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【Bible Study】Nahum Chapter 02: Jehovah Will Restore the Splendor of Jacob

2025-02-14 2,720 Nahum

Good day, everyone. Let's turn to Nahum chapter two. This chapter is not easy to read. To be honest with you all, I found it a bit challenging myself. Usually, by 7:40 PM, I could grasp the meaning, but this time it felt elusive. So, I'll share what I could glean from it.

God is the Breaker of Nations

He who scatters nations has come up against you. Man the fort, watch the road, strengthen your loins, fortify your power mightily. (Nahum 2:1)

Even if you watch the road, strengthen yourselves, fortify your power mightily, and guard your fort well, it's all in vain. Why? Because He who scatters nations is coming against you. Who is the breaker of nations? Do you think it's Babylon? No. Do you think it's the Roman Empire? No. Do you think it's Egypt? No. In every generation, the one who scatters nations is God.

Why does God scatter nations? Because in the stories of all ages, God wants to prove one thing: no matter how hard you try, it's useless. Chinese ancient history is full of such stories. In the Three Kingdoms period, there were臥龍 (Wò Lóng) Sleeping Dragon, Zhuge Liang, and 鳳雛 (Fèng Chú) Young Phoenix, Pang Tong. Whoever obtained one of them would secure the empire. If you had Zhuge Liang or Pang Tong, you would win the empire.

But strangely, Liu Bei got both. Having both Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong should have been powerful, right? They were supposed to be the most intelligent people who could secure the empire. However, Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang sent Pang Tong into Sichuan to eliminate the local warlords, which should have been easy. But Pang Tong took a detour, and even though the troops were weak, an arrow killed him. After Pang Tong died, Zhuge Liang said, Heaven's will cannot be defied.

Heaven's will is also mysterious in people's lives. Observe carefully, and you'll see some people living in misfortune. That's heaven's will. What is heaven's will? There are two types: being against God and walking with God. Walking with God means seeing God restore the glory of Jacob.

Our brothers and sisters know that those who walk with God will always prosper because God reigns in the world. Don't think the devil is in charge. The devil has power over those who are against God. But for those who walk with God, God still reigns.

Some people are confused: why does the devil bother those who walk with him? It's not the devil bothering them; it's God bothering them. You must understand this. So, if you walk with God, not only will God not bother you, but the devil can't either. But if you walk with the devil, even if the devil doesn't want to bother you, God will send something to bother you. This is like Nineveh.

In this generation, the breaker of nations will destroy Nineveh. Back then, no one would have believed that Nineveh would decline, or that a small nation would defeat it. It was a city with highly developed science, technology, and talent. The Assyrian Empire was famous in history. Where is it now? Gone, destroyed. Why? Because God breaks nations in every generation.

Don't think that Liu Bang and Xiang Yu destroyed the Qin Dynasty. God destroyed it. Throughout history, whenever a dynasty becomes arrogant and thinks it's more powerful than God, it's doomed. If you think you're more powerful than God, God will come and break you.

Brothers and sisters, it's best to know that you are human. If you're not as powerful as Nineveh, you should know even more that you're human. What to do then? Choose to be like Jacob. God is the breaker of nations. God establishes kings and removes kings in every generation. The devil cannot do that.

Like the recent film Ne Zha, related to Investiture of the Gods, did King Zhou have divine power? Yes. Where did his power come from? Shen Gongbao. Where did King Wen and King Wu of Zhou get their power? From heaven. So, from the Zhou Dynasty, they were called the Son of Heaven because that's where their power came from. The battle was already won in the spiritual realm. Why was the Shang Dynasty destroyed? Because it was destined to be destroyed in the spiritual realm. Our God broke the Shang, Zhou, Qin, Han, and Qing Dynasties. Is the change of dynasties throughout history done by man? No, it's God. It is beyond human power.

Historical events prove one thing: we humans are insignificant. No matter how smart or great you are, you cannot stand before God. So, if you want to be a person, the best way is to seek God, to be like Jacob/Israel. Jacob/Israel seeks the glory in God's imperishable eternity, seeking eternal life, so he is not in the same dimension at all.

Now, we must gradually begin to recognize our God. Don't think the devil reigns in this world. How could that be? Can the devil stand before God? No. God always reigns. We must know that without God's permission, not a single hair will fall from your head. This is not my saying; it's what Jesus said. But many people don't believe it.

What do people believe? When their heart flutters, they go to the hospital; they trust the hospital. If there's something wrong with their eyes, they think it's nerve compression. If there's something wrong with their body, they think something is being compressed. I tell you, if the hospital could solve these problems, so many people wouldn't die in hospitals.

So, brothers and sisters, you must know that Jehovah will break Nineveh, the Assyrian Empire, and restore the glory of Jacob, so people can see it. Haven't you seen it? Such a powerful empire, gone as soon as it's said to be gone. You can't stop it.

God Will Restore the Glory of Jacob by Breaking Nations

For the Lord will restore the excellency of Jacob, as the excellency of Israel, for the emptiers have emptied them out and ruined their vine branches. (Nahum 2:2)

Can you all understand this? When the nation of Israel was against God, God sent Assyria to destroy Israel. When the Assyrian Empire felt great, God said, Assyria, strike Nineveh! Then Nineveh was doomed.

Observe the things on earth carefully; they are very interesting. What things? When the people of a nation become arrogant, disaster comes. Then a small COVID virus, a small plague comes. I tell you, humans are insignificant in the face of disaster.

Wow, I bought a $20 million house in Hollywood and felt great. I thought I could live in prosperity for the rest of my life, but it's gone. Because God breaks these things to restore the glory of Jacob so that people can see that those who seek God lack no good thing. No matter how powerful a nation is, it cannot stand before God. Try being arrogant? It's easier for God to crush a person than an ant.

God doesn't even have to lift a finger to destroy a nation; he can just raise up Babylon beside you to destroy you. God raises people up and causes them to fall, so our God does both to show people that nothing in this world can be our reliance except God.

You rely on money; Babylon's money is gone. You rely on real estate; Nineveh's real estate is gone. Nineveh's most luxurious street, like Orchard Road or Marina Bay in Singapore, was such a luxurious place back then. If you owned a house on Orchard Road in Nineveh, it would have been extraordinary. Six thousand Singapore dollars per square foot, so expensive, but now it's gone.

God will restore the glory of Jacob by breaking nations, especially great powers. Such powerful nations are helpless before God so that people can learn to rely on God. This is called restoring the glory of Jacob, like the glory of Israel. You must know that Jacob is a person's name, and Israel is also a person's name. What is Israel? Israel means prevailing with God and with men, which is extraordinary. If you want to understand this, read Genesis chapter 32, where God gave Jacob a new name: Israel.

Slowly ponder the glory of trusting in God. I understand this matter clearly. Whenever I see the COVID epidemic coming, and everyone is worried, we should rejoice. Why? Because the church will be revived. During the COVID epidemic, people are anxious, and they seek God. It's a magical thing. When the economy is particularly good and prosperous, everyone is busy making money. They don't have time to believe in God.

As soon as you see the economy is so prosperous, it's bad. Spiritual things must be in a very desolate state, and the church will struggle. When you see so many broken things in the world, it's good. The church will be revived, and people will see the glory of Jacob. All these things in the world demonstrate that spiritual people, those who trust in God, lack no good thing. There are two types of people in this world: those who are against God will be broken, and those who walk with God will see God's glory in this world.

God Breaks Nations in the Spiritual World

The shields of His mighty men are dyed red, The valiant men are in scarlet. The chariots come with flaming torches In the day of His preparation, And the spears are brandished. The chariots rage in the streets, They jostle one another in the broad roads; They seem like torches, They run like lightning. (Nahum 2:3-4)

What did Nahum see? Did Nahum see the army of the Babylonian Empire? No. This is God's army. The shields of God's army are red, and the valiant men are in scarlet. In the spiritual realm, this is God's army. What do they do? God's army operates in the spiritual realm, first destroying Nineveh or the demon lord who controls the Assyrian Empire.

The demon lord of the Assyrian Empire is my guess. I've never seen him. I hope to have the chance to have a cup of tea with him someday, but I haven't been able to arrange it yet. So, I guess this is easy to understand. In the days of Daniel, because of his prayer, God sent two angels to see Daniel, but they were hindered by the prince of Persia. Back then, the Persian Empire reigned. Now, the Assyrian Empire reigns. So, God's army first defeats the demon lord of the Assyrian Empire.

The demon lord of the Zhou Dynasty destroyed the demon lord of the Shang Dynasty. Who did that? God's army knocked down the demon lord of the Shang Dynasty and established a new demon lord of the Zhou Dynasty. This logic is correct. That demon lord is something in the spiritual realm, so the boundaries on earth are all determined by God: the demon lords of Babylon, Persia, and the Assyrian Empire, each with a piece of land. God's army fights finished in the spiritual realm.

As soon as the battle in the spiritual realm is over, you'll find that things start happening in this world. For example, when the Israelites entered the Promised Land, did we see God's angels and heavenly hosts in front of us? No. But in reality, they were in front of us. God fought for us in front, and then we conquered when we fought behind. Don't think you won the battle; God helped you win.

So, when the Israelite army entered Canaan, the hearts of the people there melted. When the Canaanites heard the name Israel, when they heard about the army of the God of Israel, their hearts melted. The Spirit of God made their hearts melt. So, remember, in the spiritual realm, if you are against God, you will be destroyed. If you walk with God, you will prosper. God will restore the glory of Jacob.

It's infinitely good to be a spiritual person like Jacob, but many people don't believe it. Many people are entangled in trivial matters every day. I've been ministering to a sister recently. Oh my goodness, all the messages in the ministry group are about how bad her husband is. She knows her husband's faults like the back of her hand. I said, Can you count your own problems? Why are you not blessed? People are foolish. If you know your husband's faults like the back of your hand, what ability do you have? It's all worthless.

I generally do not deal with marital problems. Our church does not deal with marital problems. We only address the individual's foolishness and growth. When I minister to her husband, he too lists his wife's shortcomings as if reciting a treasure trove. I find it remarkable that they continue to live together, even forcing it. It's peculiar. Why not just steer clear, avoid head-on clashes, and save yourselves the suffering, isn't it?

I tell you, the problem lies in not recognizing that their actions provoke God's wrath. Such individuals are not spiritual; they are those who dwell on their husband's faults, miscalculating rather than being spiritually discerning. I lament that our brothers and sisters must cultivate new habits, blessed habits.

How much better to walk with God in blessing! Walking with Hui leads to grayness, with Green to greenness. Walking with God makes you more like Him. The Holy Bible never depicts a spiritual person constantly tallying others' faults. Why dwell on that? What's the point of misjudging? What's the purpose if you don't know what to do with the outcome?

In the spiritual realm, God shatters nations and corrupts those who provoke His wrath. Ponder this. The Tower of Babel incurred God's anger, leading Him to halt the project's completion. Many unfinished projects end that way. Many skyscrapers are left unfinished because God wills it so. A mere breath from God in the spiritual realm is enough to overwhelm you.

The King of Nineveh's Reliance Proves Useless Before God

The officers are summoned; they stumble as they advance. They hasten to the wall to set up the shield. The river gates are opened, and the palace collapses. The queen is led away captive; her attendants moan like doves, beating their breasts. So it is decreed. (Nahum 2:5-7)

The King of Nineveh was formidable, his army exceptionally strong, his advisors highly intelligent, and his generals renowned for their invincibility. Yet, before God, all were useless. The King of Nineveh summoned his nobles, but they stumbled as they walked. Previously sure-footed, why did these generals and nobles stumble as they approached the wall? Did their legs suffer from Down syndrome? Thinking, I don't have Down syndrome, why do my feet trip each other? It's as if they had just emerged from a stroke rehabilitation center. Why? Because in the spiritual realm, a touch can induce amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or a stroke, rendering them helpless.

The generals wondered, I used to ascend the wall quickly, I used to wield the shield swiftly. But upon reaching the wall, disaster struck. A flood! The river gates opened, and the palace was submerged. Alas, the King of Nineveh's flood defenses proved useless. Why were they ineffective? Water always has its capacity for one discharge, but with God, He simply causes a little excess of all your water compacity and the city is flooded.

Is it difficult for God to flood a city? Or to burn it down? Let us not seek earthly explanations for this fire. Who set it? An angel of God. What can you do? You cannot resist. Therefore, for the King of Nineveh, nothing availed. Once mighty, the Queen became a maidservant, the attendants moaned like doves, a cry of utter despair.

The Ninevites were once well-trained, their army like Eastern powers training African forces, their slogans filled with vigor. Well-trained armies easily defeat untrained ones. The Nineveh army had an impressive three-service honor guard. But now, with God's curse upon them, a whistle blows, and no soldiers come. Previously, such insubordination would have been met with military law, but now, everyone is concerned only with themselves. The soldiers flee, and though some call for help, none respond.

Once the army was well-trained, the people well-managed, and the treasures and riches abundant, but now all are useless. The city of Nineveh is empty, chaotic, and desolate. Once formidable, it is like Emperor Chongzhen ascending Coal Hill, hanging himself from a twisted old tree. At that moment, the King of Nineveh became Chongzhen.

Hearts melt, knees knock, loins ache, faces turn pale. It is as if everyone suffers from lumbar disc herniation. Knees knock together, forming X legs, convulsing. Faces turn pale, unable to run or walk. No command is effective. Yesterday, they planned to destroy the Kingdom of God with aircraft carriers. Today, dare you destroy anything?

Brothers and sisters, never be enemies with God. No matter how powerful a nation, opposition to God leads to destruction. How the Ming Dynasty was destroyed is how these arrogant nations will be destroyed, how Hitler was destroyed is how those arrogant nations will be destroyed. Do not be enemies with God, for there is no good outcome in opposing Him.

Never be enemies with God; you do not even dare to be enemies with ghosts. Brothers and sisters, never buy haunted houses. Don't say, I'm not afraid, it's okay. Isn't that seeking trouble? Many do not believe in God or ghosts, but they bring a puppy or baby when buying a house. Infants and puppies can see things, and the dog barks while the baby cries. Upon hearing these sounds, no matter how good the house may be, do not buy it. Don't think there are no haunted houses; try it and see. Some houses are cheap, will you buy them?

God allows people to see these things to restore the splendor of Jacob. If there are one or two people in the city who trust in God, He will surely preserve you. Wherever you are, even in the overturned cities of Jericho and Nineveh, if you carry the image of Jacob, God will preserve you. Of course, this is just my saying; you need to verify it for yourself. Queens, money, nobles, soldiers, people, walls, chariots, treasures, none are useful; only God is useful.

Our generation will likely experience World War III. How will it be fought? I am not sure, but World War IV will certainly be fought with stones. Why? Everything will be destroyed, and we will return to the Stone Age. Therefore, for the King of Nineveh and the Assyrian Empire, all their reliance proved ineffective before God. What about you? Alas, we are not even comparable to Nineveh, so why do you trust in yourself so much?

Never trust in yourself. Today, you breathe; whether you can breathe tomorrow is uncertain. As someone said, Whether you can put on your socks tomorrow morning is unknown. How many of those who made money through vaccines and the epidemic have died? Many. One in his forties who made money through vaccines died. Can money help you live?

Money cannot help you live. Why? Because those who played with money during the epidemic incurred God's wrath. God sits on His throne and says, This fellow is quite interesting, seemingly clever. He sends a Nezha to deal with him, and he dies. The spirit of cancer is sent after him. How much can one bear? One dose is enough.

Always remember that you and I are human. The King of Nineveh was just a man. Remember to never do anything that opposes God; it is too dangerous. Let us not be afraid today. What is there to fear? Your boss? Is your boss not under God's control? Why is he arrogant? He is just a small boss. Someone types, Teacher is so right. Someone here cheated and deceived during the epidemic and now has cancer. Perhaps even repentance will not avail him; he has sown too many curses.

What the Ninevites Revered Was Useless

What did the Ninevites like? The Ninevites were powerful and revered lions. Even today, the murals and reliefs excavated in the old city of Nineveh depict lions. They revered this force of arms; the lion is the king of beasts, very powerful. They revered the spirit of the lion, but it was useless.

What did God see through Nahum? Where is the lions' den, the place where the young lions were fed? Gone. Where is the place where the lion and lioness prowled, and no one disturbed them? It's a joke. What use is a lion? The lion tore up enough for his cubs and strangled prey for his lionesses, filling his lairs with torn flesh and strangled victims.

Nineveh, the Assyrian Empire, was a land mired in constant warfare. The surrounding nations were severely oppressed. It was a powerful empire, like a lion. If people live emulating the lion, and you and I live out the image of the lion, what do you think? We should live out the image of God because when God comes to shatter this city of Nineveh and the Assyrian Empire, to shatter those who build great commercial kingdoms, who can stop them? No one can stop them.

Though we have not seen the city of Nineveh or its king, we have seen trillion-dollar empires collapse. Wow, powerful, but the moment they begin to fall, who can stop them? That all depend on survival of the fittest like playing with a game, but God is not on it the same way. So if they want to come for me, all the weak should survive, whom can stop them

Now, if we say we are not survival of the fittest, we play Jacob, oh then God crushes the Assyrian empire for begin displaying him as Jacob, the splendor of all Israel is very good. Our wealth, may God give him the power of the Assyrian empire at this era, because its wealth, many millions, but will not save you. What is going to happen is Jacob can live to out stand all the wealth.

The splendor of Jacob, is the glory of God, will show that people like Jacob, Israel to show that people who trust Jacob, Israel never lack any good things, Israel to show that in a small Jacob style declaration. As they did, they destroy it and Assyria as they know from later times from Babylonian empire.

Times is too hard like to go to glory, where God wants to always be on this way about Jacob to trust God so he has all the good that no luck. I am here on this way about this here and here and chicken things, just open up all about. Instead have to change your husband, to say and say I do not say I am here. Here because Jacob, I may do is so glorious, on the God side for Jacob.

You don't have to the Babylion empire, or here on the persia for now on on Assyria, on God way over all stand this all may here for here and stand.

We can be on all Jacob and to know how God wants this and God can save the country.

Another person ask here, Jacob is someone that real Israel to people trust and not real on this here Israel for now, you be on the style more and Jacob can be for God way for on God on mess here style Jacob I speak.

The holy speaking and here for place holy Israel here and style here of and people with Abrahams and those speak holy people be to know style way to have God here, to let you speak Israel can show to be holy and not just holy but all church here.

To this time until all may have Jerusalem and to get a country place here of GDP so what the way to show holy way and cannot may change.

God want we to know what here with all the people here here, amen.

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