Milo

Nehemiah

INTRODUCTION
This book continues the story of the Jews who came back to Judah after the Babylonian Captivity. Nehemiah, an important official in the Persian Empire, asked for the post of governor of tiny Judah in order to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls. He arrived for his first term in that office in 444 B.C., almost 100 years after the first group of exiles returned. He succeeded despite much opposition and, with the aid of Ezra, also carried out spiritual reforms. Nehemiah serves today as a model leader and model man of prayer.

NEHEMIAH’S MISSION
Nehemiah 1–3

“Send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so I can rebuild it” (Neh. 2:5).

Nehemiah’s concern for the state of the city of Jerusalem was in fact concern for the glory of God. The Holy City was in disrepair. Nehemiah’s mission was to restore the city that God had chosen to represent His name.

Background
City walls. In the ancient world a city without walls was vulnerable to enemy attack, and thus insignificant. Only a walled city was considered respectable. This perception explains Nehemiah’s grief when he heard that Jerusalem’s walls were broken down and its gates burned, and also explains Nehemiah’s references to the Jews’ “troubles” and “disgrace.” By rebuilding the walls of the city, Nehemiah would force the surrounding peoples to respect the Jews and to respect Israel’s God.

Overview
Nehemiah was moved at a report of Jerusalem’s ruined condition (1:1–4). After prayer (vv. 5–11), he begged King Artaxerxes to appoint him governor of Judah (2:1–10). In Judah he rallied local support (vv. 11–20) and set the people to work rebuilding the city walls (3:1–32).

Understanding the Text
“I mourned and fasted and prayed” Neh. 1:1–4. Nehemiah was secure in an important position in Susa, then the capital of the Persian Empire. Yet when he heard about conditions in Judah, he was broken-hearted.
Not every Christian can be a wall-builder. But each of us can have Nehemiah’s concern for the welfare of fellow believers. First Corinthians 12 calls on us to view the church as a body, in which each believer is intimately linked with every other Christian. Thus the apostle writes, “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it” (v. 26).
Not every Christian can be a wall-builder. But each of us can pray. When we hear of others in need, the most important thing we can do for them may well be to follow Nehemiah’s lead, and express our concern in heartfelt prayer.
And let’s remember. Nehemiah’s great ministry began with this prayer. If you or I wish to become spiritual leaders, we must begin where Nehemiah began. With prayer.

“The place . . . chosen as a dwelling for My Name” Neh. 1:5–11. Nehemiah’s prayer acknowledged the sin which led to Jerusalem’s destruction. Yet Nehemiah remembered that God had chosen Jerusalem as a “dwelling for My Name.” The phrase means that God had chosen to identify Himself with the Holy City. Thus the glory of God was intimately linked with the condition of the city. The ruined condition of the city walls not only indicated hardships experienced by the Jews in Judah, but also cast a shadow that disguised the glory of God.
This is another important aspect of prayer. Prayer rightly expresses concern for brothers and sisters in need. But prayer is also to reflect concern for the glory of God. We urge God to act, not only that we may be blessed, but that He may be glorified.
First John observes that “if we ask anything according to [God’s] will, He hears us” (5:14). Nehemiah gives us a simple way to check whether our prayers are in God’s will. Does a prayer express concern for others? Does a prayer seek an answer which will glorify God? If the answer to these questions is yes, we can be confident that our prayer is in God’s will.

“I was cupbearer to the king” Neh. 2:1–6. In ancient times the “cupbearer” had an important post in the administration of an empire. The holder of the office had direct access to the king, symbolized by the privilege of handing the ruler his cup at official banquets and functions. Thus Nehemiah was a very important person in Persia, whose services were highly valued by the king.
How fascinating that Nehemiah was willing to exchange the honor of this post for the relatively insignificant title of governor of tiny Judah! Yet Nehemiah did not look at it this way. To him the importance of the post depended on the importance of the person he served. In Susa he served the ruler of the mighty Persian Empire. But in tiny Judah, Nehemiah would serve God.
Let’s remember this truth and grasp its meaning for us. The simplest Sunday School teacher is far more significant than a person on the President’s staff, for the God he or she serves is far greater than any mere man.

“The king granted my requests” Neh. 2:7–10. Nehemiah attributed the king’s permission to go to Judah and rebuild its walls to God’s favor. We can thank others who help us. But when our requests have been preceded by earnest prayer we realize the help is evidence of God’s grace.

“I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me and what the king had said” Neh. 2:11–20. When Nehemiah arrived, he surveyed the walls to discover how great the ruin was. Despite the heaps of shattered stone and burned timbers, Nehemiah then challenged the Jews to “come . . . rebuild the wall.”
How did Nehemiah succeed in enlisting their aid? Rather than order, he encouraged. And he encouraged by (1) telling what God had already done, and (2) confidently predicting that “the God of heaven will give us success.”
Effective spiritual leaders realistically evaluate difficulties. But they keep the attention of everyone on the Lord, seeking to build confidence in Him.

“The next section was repaired by the men of Tekoa” Neh. 3:1–32. Nehemiah showed effective leadership in his plan for rebuilding. Teams were formed and given specific responsibilities. The fact that each team is named here shows that Nehemiah was careful to give credit for accomplishments.
Effective leaders learn from Nehemiah to assign ministry teams specific missions, and to give them credit by name for all they accomplish.

DEVOTIONAL
Spiritually Prepared
(Neh. 1:1–2:6)
One of the sermons I remember hearing when I was young was on Nehemiah 2:3–4. Our pastor pointed out that Nehemiah must have been a fast prayer. The king asked him a question, “What is it you want?” And the text says, “Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king.” You can bet Nehemiah didn’t keep the king waiting for an answer for two minutes while he slipped out to pray. What Nehemiah did was to aim a quick prayer toward heaven, and answer the king immediately.
As I remember, the point of the sermon was to encourage frequent, brief prayers offered during the day. Something like my wife’s habit of asking God for a parking space when she drives to the mall. And her more significant prayer for protection as she watches five or six cars on our dangerous Highway 19 zoom through an intersection after the light has changed.
I think the point is well taken. Prayers can be brief, pointed, and frequent. But looking at Nehemiah we realize that the brief, pointed prayer is not really enough. Nehemiah himself says that “for some days I mourned and fasted and prayed” before seeking permission to go to Judah. Yes, standing there holding the king’s cup, Nehemiah did offer a brief prayer. But Nehemiah had prepared spiritually for that critical moment during the preceding days.
Brief prayers are important. But they can never be the whole of our prayer life. It is taking significant time alone with God that provides the spiritual preparation we need to meet the emergencies of our life.

Personal Application
A vital prayer life prepares us to meet emergencies successfully.

Quotable
“For me, prayer means launching out of the heart towards God; it means lifting up one’s eyes, quite simply, to Heaven, a cry of grateful love from the crest of joy or the trough of despair; it’s a vast, supernatural force which opens out my heart, and binds me close to Jesus.”—Therese De Lisieux

A SECOND GROUP RETURNS
Ezra 7–10

“Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel” (Ezra 7:10).

Some 80 years after the first group returned, Ezra led a smaller contingent home. Ezra’s return was significant. This man who was dedicated to God’s Law called the people of Judah back to their original commitment to God.

Background
An exciting revolution took place in Babylon. The Jewish people, shaken by the loss of their land and temple, turned to Scripture in a desperate search for hope. They met together weekly to pray and to discuss the Scriptures—and thus the synagogue was born. Some men devoted themselves to study, to do, and to teach God’s Word—and the scribal movement was born. From the Babylonian Captivity onward the Jews, cleansed at last of idolatry, would be a people of the Book.
Ezra is the most famous representative of this group of scribes, and perhaps its founder. His ministry in Judah is a beautiful illustration of the purpose of Jewish scholarship, and of the important role generations of rabbis played in encouraging faithfulness to the Lord.

Overview
Ezra’s journey from Babylon was summarized (7:1–10). Ezra recorded his commission from Artaxerxes (vv. 11–28), listed his companions (8:1–14), and gave details of the journey (vv. 15–36). In Judah, Ezra’s prayer confessing Judah’s intermarriage with foreigners (9:1–15) brought repentance, and the foreign wives were divorced (10:1–44).

Understanding the Text
“This Ezra came up from Babylon” Ezra 7:1–10. Ezra had had no opportunity to minister as a priest in Babylon. The temple rested in a faraway land. Though Ezra was uniquely equipped by his lineage to serve God as a priest, his circumstances made this impossible. But Ezra did have the Scriptures, and determined to serve God by studying them.
Ezra’s problem, and his solution, have application to us today. For instance, some churches limit women to certain roles, even when they are equipped for other ministries. Ezra reminds us that a person who is determined to serve the Lord will find a way—and possibly have an even greater impact in that role than in the role he or she is denied!

“Now I decree” Ezra 7:11–28. The Persian ruler Artaxerxes I issued this decree in 458B.C, and Ezra began the 900-mile journey the first of Nisan (March/April).
The decree explains the purpose of the expedition: Ezra was to bring offerings from the Jews in Babylon to the temple, and offerings from the king himself. Levites and priests who accompanied Ezra were exempted from taxes. Most significant, Ezra was authorized to see that God’s Law served officially as the “law of the land,” and to appoint judges to administer that law. Ezra’s authority in Jewish affairs was thus absolute: “Whoever does not obey the law of your God and the law of the king must surely be punished by death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment.”
Judah was no longer an independent kingdom. But under the enlightened rule of Persia, God’s Old Testament Law would be better enforced than under many of Judah’s own kings!

“I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers” Ezra 8:15–36. It’s clear that Ezra had represented the Lord as all-powerful to the rulers of Persia. How could he then ask to be protected on the long, dangerous journey by a guard of soldiers?
Rather than turn to the king, Ezra turned to God. He called his company to join him in prayer and fasting.
Ezra acted in what some might call a foolish way. He had announced that his God helps “everyone who looks to Him.” Now Ezra had to “put up, or shut up.”
Sometimes we hesitate to make claims about what God can do. What if we make some claim, and God doesn’t come through? Ezra reminds us that God can and will care for His own. Speaking out about who God is and what He can do for those who love Him is not foolishness, but faith.

Balance Scales. Ezra 8:24–30 records the weights of gifts donated for transport to God’s house. Many archeological finds demonstrate how carefully royal archivists weighed and recorded gold, silver, and commodities.

“While Ezra was praying and confessing” Ezra 10:1–44. On arriving, Ezra discovered that many in Judah had married foreign wives and had children by them, in clear violation of Old Testament Law. Ezra’s anguished confession moved the people of Judah. Soon a large crowd was weeping and praying with him. As the spirit of conviction spread, all Judah assembled in Jerusalem. Ezra confronted them with God’s prohibition against such marriages. The people confessed their sin, set up an investigating commission, and forced all who had married foreign wives to “send away all these women and their children.”
The event suggests a number of lessons for you and me. First, we are more likely to move others to confession by taking sin to heart, and weeping over it, than by being judgmental. Second, while it may have been painful to break up families, it was necessary. God’s people were to retain their racial purity. Third, the pain of separation could have been avoided by keeping God’s Law in the first place. If the men named had not married foreign wives, no breakup of families would have followed.
Let’s remember, when we are moved by sympathy for those who suffer pain as a consequence of some sin, that the pain could have been avoided.

DEVOTIONAL
Pointing the Finger
(Ezra 9:1–10:4)
It’s tempting, when someone we know sins, to come down hard on him. After all, we’re to discipline erring brothers, aren’t we? The more blatant the sin, the more justified we feel confronting or criticizing.
Yet Ezra reminds us that it’s not appropriate to point the finger of judgment. What is appropriate when others sin is tears. Not tears for them. Tears that we have let God down. Tears that we, the people of God, have failed.
When Ezra arrived in Judah, he learned that many Jews had taken foreign wives. This was a clear violation of Old Testament Law, and Ezra was appalled. But rather than strike out angrily at those who had sinned, Ezra identified himself with the sinners and confessed to the Lord. He did not speak of “their” guilt, but of “our guilt” (9:7). He did not condemn “their” disregard for God’s laws, but cried out that “we have disregarded the commands” (v. 10). Rather than stand self-righteously in judgment, Ezra cried, “Not one of us can stand in Your presence” (v. 15). Ezra’s heart was broken by the sin he found, and he accepted partial responsibility for the failure of men he had never even met.
We can’t read Ezra’s prayer of confession in this chapter without sensing the depth of this godly man’s sense of anguish and shame. He was deeply hurt by the sins of his people: hurt for them, and for God. The reality of Ezra’s hurt, expressed openly in weeping, prayer, and confession, moved the men and women of Judah to confess as well—and to purge the sin from their lives.
So next time you or I see sin in the body of Christ, let’s not point the finger. Let’s realize that if the church was what God called it to be, and if we were the Christians God called us to be, our brother or sister might not have fallen. Rather than judge, we need to let our hearts be broken, that through confession of our responsibility for one another God might purge the church as He did Judah in Ezra’s time.

Personal Application
We are to grieve over other’s sins as well as over our own.

Quotable
“The world doth scoff at what I now say, namely that a man may weep for his neighbor’s sin as for his own, or even more than for his own, for it seems to be contrary to nature. But the love which brings this about is not of this world.”—Angela of Foligno

Ezra

INTRODUCTION
During the 70 years of Exile most of the Jews settled into a comfortable life in Babylon and other Eastern cities. Then in 539 B.C. Cyrus the Persian issued a decree permitting any Jew to return to his ancient homeland, to rebuild the temple of the Lord. Only a few responded. This enthusiastic group of settlers laid the temple foundation, but local enemies delayed its completion for 18 years. The first six chapters of Ezra tell the story of these pioneers and their struggle to finish the temple of the Lord.
In 458 B.C. another group of exiles, led by Ezra the priest, returned to Jerusalem. Ezra was a reformer, who taught God’s Law in Judea and called God’s people to rededicate their lives to the Lord. This book, written by Ezra, tells the story of these two groups of exiles who resettled the Promised Land.

THE EXILES RETURN
Ezra 1–6

“Everyone whose heart God had moved—prepared to go up and build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem” (Ezra 1:5).

The enthusiasm of those who returned to Judah was tested by hardship and by opposition from local peoples. Despite a long delay, the Jerusalem temple was rebuilt and God was again worshiped at the site He had chosen.

Background
Timeline. This time line relates events reported in Ezra with other postexilic events.

Decree of Cyrus (Ezra 1:1–4)
538B.C
The first return (Ezra 1:5–2:70)
539B.C
Temple construction begins
536B.C
Opposition & Delay
Ministry of Haggai
520B.C
Ministry of Zechariah
520B.C
Temple completed
515B.C
Events of Esther
483–473B.C?
Decree of Artaxerxes (Ezra 7:11ff)
458B.C
Return under Ezra
458B.C
Decree of Artaxerxes (Ezra 4:17ff)
446B.C
Decree of Artaxerxes (Neh. 2:1–8)
444B.C

Overview
A decree of Cyrus permitted the Jews to return to Judah and rebuild the Jerusalem temple (1:1–11). Ezra listed the returning families (2:1–70). They rebuilt the altar (3:1–6) and laid the temple foundation (vv. 7–13). Ezra quoted letters documenting opposition to the Jews (4:1–5:17) and the decree of Darius authorizing the temple completion (6:1–12). The task was completed (vv. 13–18) and Passover celebrated once again (vv. 19–22).

Understanding the Text
“In order to fulfill the word of the LORD” Ezra 1:1–4. Jeremiah had predicted the Captivity would last 70 years (Jer. 25:11–12; 29:10). Isaiah, writing in the time of Hezekiah, had named Cyrus as the ruler who would fulfill God’s will (Isa. 45:1–5). The very year this Persian conqueror supplanted the Babylonian kings, he did issue a decree permitting the Jews to return home. The decree also authorized reconstruction of the Jerusalem temple!
Josephus says that Cyrus read Isaiah’s prediction and was moved to fulfill it. It’s more likely this decree was one of many similar orders issued by Cyrus, who reversed the Babylonian policy of deportation, and permitted all captive peoples to return home.
The prophecy of Isaiah, and the action of Cyrus, remind us that God is sovereign. He controls the fate of nations, and all history moves toward ends which He alone has determined. The One we worship truly is God.

“Everyone whose heart God moved” Ezra 1:5–2:70. While some 50,000 Jews turned their hearts toward home, many more thousands chose to remain in Babylon. The Captivity had not been harsh: recovered records show that Jews, who were settled in an attractive district by the Kebar canal, were successfully involved in trade and business in the enemy capital. Why go back to face hardship, when life was easy in Babylon? Only those whom God moved to complete commitment would make the difficult choice.
Those who stayed were comfortable. But they missed out on so much. The names of the returnees are enshrined in Scripture. And only those who returned witnessed the restoration of God’s temple and worshiped there.
How important to keep our hearts open to the Lord, so that if He calls us to a special place of service we will be willing to respond.

“With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the LORD” Ezra 3:1–13. Those who returned to Judah found a desolate land. Thorns and thistles choked once-fertile fields, while Jerusalem was a heap of ruins. How hearts must have fallen as the enormity of the task before the returnees was driven home.
Yet as soon as the people settled in their towns, they reassembled at Jerusalem. There they rebuilt the altar, roughed out the foundations for the new temple, and praised God.
The greater our difficulties, the more important it is to put God first. When we do we, like those in ancient Judea, find our hearts also filled with joy and praise.

“The enemies of Judah” Ezra 4:1–5:17. Judah was a tiny area within a larger administrative district of the Persian Empire. Neighbors in what had once been Israel at first offered to help build the temple. The offer was rejected: they were not members of the covenant people descended from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The rebuff hardened local antagonism, which developed into active opposition. This opposition, with the difficulty faced by the returnees in scratching a living from ruined fields, halted construction of the temple.
The letters in these chapters are written in Aramaic, the diplomatic language of that age, rather than in Hebrew. Ezra clearly quotes material available to him in the Jerusalem archives.
Note too that the letters do not all date from the early return. What Ezra has done is to draw evidence from material written over a span of many years to document the fact that God’s people faced serious opposition.
We too can expect opposition at times. Hostility from outsiders is no sign that God has abandoned us, but may in fact suggest that we are doing exactly what God wants!

“A decree concerning the temple of God” Ezra 6:1–12. In the end King Darius confirmed the order of his predecessor, Cyrus. Not only was the temple to be rebuilt, but the very officials who had opposed it were ordered to pay all construction expenses from the royal treasury!
The God of the Old Testament truly is sovereign. Men may plot against His people, but God’s plans will be carried out.

“Then the people of Israel . . . celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy” Ezra 6:13–22. There had been years of struggle and discouragement. But at last the temple was finished. By showing his ability to “change the attitude” of the ruler of the empire that supplanted ancient Assyria, God had “filled them with joy.”
God is still at work, even in the lives of our enemies. The wait may be long, but God can still change attitudes, and fill us with joy too.

DEVOTIONAL
Where Will the Money Come From?
(Ezra 6)
I suppose it’s one of our most common worries. We need to build an addition on the church. But where will the money come from? I’d like to go to seminary. But where will the money come from? I wish I could help that missionary. But where will the money come from? I feel God wants me to go into nursing. But where will the money come from?
The same question was surely asked in ancient Judah as the people considered finishing the temple. The Prophet Haggai described the desperate conditions of that time: “You have planted much, but have harvested little. . . . You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it” (Hag. 1:5–6). How could a destitute people, struggling to make ends meet, ever raise the funds necessary to complete God’s temple?
In his message urging Judah to give
priority to God’s temple, the prophet makes this statement. “ ‘The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,‘ declares the LORD Almighty” (2:8).
How the people of Judah must have struggled. They were convinced they must complete the temple. But where would the money come from?
And then the decree of Darius, in response to the challenge raised by Judah’s enemies, arrived. There, with the permission to rebuild, were the words, “The costs are to be paid by the royal treasury” (Ezra 6:4). The endless wealth of one of the world’s mightiest empires was suddenly made available to God’s poverty-stricken people.
The incident teaches us an important lesson. “Where will the money come from?” is an important question. But not knowing should never deter us from acting if we are sure of God’s will. The message from God that Haggai shared so long ago is still true. The silver is the Lord’s. And the gold is the Lord’s. When we commit ourselves to do His will, the Lord will provide.

Personal Application
Lack of funds cannot keep us from doing God’s will.

Quotable
“In building, we need not act as the people of the world do. They first procure the money and then begin to build, but we must do just the opposite. We will begin to build and then expect to receive what is necessary from Divine Providence. The Lord God will not be outdone in generosity.”—Alphonsus Liguori

Nahum

INTRODUCTION
Nahum prophesied against Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, while that empire was still at the height of its power, in the mid-seventh century B.C. The prophet, a citizen of Judah, predicted the city’s fall and vividly described the manner in which it was actually taken.
This brief book reminds us that God is the God of vengeance as well as love. Though God is gracious, He does not spare the wicked.

AGAINST NINEVEH
Nahum 1–3

“The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD takes vengeance and is filled with wrath. The LORD takes vengeance on His foes and maintains His wrath against His enemies” (Nahum 1:2).

Any view of God that does not take into account His wrath is a distorted view. But rightly understood, even the doctrine of the wrath of God is a comfort to His saints.

Overview
God’s wrath takes the form of a judicial judgment of sinners (1:1–14) that exempts His own (v. 15). The destruction of Nineveh (2:1–3:17), proud capital of wicked Assyria, demonstrates God’s judicial vengeance (vv. 18–19).

Understanding the Text
“The LORD takes vengeance on His foes” Nahum 1:1–8. When we think about the wrath of God, or divine vengeance, it’s helpful to remember that vengeance is directed against God’s foes. Nahum described God as “slow to anger,” but reminds us that He will “not leave the guilty unpunished.”
God’s wrath, or vengeance, is linked with a judicial act. It is the right thing for God to punish the wicked. In fact, it is just as right for Him to punish the wicked as it is for Him to care “for those who trust in Him.”
Let’s not make the mistake of thinking that vengeance somehow goes against God’s character. As Nahum said, “The LORD is good” (v. 7). Yet “goodness” not only stands in contrast with evil, it stands against evil! If God were not willing to take vengeance on the wicked, and to treat them as objects of His wrath, God would not be good.

“One . . . who plots evil against the LORD” Nahum 1:9–15. The Ninevite who plotted evil against the Lord and counseled “wickedness” is identified in Nahum 3:18 as “the king of Assyria.” It is likely that the specific reference is to Sennacherib, the most aggressive of Assyrian conquerors, who according to Assyrian records devastated some 47 fortified cities in Judah in 701B.C
An important principle is alluded to in this passage. God had used Assyria to afflict Judah (1:12). But the Assyrians remained responsible for their motives and actions. Assyria did not attack Judah as a conscious response to the known will of God. In fact, the Assyrian attack was evidence of plotting evil against God! We see that clearly in the ridicule directed against the Lord by the Assyrian field commander who called for Jerusalem’s surrender (see Isa. 36). The principle this illustrates is: God can and does use the evil acts of wicked men to accomplish His own purposes. But God does not cause the wicked to do evil. Thus the wicked remain responsible for the evil they do.
So God declared through His prophet, “The LORD has given a command concerning you, Nineveh. . . . I will prepare your grave, for you are vile.” This is to be the fate of all who plot and do evil (see DEVOTIONAL).

“The river gates are thrown open” Nahum 2:1–3:1. The rest of the Book of Nahum is given over to four different descriptions of the fall of Nineveh. Undoubtedly the most significant is the description of the opening of river gates and subsequent flooding and fire in the city.
Nineveh was situated on three rivers, with a canal system that directed waters to its different districts. Once the suburbs of Nineveh were taken, these canal gates (as bab-nari, “gate of the river” may indicate) could be thrown open, and the city defenses flooded. As the walls of the palace collapsed, enemy soldiers swarmed into the city and plundered it.
What a destiny for the capital of an empire that had pillaged the world. All the treasures that had been assembled were taken. “She is pillaged, plundered, stripped!” (2:10) and all those who had struck terror into helpless victims were rendered helpless themselves. “Hearts melt, knees give way, bodies tremble, every face grows pale” (v. 10).
God was against Nineveh. In His wrath He had decreed her destruction and, therefore, her destruction was sure. Woe, then, “to the city of blood” (3:1).

” ‘I am against you,’ declares the LORD” Nahum 3:2–17. Three additional descriptions of Nineveh’s fall are contained in these verses (vv. 2–7, 8–11, 12–17). Together they are intended to drive home the horror of that day, and to portray as graphically as possible the implications of the wrath of God.
There is no vision of mercy here. Only visions of death and blood.
These are awesome images that bring home the reality of the wrath of God. Images that help us see that “God’s vengeance” is no abstract theological concept, but a terror that hangs over the head of the wicked, whether they are aware of it or not.

“Who has not felt your endless cruelty?” Nahum 3:18–19 Again the prophet reminds us that the vengeance described in his book was decreed as a judicial act. All that came to the Assyrians was what they had earned by their own acts. The wrath of God is never capricious. Never a careless outbreak of anger.
God, the Judge, has determined a punishment that is just.

DEVOTIONAL
Leaving the Guilty Unpunished
(Nahum 1)
Seeing God as the God of vengeance, who is filled with wrath, is more than a little disquieting. But it’s important if we are to have an adequate concept of God, and if we are to deal appropriately with crime in our society.
That’s what’s so impressive about this first chapter of Nahum. The prophet said, without qualification, “The LORD is good” (v. 7). But at the same time said, “The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD takes vengeance and is filled with wrath. The LORD takes vengeance on His foes” (v. 2).
What puts Nahum’s vision of God in perspective is the fact of saying, “The LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished” (v. 3). Reading it, we realize that the wrath of God, and the vengeance of God, are judicial concepts. God the good must and will stand against evil. God the good must and will punish the guilty.
This is a lesson our society desperately needs to learn. Criminals should be charged and punished, not to “rehabilitate” them, or even to “get them off the streets.” Crime should be punished because a state, like God, must take the side of what is righteous and good. And when a person does evil, it is good for society, as it is good for God, to take vengeance.
It’s true that expressions of God’s wrath never go astray, as human expressions of judicial wrath may and all too often do. Yet the principle is clear. Human beings are responsible for the wicked deeds they do. And it is right that those who do evil suffer punishment for their crimes.

Personal Application
Save your sympathy for the victim, not the criminal.

Quotable
“A modern society that outlaws the death penalty does not send a message of reverence for life, but a message of moral confusion. When we outlaw the death penalty, we tell the murderer that, no matter what he may do to innocent people in our custody and care, women, children, old people, his most treasured possession, his life, is secure. We guarantee it—in advance.
Just as a nation that declares that nothing will make it go to war finds itself at the mercy of warlike regimes, so a society that will not put the worst of its criminals to death will find itself at the mercy of criminals who have no qualms about putting innocent people to death.”—Patrick J. Buchanan

2 John-3 John





INTRODUCTION
The Apostle John wrote these two brief letters. The first is addressed to an unknown Christian woman and her family; the second to a Christian leader and a friend named Gaius. These warm, personal letters emphasize themes found in 1 John: the doctrine of Christ’s deity, and the call to love and do good works.

WALKING IN LOVE
2–3 John

“As you have heard from the beginning, His command is that you walk in love” (2 John 6).

There can never be too many reminders to love and keep Jesus’ commandments.

Background
John’s later years. John outlived the other disciples of Jesus. If he died in the late 90s, as most believe, he outlived Peter and Paul by some three decades!
During these decades more and more hostility developed toward Christians. There was both official persecution, and many nonviolent expressions of discrimination. In addition, the false teachers Peter, Jude, and Paul had predicted did emerge, and corrupted the faith of many.
What then seemed most important for John to communicate as he neared the end of his life? These two brief letters help us understand, for they pick up themes we are familiar with from 1 John. John emphasized the full deity of Jesus, and love as the mark of an obedient community.
How important these twin pillars of faith are today. We worship Jesus the Son of God. And we love one another as brothers and sisters in the family of God.

Overview
John greeted an “elect lady” (2 John 1–3), to encourage continuing love (vv. 4–6) and warn against those who deny Christ’s deity (vv. 7–13). John wrote Gaius (3 John 1–4), to encourage him to keep on ministering (vv. 5–8), to warn against Diotrephes (vv. 9–10) and to commend Demetrius (vv. 11–14).

Understanding the Text
“The elder . . . the elect lady” 2 John 1. John’s reference may have been to his own age, but more likely to his position in the church. He was one whose maturity and wisdom had made him worthy of trust.
The name “elect” was used in the first century in the way we use “born again Christian”—to identify individuals as believers who have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The term need not be understood to imply predestination. But it does affirm that we who have chosen to believe in Christ have been chosen by God.
We want Him as a our God. But God wanted us first, as His children.

“Walking in the truth” 2 John 4. Here as in 1 John, “truth” is linked to reality. A person who walks “in the truth” lives in harmony with spiritual and moral reality, as these are known to us in Christ. You and I walk “in the truth” if our lives are marked by holiness and by love.

“His command is that you walk in love” 2 John 2:5–6. John emphasized a particular reality all Christians are to experience. We show our obedience to Jesus, and our harmony with Him, by loving fellow believers. I suspect that John may have thought the people he ministered to may have tired of his message. He did say the command wasn’t new. And that the elect lady and her family had had it from the beginning. But John was not apologizing. He is simply saying, love is so important, we must be reminded of it all the time.
John was like the old preacher who explained his philosophy of ministry. First, I tell ’em what I’m going to tell ’em. Then I tell ’em. And then I tell ’em what I told ’em.” That’s the way we need to be in reminding one another to keep on loving, for Jesus’ sake.

“Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh” 2 John 7–11. There are many doctrines that are important to Christians. But none are as pivotal as this one. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, existed with God and as God from the beginning. And God the Son was born into our race, lived here on earth as true man, and after dying for us was raised from the dead. It was God the Son who died for us on the cross: God, come in the flesh to redeem us.
People can be Christian and have doubts about verbal, plenary inspiration. People can be Christian and be absolutely wrong in eschatology. But no one who denies that Jesus Christ is God come in the flesh can be Christian in any biblical sense.
We’re not to run around ruling this or that person out of the faith because he or she differs from us on points of doctrine. But we are to have nothing to do with any who call themselves “Christian” but deny the full deity of Jesus Christ (v. 11).

“Your faithfulness to the truth” 3 John 1–4. John, in his 90s now, had developed a clear view of what is truly important in life. The things most of us focus our attention on-scrambling to advance in our careers, working out misunderstandings in our relationships, important things all have receded in significance to the last apostle.
What thrilled him now? He wrote, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth” (v. 4).
We need to develop the same attitude when it comes to our children. I’m glad for the mom or dad who tells with obvious pride about the great job Joey’s got, or the house with its own swimming pool that Suzie’s husband bought in Houston at $40,000 less than it cost to build. But we need to remember that the one truly important thing in life is that our children walk in the truth, and walk with God.

“We ought therefore to show hospitality” 3 John 5–8. These few verses reflect the itinerant ministry of many in the first century who traveled from city to city, staying with one Christian group and then another, to share a special teaching or spiritual gift.
We saw in 2 Timothy, and in 2 Peter, how many of the itinerant teachers were false: they were insincere, seeking to gain a following only that they might win money from them. Here we see the other side. We see hundreds of believers who went on the road “for the sake of the Name,” and who received “no help” from any source. These men gave up any personal ambitions to travel and nurture Christians throughout the empire, usually receiving nothing but food and lodging from those with whom they briefly stayed.
We still have folks like this today. Missionaries, preachers, school teachers, social workers, who for the sake of Jesus give up the prospect of lucrative careers to work in an area where they can serve others, and better share Christ. Such folk should be honored by their fellow Christians, and encouraged in practical ways.

DEVOTIONAL
Epitaphs
(3 John 9–13)
Ever read one of those books of humorous epitaphs? Like the one in England, that tells all:

  Mary Picket,
  Lies silent and fast,
  Her husband’s ears
  Have peace at last.

Or the one from our own old West, that simply says:

  Flicker was quicker.

Actually, the thing about even humorous epitaphs is that most do say something about the character of the person they memorialize.
Something that stands out; something that folks remember.
In a sense John suggested a theme for the epitaphs of two leading individuals in the first-century Christian community of Asia. One, Diotrephes, was marked off as loving first place. He gossiped, trying to make others look small so he’d look bigger by comparison. And he tried to dominate his little group by cutting off any contact they may have with others. Someone might have written something like this on his tombstone:

Diotrephes, who cut others down,
Things are better
Now he’s not around.

On the other hand, we have Demetrius who was “well spoken of” by everyone, apparently because he was dedicated to doing good. I suspect a very different epitaph would have marked his memory.
You might try your hand at creating an epitaph for Demetrius. But it’s more important to create an epitaph for yourself. But by how you live, not with words.

Personal Application
How do you want others to remember you?

Quotable
In heart a Lydia, and in tongue a Hanna,
In zeal a Ruth, in wedlock a Susanna,
Prudently simple, providentially wary,
To the world a Martha, and to heaven a Mary.
-Epitaph of Dame Dorthy Selby