched at any previous time in history. On the dark web, children are sold as sex slaves and weapons dealers carry on facilitating conflicts. BUT…and there is always a “but!” GOD IS STILL ON THE THRONE! GOD IS NOT ASLEEP! AND GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS, PEACE, AND JOY IN THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL EVENTUALLY PREVAIL!

The author Joyce Landorf has written a book entitled Balcony People, designating the saints that have gone before us as sitting in the balcony of heaven watching us. It is comforting to know that when we  pray and praise God, we are joining our prayers and praises with all the company of heaven, a vast multitude that only God can count. No matter how difficult your situation, no matter the hardship, you are never alone, for God and the saints are there as well.

1 Corinthians 10:13 tells us, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide an escape, so that you can stand up under it.”  No matter how privileged or wealthy or gifted a person is, they will still face the same temptations as everyone else. But there will always be a God-ordained way of escape. The ultimate message of Habakkuk is that God still has us on His mind and heart and that He will see us through any difficulty, no matter how miserable and strenuous the trial.

Are you stuck in the middle of a mess? Do you feel there’s no way out? Then God’s messages to Habakkuk are meant specifically for you.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, many of us are stuck in trying situations and long for relief. Bless all who are reading these words to know Your watch care for them and to experience You in a new way. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Judgment on Nineveh

Woe to the city of blood, full of lies, full of plunder, never without prey. The crack of the whip, the rumble of the wheel, galloping horse and bounding chariot! Charging horseman, flashing sword, shining spear; heaps of slain, mounds of corpses, dead bodies without end—they stumble over their dead—because of the many harlotries of the harlot, the seductive mistress of sorcery, who betrays nations by her prostitution and clans by her witchcraft.

“Behold, I am against you,” declares the LORD of Hosts. “I will lift your skirts over your face. I will show your nakedness to the nations and your shame to the kingdoms. I will pelt you with filth and treat you with contempt; I will make a spectacle of you. Then all who see you will recoil from you and say, ‘Nineveh is devastated; who will grieve for her?’

Where can I find comforters for you?” Are you better than Thebes, stationed by the Nile with water around her, whose rampart was the sea, whose wall was the water? Cush and Egypt were her boundless strength; Put and Libya were her allies. Yet she became an exile; she went into captivity.

Her infants were dashed to pieces at the head of every street. They cast lots for her dignitaries, and all her nobles were bound in chains.

You too will become drunk; you will go into hiding and seek refuge from the enemy. All your fortresses are fig trees with the first ripe figs; when shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater! Look at your troops—they are like your women! The gates of your land are wide open to your enemies; fire consumes their bars.

Draw your water for the siege; strengthen your fortresses. Work the clay and tread the mortar; repair the brick kiln! There the fire will devour you; the sword will cut you down and consume you like a young locust. Make yourself many like the young locust; make yourself many like the swarming locust! You have multiplied your merchants more than the stars of the sky. The young locust strips the land and flies away. Your guards are like the swarming locust, and your scribes like clouds of locusts that settle on the walls on a cold day.

When the sun rises, they fly away, and no one knows where. O king of Assyria, your shepherds slumber; your officers sleep. Your people are scattered on the mountains with no one to gather them. There is no healing for your injury; your wound is severe. All who hear the news of you applaud your downfall, for who has not experienced your constant cruelty?

Want to know WHY God is ready to destroy Nineveh? Just look at the charges: “Woe to the city of blood, full of lies, full of plunder, never without prey. The crack of the whip, the rumble of the wheel, galloping horse and bounding chariot! Charging horseman, flashing sword, shining spear; heaps of slain, mounds of corpses, dead bodies without end—they stumble over their dead—because of the many harlotries of the harlot, the seductive mistress of sorcery, who betrays nations by her prostitution and clans by her witchcraft.”

God is preparing to completely humiliate the Assyrians.“Behold, I am against you,” declares the LORD of Hosts. “I will lift your skirts over your face. I will show your nakedness to the nations and your shame to the kingdoms. I will pelt you with filth and treat you with contempt; I will make a spectacle of you. Then all who see you will recoil from you and say, ‘Nineveh is devastated; who will grieve for her?’

God wants Assyria to know that they are no better and no different than the Egyptians, who have been soundly defeated. Nobody will help Assyria and even those who are guarding the Assyrian boarders will fail. “When the sun rises, they fly away, and no one knows where. O king of Assyria, your shepherds slumber; your officers sleep. Your people are scattered on the mountains with no one to gather them. There is no healing for your injury; your wound is severe. All who hear the news of you applaud your downfall, for who has not experienced your constant cruelty?”

We are currently witnessing Vladimir Putin’s continued unprovoked attacks on the country of Ukraine. In many respects, the Russians have behaved as did the ancient Assyrians. There are also other groups around the world who are persecuting innocent women and children. How much longer will God allow such monstrous acts of calumny to continue? Only God knows.

What can we learn from the Book of Nahum? Remember that Nahum’s predictions came several decades before the final destruction of Nineveh. God gave the Assyrians numerous chances to repent, but when they didn’t, their society fell. May all of us look critically at the countries in which we live, and may we earnestly pray for revival, lest our nations also come to divine destruction.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to pray persistently for the nations in which we live. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.   

“He who scatters (destroys) has come up before your face. Man the fort! Watch the road! Strengthen your flanks! Fortify your power mightily. For the Lord will restore the excellence of Jacob like the excellence of Israel, for the emptiers have emptied them out and ruined their vine branches.

The shields of his mighty men are made red, the valiant men are in scarlet. The chariots come with flaming torches in the day of his preparation, and the spears are brandished.
The chariots rage in the streets, they jostle one another in the broad roads; they seem like torches, they run like lightning. He remembers his nobles; they stumble in their walk; they make haste to her walls, and the defense is prepared. The gates of the rivers are opened, and the palace is dissolved. It is decreed: She shall be led away captive, she shall be brought up; and her maidservants shall lead her as with the voice of doves, beating their breasts.

Though Nineveh of old was like a pool of water, now they flee away. “Halt! Halt!” they cry; but no one turns back.Take spoil of silver! Take spoil of gold! There is no end of treasure, or wealth of every desirable prize. She is empty, desolate, and waste! The heart melts, and the knees shake; much pain is in every side, and all their faces are drained of color.

Where is the dwelling of the lions, and the feeding place of the young lions, where the lion walked, the lioness and lion’s cub, and no one made them afraid? The lion tore in pieces enough for his cubs, killed for his lionesses, filled his caves with prey, and his dens with flesh.

“Behold, I am against you,” says the Lord of hosts, “I will burn your chariots in smoke, and the sword shall devour your young lions; I will cut off your prey from the earth, and the voice of your messengers shall be heard no more.”

 

Nahum is predicting the fall of Nineveh. What actually happens to Nineveh? Wikipedia tells us the following information:

“The Battle of Nineveh is conventionally dated between 613 and 611 BC, with 612 BC being the most supported date. Rebelling against the Assyrians, an allied army which combined the forces of Medes and the Babylonians besieged Nineveh and sacked 750 hectares of what was, at that time, one of the greatest cities in the world. The fall of Nineveh led to the destruction of the Neo-Assyrian Empire over the next three years as the dominant state in the Ancient Near East….In 612 BC, the Babylonians mustered their army again and joined with Median king Cyaxares encamping against Nineveh. They laid siege to the city for three months and, in August, finally broke through the defenses and began plundering and burning the city. The major factor in the city’s downfall was the Medes… According to tradition laid out in Diodorus, the Tigris river flooded the city. While his account is often suspect, this aspect has been given attention. The allied armies entered the area of the outer wall and fought to enter the palace. Temples were looted and the palace was burned, though this did not destroy the city, and may have aided the preservation of clay texts.”

In these few verses, Nahum accurately predicts everything that will eventually befall Nineveh. The combined armies will lay siege and gain entrance into the city, aided by flooding from the Tigris. Perhaps there are water gates that are opened, allowing the waters of the Tigris free entry, just as flooding from the Euphrates River helps to destroy Babylon in the time of Daniel.

Once more, we realize that the revival following Jonah’s preaching 100 years earlier has dissipated. For the Assyrians, it’s evil as usual. Does Nahum bring this message to the Assyrians? We don’t know. But 2 Peter 3:9 tells us, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” Up until the invaders enter the city, the citizens of Nineveh still have the opportunity to repent. But once the invasion takes place, those opportunities are gone forever.

We do know that Nahum brings this message to the citizens of Judah during the reign of King Manasseh, the most evil king ever to rule Judah. By that point, the Assyrians have captured the Northern Kingdom and the citizens of Judah are shaking in their sandals with fear. God is using Nahum to reassure the believers left in Judah of His watch care. Archaeological evidence strongly suggests that Nahum utters these prophecies between 663-654 B. C., well before the destruction of Nineveh takes place.

APPLICATION: 2 Corinthians 6:2 says, “ For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” One generation of Ninevites repented, sparing themselves; however, they failed to teach their children and grandchildren the fear of God.

Generally, we like to identify with the prophet in this chapter- Go, God! Nail those Assyrians! Give them the punishment they so richly deserve! But wait. Are we any better than the Assyrians? One generation of Assyrians listened to Jonah and repented but failed to teach their children to fear God. When we fail to teach succeeding generations about God, His might, His power, and His love, we are dooming them to destruction unless they find God for themselves. As long as we mouth platitudes about allowing children to make their own choices when they grow up, we are leaving them open to Satanic attack.

Recently one political cartoon satirized a state governor who was trying to ensure that the children in his state learned the Ten Commandments. Considering the fact that the Ten Commandments have formed the basis for much of the law in both England and America, it only seems reasonable that children should learn these tenets as early as possible. What this cartoonist failed to consider is how the world would function or malfunction if nobody followed the Ten Commandments. But logic rarely enters into play when someone is trying to mock authority. May God help us, so that we will teach the children and young people around us to love and respect God!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to teach others the love of You and the fear and respect of You. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

God’s Mercy and Judgment

“The burden (oracle, prophecy) against Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.

God’s Wrath on His Enemies

God is jealous, and the Lord avenges; the Lord avenges and is furious. The Lord will take vengeance on His adversaries, and He reserves wrath for His enemies; the Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked. The Lord has His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet. He rebukes the sea and makes it dry, and dries up all the rivers. Bashan and Carmel wither, and the flower of Lebanon wilts. The mountains quake before Him, the hills melt, and the earth [burns]heaves at His presence, yes, the world and all who dwell in it.

Who can stand before His indignation? And who can endure the fierceness of His anger? His fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by Him.

The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him. But with an overflowing flood He will make an utter end of its place, and darkness will pursue His enemies.

What do you [devise]conspire against the Lord? He will make an utter end of it. Affliction will not rise up a second time. For while tangled like thorns, and while drunken like drunkards, they shall be devoured like stubble fully dried. From you comes forth one who plots evil against the Lord, a wicked counselor. [Lit. Counselor of Belial]

Thus says the Lord: “Though they are safe, and likewise many, yet in this manner they will be cut down
when he passes through. Though I have afflicted you, I will afflict you no more; for now I will break off his yoke from you, and burst your bonds apart.” The Lord has given a command concerning you: “Your name shall be perpetuated no longer. Out of the house of your gods I will cut off the carved image and the molded image. I will dig your grave, for you are vile.” [contemptible]

Behold, on the mountains the feet of him who brings good tidings, who proclaims peace! O Judah, keep your appointed feasts, perform your vows. For the wicked one shall no more pass through you; He is utterly cut off.”

For a century the Assyrians have been cutting a horrible swath through the nations of the Fertile Crescent. The revival resulting from Jonah’s preaching has died out. God has given the Assyrians plenty of time to repent, but they have only become progressively worse. Now God is going to bring the Assyrian Empire to an end.

“God is jealous, and the Lord avenges; the Lord avenges and is furious. The Lord will take vengeance on His adversaries, and He reserves wrath for His enemies; the Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked. The Lord has His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet. He rebukes the sea and makes it dry, and dries up all the rivers. Bashan and Carmel wither, and the flower of Lebanon wilts. The mountains quake before Him, the hills melt, and the earth [burns]heaves at His presence, yes, the world and all who dwell in it.”

God begins by reminding the nations of His greatness and power. “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him. But with an overflowing flood He will make an utter end of its place, and darkness will pursue His enemies.” God knows the human heart better than anyone else and He knows those who are ripe for destruction.

“What do you [devise]conspire against the Lord? He will make an utter end of it. Affliction will not rise up a second time.”  God is going to completely end the Assyrian Empire. “Thus says the Lord: “Though they are safe, and likewise many, yet in this manner they will be cut down when he passes through. Though I have afflicted you, I will afflict you no more; for now I will break off his yoke from you, and burst your bonds apart.”  “Behold, on the mountains the feet of him who brings good tidings, who proclaims peace! O Judah, keep your appointed feasts, perform your vows. For the wicked one shall no more pass through you; He is utterly cut off.”

Being conquered by the Assyrians has meant untold misery. While the Babylonians seem to be relatively benign as conquerors, the Assyrians are unspeakably evil. Now God is assuring the exiles that deliverance is approaching. The nation of Judah will again keep its appointed feasts and perform religious vows in peace.

APPLICATION: What do these words written to a wicked nation and to those in exile have to do with us today? First, these verses remind us of the greatness of God, His power, His majesty, His righteousness, and His holiness. When we serve the One True Living God, we serve the greatest power in the universe. The Israelites would never have had to go into exile had they continued to serve God as He had asked them to. If we will follow God whole-heartedly, we can rest assured that He will lead us and guide us. This does not mean that everything will go smoothly or that we will not face problems, but God can either deliver us from those problems or give us the strength to go through them.

On Facebook, I follow the trials and tribulations of two families with small boys with mind-boggling medical problems. Each photo shows a little boy connected to more monitors, feeding tubes, etc., than any one person should have to endure. How are these families surviving emotionally and caring for their healthy children as well as these children with major medical problems? Only God can give them the strength to endure.

“The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him. But with an overflowing flood He will make an utter end of its place, and darkness will pursue His enemies.” How many of us find ourselves in untenable positions at work with supervisors who bully and condemn, even as they take credit for the results of our work? How many of us bear up under difficult conditions at home or in the workplace because we see no alternatives? How many of us long for deliverance?

What does it mean that “the Lord is a stronghold in the day of trouble?” A stronghold is a safe place of refuge where we can go and be confident that we are safe and that nobody can hurt us. God is omniscient, all – knowing. This means that He knows all of our problems and all of our needs. God is omnipresent-because of His divine nature, He can be every place at every time. When your boss is denying your promotions and insulting you while he/she claims credit for your accomplishments, God is right there. You don’t have to explain things to God; He already knows your problems. You can talk with God about your struggles, knowing that He knows and understands better than anybody else. God will give you the strength to endure until your situation changes and you are in a better place.

Through the years, we have seen every major mission board make terrible mistakes with dedicated workers, mistakes that have sometimes forced effective staff to leave the mission field in despair. We know other missionaries who have managed to remain but who have had to deal with very difficult colleagues. Years ago, we asked one veteran missionary couple the secret of handling fellow workers who were contentious, critical, and who caused nothing but pain wherever they went. The couple looked at each other and the husband said, “We’re still learning.” This couple had God as their stronghold. Things were not easy; however, these people were trusting God to resolve the situation. Eventually the problem worker returned to his home country, and everyone else in the mission breathed a huge sigh of relief!   

The final sentences of this chapter reassure the people of Judah that they again will have peace so that they can worship the Lord without fear of attack. We all need peace. Sometimes God gives us peace by removing the problem, but far more often God gives us peace in the midst of our problems. Either way, God is the Way Maker, the Peace Bringer. And He can become your stronghold if you will only ask.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, we need You! We need You to come be with us, to help us, to comfort us, to guide us, and to give us the strength to endure until You deliver us from our trials. Help all who read these words to trust in You, knowing that You are the One who makes all good things possible. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.