MORING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 2/4/2026
8:42 AM
My
Worship Time
Focus: PT-1 “Destruction of Preeminence”
Bible
Reading & Meditation
Reference: Nahum 2:11-12
Message of the verses: “Where is the den of the lions And the feeding
place of the young lions, Where the lion, lioness, and lion’s cub prowled, The
lion tore enough for its cubs And strangled enough for its lionesses And
filled its lairs with torn up prey And its dens with torn up flesh.”
“11 ¶ Where is the lions’ den, the feeding place of
the young lions, where the lion and lioness went, where his cubs were, with
none to disturb? 12 The lion tore enough
for his cubs and strangled prey for his lionesses; he filled his caves with
prey and his dens with torn flesh.” (ESV)
I begin a new section from the book
of Nahum, and use John MacArthur’s commentary to help us understand what seems
to me to be a verry difficult couple of verses.
I will also quote any of the verses that he includes in this section
along with adding any commentary from my perspective.
“Nahum emphasized Assyria’s fall
from preeminence by posing a rhetorical question to Nineveh’s leadership: ‘Where is the den of the lions?’ In ancient times, the lion, representing
the top of the food chain, signified nobility, supremacy, and military might
(cf. Num. 23:24; 24:9; Judges 14:18).”
(cf. Num. 23:24; 24:9; Judges 14:18)
24 Behold, a people! As a lioness it rises up and
as a lion it lifts itself; it does not lie down until it has devoured the prey
and drunk the blood of the slain.’”
“9 He crouched, he lay down like a lion and like
a lioness; who will rouse him up? Blessed are those who bless you, and cursed
are those who curse you.’”
“18 And the men of the city said to him on the
seventh day before the sun went down, "What is sweeter than honey? What is
stronger than a lion?" And he said to them, "If you had not plowed
with my heifer, you would not have found out my riddle.’”
“The lion
was a fitting symbol both for warriors (cf. 2 Sam. 1:23) and for rulers (cf. Ezek.
19:2, 6).”
(cf. 2 Sam. 1:23)
“23 "Saul and Jonathan, beloved and lovely!
In life and in death they were not divided; they were swifter than eagles; they
were stronger than lions.”
(cf. Ezek. 19:2, 6)
“2 and say: What was your mother? A lioness!
Among lions she crouched; in the midst of young lions she reared her cubs.”
“6 He prowled among the lions; he became a young
lion, and he learned to catch prey; he devoured men,”
“Nahum’s
use of this metaphor to depict Assyria’s royalty was particularly
appropriate. Assyrian kings hunted lions
(as ancient carvings depict), portrayed themselves as lions, and even imagined
the Assyrian empire as a lion on account of its ferocity and cruelty. “3 “A.
Kirk Grayson, ‘Mesopotamia,’ The anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (New
York: Doubleday 1992) 4:748-49; Elnathan Weisesert, ‘Royal Hunt and Royal
Triumph in a Prism Fragment of Ashurbanipal (82-5-22,2), ‘in Assyria 1995:
Proceedings of the 10th Anniversary Symposium of the Neo-Assyrian
Text Corpus Project (The Neo-Assyrian Text Corpus Project, 1997), 339-58.” Nahum’s rhetorical question drove home the
reality of the Ninevites’ defeat. Thus,
he asked where their den or home had gone. Those who once boasted in their supremacy and
strength had become lowly and weak.
Those who formerly lived in palaces were either killed or homeless
captives.
“Nahum continued by inquiring
whether the feeding place of the young lions still existed. The prophet’s point was that, in addition to
forfeiting heir home, the Ninevites would also lose their future leaders. Young lions are older cubs or
sub-=adult lions learning to hunt their prey.
A young lion would be particularly aggressive (cf. Judges 14:5; Jer.
25:38), loud (cf. Isa. 5:29; 31:4), and hungry (cf. Ezek. 19:3; Hos. 5:14).”
(cf. Judges 14:5; Jer. 25:38)
5 Then Samson went down with his father and
mother to Timnah, and they came to the vineyards of Timnah. And behold, a young
lion came toward him roaring.”
“38 Like a lion he has left his lair, for their
land has become a waste because of the sword of the oppressor, and because of
his fierce anger.’”
loud (cf. Isa. 5:29; 31:4), and hungry
(cf. Ezek. 19:3; Hos. 5:14)
“29 Their roaring is like a lion, like young lions
they roar; they growl and seize their prey; they carry it off, and none can
rescue.”
“4 For thus the LORD said to me, "As a lion
or a young lion growls over his prey, and when a band of shepherds is called
out against him he is not terrified by their shouting or daunted at their
noise, so the LORD of hosts will come down to fight on Mount Zion and on its
hill.”
“3 And she brought up one of her cubs; he became
a young lion, and he learned to catch prey; he devoured men.”
“14 For I will be like a lion to Ephraim, and like
a young lion to the house of Judah. I, even I, will tear and go away; I will
carry off, and no one shall rescue.”
“In like
manner, the royal youths of Assyria were bloodthirsty warriors-in-training,
eager to conquer nations and ammas riches.
To continue Assyria’s tradition of conquest, these young men were raised
in Nineveh as their feeding place, the location where they learned the
skill of warfare. With destruction of
the capital, Assyria would no longer be able to raise up future generations of
violent warriors.”
I have to say that I find this
interesting how Nahum uses word pictures in order to show how these Ninevites
were living and acting out their lives.
Spiritual
Meaning for My life Today: First of all the appointment with
the dentist certainly was an answer to prayer as my wife was praying for me
while I was their. Second I wonder how
it is that the Lord would tell my story in the way that He tells other people’s
and nations stories.
My
Steps of Faith for Today: Praying for my wife’s cancer treatment that she will be
getting this morning, that all will go well.
From Dr.
David Jeremiah story cards: “You are in
His hands and He is Lord.” (David Jeremiah)
“Your
hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.” (Psalm 139:10)
2/4/2026
9:35 AM
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