PT-3 “Vengeance For Spiritual Harlotry” (Nahum 3:4-7)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 2/14/2026 8:50 AM

My Worship Time                                              Focus:  PT-3 “Vengeance For Spiritual Harlotry”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                 Reference:  Nahum 3:4-7

            Message of the verses:  All because of the many harlotries of the harlot, The charming one, the mistress of sorceries, Who sells nations by her harlotries And families by her sorceries.  “Behold, I am against you,” declares Yahweh of hosts; “And I will uncover your skirts over your face And show to the nations your nakedness And to the kingdoms your disgrace.  I will throw detestable filth on you And display you as a wicked fool And set you up as a spectacle.  And it will be that all who see you Will flee from you and say, ‘Nineveh s devastated! Who will console her?’  Where will I seek comforters for you?”   (NASB)

“4  And all for the countless whorings of the prostitute, graceful and of deadly charms, who betrays nations with her whorings, and peoples with her charms. 5  Behold, I am against you, declares the LORD of hosts, and will lift up your skirts over your face; and I will make nations look at your nakedness and kingdoms at your shame. 6  I will throw filth at you and treat you with contempt and make you a spectacle. 7  And all who look at you will shrink from you and say, "Wasted is Nineveh; who will grieve for her?" Where shall I seek comforters for you?” (ESV)

            The first thing that I want to write is to say that this will be a very short SD as I have been working on my Sunday school lesson for tomorrow and since I am not teaching on a regular basis it has taken me a while to figure out what the Lord wants me to teach on.  I think that I finally got it after about four tries.

            John MacArthur writes:  “In response to Assyria’s iniquity, Nahum pronounced God’s words:  ‘Behold, I am against you,’ declares Yahweh of hosts.’” Let me just stop and say that this is something that no one ever wants to hear, for if the Lord is against you, then you are in great trouble.  MacArthur goes on “The Lord declared those same harrowing words earlier in Nahum 2:13, claiming divine responsibility for Nineveh’s destruction.”  (Nahum 2:13)  “13  Behold, I am against you, declares the LORD of hosts, and 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 no longer be heard.”  “In this instance, God emphasized that He would judge the Ninevites particularly for their vile spiritual abominations.  The Lord expressed His personal opposition to Nineveh (Behold, I am against you), His fixed decree (declares), and His power to execute judgment (Yahweh of hosts).  This divine declaration against Nineveh displayed the Lord’s fervent disdain for idolatry and His fixed determination to punish those who engaged in it.

            “God promised to judge Nineveh in three ways.  First, He would humiliate the pride of Assyria.  Yahweh declared, ‘I will uncover your skirts over your face and show to the nations your nakedness and to the kingdoms your disgrace.’  Such a graphic act of shameful degradation and public humiliation illustrated the way God would expose Nineveh as a whore before they watching world.  The Lord’s judgment would uncover the city’s corruption and weakness, thereby showing to the nations your nakedness and bringing perpetual shame on it.  (cf. Gen 3:7-10, 21; 9:20-25).”

(cf. Gen 3:7-10, 21; 9:20-25)

“7  Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. 8  And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.  9 ¶  But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, "Where are you?" 10  And he said, "I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.’”

21 ¶  And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.”

“20  Noah began to be a man of the soil, and he planted a vineyard. 21  He drank of the wine and became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent. 22  And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brothers outside. 23  Then Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned backward, and they did not see their father’s nakedness.   24 ¶  When Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him, 25  he said, "Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers.’”

“With dead bodies (cf. Nah. 3:3) and burning chariots (cf. 2:13( strewn about, the formerly formidable capital, and the empire its represented, would be seen as pitiful and pathetic.  As God would bring Nineveh low, He would display to the kingdoms your disgrace.  The root of the word digress literally means to be made small and often refers to being cursed and reviled (cf. Deut. 21:22-23; Hos. 4:7; Hab. 2:16).  The surrounding kingdoms would be shocked and revolted to see Nineveh’s shame.  With comprehensive divine judgment, the city that had been great in Jonah’s day (cf. Jonah 1:2; 3:2) would become greatly disgraced.”

(cf. Deut. 21:22-23; Hos. 4:7; Hab. 2:16)

“22  "And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, 23  his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God. You shall not defile your land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance.”

“7  The more they increased, the more they sinned against me; I will change their glory into shame.”

“16  You will have your fill of shame instead of glory. Drink, yourself, and show your uncircumcision! The cup in the LORD’s right hand will come around to you, and utter shame will come upon your glory!”

(cf. Jonah 1:2; 3:2)

2  "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.’”

“2  "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.’”

Spiritual Meaning for my Life Today:  I am thankful that the Lord is not against me, for after all He saved me a little over 52 years ago.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  I trust that the Sunday school lesson that I have finally prepared will be helpful to those who hear it and most of all bring glory to the Lord.

From the pen of David Jeremiah:  “Never compromise with those who water down the Word of God to human experience.”  (Oswald Chambers)

“The Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the statues of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.” (Psalm 19:7-8)

2/14/2026 1:04 PM

 

 

PT -1 “Luke The Theologian and Pastor” (Luke 1:3b-4)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 2/13/2026 8:12 PM

My Worship Time                                                 Focus : PT -1 “Luke The Theologian and Pastor”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                   Reference:  Luke 1:3b-4

            Message of the verses:  “to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.

            From the title of this SD we can be assured that Luke was both a theologian and a Pastor.  MacArthur states that “A good theologian is analytical, logical, and systematic.  His goal is to persuade people to understand and accept doctrinal truth by means of a thoughtful, logical, progressive, consistent, persuasive explanation.”  Now it certainly my opinion that this statement above is true, and added to that is that this statement is speaking about a person that has been called by the Holy Spirit of God to work as a theologian and a Pastor, although not all Pastors are theologians.  MacArthur goes on to write “Luke revealed himself to be a master theologian by writing his account in consecutive order.  The New American Standard’s rendering implies that Luke’s gospel will be strictly chronological from beginning to end. Certainly it is generally chronological, starting with the birth of Christ, His circumcision and boyhood, moving on to His baptism and public ministry, and culminating with the cross and resurrection.”  Now think about the fact that our Lord was not actually baptized until he was 30 years old as it was done by John the Baptist, and also after that baptism He was filled with the Holy Spirit in order to begin His ministry.  “There were instances, however, in which Luke arranged his material thematically to illustrate or expound a particular theological point (e. g., Luke’s record of John the Baptist’s arrest, 3:15-20).”

(3:15-20).

“15 ¶  As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, 16  John answered them all, saying, "I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17  His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." 18  So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people. 19  But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done, 20  added this to them all, that he locked up John in prison.”

“So Luke’s narrative exhibits a basic chronological flow, but not to the exclusion of thematic, doctrinal discussion, in which he uses materials out of chronological sequence.

            “So the phrase in consecutive order is better understood as a reference to the logical, systematic nature of Luke’s writing.” MacArthur then goes on to explain “The New King James Version’s translation of this phrase, ‘an orderly account,’ captures the essence of Luke’s purpose in writing .  His goal was to persuade; to lead his readers to believe the gospel by means of his carefully researched, logical, systematic presentation of the truth concerning God’s saving purpose in Christ.”  Now with that statement said it seems to me that every true born-again believer in Jesus Christ should have this goal, that is get the gospel message out, be ready in your life to be available to tell unbelievers the good news of the gospel.  That is certainly one of the goals that I have in taking time to write these Spiritual Diaries everyday, and I am thankful to the Lord that The Holy Spirit of God sends them around the world as I post them onto my blogs each day.

            MacArthur states that the very first vital theological truth Luke wanted his readers to understand is God’s sovereignty in history.  Now there are those misguided theologians who have stated that God created this earth with people on it and then just let things go, but that is far from the truth as God is in control of whatever is going on, on planet earth.  An example of what is going on in today’s world is what is now going on in the Middle East at this time, and one must believe that God is in complete control of what is going on there.

            Continuing with MacArthur’s commentary “He viewed God’s sovereign plan of redemption, which unfolded through the life and work of Jesus Christ (cf. Acts 2:22-24), as of supreme importance.”

(cf. Acts 2:22-24)

“22  "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— 23  this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. 24  God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.”

“It was to die as a substitute for the sins of His people that He came into the world (19:10; cf. 9:22-23; 17:25; 18:31-34; 24:25, 26, 44).”

(19:10; cf. 9:22-23; 17:25; 18:31-34; 24:25, 26, 44)

“10  For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.’”

“22  saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.’ 23  And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

“25  But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.”

“31 ¶  And taking the twelve, he said to them, "See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. 32  For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. 33  And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise." 34  But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.”

“25  And he said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!

“26  Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?’”

“44  Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still

with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.’”

MacArthur then goes on to write “Second, Luke saw the significance of the universal sweep of redemption.  He understood that salvation was available to everyone, not just the Jews (cf. Acts 10:34-48; 14:24-27; 15:12-19).”

(cf. Acts 10:34-48; 14:24-27; 15:12-19)

“34 ¶  So Peter opened his mouth and said: "Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, 35  but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36  As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), 37  you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: 38  how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39  And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, 40  but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, 41  not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42  And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. 43  To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name." 44 ¶  While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. 45  And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. 46  For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, 47  “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 48  And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.”

“24  Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. 25  And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia, 26  and from there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had fulfilled. 27  And when they arrived and gathered the church together, they declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.”

“12  And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. 13  After they finished speaking, James replied, "Brothers, listen to me. 14  Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name. 15  And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written, 16  "’After this I will return, and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it, 17  that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who makes these things 18  known from of old.’ 19  Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God,”

2/13/2026 9:07 PM

 

 

 

 

PT-2 “Vengeance For Spiritual Harlotry” (Nahum 3:4-7)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 2/13/2026 8:50 AM

My Worship Time                                              Focus:  PT-2 “Vengeance For Spiritual Harlotry”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                 Reference:  Nahum 3:4-7

            Message of the verses:  All because of the many harlotries of the harlot, The charming one, the mistress of sorceries, Who sells nations by her harlotries And families by her sorceries.  “Behold, I am against you,” declares Yahweh of hosts; “And I will uncover your skirts over your face And show to the nations your nakedness And to the kingdoms your disgrace.  I will throw detestable filth on you And display you as a wicked fool And set you up as a spectacle.  And it will be that all who see you Will flee from you and say, ‘Nineveh s devastated! Who will console her?’  Where will I seek comforters for you?”   (NASB)

“4  And all for the countless whorings of the prostitute, graceful and of deadly charms, who betrays nations with her whorings, and peoples with her charms. 5  Behold, I am against you, declares the LORD of hosts, and will lift up your skirts over your face; and I will make nations look at your nakedness and kingdoms at your shame. 6  I will throw filth at you and treat you with contempt and make you a spectacle. 7  And all who look at you will shrink from you and say, "Wasted is Nineveh; who will grieve for her?" Where shall I seek comforters for you?” (ESV)

            John MacArthur continues “Nahum then described Nineveh as the charming one, a reference to Assyria’s refined craft of spiritual seduction by which the empire lured its subjects and vassal states into false religion.  In doing this, Assyria became guilty of the weightiest crime against God (cf. Deut. 13:1-3; Matt. 18:6; Mark 9:42; 1 Cor. 8:9).”

(cf. Deut. 13:1-3; Matt. 18:6; Mark 9:42; 1 Cor. 8:9)

“1 ¶  "If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, 2  and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, ‘Let us go after other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us serve them,’ 3  you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the LORD your God is testing you, to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.”

“6  but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.”

“42  "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.”

“9  But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.”

“Nahum further depicted Nineveh as the mistress of sorceries.  The term sorceries, though not frequent in Hebrew, has the idea of practicing magic.  Its Greek translation in the Septuagint is the term pharmakos, from which the English word ‘pharmacy’ is derived.  The Assyrian use of magic likely involved hallucinogenic compounds and intoxicating drugs designed to facilitate ecstatic and grotesque expressions of idolatrous worship.  By designating Nineveh as a mistress, Nahum portrayed the city as both a seducer and a subjugator, using her wiles to entice and enslave her victims to the Assyrian religion.

            “The results of such spiritual harlotry were abominable.  As Nahum declared, Nineveh ‘sells nations by her harlotries and families by her sorceries.’  The prophet likened the city to a harlot marketing her services for financial gain.  In this case, however, Assyria seduced other nations into spiritual bondage so that she might reap the economic and political benefits.  Enslaving cities and nations by her sorceries, Assyria conquered these lands and destroyed families, selling men, women, and children into slavery.  The Ninevites also used their captives to build structures dedicated to Assyria’s gods.  This program of exile and enslavement not only coerced many to worship the pagan deities of Assyria but also contributed to the wealth and prosperity of the Assyrian empire (cf. Isa. 49:25; Nah. 3:10).”

(cf. Isa. 49:25; Nah. 3:10)

“25  For thus says the LORD: "Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken, and the prey of the tyrant be rescued, for I will contend with those who contend with you, and I will save your children.”

“10  Yet she became an exile; she went into captivity; her infants were dashed in pieces at the head of every street; for her honored men lots were cast, and all her great men were bound in chains.”

“As noted above, when Ahaz turned to Assyria for political support, he demonstrated his loyalty by installing an Assyrian altar in the temple court (2 Kings 16;  cf. Isa. 7-8).  When Rabshakeh later came with the Assyrian army to capture Jerusalem, he attempted to lure the Judeans away from trusting Yahweh and instead to follow the king of Nineveh (2 Kings 18:22-25, 30-35; 19:4-6; 10-13, 36-37; Isa. 36:7-8, 14-21).”

(2 Kings 18:22-25, 30-35; 19:4-6; 10-13, 36-37; Isa. 36:7-8, 14-21)

“22  But if you say to me, "We trust in the LORD our God," is it not he whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and to Jerusalem, "You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem"? 23  Come now, make a wager with my master the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to set riders on them. 24  How then can you repulse a single captain among the least of my master’s servants, when you trust in Egypt for chariots and for horsemen? 25  Moreover, is it without the LORD that I have come up against this place to destroy it? The LORD said to me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.’’”

“30  Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD by saying, The LORD will surely deliver us, and this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’ 31  Do not listen to Hezekiah, for thus says the king of Assyria: ‘Make your peace with me and come out to me. Then each one of you will eat of his own vine, and each one of his own fig tree, and each one of you will drink the water of his own cistern, 32  until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey, that you may live, and not die. And do not listen to Hezekiah when he misleads you by saying, "The LORD will deliver us." 33  Has any of the gods of the nations ever delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? 34  Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? 35  Who among all the gods of the lands have delivered their lands out of my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?’”

“4  It may be that the LORD your God heard all the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to mock the living God, and will rebuke the words that the LORD your God has heard; therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left." 5  When the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah, 6  Isaiah said to them, "Say to your master, ‘Thus says the LORD: Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have reviled me.”

“10  "Thus shall you speak to Hezekiah king of Judah: ‘Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you by promising that Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria. 11  Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, devoting them to destruction. And shall you be delivered? 12  Have the gods of the nations delivered them, the nations that my fathers destroyed, Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Telassar? 13  Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, the king of Hena, or the king of Ivvah?’"’

“36  Then Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went home and lived at Nineveh. 37  And as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, Adrammelech and Sharezer, his sons, struck him down with the sword and escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place.”

“7  But if you say to me, "We trust in the LORD our God," is it not he whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and to Jerusalem, "You shall worship before this altar"? 8  Come now, make a wager with my master the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to set riders on them.”

“14  Thus says the king: ‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you. 15  Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD by saying, "The LORD will surely deliver us. This city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria." 16  Do not listen to Hezekiah. For thus says the king of Assyria: Make your peace with me and come out to me. Then each one of you will eat of his own vine, and each one of his own fig tree, and each one of you will drink the water of his own cistern, 17  until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards. 18  Beware lest Hezekiah mislead you by saying, "The LORD will deliver us." Has any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? 19  Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? 20  Who among all the gods of these lands have delivered their lands out of my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?’" 21  But they were silent and answered him not a word, for the king’s command was, "Do not answer him.’”

“As a harlot entices a man and leads him off like an ox to the slaughter (Prov. 7:21-22), so the Assyrians brought nations to destruction through their campaign of exile, enslavement, and idolatry (cf. 2 Chronicles 32:9-19).”

(Prov. 7:21-22)

“21  With much seductive speech she persuades him; with her smooth talk she compels him. 22  All at once he follows her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a stag is caught fast”

(cf. 2 Chronicles 32:9-19)

“9 ¶  After this, Sennacherib king of Assyria, who was besieging Lachish with all his forces, sent his servants to Jerusalem to Hezekiah king of Judah and to all the people of Judah who were in Jerusalem, saying, 10  "Thus says Sennacherib king of Assyria, ‘On what are you trusting, that you endure the siege in Jerusalem? 11  Is not Hezekiah misleading you, that he may give you over to die by famine and by thirst, when he tells you, "The LORD our God will deliver us from the hand of the king of Assyria"? 12  Has not this same Hezekiah taken away his high places and his altars and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, "Before one altar you shall worship, and on it you shall burn your sacrifices"? 13  Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of other lands? Were the gods of the nations of those lands at all able to deliver their lands out of my hand? 14  Who among all the gods of those nations that my fathers devoted to destruction was able to deliver his people from my hand, that your God should be able to deliver you from my hand? 15  Now, therefore, do not let Hezekiah deceive you or mislead you in this fashion, and do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to deliver his people from my hand or from the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you out of my hand!’" 16  And his servants said still more against the LORD God and against his servant Hezekiah. 17  And he wrote letters to cast contempt on the LORD, the God of Israel, and to speak against him, saying, "Like the gods of the nations of the lands who have not delivered their people from my hands, so the God of Hezekiah will not deliver his people from my hand." 18  And they shouted it with a loud voice in the language of Judah to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten and terrify them, in order that they might take the city. 19  And they spoke of the God of Jerusalem as they spoke of the gods of the peoples of the earth, which are the work of men’s hands.”

Spiritual Meaning for my life today:  As I look at all of the things that Nahum wrote before they happened then I can trust the Lord to do what He has promised to do.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  I trust that I can get a suitable Sunday school lesson prepared for this upcoming Sunday.

From Dr. David Jeremiah: “He who cannot forgive breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass.” (Thomas Fuller)

For if you forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6:14-15)

2/13/2026 9:30 AM

 

 

 

 

 

PT-3 “Luke the Physician and Historian” (Luke 1:1-3a)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 2/12/2026 7:08 PM

My Worship Time                                             “Focus: PT-3 “Luke the Physician and Historian”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                   Reference:  Luke 1:1-3a

            Message of the verses:  “1 ¶  Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, 2  just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, 3  it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past,” (ESV)

            I desire to continue and hope to finish this section from the very early part of the book of Luke in this evening’s SD.

            The first thing I want to talk about this evening is about Luke’s reason for referring to his sources and that was actually two-fold.  First, it establishes his history as a legitimate, reliable account.  Luke was a very careful historian who used credible methods of research and writing, and based his content on the firsthand accounts of eyewitnesses.  Then second. Luke’s use of those sources places his gospel squarely in the orthodox tradition.  His volume was not a bizarre, different, heretical gospel but Luke’s account was consistent with the teaching of the apostles (Acts. 2:42) and with those of eyewitnesses and especially the other Spirit-inspired gospel writers (cf. John 20:30-31; 21:24-25).”

(Acts. 2:42)

“42 ¶  And they devoted themselves to the apostles ’teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”

(cf. John 20:30-31; 21:24-25)

“30  Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31  but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

24  This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true. 25  Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.”

            Now to let my readers know this next paragraph from MacArthur’s commentary I will probably quote it but there are a great deal of verses that he references and I don’t think that I will quote all of those verses, but leave it up to the readers to look them up.  I will quote some of them.

            “In writing his gospel Luke utilized the source material handed down to him by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses.  These same men (one definite article in the Greek text modifies both groups) later became servants (cf. 1 Cor. 3:5-9; 4:1; 2 Cor 3:6) of the word (a synonym for the gospel [cf. 5:1; 8:11-13; Acts 6:4; 8:4, 14, 25; 10:36; 11:1, 19; 14:5, 7, 44; 14:25; 15:7; 16:6, 32; 17:11; 18:5; 19:10).  They observed Jesus’ ministry firsthand and used that knowledge to faithfully preach the gospel.  God preserved and transmitted the truth through them until He inspired four specific writers to record it in the New Testament.  Eyewitnesses were the most significant sources who handed down (a technical term denoting the passing on of authoritative truth) the true information upon which Luke’s account was based.  That Luke was not an eyewitness himself makes it evident that he was not an apostle, since one qualification of apostleship was to have witnessed the resurrected Christ (Acts 1:20-21; cf. Luke 24:45-48; John 20:19-29; 1 Cor. 9:1; 1 John 1:1-3).  Like Mark, he was not himself one of their number, but was a companion of some of the apostles (most notably Paul).”

(Acts 1:20-21; cf. Luke 24:45-48; John 20:19-29; 1 Cor. 9:1; 1 John 1:1-3).

20  "For it is written in the Book of Psalms, "’May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it’; and "’Let another take his office.’21  So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,

“45  Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46  and said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47  and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48  You are witnesses of these things.”

“19 ¶  On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20  When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21  Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22  And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23  If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld." 24  Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25  So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”  26 ¶  Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27  Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28  Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29  Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’”

“1 ¶  Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not you my workmanship in the Lord?”

“1 ¶  That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2  the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— 3  that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.”

            “Now since Luke had access to this wealth of firsthand, eyewitness testimony, it was fitting for him to write his account.  Now the phrase having investigated everything carefully from the beginning further marks Luke as an accomplished and accurate historian.  Luke’s careful and thorough research gave him a precise understanding of the life of Jesus Christ and ministry.  As a result, he was uniquely qualified to write this gospel narrative under the Spirit’s inspiration. 

            MacArthur concludes this section by writing “Luke’s acknowledgement of his use of source material must not be misconstrued as a disclaimer of divine inspiration for his gospel.  The experiences, vocabularies, or writing style of the Bible’s human authors; their unique traits are indelibly stamped on all the books of Scripture.  The Spirit used Luke’s knowledge, gave him additional information, guided his selection of material, and controlled every word so that he wrote exactly what god wanted written.  (cf. 1 Cor. 2:12-13; 2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21).  Therefore, his original account is infallibly and inerrantly true.”

(cf. 1 Cor. 2:12-13; 2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21)

“12  Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 13  And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.”

16  All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,”

“20  knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. 21  For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit

2/12/2026 8:01 PM

PT-1 “Vengeance For Spiritual Harlotry” (Nahum 3:4-7)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 2/12/2026 8:50 AM

My Worship Time                                              Focus:  PT-1 “Vengeance For Spiritual Harlotry”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                 Reference:  Nahum 3:4-7

            Message of the verses:  All because of the many harlotries of the harlot, The charming one, the mistress of sorceries, Who sells nations by her harlotries And families by her sorceries.  “Behold, I am against you,” declares Yahweh of hosts; “And I will uncover your skirts over your face And show to the nations your nakedness And to the kingdoms your disgrace.  I will throw detestable filth on you And display you as a wicked fool And set you up as a spectacle.  And it will be that all who see you Will flee from you and say, ‘Nineveh s devastated! Who will console her?’  Where will I seek comforters for you?”   (NASB)

“4  And all for the countless whorings of the prostitute, graceful and of deadly charms, who betrays nations with her whorings, and peoples with her charms. 5  Behold, I am against you, declares the LORD of hosts, and will lift up your skirts over your face; and I will make nations look at your nakedness and kingdoms at your shame. 6  I will throw filth at you and treat you with contempt and make you a spectacle. 7  And all who look at you will shrink from you and say, "Wasted is Nineveh; who will grieve for her?" Where shall I seek comforters for you?” (ESV)

            I begin this section in the same way that I have been writing about this book by quoting John MacArthur’s commentary, and then add my views, and also quote all of the Scripture references that he has in his commentary.

            “Of the many atrocities Nineveh committed, Nahum identified the particular evil that primarily incited God’s wrath:  ‘All because of the many harlotries of the harlot.’  While harlotry can refer to sexual immorality, it was often used in the Old Testament as a metaphor for the spiritual adultery of false religion and idol worship (cf. Hos. 1-3; Ezek. 16:23).”

(cf. Hos. 1-3; Ezek. 16:23). (I will not quote the first three chapters of Hosea.)

23  "And after all your wickedness (woe, woe to you! declares the Lord GOD),”

“In this context, spiritual harlotry is in view since the remainder of the verse parallels harlotries with sorceries, indicating that the focus of this condemnation relates to idolatry and pagan worship.  In 2 Kings 9, a similar parallel between ‘harlotries’ and ‘sorcerers’ appears in reference to Jezebel, the wicked queen who seduced Israel to follow Baal (2 Kings 9:22).”

(2 Kings 9:22)

“22  And when Joram saw Jehu, he said, "Is it peace, Jehu?" He answered, "What peace can there be, so long as the whorings and the sorceries of your mother Jezebel are so many?’”

“In a similar way, Assyria seduced many nations to embrace their false gods and to engage in despicable acts of pagan worship.  Even the southern kingdom of Judah fell prey to this spiritual harlotry, as King Ahaz gave up the treasures of the temple of Yahweh in Jerusalem to the king of Assyria.  Ahaz then installed a replica of the Assyrian altar in the temple court and led the people of Judah into false religion (2 Kings 16:7-18; cf. Isa. 7-8).”

(2 Kings 16:7-18)

“7  So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, saying, "I am your servant and your son. Come up and rescue me from the hand of the king of Syria and from the hand of the king of Israel, who are attacking me." 8  Ahaz also took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the LORD and in the treasures of the king’s house and sent a present to the king of Assyria. 9  And the king of Assyria listened to him. The king of Assyria marched up against Damascus and took it, carrying its people captive to Kir, and he killed Rezin.   10 ¶  When King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, he saw the altar that was at Damascus. And King Ahaz sent to Uriah the priest a model of the altar, and its pattern, exact in all its details. 11  And Uriah the priest built the altar; in accordance with all that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus, so Uriah the priest made it, before King Ahaz arrived from Damascus. 12  And when the king came from Damascus, the king viewed the altar. Then the king drew near to the altar and went up on it 13  and burned his burnt offering and his grain offering and poured his drink offering and threw the blood of his peace offerings on the altar. 14  And the bronze altar that was before the LORD he removed from the front of the house, from the place between his altar and the house of the LORD, and put it on the north side of his altar. 15  And King Ahaz commanded Uriah the priest, saying, "On the great altar burn the morning burnt offering and the evening grain offering and the king’s burnt offering and his grain offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their grain offering and their drink offering. And throw on it all the blood of the burnt offering and all the blood of the sacrifice, but the bronze altar shall be for me to inquire by." 16  Uriah the priest did all this, as King Ahaz commanded.  17 ¶  And King Ahaz cut off the frames of the stands and removed the basin from them, and he took down the sea from off the bronze oxen that were under it and put it on a stone pedestal. 18  And the covered way for the Sabbath that had been built inside the house and the outer entrance for the king he caused to go around the house of the LORD, because of the king of Assyria.”

“As the example of Ahaz illustrates, Assyria used its influence to promote spiritual apostasy and Pegan worship (cf. 2 Kings 21).  That God singled out spiritual harlotry as Assyria’s most grave offense against Him accentuates His hatred for all idolatry (cf. Exodus 20:2-5; Jer. 16:18).”

(cf. Exodus 20:2-5; Jer. 16:18)

“2  "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 3  "You shall have no other gods before me. 4  "You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5  You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me,”

“18  But first I will doubly repay their iniquity and their sin, because they have polluted my land with the carcasses of their detestable idols, and have filled my inheritance with their abominations.’”

            I will continue looking at these verses in my next SD, as I did not get too far this morning but I do think it is important to quote all of these verses in order to better understand what is written in MacArthur’s commentary.

Spiritual Meaning for My Life today:  I am still thinking about how this little book of Nahum has so much to do with what will happen in the end times, something I brought up in earlier SD’s.  This shows me that God is in control of not only the past, but also the future.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  I am putting my trust in the Lord to give me the grace and mercy for me to teach our Sunday school class for the next two Sundays, as our present teacher is enjoying a well deserved rest in Florida.

From the pen of Dr. David Jeremiah:  “Press on: Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.  Talent will not…Genius will not…Education will not…Persistence and determination alone are overwhelmingly powerful.” (President Calvin Coolidge”

“One thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:12-13)

2/12/2026 9:23 AM

 

 

 

PT-2 “Luke the Physician and Historian” (Luke 1:1-3a)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 2/11/2026 6:45 PM

My Worship Time                                            “Focus: PT-2 “Luke the Physician and Historian”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                    Reference:  Luke 1:1-3a

            Message of the verses:  “1 ¶  Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, 2  just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, 3  it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past,” (ESV)

            In last evening’s SD I had to quote many things from John MacArthur’s commentary on the book of Luke, and as I begin looking at these first sections from the book of Luke there will probably be more of the same in order to set the stage for best understanding this longest of the four gospel books.

            Now as we look at the very outset of this gospel we see that Luke states that there were many others who had undertaken to compile an account of the life of Jesus. Now I really can’t say how many people who wrote about the life of Jesus that are not included in the Word of God, but I can say with certain that the four gospel records that are in the Word of God are exactly the ones that the Holy Spirit of God wanted to be in there, for after all He used human authors to write what He led them to write, and so the other ones are not legitimate.  We can rest assured that the ones that were not works of the Holy Spirit are not around anymore.  I have to believe that Luke certainly may have consulted with are those who wrote the other gospels.  John MacArthur writes that “Whether or not Luke saw their gospels, he had personal contact with both Mark and Matthew, since Mark and Luke both traveled with Paul (cf. Philem. 24), and Luke could have visited Matthew in Jerusalem during Paul’s two-year imprisonment at Caesarea (Acts 24:27)”

(cf. Philem. 24)

“24  and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.”

(Acts 24:27)

“27  When two years had elapsed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. And desiring to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison.”

“During the same period, Luke could have interviewed those in the Jerusalem church who had known the Lord, including the apostles and His mother, Mary.  In addition, Luke had access to many other who had followed Jesus during His lifetime (such as the seventy [Luke 10:1-12], the women who ministered to Him [cf. Matt. 27:55; Mark 15:40-41; Luke 8:1-3; 23:49, 55], the 120 believers who gathered in Jerusalem following Christ ascension [Acts 1:15], and the 500 who gathered in Galilee [1 Cor. 15:6]).  They would have vividly remembered the things that Jesus did and said, and Luke could have interviewed them, or possibly read their writings.”

[Luke 10:1-12]

“1 ¶  After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. 2  And he said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3  Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. 4  Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. 5  Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ 6  And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. 7  And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. 8  Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. 9  Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10  But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, 11  ’Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’ 12  I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.”

[cf. Matt. 27:55; Mark 15:40-41; Luke 8:1-3; 23:49, 55]

“55  There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him,”

“40  There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. 41  When he was in Galilee, they followed him and ministered to him, and there were also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem.”

“1 ¶  Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, 2  and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, 3  and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means.”

“49  And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things.”

“55  The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. 56  Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.”

            It really was not Luke’s goal to produce just another biography of Jesus, though that would have been a noble end in itself.  But far more than that, Luke understood that the gospel is the story of what God accomplishes through Jesus Christ that happens in the lives of sinners.  The verb translated accomplished (peplerophoremenon) (according to MacArthur), “is an intensive compound word that indicates the complete fulfillment of something, in this case the redemptive plan of God.  Luke’s gospel, like the other three canonical gospels, emphasizes the theme of divine accomplishment.  It chronicles how God accomplished salvation for His people (cf. Matt. 1:21 Luke 19:10) through the redemptive work of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.  The gospels do not relate the story of a misunderstood ethical teacher, a failed social revolutionary, a model of selfless humility, or even a heroic martyr; they reveal the Savior who is God incarnate, the ‘Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world’ (John 1:29).

(cf. Matt. 1:21 Luke 19:10)

“21  She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’”

“10  For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.’”

            Now it is important to note that Luke was not critical of those who had undertaken which is a term that is often used in connection with literary endeavors, in order to compile an account, (which is a phrase often used to refer to historical writing) of Jesus’ life and ministry.  Luke did not pen his gospel as a corrective of those accounts, however it became God prompted him to write a comprehensive narrative of the life of Christ and also the spread of His salvation gospel, and there is little more important that that.

2/11/2026 7:25 PM