Latest / Journey Elgin / Journey Through Scripture- Nahum, 2 Kgs 23, 2 Chr 35-36, Jer 22
Transcript
- Phillip Thomas: All right. It's good to see you today. Welcome to our journey through scripture. My name is Philip Thomas, a pastor of journey here in Elgin. And we are continuing to walk through a chronological ⁓ journey through the Bible. And ⁓ that causes us some many times to jump around to multiple scriptures at once ⁓ on the same day. So today we're going to do that. We're going to read the book of Nahum. And then we're also gonna read 2 Kings 23, 2 Chronicles 35 and 36, and Jeremiah 22. All right, and all of this is kind of around the same timeframe, talking about the same events. ⁓ So if you remember, we're getting close now, you can tell getting close to the end of the Southern Kingdom, the Kingdom of Judah. We've been talking about King Josiah today, we're gonna be talking about his death. Josiah was a very good king. But the damage has already been done with Ahaz and the people had already hardened their hearts, if you will, towards God. so it's just a matter of time now before Babylon comes and ends up completely taking over the country. Now remember, the Southern Kingdom has been in battles with Assyria. Assyria is the one who took out the Northern Kingdom. They've had battles with them. ⁓ All of that has been going on. there's one thing I really like is you, it's kind of hard to keep up with everything as you read through scripture. scripture happened and took place in historical events, right? Like there's real life political intrigue and wars and rumors of wars and political alliances. All of that is going on. It's not like this group of people was just set out by themselves. ⁓ to grow close to God and become this wonderful nation. No, it happened in the messiness of the world. And we see that the people are starting to rely on the worldly way of handling things, of making deals with other kingdoms rather than relying on God. ⁓ And, you know, we do the same thing. So Nahum is an interesting ⁓ prophet, and what he writes about is not necessarily ⁓ Jerusalem or Judah or the Northern Kingdom, he is writing about Nineveh and the fall of Nineveh. If you remember Nineveh, you remember that from Jonah. It was the capital city of Assyria. It was ⁓ a very powerful city. It's an ancient city and it was the capital of Assyria. And finally, Nineveh. does get overtaken. Mead and Babylon basically partnered up and they ended up taking, ⁓ destroying the capital, pushing Assyria out of Nineveh. And this basically led to the fall of ⁓ Assyria. And so Nahum is interesting, just reading it because again, it does talk about the destruction of this town, of Nineveh. ⁓ One of things that kind of jumps out to me again is, know, we do know from archaeology, from ⁓ other historical documents, from Babylonian historical documents, that Nineveh is a city that exists, right? And that Nahum speaks directly about Nineveh ⁓ as that God is punishing Nineveh. And if you remember, the prophets would say numerous things. They would warn. especially the Northern Kingdom, they would be warning the Northern Kingdom, hey, you're going the wrong direction. God is going to send his vengeance and he's going to use others to do that. But then they would also say, but then they too will get their judgment, right? That all ultimately will be held accountable. And this is Nineveh's being held accountable. So you can read through, it's just three chapters, a couple of things just really in the first chapter that jump out. We do fall into the trap, I think, of just viewing God through this very pleasant, nice, loving, grace-filled lens. And we get really uncomfortable when it ⁓ talks about God being a vindictive God that He does come and He makes things right in ways that may make us uncomfortable. But that doesn't mean that that's not who God is, that God is both. good and loving, but he is also vengeful. He will hold people accountable, right? It's a righteous vengeance. we see that in verse 2, says, God is jealous, and the Lord avenges. The Lord avenges and is furious. The Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he will reserve wrath for his enemies. The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked. And that's important. That should send a little bit of a chill up our spine ⁓ that, yes, the Lord is slow to anger, but He is great in power and He will ⁓ make things right. That people will be held to account for their sins. ⁓ That's a ⁓ part of God that we cannot get rid of because it makes us feel uncomfortable. And you continue on, verse 6, it says, 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. And then listen to this, it says, the Lord is good. So it's been using this very inflammatory language, it says, the Lord is good. He is 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." Right? I love the nuance here that two things can be true at once, that the Lord is good and he pours out his wrath. Both of those things are true. we, you know, I frankly, I want to God, as I look out at the world around us, and I see the evil that is there and the devastation that that evil brings upon so many people. I want there to be a godly accounting of that. I don't want to be the one to bring about vengeance because I will do it in a human angry way where God does it in a ⁓ just and a mighty way. ⁓ You continue to read, it just talks about again the destruction of Nineveh. The woes of Nineveh, it just talks about in chapter three, it says, a great number of bodies, countless corpses, they stumble over the corpses because of the multitude of harlotries of the seductive harlot, the mistress of sorceries who sells nations through their harlotries and families through her sorceries. Behold, I am against you, says the Lord of hosts. It says, I will lift your skirts over your face. I will show the nations your nakedness and the kingdoms your shame. Alright, so that he is going to reveal the ugliness of Assyria and that they will be held to account. Alright, so that is the book of Nahum, those three chapters. And then about this time is when we have King Josiah and his death. So remember, King Josiah was a very good king. His death is very interesting. So read 2 Kings 23. kind of the end of that, verses 28 through 34. And then second chronicles 35 verse 20 through 36 verse four. Both of those talk about ⁓ his death. And what happens is you have ⁓ Babylon that is gaining in strength and you have Assyria that is... ⁓ is weakening and Egypt is trying to partner with Assyria to fight Babylon and even though Egypt has been ⁓ enemy of Assyria. Well, Egypt has also done things ⁓ against Judah and so Egypt is actually, they're headed up to ⁓ meet with Assyria and King Josiah decides he's going to go meet them for battle. and he ends up being killed in that battle. We see in ⁓ Chronicles, 2 Chronicles chapter 35, kind of what happens, says ⁓ Josiah went out against him, talking about ⁓ Pharaoh Necho, the king of Egypt, came to fight, and Josiah went out against him, but he sent messengers to him saying, this is the king of Egypt sending messengers to Josiah, says, What have I to do with you, King of Judah? I have not come against you this day, but against the house which I have wore. For God commanded me to make haste, refrain from meddling with God, who is with me, lest he destroy you. Nevertheless, Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself so he might fight with him, and did not heed the words of Necho from the mouth of God. So he came to fight in the valley of Megiddo." And he ends up being killed. This is interesting. This isn't words of a prophet, but the pharaoh, the king of Egypt was telling him, don't do this, just leave me alone. Just let us go handle our business. But Josiah wants a battle, and it's like he doesn't seek God in this. He just goes and does it. And it's interesting for Josiah being such a good king and has done so much. He's also still human. And you get the feeling he goes out and he doesn't pay attention. He doesn't heed any of the warning signs. And God was even trying to speak to him through the King of Egypt, telling him, don't do this. But yet he does it anyway and he ends up dying. Then you have kind of an interesting case. His son, Jehoaz, becomes king, but only for three months. ⁓ And then the king of Egypt captures him and brings him back to Egypt. And then that leaves ⁓ Eliakim, Jehoaz's brother, but then the king of Egypt changes Eliakim's name to Jehoakim. And it's interesting, which is just a slap in the face. So now basically Egypt... because of what Josiah did, Josiah's son, the rightful king, has now been basically taken prisoner in Egypt and will not rule again. And Egypt has installed the second son of Josiah and has changed his name. Just kind of a constant reminder of who is now in charge. So you see that happening. then Jeremiah chapter 22, starting in verse 10. It talks about this. says, Weep not for the dead, nor bemoan him. That's talking about King Josiah. Weep bitterly for him who goes away, for he shall return no more, nor see his native country. For thus says the Lord concerning Shalom the son of Josiah, king of Judah, who reigned instead of Josiah his father, who went from this place. He shall not return here anymore, but he shall die in the place where they have led him captive, and shall see this land no more. that the rightful king has now been taken away to Egypt. There in 2 Chronicles chapter 35 and verse 25, this kind of closes out the chapter on Josiah, it says, Jeremiah also lamented for Josiah. And to this day, all the singing men and the singing women speak of Josiah and their lamentations. They made it a custom in Israel, and indeed, they are written in the laments. Right? So Josiah was... was mourned, he was lamented, he certainly had a huge impact on the nation and he delayed judgment for a little while. But now we're getting very close to Judah enduring the judgment that God has promised. Alright, so read Habakkuk, which is a great book. Habakkuk, and then read 2 Kings 23. Just a little bit of it, the end of that chapter. And then in Jeremiah, we'll read Jeremiah chapter 7 and 8, 11 and 12, and then 26. So the book of Habakkuk, then 2 Kings 23, just a little bit of that. And then Jeremiah 7 through 8, 11 through 12, and chapter 26. All right, so we will see you.