Tuesday, January 20, 2026

PT-1 “The People Under Judgment” (Nahum 2:3-5)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 1/20/2026 9:15 AM

My Worship Time                                                     Focus:  PT-1 “The People Under Judgment”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                  Reference:  Nahum 2:3-5

            Message of the verses: 

“The shields of his mighty men are colored red,

The valiant men are dressed in a scarlet,

 The chariots are enveloped in flashing steel

When he is set up to march,

And the cypress spears are brandished.

 

 The chariots race madly in the streets;

They rush wildly in the squares;

Their appearance is like torches;

They dash to and fro like lightning flashes.

 

 He remembers his mighty ones;

 They stumble in their march;

They hurry to her wall,

And the mantelet is set up.

 

3  The shield of his mighty men is red; his soldiers are clothed in scarlet. The chariots come with flashing metal on the day he musters them; the cypress spears are brandished. 4  The chariots race madly through the streets; they rush to and fro through the squares; they gleam like torches; they dart like lightning. 5  He remembers his officers; they stumble as they go, they hasten to the wall; the siege tower is set up. (ESV)

            “In exacting detail, Nahum described the battle scene that would unfold between the Babylonians and the Assyrians.  Portraying the Ninevite military brigade, Nahum indicated that the shields of his mighty men are colored red as the Ninevites exuded their strength against the coming foe.  Assyria’s mighty men, the elite soldiers of the Ninevite king himself (cf. 2 Sam. 23:8), took up shields that were red, overlaid wither with copper to reflect sunlight and terrify the enemy, or with read leather designed to extinguish fiery arrows.”

(cf. 2 Sam. 23:8)

8 ¶  These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite; he was chief of the three. He wielded his spear against eight hundred whom he killed at one time.”

Likewise, the valiant men are dressed in scarlet, adorned for battle and ready to intimidate the approaching enemy.  The term valiant men referred to the most competent and courageous troops the leaders of the elite units (cf. Ex. 18:21; Judges 20:44; 2 Sam. 11:16; 2 Kings 24:16).”

(cf. Ex. 18:21; Judges 20:44; 2 Sam. 11:16; 2 Kings 24:16)

“21  Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.”

“44  Eighteen thousand men of Benjamin fell, all of them men of valor.”

“16  And as Joab was besieging the city, he assigned Uriah to the place where he knew there were valiant men.”

“16  And the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon all the men of valor,  7,000, and the craftsmen and the metal workers,  1,000, all of them strong and fit for war.”

“As these dressed in scarlet, or crimson, these troops would have been immediately recognizable as exceptional warriors.  In detailing this formidable scene, Nahum conveyed Nineveh’s confidence as its military prepared to wage war against Babylon.

            “Nineveh would also ready its war machines.  As Nahum predicted, the chariots are enveloped in flashing steel in preparation for battle.  Chariots were powerful instruments of war on the ancient battlefield.  They were swift and capable of overrunning infantry. Being enveloped in flashing steel indicated that the chariots and their horses were heavily armored with steel fittings.  Thus, both man and machine were strategically arranged along with the king who was set up to march with his troops against the oncoming foe.

            “Nahum further described the Assyrian weapons by observing that the cypress spears are brandished.  Cypress, a type of fir tree that produced a hearty wood for various construction projects, was even used by Solomon to build the  temple (cf. 1 Kings 5:8; 6:15, 34).”

(cf. 1 Kings 5:8; 6:15, 34)

“8  And Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, "I have heard the message that you have sent to me. I am ready to do all you desire in the matter of cedar and cypress timber.”

“15 ¶  He lined the walls of the house on the inside with boards of cedar. From the floor of the house to the walls of the ceiling, he covered them on the inside with wood, and he covered the floor of the house with boards of cypress.”

“34  and two doors of cypress wood. The two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were folding.”

“Brandished conveys a quivering motion like that of an arrow that reverberates after striking its target.  These sturdy spears were primed to thwart the charge of enemy forces, or to hurl an opposing soldier as they advanced on the city.”

            Spiritual Meaning for My life Today:  Now as I look at this battle that is taking place in these verses, what I think about is that God is in control, in control of every aspect of it including even when those who loose their lives, He knows exactly when.  “16  Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them” (Ps. 139:16). 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  As I look at the verse above from Psalm 139:16 I know that God knew when I would be born, when I would accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, and when I will take my last breath.  It is my hope that I will be, along with my wife and family one of those that will go alive to meet the Lord in the air when the Rapture of the Church happens.  This has been my hope ever since I became a believer as at that time I was listening to sermons by Hal Lindsey on the end times.

From David Jeremiah’s Words of Wisdom:

“Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take with you nothing that you have received—fading symbols of honour, trappings of power—but only what you have given:  A full heart enriched by Honest service, love, sacrifice and courage.” (Francis of Assisi”

Do not lay up for yourselves treasure on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Matthew 6:19-20)

1/20/2026 10:04 AM

 

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