MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 1/27/2026
10:10 AM
My
Worship
Time Focus: PT-4 “The Plight of Those Under
Judgment”
Bible
Reading &
Meditation Reference: Nahum 2:7
Message
of the verse: “So it stands fixed: She is exiled, she is
carried away, And her maidservants are moaning like the sound of doves, Beating
on their hearts.
“7 its
mistress is stripped; she is carried off, her slave girls lamenting, moaning
like doves and beating their breasts.” (ESV)
I will continue looking at this
verse by quoting from John Macarthur’s commentary along with quoting the verses
he has in it, and adding some commentary of my own.
“Third, in describing the Ninevites’
captivity, Nahum explained that her maidservants would be moaning
like the sound of doves, beating on their hearts. A maidservant identified any
female servant or slave. At the time of
Nineveh’s defeat, all the military warriors and common men would be either
killed or deported as slaves, and all the nobility would also be carried away
(cf. 2 Kings 24:14).”
(cf. 2 Kings 24:14)
“14 He carried away all Jerusalem and all the
officials and all the mighty men of valor,
10,000 captives, and all the craftsmen and the smiths. None remained,
except the poorest people of the land.”
“So, any
remaining individuals in the city would include the maidservants, who,
in the face of such distress, would be overcome by moaning and
weeping. Shocked by the devastations of
war, these women would respond with a shuddering wail, one like the sound of
doves. They would not only shed
tears, but also beat on their hearts.
This term beating is used one other time in the Old
Testament, but in reference to beating on tambourines with joy (Ps. 68:25).”
(Ps. 68:25)
“25 the singers in front, the musicians last,
between them virgins playing tambourines”
“The
opposite emotions conveyed by the term beating in these two instances is
insightful. While the beating of
tambourines signified heartfelt celebration, the beating on their hearts reflected
heartbroken agony. In the days of Jonay,
the city heard a message of destruction but was spared (Jonah 3:4-10).”
(Jonah 3:4-10)
“4 Jonah began to go into the city, going a
day’s journey. And he called out, "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be
overthrown!" 5 ¶ And the people of
Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the
greatest of them to the least of them. 6
The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne,
removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 And he issued a proclamation and published
through Nineveh, "By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither
man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink
water, 8 but let man and beast be covered
with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from
his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. 9 Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn
from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish." 10 When God saw what they did, how they turned
from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do
to them, and he did not do it.”
“But in
Nahum’s prophecy, divine wrath was unleashed on Nineveh, resulting in a city
reduced to the wailing of weeping women.
Unlike in Jonah’s time, the Lord would not relent from His judgment.
“Given Nahum’s deliberate parallels
with Jonah, that this passage concludes with women moaning like doves is
the very name of the prophet Jonah. The
city that experienced mercy at the preaching of the prophet Jonah would
experience a different jonah as the maidservants mourned like doves (jonah)
in response to divine judgment.
While God sent Jonah to Nineveh to give them comfort (nahum,
Jonah 3:10), He later sent Nahum to condemn the city and cause them to mourn
like doves (jonah, Nahum 2:7).
(nahum, Jonah 3:10)
“10 When God saw what they did, how they turned
from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do
to them, and he did not do it.”
(jonah, Nahum 2:7)
““So it
stands fixed: She is exiled, she is carried away, And her maidservants are
moaning like the sound of doves, Beating on their hearts.
“The
symmetry presents two vastly different outcomes. Either the sinner repents in light of God’s
Rom.
2:3-6).”
(cf. Rom. 2:3-6)
“3 Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who
practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment
of God? 4 Or do you presume on the
riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness
is meant to lead you to repentance? 5
But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath
for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be
revealed. 6 He will render to each one
according to his works:”
“While God
may extend mercy after mercy for a period, He will ultimately execute judgment
against the unrepentant. Because of such
sure judgment, sinners must neve presume on God’s grace (cf. 2 Peter 2:3-4).
Conversely, God calls His people to wait on Him patiently, knowing He will
avenge them in due time (cf. James 5:7-9; 2 Peter 3:9).”
(cf. 2 Peter 2:3-4)
3 ¶ And in their greed they will exploit you with
false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their
destruction is not asleep. 4 For if God
did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed
them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment;”
(cf. James 5:7-9; 2 Peter 3:9)
“7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the
coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the
earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains.
8 You also, be patient. Establish your
hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers,
so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.”
“9
¶ The Lord is not slow to fulfill his
promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any
should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”
I have to say that what MacArthur
points out in this section is very interesting and informative, showing to me
some things about God that are remarkable.
Spiritual
meaning for my life today: This section of MacArthur’s commentary shows
me that I need to continue to write Spiritual Diaries and to post them onto the
internet by using my two blogs, so that people who read them around the world
can hear the gospel message, along with believers to grow in the Lord. I am thankful for this ministry that God has
given to me and it is my prayer that after the rapture of the church I will
meet those who have come to know Christ through these Spiritual Diaries, and
also meet those who have been aided by them to grow in the Lord.
My Steps
of Faith for Today: Continue to trust the Lord to cause me to grow
in the Lord and to centime to trust Him for being with my wife in a special way
as she deals with cancer.
From David
Jeremiah’s Turning Point Ministry: “If I
take care of my character, my reputation will take care of itself. (Dwight L. Moody).
“Don’t
lose your grip on love and loyalty. Tie
them around your neck; carve their initials on your heart. Earn a reputation for living well in God’s
eyes and the eyes of people.” (Proverbs 3:3-4 The Message).
1/27/2026
10:51 AM
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