WEBVTT 00:00:00.520 --> 00:00:03.180 You are listening to the podcast of Richland 00:00:03.180 --> 00:00:06.660 Hills Baptist Church. We are located in Richland 00:00:06.660 --> 00:00:09.939 Hills, Texas. Our desire here is to believe, 00:00:10.080 --> 00:00:13.119 live, and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. 00:00:13.699 --> 00:00:16.600 As you're listening to our podcast today, if 00:00:16.600 --> 00:00:18.640 you have any questions, you can find us on the 00:00:18.640 --> 00:00:30.010 web at richlandhillsbc .com. God bless you. And 00:00:30.010 --> 00:00:32.829 we'll be looking at verses 3 through 13. If you 00:00:32.829 --> 00:00:35.649 don't have your Bible, you can look on your phone 00:00:35.649 --> 00:00:38.369 or the Bible in front of you. There's Bibles 00:00:38.369 --> 00:00:41.670 in the pew there. But however you're reading 00:00:41.670 --> 00:00:45.670 God's Word this morning. Nahum chapter 2, and 00:00:45.670 --> 00:00:49.049 that is in the Minor Prophets. So if you need 00:00:49.049 --> 00:00:53.049 to look at the index or the table of contents, 00:00:53.189 --> 00:00:58.799 that's okay. So Nahum chapter 2. This past week, 00:00:58.859 --> 00:01:02.179 we've been reading in our Bible reading plan. 00:01:02.399 --> 00:01:05.120 Some of you have been following along with us 00:01:05.120 --> 00:01:09.280 this year as we're reading through the Bible. 00:01:09.459 --> 00:01:12.760 I know several of you are, and it's a joy to 00:01:12.760 --> 00:01:14.920 be able to do that together and to talk to people 00:01:14.920 --> 00:01:18.280 about what we're reading. But we've been reading 00:01:18.280 --> 00:01:23.640 through Samuel and Kings. Now, if anybody ever 00:01:23.640 --> 00:01:26.180 claims that the Bible is boring, they haven't 00:01:26.180 --> 00:01:29.459 read Samuel and Kings, have they? I mean, there's 00:01:29.459 --> 00:01:32.560 all sorts of stuff in these books of the Bible. 00:01:32.920 --> 00:01:37.280 I mean, you get murder, intrigue, treachery, 00:01:37.280 --> 00:01:40.840 violence. There's sexual immorality, adultery. 00:01:40.939 --> 00:01:44.840 I mean, it goes on, right? There's so much in 00:01:44.840 --> 00:01:47.920 these books. It's sort of like an ancient Jerry 00:01:47.920 --> 00:01:50.900 Springer sometimes, right? There's a lot happening. 00:01:51.799 --> 00:01:54.379 In fact, there's even a little bit of Maury Povich, 00:01:54.540 --> 00:01:56.879 right? David, you are the father, right? And 00:01:56.879 --> 00:02:00.959 things like that. It's crazy. And you read it, 00:02:00.959 --> 00:02:05.819 you're like, wow, this is intense. And one thing, 00:02:05.859 --> 00:02:09.020 as you read through Samuel and Kings, you find 00:02:09.020 --> 00:02:12.860 a little bit of, you see this over and over, 00:02:12.939 --> 00:02:18.840 this idea of revenge. Humans taking revenge on 00:02:18.840 --> 00:02:24.229 others. Joab kills Abner because Abner had killed 00:02:24.229 --> 00:02:29.509 his brother. Absalom kills Amnon because Amnon 00:02:29.509 --> 00:02:33.509 had assaulted his sister. David was ready to 00:02:33.509 --> 00:02:37.150 take vengeance on Nabal because he was a fool, 00:02:37.289 --> 00:02:41.129 yet his wife, Nabal's righteous wife, Abigail, 00:02:41.250 --> 00:02:45.150 she intervened to keep David from staining the 00:02:45.150 --> 00:02:50.629 kingship with his blood. Revenge. But in all 00:02:50.629 --> 00:02:54.310 of those cases, one of the things that you see 00:02:54.310 --> 00:02:58.210 about revenge is that it not only destroys the 00:02:58.210 --> 00:03:02.310 person they're seeking to destroy, but it destroys 00:03:02.310 --> 00:03:08.490 the avenger. Human justice at its very best is 00:03:08.490 --> 00:03:11.810 flawed, isn't it? When people would seek to get 00:03:11.810 --> 00:03:15.009 revenge, it would ultimately, that spirit of 00:03:15.009 --> 00:03:19.460 revenge would ultimately consume them. And kill 00:03:19.460 --> 00:03:22.879 them. In fact, as human revenge, there would 00:03:22.879 --> 00:03:26.520 be multiple layers, right? Now they kill my brother. 00:03:26.599 --> 00:03:29.280 Now I'm going to go after them. And it's a never 00:03:29.280 --> 00:03:36.460 -ending quest of vengeance. Human justice, at 00:03:36.460 --> 00:03:41.979 its very best, is flawed. But yet God's justice, 00:03:42.300 --> 00:03:48.900 God's justice, God's vengeance, is righteous, 00:03:49.120 --> 00:03:55.240 perfect, and pure. God's justice is not flawed. 00:03:55.360 --> 00:04:00.699 God's justice is not filled with envy or rivalry. 00:04:02.039 --> 00:04:07.039 God's justice on evil and corruption and immorality 00:04:07.039 --> 00:04:13.330 is perfect, righteous, and pure. And this morning 00:04:13.330 --> 00:04:16.350 we're going to see in Nahum chapter 2, we're 00:04:16.350 --> 00:04:19.269 going to see the justice and vengeance of God 00:04:19.269 --> 00:04:25.069 on evil in the complete nature of it. That His 00:04:25.069 --> 00:04:29.410 justice is not incomplete, it's not partial, 00:04:29.610 --> 00:04:35.550 but it's full. So let us read this morning, Nahum 00:04:35.550 --> 00:04:41.899 chapter 2, 3 through 13. The shield of his mighty 00:04:41.899 --> 00:04:47.459 men is red. His soldiers are clothed in scarlet. 00:04:48.180 --> 00:04:51.920 The chariots come with flashing metal on the 00:04:51.920 --> 00:04:56.279 day he musters them. The cypress spears are brandished. 00:04:56.920 --> 00:04:59.980 The chariots race madly through the streets. 00:05:00.040 --> 00:05:03.220 They rush to and fro throughout the squares. 00:05:04.120 --> 00:05:07.980 They gleam like torches. They dart like lightning. 00:05:09.000 --> 00:05:11.759 He remembers his officers. They stumble as they 00:05:11.759 --> 00:05:15.800 go. They hasten to the wall. The siege tower 00:05:15.800 --> 00:05:20.279 set up. The river gates are opened. The palace 00:05:20.279 --> 00:05:25.040 melts away. Its mistress is stripped. She's carried 00:05:25.040 --> 00:05:29.360 off. Her slave girls lamenting, moaning like 00:05:29.360 --> 00:05:32.439 doves, beating their breasts. Nineveh's like 00:05:32.439 --> 00:05:37.240 a pool whose water runs away. Halt, halt, they 00:05:37.240 --> 00:05:42.339 cry. But no one turns back. Plunder the silver. 00:05:42.379 --> 00:05:46.139 Plunder the gold. There's no end of the treasure 00:05:46.139 --> 00:05:50.819 or the wealth of all the precious things. Desolate. 00:05:51.879 --> 00:05:57.199 Desolation and ruin. Hearts melt. Knees tremble. 00:05:58.100 --> 00:06:03.060 Anguish is in all loins. All faces grow pale. 00:06:04.540 --> 00:06:08.560 Where is the lion's den? The feeding of the place 00:06:08.560 --> 00:06:11.540 of the young lions, where the lions and lionesses 00:06:11.540 --> 00:06:14.360 went, where his cubs were with none to disturb. 00:06:15.259 --> 00:06:18.800 The lion tore enough for his cubs and strangled 00:06:18.800 --> 00:06:22.720 prey for his lionesses. He filled his cave with 00:06:22.720 --> 00:06:28.079 prey and his dens with torn flesh. Behold, I 00:06:28.079 --> 00:06:32.139 am against you, declares the Lord of hosts, and 00:06:32.139 --> 00:06:35.810 I will burn your chariots and smoke. And the 00:06:35.810 --> 00:06:38.750 sword shall devour your young lions. I will cut 00:06:38.750 --> 00:06:41.810 off your prey from the earth. And the voice of 00:06:41.810 --> 00:06:47.209 your messengers shall no longer be heard. Father, 00:06:47.250 --> 00:06:51.769 may you bless the reading, the teaching, and 00:06:51.769 --> 00:06:55.589 the hearing of your word. And may we be reminded 00:06:55.589 --> 00:07:01.870 of your pure and perfect justice. And Lord, may 00:07:01.870 --> 00:07:06.110 you remind us as a people. That we are called 00:07:06.110 --> 00:07:11.329 to live lives of justice. In Jesus' name we pray. 00:07:12.250 --> 00:07:16.509 Amen. To give you a little context, we've been 00:07:16.509 --> 00:07:20.730 walking through Nahum the last few weeks. Nahum 00:07:20.730 --> 00:07:26.149 is a prophet in the time of the empire of Assyria. 00:07:27.250 --> 00:07:31.050 Assyria was the dominant empire at that time. 00:07:32.139 --> 00:07:35.620 They had already taken and conquered the northern 00:07:35.620 --> 00:07:39.920 kingdom of Israel. And they were mighty. They 00:07:39.920 --> 00:07:42.779 were powerful. There was no one like Assyria 00:07:42.779 --> 00:07:47.000 at that time. Nineveh was their capital city. 00:07:47.160 --> 00:07:50.819 I mean, Nineveh had it all together. Nineveh 00:07:50.819 --> 00:07:54.439 had all the perks of a capital city. It was known 00:07:54.439 --> 00:07:58.240 to be a place that was, again, it was the all 00:07:58.240 --> 00:08:03.500 of the world at that time. But we find out in 00:08:03.500 --> 00:08:06.720 the last few weeks that Nahum has a prophecy 00:08:06.720 --> 00:08:12.160 against this city. Nahum has a prophecy against 00:08:12.160 --> 00:08:19.180 this mighty city. Why? Because God is a God of 00:08:19.180 --> 00:08:24.620 justice at seeing the evil and violence and wickedness 00:08:24.620 --> 00:08:29.540 of Assyria. And he had given them time to repent, 00:08:29.720 --> 00:08:33.299 which they had for a time, but Assyria had continued 00:08:33.299 --> 00:08:38.899 to live and to operate outside of God's plan 00:08:38.899 --> 00:08:43.580 and will and was living in violence and evil. 00:08:44.580 --> 00:08:48.220 And so we saw the character of God, that God 00:08:48.220 --> 00:08:52.679 is a God who no means can God clear the guilty. 00:08:53.740 --> 00:08:56.659 God can't just say, oh, it's no big deal that 00:08:56.659 --> 00:08:59.919 you're an evil city and country, Assyria and 00:08:59.919 --> 00:09:05.080 Nineveh. God won't just forgive because, oh, 00:09:05.120 --> 00:09:10.019 for no reason. God is a God of justice. If God 00:09:10.019 --> 00:09:15.399 just said, oh, I forgive you, Nineveh, that wouldn't 00:09:15.399 --> 00:09:18.450 be just, would it? Because of all the things 00:09:18.450 --> 00:09:22.230 that Assyria had done, there had to be punishment 00:09:22.230 --> 00:09:27.429 for this city if they did not repent. And so 00:09:27.429 --> 00:09:31.370 God in His justice is going to deal with evil. 00:09:32.210 --> 00:09:36.070 And then last week we saw that God is oppressing, 00:09:36.210 --> 00:09:39.610 Assyria were oppressing God's people and people 00:09:39.610 --> 00:09:42.490 all around the globe at that time and they were 00:09:42.490 --> 00:09:46.120 crushing them. God is reminding us that oppression 00:09:46.120 --> 00:09:51.379 will not always last. And this morning we find 00:09:51.379 --> 00:09:55.860 ourselves right in the thick of it. Now remember, 00:09:55.980 --> 00:10:01.899 this is a prophecy. It hasn't happened yet. Nahum 00:10:01.899 --> 00:10:05.080 is prophesying, telling us what is going to happen. 00:10:05.899 --> 00:10:08.139 But one of the ways that he's going to do that 00:10:08.139 --> 00:10:11.000 is he's going to conjure up the images in our 00:10:11.000 --> 00:10:16.559 mind, a sensory battle, if you will, for us to 00:10:16.559 --> 00:10:19.879 see and for the Assyrians to see what their fate 00:10:19.879 --> 00:10:24.259 is. So again, I want you to look at verse 3. 00:10:25.659 --> 00:10:28.879 And I want you to imagine that you are one of 00:10:28.879 --> 00:10:33.340 the Ninevites. You're there in the capital city. 00:10:33.460 --> 00:10:36.360 You're there in Nineveh. And again, this is a 00:10:36.360 --> 00:10:39.559 place that has been so powerful. This has been 00:10:39.559 --> 00:10:44.480 a place of safety and security. And you look 00:10:44.480 --> 00:10:47.179 out over the wall and all of a sudden you see 00:10:47.179 --> 00:10:52.700 this mighty army coming. And we know in 612 BC 00:10:52.700 --> 00:10:56.779 that Nineveh would be overrun by the Babylonians 00:10:56.779 --> 00:11:04.429 and the Medes. They look over and they see a 00:11:04.429 --> 00:11:08.669 sea of red coming their way. The shield of the 00:11:08.669 --> 00:11:11.730 mighty men is red and at that time, oftentimes 00:11:11.730 --> 00:11:14.309 they would have red leather on their shields. 00:11:15.129 --> 00:11:19.570 Or it could also be the picture of the bronze 00:11:19.570 --> 00:11:23.950 or the copper shields with the sun reflecting 00:11:23.950 --> 00:11:28.179 off the copper and it looks red. But nonetheless, 00:11:28.419 --> 00:11:31.759 they look over and they see this mighty army 00:11:31.759 --> 00:11:35.120 with red shields, and they're just a frightening 00:11:35.120 --> 00:11:38.179 look. Not only do they have red shields, but 00:11:38.179 --> 00:11:43.000 they're clothed in scarlet. I mean, there's not 00:11:43.000 --> 00:11:45.759 just a few of them. There would be many of them, 00:11:45.779 --> 00:11:49.940 and they are marching forward. Not only are they 00:11:49.940 --> 00:11:52.600 marching, though, the Bible says the chariots, 00:11:52.600 --> 00:11:57.730 they come with flashing metal. Assyrian chariots 00:11:57.730 --> 00:12:00.870 were some of the most advanced in the world at 00:12:00.870 --> 00:12:05.549 that time. They would have metal fittings there 00:12:05.549 --> 00:12:10.730 or the bronze or iron fittings. Sometimes the 00:12:10.730 --> 00:12:16.070 wheels themselves. And so not only did they see 00:12:16.070 --> 00:12:19.389 the red, but they could see the chariots coming 00:12:19.389 --> 00:12:24.190 toward them and speeding ahead. And as the wheels, 00:12:24.370 --> 00:12:27.009 as the iron and the copper were reflecting the 00:12:27.009 --> 00:12:31.669 light, it was like lightning. It says that they 00:12:31.669 --> 00:12:36.009 were like flashing metal, gleaming like torches. 00:12:37.519 --> 00:12:40.220 I mean, imagine the sounds that they were hearing 00:12:40.220 --> 00:12:43.779 of the chariots and the horses and the people 00:12:43.779 --> 00:12:48.759 that were, the soldiers that were coming. I mean, 00:12:48.759 --> 00:12:51.539 it was a sensory overload and they're looking 00:12:51.539 --> 00:12:56.659 and they'd be terrified. All the soldiers, they 00:12:56.659 --> 00:13:00.000 had cypress spears in their hands ready to go. 00:13:01.700 --> 00:13:04.820 Again, the chariots are rushing toward them to 00:13:04.820 --> 00:13:10.590 and fro. And then they look and these soldiers, 00:13:10.669 --> 00:13:13.029 they get closer and closer toward the city and 00:13:13.029 --> 00:13:16.049 there's such a crush of soldiers that it says 00:13:16.049 --> 00:13:19.450 that the soldiers, they're coming up against 00:13:19.450 --> 00:13:24.549 them. They stumble as they go. These soldiers 00:13:24.549 --> 00:13:28.509 are eager to take down Nineveh. It's almost as 00:13:28.509 --> 00:13:31.769 if they can't wait to be the first one and they're 00:13:31.769 --> 00:13:36.679 crowding up against the wall. It says that they 00:13:36.679 --> 00:13:41.620 have a siege tower set up. Now a siege tower, 00:13:41.820 --> 00:13:45.759 which was sometimes, it was called a mantelet. 00:13:46.080 --> 00:13:50.000 It was a protective shield. They would put over 00:13:50.000 --> 00:13:52.860 the soldiers as they come against the wall so 00:13:52.860 --> 00:13:55.759 that no one can shoot an arrow at them or drop 00:13:55.759 --> 00:13:58.980 something on them. And so they'd have this shield 00:13:58.980 --> 00:14:03.679 as they scaled the walls. They have a shield 00:14:03.679 --> 00:14:06.399 while they try to attack the walls and break 00:14:06.399 --> 00:14:11.779 down the doors of the city. Then it says the 00:14:11.779 --> 00:14:16.379 river gates are opened and the palace melts away. 00:14:17.960 --> 00:14:20.360 Now that could be figurative, but I believe this 00:14:20.360 --> 00:14:23.299 is a very intentional thing that was happening. 00:14:24.480 --> 00:14:27.659 You see, Nineveh was, again, a mighty city, very 00:14:27.659 --> 00:14:32.029 advanced. And there was a river that flowed right 00:14:32.029 --> 00:14:37.230 through the city, Nineveh. And in fact, even 00:14:37.230 --> 00:14:42.210 today, it would be in modern -day Iraq, the Tigris 00:14:42.210 --> 00:14:46.289 River. But one of the ways that they would manage 00:14:46.289 --> 00:14:48.549 this river that flowed through the city was through 00:14:48.549 --> 00:14:53.049 really an advanced system in that time of dams. 00:14:53.269 --> 00:14:58.149 And they would have gates and canals. To manage 00:14:58.149 --> 00:15:00.549 the water. And again, it was very advanced, but 00:15:00.549 --> 00:15:03.490 there's some evidence in history that the city 00:15:03.490 --> 00:15:07.330 was destroyed through flooding. And it's very 00:15:07.330 --> 00:15:11.289 possible that the enemy would have used this 00:15:11.289 --> 00:15:17.730 incredible system against them. Perhaps attacking 00:15:17.730 --> 00:15:21.889 the dam or the gates. And again, the gates were 00:15:21.889 --> 00:15:26.299 opened. The city was flooded. It says the palace 00:15:26.299 --> 00:15:29.240 melts away. So again, imagine you're part of 00:15:29.240 --> 00:15:33.259 this city that you feel safe. I mean, you're 00:15:33.259 --> 00:15:38.120 a Ninevite. I mean, you are, you are safe. You 00:15:38.120 --> 00:15:40.679 don't ever have to worry about anybody coming 00:15:40.679 --> 00:15:43.940 against you because you are the mightiest city 00:15:43.940 --> 00:15:50.960 in the world. And yet here, there was terror. 00:15:52.649 --> 00:15:57.830 You look out. You see this army coming. You see 00:15:57.830 --> 00:16:01.669 the floodwaters rise. And the next thing you 00:16:01.669 --> 00:16:06.149 know, you see the palace. This glorious palace. 00:16:06.370 --> 00:16:09.529 This palace, all of a sudden, it washes away. 00:16:09.570 --> 00:16:16.070 It's gone. Not only that, but it says its mistress 00:16:16.070 --> 00:16:21.090 is stripped. She's carried off. Now some people 00:16:21.090 --> 00:16:25.090 see that as perhaps the queen. I believe that 00:16:25.090 --> 00:16:29.090 mistress there is most likely Ishtar, the prophetess 00:16:29.090 --> 00:16:33.850 that they worshipped. The goddess, I mean. Ishtar, 00:16:33.850 --> 00:16:36.509 this goddess, this statue, it's a picture of 00:16:36.509 --> 00:16:42.110 the statue of Ishtar being taken down. Being 00:16:42.110 --> 00:16:46.269 stripped, being carried off. And again, they 00:16:46.269 --> 00:16:49.190 worship this goddess there in this city. And 00:16:49.190 --> 00:16:52.149 not only that, but they had temple prostitutes 00:16:52.149 --> 00:16:54.870 and young women that were there that were serving 00:16:54.870 --> 00:16:59.129 her. And it says they're lamenting. They see 00:16:59.129 --> 00:17:01.570 their goddess and she's just being carried off 00:17:01.570 --> 00:17:08.309 like just a piece of garbage. Imagine the terror. 00:17:09.569 --> 00:17:12.670 A UR city that would never have to worry about 00:17:12.670 --> 00:17:16.109 anything. And now, and just a... moments breath 00:17:16.109 --> 00:17:19.390 you see your city destroyed you see the enemies 00:17:19.390 --> 00:17:27.109 you see even your mighty goddess is gone the 00:17:27.109 --> 00:17:32.289 people are running they're frightened it says 00:17:32.289 --> 00:17:37.230 they're like a pool whose waters run away They're 00:17:37.230 --> 00:17:39.789 like a pool that you're draining, and just like 00:17:39.789 --> 00:17:42.009 that, I mean, just all the people are draining 00:17:42.009 --> 00:17:44.630 out of the city. They're leaving. They're fleeing 00:17:44.630 --> 00:17:48.450 for their lives. And there's even people that 00:17:48.450 --> 00:17:51.069 are saying, hey, stop, stop, don't leave. And 00:17:51.069 --> 00:17:56.490 it says, no one turns back. Plunder the silver. 00:17:57.609 --> 00:18:01.769 Plunder the gold. There's no end to the treasure 00:18:01.769 --> 00:18:06.440 or the wealth of all the precious things. The 00:18:06.440 --> 00:18:09.079 plunderers come, the soldiers, and they find 00:18:09.079 --> 00:18:11.839 all the treasures of Nineveh. And Nineveh would 00:18:11.839 --> 00:18:15.720 have had many mighty treasures. And remember, 00:18:16.059 --> 00:18:18.420 they had been in power for hundreds of years, 00:18:18.539 --> 00:18:21.380 conquering nation after nation after nation, 00:18:21.720 --> 00:18:26.079 stealing and plundering all of their goods. There 00:18:26.079 --> 00:18:31.099 was no lack of resources for Nineveh. No lack 00:18:31.099 --> 00:18:36.859 of gold and silver. It's all gone. It's stripped 00:18:36.859 --> 00:18:44.000 away. And we see this attack. We see how terrifying 00:18:44.000 --> 00:18:53.700 it is. A city that, again, was so powerful. You 00:18:53.700 --> 00:18:58.180 know, of course, it's not a perfect picture of 00:18:58.180 --> 00:19:02.960 it. But again, we understand what it's like for 00:19:02.960 --> 00:19:07.730 something so powerful. To be brought down. And 00:19:07.730 --> 00:19:10.269 the terror that comes with that. And many of 00:19:10.269 --> 00:19:13.289 you living through September 11th. And you see 00:19:13.289 --> 00:19:18.950 New York City. A city that again it seems so 00:19:18.950 --> 00:19:21.869 powerful at our times. And you see the attack. 00:19:22.089 --> 00:19:25.390 And maybe you remember that time. And again the 00:19:25.390 --> 00:19:28.309 fear that spread through our land. Didn't it? 00:19:30.769 --> 00:19:34.519 Nineveh was frightened. None of them was terrified. 00:19:36.299 --> 00:19:41.500 But yet, not only are they terrified, but we 00:19:41.500 --> 00:19:46.799 see here that they're going to be taunted by 00:19:46.799 --> 00:19:50.220 the prophet. I want you to look at verse 10. 00:19:51.619 --> 00:19:53.660 Now, one of the things that we're not really 00:19:53.660 --> 00:19:56.759 used to, but it's very common in the prophetic 00:19:56.759 --> 00:20:00.319 writings and the prophets, is that sometimes 00:20:00.319 --> 00:20:04.509 they would taunt the enemy. especially when the 00:20:04.509 --> 00:20:08.890 enemy was filled with pride and arrogance. And 00:20:08.890 --> 00:20:13.710 so verse 10 through 12 is really the taunt of 00:20:13.710 --> 00:20:16.569 them saying, hey, look at you, look what happened. 00:20:18.450 --> 00:20:23.430 Desolate, desolation and ruin. Hearts are melting 00:20:23.430 --> 00:20:26.869 and knees tremble, anguish in all the loins, 00:20:26.890 --> 00:20:31.319 all the faces grow pale. They're saying, hey, 00:20:31.400 --> 00:20:35.220 remember, you used to strike terror and violence 00:20:35.220 --> 00:20:39.200 on all the other people. You used to come into 00:20:39.200 --> 00:20:42.299 the cities and cause their hearts to melt and 00:20:42.299 --> 00:20:44.920 for their knees to tremble and for their faces 00:20:44.920 --> 00:20:48.640 to grow pale. Guess what? What goes around comes 00:20:48.640 --> 00:20:52.559 around. Because now it's happening to you, Nineveh. 00:20:54.000 --> 00:20:58.880 And now you are terrified. Now you are in anguish. 00:21:00.039 --> 00:21:05.579 Now your city is desolate and ruined. And he 00:21:05.579 --> 00:21:09.440 says, where is the lion's den? The feeding place 00:21:09.440 --> 00:21:12.759 of the young lions. Now that's actually very 00:21:12.759 --> 00:21:17.079 important and very strategic. The lion was a 00:21:17.079 --> 00:21:21.339 symbol of strength for many nations, but especially 00:21:21.339 --> 00:21:27.190 for Assyria. For Assyria, the lion was a picture 00:21:27.190 --> 00:21:30.069 and it was used sometime in their imagery of 00:21:30.069 --> 00:21:34.450 strength. In fact, there's even some ancient 00:21:34.450 --> 00:21:38.609 works that you can see that show the lion from 00:21:38.609 --> 00:21:43.190 that city. And so the lion, and we know the lion, 00:21:43.250 --> 00:21:48.309 again, is a mighty animal. An animal that strikes 00:21:48.309 --> 00:21:52.289 fear. And now, look what the prophet Nahum is 00:21:52.289 --> 00:21:57.329 doing. Again, he's taunting. Where is this lion's 00:21:57.329 --> 00:22:02.650 den? The feeding place of the young lions. Where 00:22:02.650 --> 00:22:05.269 the lioness and the lion went. Where the cubs 00:22:05.269 --> 00:22:08.990 were. And none to disturb. He says, where is 00:22:08.990 --> 00:22:13.730 this place? The lions would come and they would 00:22:13.730 --> 00:22:17.079 come back to their... den to this mighty city 00:22:17.079 --> 00:22:23.119 your military your your mighty people your lions 00:22:23.119 --> 00:22:25.680 they used to go out and fight and now they're 00:22:25.680 --> 00:22:28.500 coming back to assyria or coming back to nineveh 00:22:28.500 --> 00:22:35.160 but what happened to it it's gone and they used 00:22:35.160 --> 00:22:39.839 to bring back all their prey they fill it with 00:22:39.839 --> 00:22:43.440 caves with prey guess what you have none left 00:22:46.279 --> 00:22:48.440 They're saying, listen, you used to fill your 00:22:48.440 --> 00:22:52.259 city with all the plunder and all the stuff you 00:22:52.259 --> 00:22:55.240 would take from your prey. Guess what? It's all 00:22:55.240 --> 00:23:04.119 gone. You're not so bad anymore, Nineveh. It's 00:23:04.119 --> 00:23:07.140 been a while since I've used an illustration 00:23:07.140 --> 00:23:09.960 from the movie Rocky, so it's about time I do 00:23:09.960 --> 00:23:16.450 that again. Rocky chapter, not chapter, Rocky 00:23:16.450 --> 00:23:23.890 3. Rocky 3, he's fighting Mr. T or Clubber Lang. 00:23:24.130 --> 00:23:27.509 I like that one. And in there, Clubber Lang is 00:23:27.509 --> 00:23:31.009 very arrogant. He's very arrogant. He's mocking 00:23:31.009 --> 00:23:36.230 Rocky and very critical of him and just jabbing 00:23:36.230 --> 00:23:40.470 him, all the things. Beats him. Rocky comes back 00:23:40.470 --> 00:23:44.819 in the last chapter. fight that they have. Rocky 00:23:44.819 --> 00:23:48.400 learns his weakness. There's this scene where 00:23:48.400 --> 00:23:51.299 he's fighting, and they're fighting, and Rocky 00:23:51.299 --> 00:23:53.599 is kind of tapping his head and says, you ain't 00:23:53.599 --> 00:23:57.359 so bad. You ain't so bad. The next thing you 00:23:57.359 --> 00:24:00.640 know, Rocky, there's anger that forms in Clubber 00:24:00.640 --> 00:24:03.839 Lang, and Rocky beats him, but you see that taunting, 00:24:03.880 --> 00:24:05.980 but you see the taunting work because of the 00:24:05.980 --> 00:24:11.859 arrogance of the person. Nineveh had been very 00:24:11.859 --> 00:24:20.200 arrogant, but now was the end. Behold, I am against 00:24:20.200 --> 00:24:24.799 you, declares the Lord of hosts. He says, listen, 00:24:24.960 --> 00:24:30.480 Nineveh, you've had your run. You had your opportunity. 00:24:31.700 --> 00:24:36.660 But ultimately, I'm against you, God says. Your 00:24:36.660 --> 00:24:39.740 chariots that were so advanced, so mighty, so 00:24:39.740 --> 00:24:42.440 state -of -the -art, they're going to burn away 00:24:42.440 --> 00:24:47.980 in smoke. And that sword that you used to strike 00:24:47.980 --> 00:24:51.819 others with, I will cut off your prey from the 00:24:51.819 --> 00:24:57.339 earth. You'll no longer have any plunder. And 00:24:57.339 --> 00:24:59.599 the voice of your messengers shall no longer 00:24:59.599 --> 00:25:02.599 be heard. So that's a picture of their military 00:25:02.599 --> 00:25:07.809 being defeated. Their chariots, their young lions 00:25:07.809 --> 00:25:12.029 were the warriors. Their messengers out there 00:25:12.029 --> 00:25:14.750 declared victory in the battle. He says, you're 00:25:14.750 --> 00:25:18.869 not going to hear that anymore. You're done. 00:25:20.630 --> 00:25:25.029 And what we learn in this is the complete nature 00:25:25.029 --> 00:25:29.369 of God's judgment that will come on Nineveh. 00:25:30.890 --> 00:25:34.509 And this complete nature of His judgment is just 00:25:34.509 --> 00:25:38.410 and pure and perfect because God is God and He 00:25:38.410 --> 00:25:43.950 knows the evil that they have done. But the question 00:25:43.950 --> 00:25:46.670 then that we have to ask ourselves this morning 00:25:46.670 --> 00:25:52.210 is what exactly is the takeaway for you and I? 00:25:53.509 --> 00:25:56.349 Because Nineveh is an ancient city. It's long 00:25:56.349 --> 00:26:02.240 ago. There's a couple of things I want us to 00:26:02.240 --> 00:26:05.660 see. One is that Nineveh was also, they were 00:26:05.660 --> 00:26:08.319 guilty because yes, they were violent. Yes, they 00:26:08.319 --> 00:26:11.079 were wicked, but they also came against God's 00:26:11.079 --> 00:26:15.160 people. And so one of the applications is a warning 00:26:15.160 --> 00:26:18.059 to all nations. When you come against God's people, 00:26:18.220 --> 00:26:22.480 there will be justice and judgment. So you ought 00:26:22.480 --> 00:26:26.990 to be careful. But then it's also a warning against 00:26:26.990 --> 00:26:31.190 any nation that would disregard God and promote 00:26:31.190 --> 00:26:37.009 evil of any kind. And so you and I, as we are 00:26:37.009 --> 00:26:40.390 people and citizens of this country here, I believe 00:26:40.390 --> 00:26:45.789 it's also a warning to our nation. It's also 00:26:45.789 --> 00:26:48.890 a warning to the United States that guess what? 00:26:48.950 --> 00:26:52.869 God will deal with evil of any kind in any place 00:26:52.869 --> 00:26:57.960 for any country. Because God is a God that raises 00:26:57.960 --> 00:27:03.259 up kings and he brings them down, right? And 00:27:03.259 --> 00:27:06.819 so it's a reminder to you and I as citizens of 00:27:06.819 --> 00:27:10.640 this country, which I believe is the greatest 00:27:10.640 --> 00:27:18.660 because I'm very partial. But guess what? God 00:27:18.660 --> 00:27:22.160 will bring judgment on this nation just as he 00:27:22.160 --> 00:27:25.799 did on any other nation. If we will continue 00:27:25.799 --> 00:27:31.400 in evil. I mean, you think about, in a lot of 00:27:31.400 --> 00:27:36.579 ways, again, the different evils that we have 00:27:36.579 --> 00:27:43.240 seen. Violence. Violence against the unborn. 00:27:45.200 --> 00:27:51.700 Racism. Ethnic hatred. Sexual immorality of all 00:27:51.700 --> 00:27:58.069 types. Greed and corruption. The exploitation 00:27:58.069 --> 00:28:04.809 of people. We see the worship of power and politicians 00:28:04.809 --> 00:28:10.210 and people. Disregard for God and for, again, 00:28:10.250 --> 00:28:14.349 even the laws. We see this rising in our nation. 00:28:15.930 --> 00:28:19.589 Again, we see the violence against one another 00:28:19.589 --> 00:28:25.619 taking hold. You can't go a day or two without 00:28:25.619 --> 00:28:29.539 reading some tragic story of violence, can you? 00:28:31.119 --> 00:28:37.339 And then you have leaders of all stripes using 00:28:37.339 --> 00:28:45.220 and abusing their power for personal gain. And 00:28:45.220 --> 00:28:48.880 I believe that we are a nation that has, again, 00:28:48.960 --> 00:28:53.569 we have turned away From some of the foundational 00:28:53.569 --> 00:28:59.450 things that we believed as a nation. And if we're 00:28:59.450 --> 00:29:05.349 not careful, this nation will end up in the heap 00:29:05.349 --> 00:29:12.730 of all the judged nations of old. Now I know 00:29:12.730 --> 00:29:19.299 because we are so hyper -focused on this. That 00:29:19.299 --> 00:29:21.559 some of you might be keeping score a little bit, 00:29:21.599 --> 00:29:23.839 saying, hey, did he say more things that are 00:29:23.839 --> 00:29:29.660 against my party or that party? Guess what? When 00:29:29.660 --> 00:29:33.200 our nation is judged because of evil and wickedness, 00:29:33.200 --> 00:29:35.940 it won't be because of one party or the other. 00:29:36.000 --> 00:29:38.400 It will be because of all of us have turned away 00:29:38.400 --> 00:29:44.039 from God. It's not about that. What it's about 00:29:44.039 --> 00:29:49.250 is God's people. And God has called us as a people 00:29:49.250 --> 00:29:55.390 to honor Him and to declare His glory in all 00:29:55.390 --> 00:30:00.190 things. And I'm afraid that even God's people, 00:30:00.369 --> 00:30:03.849 we have been sucked up in this political machine 00:30:03.849 --> 00:30:10.309 and that we have allowed power and influence 00:30:10.309 --> 00:30:17.000 to supersede our responsibility. To be messengers 00:30:17.000 --> 00:30:23.740 of the gospel. And that's a sad thing. We've 00:30:23.740 --> 00:30:26.599 come to a place in our nation that, again, you 00:30:26.599 --> 00:30:31.299 hear this for every cycle. That we're always 00:30:31.299 --> 00:30:33.559 now, what are we doing? Well, we're just voting 00:30:33.559 --> 00:30:36.960 for the lesser of two evils. But do you know 00:30:36.960 --> 00:30:41.000 what that means? We're voting for evil. You might 00:30:41.000 --> 00:30:43.700 say, well, yeah, I mean, we know, but it's just 00:30:43.700 --> 00:30:46.880 the way it is. You're right, it's pragmatism. 00:30:50.539 --> 00:30:55.720 But yet we feed this system. And yet we are supposed 00:30:55.720 --> 00:31:00.980 to be a people that we promote the good and the 00:31:00.980 --> 00:31:06.599 righteous. And the question is, are we doing 00:31:06.599 --> 00:31:11.700 that as we should? Now I do not have an inside 00:31:11.700 --> 00:31:15.539 track with God and could tell you that God has 00:31:15.539 --> 00:31:18.359 judged our nation in any particular way. I can't 00:31:18.359 --> 00:31:20.640 tell you that because I don't know the mind of 00:31:20.640 --> 00:31:25.119 God. But what I can tell you is what God has 00:31:25.119 --> 00:31:30.039 done in the time of old that we see in the Bible. 00:31:32.160 --> 00:31:35.140 That there's never been a nation that has turned 00:31:35.140 --> 00:31:38.359 its back on God or been a nation of evil and 00:31:38.359 --> 00:31:44.660 wickedness. That has lasted. These nations. Guess 00:31:44.660 --> 00:31:50.359 what? They're gone. Most of them. And so for 00:31:50.359 --> 00:31:56.180 us. God's people. We have to avoid the temptation. 00:31:56.460 --> 00:32:00.099 Of seeking power. And seeking control. And we 00:32:00.099 --> 00:32:03.119 have to be a people that are on our knees. Praying 00:32:03.119 --> 00:32:08.640 for our nation. Praying for morality. Praying 00:32:08.640 --> 00:32:12.309 for. our people, God's people, to do the right 00:32:12.309 --> 00:32:16.390 thing first. Guess what? We're always pointing 00:32:16.390 --> 00:32:18.549 our fingers and saying, hey, look at the world, 00:32:18.630 --> 00:32:21.390 look what they're doing, while we are often doing 00:32:21.390 --> 00:32:28.690 the very same things. And yet we are so quick 00:32:28.690 --> 00:32:32.150 to point out the evil of the world and so slow 00:32:32.150 --> 00:32:37.670 to point out the evil in our own lives. And so 00:32:37.670 --> 00:32:40.750 it may be time for us to clean up our house first, 00:32:40.950 --> 00:32:45.509 right? And the reality is that you and I, that 00:32:45.509 --> 00:32:48.150 we have to look at our own hearts and lives. 00:32:48.289 --> 00:32:51.769 And if we have any evil, anything in our lives, 00:32:51.809 --> 00:32:54.630 any sin, then we have to first and foremost, 00:32:54.750 --> 00:32:57.190 we need to cleanse ourselves of that. We need 00:32:57.190 --> 00:33:02.759 to turn away from sin and turn to God. That if 00:33:02.759 --> 00:33:05.180 we have anything in us that does not reflect 00:33:05.180 --> 00:33:10.119 Christ, that we need to repent. And for some 00:33:10.119 --> 00:33:12.839 people, that may be repenting for the very first 00:33:12.839 --> 00:33:15.339 time. You've never put your faith in Christ. 00:33:15.420 --> 00:33:19.940 You've never trusted Jesus. It may be that. It 00:33:19.940 --> 00:33:23.160 may be I'm ready to follow Jesus, to turn away 00:33:23.160 --> 00:33:25.880 from the things of this world and turn to Christ. 00:33:25.920 --> 00:33:29.660 And I'd say today is that day to do it. But it 00:33:29.660 --> 00:33:32.660 also may be for others who are followers of Christ. 00:33:32.720 --> 00:33:35.420 If we've allowed anything in our hearts and lives 00:33:35.420 --> 00:33:40.839 that is not of Him, then we need to repent. Turn. 00:33:42.420 --> 00:33:45.319 And then as you move beyond the individual, we 00:33:45.319 --> 00:33:47.920 move to the collective, and then we say, are 00:33:47.920 --> 00:33:51.799 we, as God's people in this church, are we doing 00:33:51.799 --> 00:33:55.339 what we can do for the promotion of good and 00:33:55.339 --> 00:33:59.980 righteousness in this nation? Are we people that 00:33:59.980 --> 00:34:02.420 are seeking the good of others and the glory 00:34:02.420 --> 00:34:07.680 of God? And then you go farther and then you 00:34:07.680 --> 00:34:10.320 ask this morning, we were talking in Sunday school 00:34:10.320 --> 00:34:13.760 about honoring the government and honoring God 00:34:13.760 --> 00:34:16.039 has set up a structure that we are called to 00:34:16.039 --> 00:34:18.760 honor the government and to pray for our leaders. 00:34:18.820 --> 00:34:21.059 Are we praying for our leaders in this nation? 00:34:23.239 --> 00:34:29.260 Are we expecting our leaders to live moral lives. 00:34:31.239 --> 00:34:35.920 I remember even in my lifetime that there was 00:34:35.920 --> 00:34:40.659 a time that we expected our leaders to live moral 00:34:40.659 --> 00:34:43.659 lives, didn't we? There was a whole movement 00:34:43.659 --> 00:34:47.900 called the Moral Majority. We expected there 00:34:47.900 --> 00:34:51.360 to be morality in public office, but that seems 00:34:51.360 --> 00:34:58.250 quaint now, doesn't it? We've allowed it. That's 00:34:58.250 --> 00:35:05.349 on us. We've allowed the degradation of our government. 00:35:07.389 --> 00:35:11.769 God's people have excused evil and wickedness 00:35:11.769 --> 00:35:15.710 and immorality because it's fit their quest for 00:35:15.710 --> 00:35:20.369 power. And I believe it is now, it is not only 00:35:20.369 --> 00:35:23.969 now, it's a time as far past time for us to be 00:35:23.969 --> 00:35:28.860 people again that expect morality. We expect 00:35:28.860 --> 00:35:31.820 our leaders to live. No, we know they are not 00:35:31.820 --> 00:35:35.260 perfect. They are fallen people. But we do expect 00:35:35.260 --> 00:35:43.340 there to be a people that are moral. Because 00:35:43.340 --> 00:35:47.219 if we do not honor God, judgment will come far 00:35:47.219 --> 00:35:54.039 sooner than we can imagine. And again, like I 00:35:54.039 --> 00:35:57.099 said earlier, it's so easy to hear a sermon like 00:35:57.099 --> 00:36:00.079 this and try to keep score and wonder, well, 00:36:00.179 --> 00:36:02.679 I wonder what he's saying or what he believes. 00:36:02.960 --> 00:36:05.480 Just don't bother. Guess what? If you want to 00:36:05.480 --> 00:36:07.340 know what my political thoughts are, just ask 00:36:07.340 --> 00:36:10.440 me. I'll tell you. But that's not what this is 00:36:10.440 --> 00:36:14.699 about. It's not about that. This is about being 00:36:14.699 --> 00:36:19.039 a nation that honors God. Being a people that 00:36:19.039 --> 00:36:24.780 seek the good of others. Being a people that 00:36:24.780 --> 00:36:28.320 seek to be moral and to live lives that honor 00:36:28.320 --> 00:36:33.739 God. That's what this is about. Because we too 00:36:33.739 --> 00:36:39.619 could be like Nineveh. A city washed away because 00:36:39.619 --> 00:36:46.099 of their wickedness. So I pray that this morning 00:36:46.099 --> 00:36:49.900 that you and I, that we would take the log out 00:36:49.900 --> 00:36:55.519 of our own eye. You and I individually and then 00:36:55.519 --> 00:36:59.179 as a people before we start inspecting the speck 00:36:59.179 --> 00:37:05.320 in other people's eyes. And that we as a nation, 00:37:05.340 --> 00:37:10.519 as a people, that we would seek the good. So 00:37:10.519 --> 00:37:14.780 this morning, let us be reminded that God's justice 00:37:14.780 --> 00:37:21.760 is impartial. God's justice will come on all 00:37:21.760 --> 00:37:27.570 people. Remember, God brought justice even on 00:37:27.570 --> 00:37:33.050 His people Israel. He allowed them to be in different 00:37:33.050 --> 00:37:36.590 times because of their sin and unrighteousness. 00:37:39.510 --> 00:37:45.190 So even this nation, if we're not careful, we 00:37:45.190 --> 00:37:50.349 will be judged. Let us pray. Father, we thank 00:37:50.349 --> 00:37:56.880 You for Your Word. We thank You, God, that You 00:37:56.880 --> 00:38:00.639 are a God of justice, that You are a God of righteousness. 00:38:03.420 --> 00:38:08.880 That You are a God, Lord, that You seek, Lord, 00:38:08.960 --> 00:38:16.099 for us to honor and worship You. And Lord, as 00:38:16.099 --> 00:38:21.440 we consider this passage this morning with Nineveh, 00:38:21.440 --> 00:38:24.809 Lord, in the... destruction that would come. 00:38:26.989 --> 00:38:30.210 It's foreign to our ears so often, but Lord, 00:38:30.230 --> 00:38:35.969 we know and realize that God, that you, Lord, 00:38:36.110 --> 00:38:38.409 that you through your word are always teaching 00:38:38.409 --> 00:38:44.030 us. And I pray that this morning as we hear these 00:38:44.030 --> 00:38:47.309 words, Lord, that we are stirred in our hearts. 00:38:49.869 --> 00:38:52.590 We are stirred in our hearts to be a people that 00:38:52.590 --> 00:38:57.949 love you. To be a people that honor you to live 00:38:57.949 --> 00:39:04.590 moral lives. Not in our own strength, Lord, but 00:39:04.590 --> 00:39:15.510 through the power of Christ. God, I pray that 00:39:15.510 --> 00:39:20.650 we would be a people that love you. And Father, 00:39:20.789 --> 00:39:25.750 in our love for you, we would love others. That 00:39:25.750 --> 00:39:28.130 we would love our nation and we would pray for 00:39:28.130 --> 00:39:31.030 our leaders. That, Lord, we would be on our knees 00:39:31.030 --> 00:39:34.429 before you praying that our leaders would have 00:39:34.429 --> 00:39:40.789 godly wisdom. That our leaders would live lives 00:39:40.789 --> 00:39:45.989 that would honor you. God, that we would pray 00:39:45.989 --> 00:39:48.710 that our leaders are seeking the good of all 00:39:48.710 --> 00:39:56.440 people. Father, forgive us that in so many ways 00:39:56.440 --> 00:40:02.260 we have turned from you. In so many ways we have 00:40:02.260 --> 00:40:08.679 let power and control and politics take more 00:40:08.679 --> 00:40:16.460 precedence in our life than honoring you. So 00:40:16.460 --> 00:40:22.789 Lord, we repent of that this morning. Lord, may 00:40:22.789 --> 00:40:32.769 you stir in us a desire to turn back. Let it 00:40:32.769 --> 00:40:37.969 begin with us. Let it begin with us. For those 00:40:37.969 --> 00:40:40.489 that are gathered in this room, let that turn 00:40:40.489 --> 00:40:45.949 back to you begin even today. Because Father, 00:40:46.050 --> 00:40:49.929 when you do mighty things, it always begins with 00:40:49.929 --> 00:40:56.880 one. And God, as we, as a humble people, Lord, 00:40:57.019 --> 00:41:05.639 if we will turn to you, may you do a work. So 00:41:05.639 --> 00:41:08.139 Lord, as we have a time of prayer, may this prayer 00:41:08.139 --> 00:41:11.599 first be that we're getting right with you. But 00:41:11.599 --> 00:41:20.219 Lord, may we also pray for our nation. Father, 00:41:20.380 --> 00:41:24.039 may you use this time. Use this time for our 00:41:24.039 --> 00:41:29.239 good and your glory. In Jesus' name.