We NEED to be on ‘HIGH ALERT’ at ‘ALL TIMES’!
September
28 Bible Reading: Nahum Chapters 1-3
We NEED to be on ‘HIGH ALERT’ at ‘ALL TIMES’!
"He who scatters has come up before
your face. Man the fort! Watch the road! Strengthen your flanks! Fortify your
power mightily." (Nahum 2:1)
Some Bible
scholars interpret this verse as addressed to the southern kingdom of Judah, as
the prophet Nahum urges them passionately to prepare for an Assyrian attack. If
this interpretation is accurate, then the person referred to as ‘he’ (“he who scatters”) is none other than Sennacherib, the Assyrian
king.
However,
when we study the context and the purpose of this overall prophecy, we can
conclude that this verse is directed to Assyria itself, and in particular, their
capital city of Nineveh. In this regard, the person ‘he’ (“he who scatters”) will be the coalition
of Medes, Babylonians, and Scythians who are about to attack Nineveh. Almost
ironically, the prophet Nahum is urging the Assyrians to prepare their
fortifications in order to defend themselves against the onslaught of this
combined enemy force. In chapter 2, we see dramatic pictures of the enemy invasion
(vv. 1–4), the battle (vv. 5–7), the victory (vv. 8–10), and the humiliation of
Nineveh before the Lord and her enemies (vv. 11–13).
The
Assyrians had been practicing a policy of deporting conquered peoples from
their homelands and scattering them throughout their empire, thereby stripping
them of identity and continuity. Now, they will experience a similar fate and
all their efforts to defend themselves will be futile in the face of God’s judgment.
It was actually the Lord God of Israel who defeated Assyria in the end (see Isaiah
10:5–19). God’s purpose in bringing these invaders against Nineveh was to “restore the splendor of Jacob” (v. 2).
History tells
us that Nahum’s prophecy was fulfilled completely. The Assyrians, who had destroyed
many nations (including Israel) by scattering them over the face of the earth,
experienced a similar fate. In August, 612 B.C., the combined forces of the
Medes, Babylonians and Scythians destroyed Nineveh, and shortly afterwards the
Assyrian Empire collapsed!
In a similar
fashion, God has also warned us to watch out for our enemy, who is none other
than Satan: "For we do not wrestle
against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against
the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness
in the heavenly places" (Eph. 6:12). We should take up the whole armor
of God and fight this enemy on our knees through prayer (see Eph. 6:13-18).
When we resist our enemy in this manner, he will flee from us (James 4:7b).
So…let us be on high alert at all times!
