NOT JUST JUDAH (PART 3)

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“He will stretch out his hand against the north and destroy Assyria, leaving Nineveh utterly desolate and dry as the desert. Flocks and herds will lie down there, creatures of every kind. The desert owl and the screech owl will roost on her columns. Their hooting will echo through the windows, rubble will fill the doorways, the beams of cedar will be exposed. This is the city of revelry that lived in safety. She said to herself, ‘I am the one! And there is none besides me.’ What a ruin she has become, a lair for wild beasts!
All who pass by her scoff and shake their fists.”

Zephaniah 2:13-15

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Today is the final devotion in a three part series from Zephaniah, Chapter 2 as we find the Lord proclaiming His judgment on nations outside of Judah. To date, we have seen Philistia, Moab, Ammon, and Cush identified as targets of God’s punishment. We’ll add Assyria to the list today as we look at these closing verses:

“He will stretch out his hand against the north and destroy Assyria, leaving Nineveh utterly desolate and dry as the desert. Flocks and herds will lie down there, creatures of every kind. The desert owl and the screech owl will roost on her columns. Their hooting will echo through the windows, rubble will fill the doorways, the beams of cedar will be exposed. This is the city of revelry that lived in safety. She said to herself, ‘I am the one! And there is none besides me.’ What a ruin she has become, a lair for wild beasts! All who pass by her scoff and shake their fists.”  Zephaniah 2:13-15

You’ll recall that Assyria was a power broker to the north of Israel, an empire that God used as an instrument of His judgment against His own people. Indeed, as we read the Old Testament, we know that the northern kingdom of Israel was run over roughshod and crushed by the Assyrians who attacked the land before plundering and destroying it, hauling the Israelites who survived into exile. The assault was so dominating that I’m sure no one on the outside looking in would believe anything bad could happen to the mighty empire. Indeed, the Assyrians didn’t for as we look to our scripture passage we find God highlighting their arrogance in the midst of their prominence:

She said to herself, ‘I am the one! And there is none besides me.’

The Assyrians believed they were invincible, bullet proof, and beyond compromise. But they lost sight of the one opponent they stood no chance against, the very God they chose to ignore.

Remember our study of the Book of Nahum?

You’ll recall the entire book is focused on prophecy against Assyria and specifically its capital city of Nineveh.

Why?

Because after the Ninevites had gained the mercy of God by repenting following Jonah’s pronouncement of God’s coming judgment, they went right back into worshiping false gods and idols. As we see in today’s passage, they wouldn’t receive pardon a second time.

For God was going to sap the strength and prestige from the once proud empire. He promised to “stretch out his hand against the north and destroy Assyria, leaving Nineveh utterly desolate and dry as the desert”. What was once a “city of revelry” that “lived in safety” would soon lie in ruin and rubble, a place where only wild animals would live, an important point for out of all the nations God mentions in Zephaniah 2, Assyria is the only one that would not be taken over by Judah once they were restored to their homeland from seventy years of captivity in Babylon. While the other nations were inhabited by Judah and rejuvenated, Assyria would remain a wasteland.

Such is what will happen to any nation who chooses to live apart from the Lord God Almighty who rules and reigns as the King of kings and Lord of lords over all. Nations today would be wise to take note of this.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark
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