那鸿书

Day 1

第1日

Read slowly and reflectively the assigned passage twice at least and consider the questions below.
請慢慢細讀每天指定的經文至少兩遍,然後反複思考問題。

Scriptural Reflection
Nahum 3:1–19

This week, we shall finish the study of the book of Nahum and the book of Habakkuk, and begin the study of the book of Zephaniah the Old Testament.

The oracle against Nineveh concludes with vivid depictions of her fate and a reiteration of her sins:

(1) The sinful city (v. 1)

a. What are the marks of Nineveh?

b. Which country in recent history might bear the same marks?

(2) The sound and sight of her destroyers (vv. 2-3)

a. In his vision, what does the prophet hear concerning the destroyers?

b. What does the prophet see?

c. How fitting is it when you consider the marks of this city?

(3) The double sins of prostitution (harlotry) and witchcraft are pointed out (v. 4)

a. The sin of prostitution in the OT often refers to the unfaithfulness of Israel in the breach of her covenantal relationship with God: Since Gentile nations do not have such a covenantal relationship with God, how did Nineveh “enslave nations by her prostitution”?

b. If prostitution is a metaphor for enslavement, what does witchcraft point to?

(4) Fitting punishment of a whore (vv. 5-7)

a. As a metaphor, what kind of punishment will she receive that befits her sins?

b. What in fact will Nineveh face as her punishment?

(5) Thebes—her example (vv. 8-10; see Note below)

a. How does the Lord describe the apparent invincibility of Thebes?

b. What fate did she meet with?

(6) Nineveh’s fate will be the same (vv. 11-13)

a. In telling Nineveh that she is no better, what image does the Lord use to show her weakness? (v. 12)

b. Will Nineveh believe that will be her fate, given the fact the Thebes was basically wiped out by their Assyrians forefathers in 661 B.C.?

(7) Taunting of Nineveh (vv. 14-17)

a. How does the Lord taunt Nineveh once again? (v. 14)

b. What is the metaphor used to describe the futility of their effort to defend the city? (v. 15)

c. What is one of the prideful successes of Nineveh highlighted here? (v. 16)

d. What does the Lord use to tell of the scattering of their merchants and even their guards and officials? (vv. 16-18)

(8) Her wounds will be fatal (vv. 18-19)

a. While their merchants, guards and officials flee, what about their shepherds (i.e. rulers who should gather the scattered flock) and their nobles?

b. Since even Israel has hope for their return to their own land (as prophesied by numerous prophets), will Assyria have similar hope?

c. What does Isaiah say about the eventual future of Assyria? (see Isa. 20:23-25) What does Isaiah mean?

(9) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?

Note:

Thebes was the city in Upper Egypt in which the Pharaohs of the 18th and 20th dynasties resided. This former Royal city of Egypt was known for her works of architecture admired by the Greeks and Romans and her fortified cities which fell to the Assyrian king, Ashurbanipal in 663 B.C. Nineveh fell eventually to the Babylonians and her allies in 612 B.C.

經文默想
那鴻書3:1-19

本週我們會完成研讀舊約那鴻書和哈巴谷書,並開始研讀西番雅書。請細心慢慢讀每天指定的經文至少兩遍,然後反複思考問題。

那鴻所得的默示,以生動的描述尼尼微的命運作結束,同時再指出尼尼微的罪惡:

(1) 罪惡之城(3:1)

a. 什麼是這城的徵記?

b. 按你所認識的,現今可有像尼尼微的城嗎?

(2) 毀滅者的聲勢(3:2-3)

a. 先知在異象中聽到什麼?

b. 他亦看見什麼?

c. 這結局與這城的罪惡相稱嗎?

(3) 雙重的罪(3:4)

a. 舊約聖經一般以淫行來形容以色列犯罪背棄了與神立的約。列邦既與神沒有約的關係,何以又以淫行來喻尼尼微誘惑列國?

b. 若然淫行是比喻,那麼邪術是比喻什麼?

(4) 淫亂者當得的報應(3:5-7)

a. 既以淫行來比喻尼尼微的罪惡,她當得的報應是什麼?

b. 實質上尼尼微要得什麼結局?

(5) 挪亞們為前車(3:8-10; 參下註)

a. 挪亞們曾是怎樣顯赫的城市?

b. 得到的卻是什麼終局?

(6) 尼尼微的命運也相同(3:11-13)

a. 神以什麼來比喻尼尼微的命運?

b. 挪亞們既曾落在亞述手中,你認為尼尼微相信自己會遭同一的命運嗎?

(7) 譏諷尼尼微(3:14-17)

a. 神如何再次譏諷尼尼微?(3:14)

b. 神以什麼來比喻尼尼微的無能?(3:15)

c. 尼尼微曾以什麼見稱?(3:16)

d. 神以什麼來喻尼尼所所誇的商賈、領袖與軍長?(3:16-18)

(8) 無法醫治的創傷(3:18-19)

a. 商賈、領袖與軍長既四散,他們的牧者和貴冑又如何?(3:18)

b. 以色列既有重回故土的希望(這是眾先知不斷預言的),亞述又如何?(3:19)

c. 先知以賽亞如何論到亞述最終的命運?(見賽19:23-25)

(9) 今日你得到的主要提醒是什麼?你會怎樣應用在你的生命中?

:挪亞們(Thebes) 是「上埃及」的大城,是第18-20代法老的京城。這京城以優越的建築見稱,甚為古代的希臘和羅馬所賞識。這堅固的城市終在主前663年落在亞述亞斯那巴王(見拉4:10) 的手上。尼尼微則在主前612被巴比倫的聯軍所滅。

Meditative Reflection
Assyrians, God’s Handiwork

Nothing can heal your wound; your injury is fatal.” (Nah. 3:19)

As I was reading the oracle of Nahum against Nineveh, I could not help but wonder why God would bother to sound out warnings to the Assyrians? Are they not idol-worshippers? Is their fate not sealed anyway?

Perhaps, since the Lord, the God of human history, has allowed Assyria to dominate the civilized world for such an unusually long period of time, He feels the need to show that after all He is the one who is in complete control of history. As much as we may not understand all the reasons behind each successive era in history, the book of Nahum does clearly show that God is indeed in complete control. Kingdoms do rise and fall at His command.

Since Assyria has put an end to the unfaithful Northern Kingdom of Israel and has continued to threaten the Southern Kingdom of Judah, taunting not only King Hezekiah, but God Himself (Isa. 36-37), it is only fitting that they meet their just end as God’s enemy. This book, therefore, serves as a comfort to God’s Chosen people and as a warning to all nations and their leaders, reminding them of the need for them to humble themselves before God and even turn away from their gods and trust in Him.

This is always the desire of God not only to sound out stern warning, but to draw even the most heart-hardened people to Him. He did this about a century ago before Nahum, through the prophet Jonah sent to the very city of Nineveh causing their king to repent (see the book of Jonah and the reference to Jonah in 2 Ki. 14:25). Who knows if the words through Nahum might produce the same result?

As it turned out, the Assyrians did not repent, thus they met their fate in 633 B.C. and fell in the hands of the Nebuchadnezzar and his allies. However, Isaiah prophesies that one day, even Assyria, (i.e. the region of modern-day Iraqi and its neighbors) will turn to God, obviously through faith in His Son Jesus Christ with these words:

The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. In that day, Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing on the earth. The Lord Almighty will bless them, saying,Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance'.” (Isa. 19:23-25)

靈修默想小篇
亞述:神手的工作

你的損傷無法醫治,你的傷痕極其重大。(3:19)

我一邊讀那鴻書,一邊在想:為何神要藉先知那鴻來向亞述發出警告的預言?他們不是拜偶像之民嗎?他們的命運不是已成定局嗎?

或許,因為這掌管歷史的神,既容許亞述雄霸當時文明世界這樣長久的時間,祂需要顯出祂確仍在世上掌權的。當然我們對人類歷史邦國的興衰是不甚了解其故,那鴻書卻叫我們知道,神確是全然掌管人類歷史的,邦國的興衰是祂所命定的。

既然亞述先摧毀了對神不忠的北國(以色列),也繼續在威脅著南國(猶大) ;亞述王不單譏諷希西家王,更直接出言侮辱耶和華(賽36-37),他就成為神的敵人;他要面對神的審判是必然的事。故此,那鴻書確成為神子民的安慰,也同時成為敵神的列國的警告,提醒他們要謙卑在神的面前,甚至要棄假歸真,轉向耶和華。

這一直是神的心意,不但是發出嚴厲的警告,更希望連最硬心之輩也能歸向祂。其實,在那鴻之前的一世紀,神已藉著先知約拿發出警告,使當時的尼尼微王帶領亞述的百姓悔改(見約拿書)。誰能肯定這次藉著那鴻的口,不會收到同樣的後果呢?

當然,歷史告訴我們,這一次亞述並沒有再次的悔改。在主前633年,正如先知所預言的,亞述被巴比倫的聯軍所傾覆了。但希奇的是,先知以賽亞卻預言說,亞述(即今天的伊拉克一帶的人)會轉向神:

當那日,以色列必與埃及、亞述三國一律,使地上的人得福。因為萬軍之耶和華賜福給他們,說:「埃及我的百姓,亞述我手的工作,以色列我的產業,都有福了!」” (19:24-25)