Nahum 1:1-3:19, Revelation 8:1-13, Psalms 136:1-26, Proverbs 30:7-9
Today is the 17th day of December the 352nd day of this year welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I am Brian it is wonderful it is a joy to be here with you today as we take the next step forward. And, so, right off the bat as we’re moving toward the…the Old Testament we finished, completed the book of Micah yesterday, which was the sixth of the minor prophets, the sixth of…the sixth of the 12 minor prophets. So, we’re going into book 7 of the minor prophets today. And this is a book called Nahum and we will read it in its entirety today in one sitting. But let’s talk about it.
Introduction to the book of Nahum:
Let’s first remember a city called Nineveh. Remember that city, the capital city of the Assyrian Empire. We remember this story probably most vividly from Jonah, Jonah the prophet running from God but than having to circle back around and obey God and go to Nineveh and the Ninevites repent at the time. Nahum deals with Nineveh, but we have to go forward about 150 years after Jonah. And the thing about Nahum is almost nothing is known about them at all. The name Nahum means comfort and the book says he was from Elkosh, but the problem about that is nobody knows where Elkosh is. Like, was it a village, was it a town, like where are we talking about? Placing Nahum in time is a little bit easier because there are some references to events that are historical events contained within the prophecy. For example, Assyria conquered Thebes, which is in Egypt and that is a well-known historical fact and that happened in 663 B.C., but it’s referenced in Nahum. So, we…we know the Nahum was written after that date. And Nahum also prophesies the…the fall of Nineveh. And that’s also a historical fact, it happened in 612 B.C. So, Nahum probably did his prophetic ministry between those two events. And like I said this is a prophecy against Nineveh and this time the destruction of Nineveh is foretold. So, whatever repentance they had 150 years previous…well…was over. And the Assyrians were known for their brutality and known for their mistreatment of those they had conquered. I mean like a legendarily known for it. And they had destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel. And we remember this. We read the entire story. The Assyrian Empire came and destroyed Samaria and took the northern 10 tribes of Israel into exile where they were assimilated and never were cohesive tribes ever again. And, so, God uses Nahum to foretell the destruction of Nineveh. And there are many scholars who believe that Nahum…like Nahum didn’t travel to Nineveh to give this message. This was a prophecy likely issued from Jerusalem and was likely intended to be heard by Hebrew people who knew about the destruction of the northern kingdom, and then this prophecy would come and tell them God’s intentions, which would give them encouragement to live true and live into all of the things that they were facing knowing that God was just, and that God would in the end would do what God will do. And, so, in the major and minor prophets we’ve seen God foretell things but also invite repentance and then tell of a future where things would be restored so we know that God is merciful and patient. But we also know that God, He’s not a pushover, and nobody’s gonna push…the…this is God. And, so, no nation will stand before God and God will not stand for a nation’s sin forever. And, so, with that we will read the complete book of Nahum. We’re reading from the Good News translation this week. Nahum contains three chapters, and we will of course begin with chapter one.
Prayer:
Father we thank You for Your word. We thank You for the 136th Psalm today that over and over in the face of everything reminds us that Your love is eternal no matter what. And we are grateful for that. We bask in that. We relax in that. We exhale in that. Thank You for Your eternal love for us and we invite Your Holy Spirit to continually remind us of this. This Psalm is so beautiful because it won’t let it go. Your love is eternal over and over and over. And, so, let that sink in today. Holy Spirit come we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Announcements:
dailyaudiobible.com is the website, home base, and its where you find what’s going on around here. And it’s been Christmas around here. It gets more Christmasy every day as we move towards Christmas in the world. And, so, it’s been Christmas time around here. So, let me let you know about something brand-new for Christmas.
So, my wife Jill is a singer if…if you didn’t know. Not like, she’s my wife and she sings, like a professional singer. This was…this was Jill’s career and my career was in the music business as well as a record producer before…before life tipped upside down and we found ourselves in full-time ministry. Something we really really thought was never on the radar. So, she has several albums and has toured all over the world singing. And, so, virtually she will be performing a candlelight service with some of our friends and partners in ministry in the Global Campfire community. Churches all over the world are part of what we do here. And, so, she’s gonna be singing and we’ll post a link to that, especially if…especially if you are virtual and maybe have no home then we’ll definitely post that on our social media links on Christmas eve. But she was asked to sing O holy night, which any of you out there who are singers, you know, that’s a singer’s song and that is a deceptively difficult song to sing. But she and I got together, and we were like, “let's…let’s make this real. Let’s do this like we always did. Let's…let’s create a single that we can release into this holiday season into this unforgettable year. The words of that song just cut through which is why it’s one of those songs that’s just stood the test of time, it just cuts through. And, so, we produced the single and she sang her heart out and we released it and you can hear now. Look for Jill Parr. Of course, her names Jill Hardin, she’s my life but she was Jill Parr before she was Jill Hardin, and she was already known as Jill Parr and that’s who she’s known of…as known as…as a singer. So, just look for Jill Parr and look for O holy night the single and there you go, you can stream on Spotify, modify Apple music, Google play, YouTube music, wherever. You can also buy it from any of these stores and $0.99 track is like a stocking stuffer for the Daily Audio Bible. Everything helps, especially everything in a year like this one. And we’ve just kind of always had a little bit of an unspoken motto - if we’re gonna ask, we’re gonna give too. And, so, we worked hard and it’s available now for your Christmas listening pleasure and I hope it encourages you tremendously and inspires you.
Also, kind of while you’re streaming or, you know, downloading albums and stuff there’s the Family Christmas album that is the soundtrack to the season for the Global Campfire. And you can get that at the Daily Audio Bible Shop if you want like a physical CD copy, but if you just, you know, your music is digital, and you download your albums digitally then look for Family Christmas. You can look for my name Brian Hardin and you’ll find Family Christmas and stream or buy that record. It is the kind of record that…well…that really follows the sensibilities of the Daily Audio Bible where we really, really seek out peace, we really seek out serenity when we read the Scriptures, we really try to create a space that’s holy, a space that’s different, that’s sacred and separate from all of the cares of this life, so that we have an oasis, a place to go. Well, Family Christmas is the soundtrack inside of that for Christmas. It’s the kind of thing you just sip your hot cocoa. And like I’ve always said, because it’s what I like to do - turn off all the lights, leave the Christmas lights on, and just sit and take it all in. And Family Christmas is a great soundtrack for that. So, check it out.
The other thing that we have been talking about is the Daily Audio Bible Shop and resources that are available there that make fine gifts and inspiring invitations to engage with the Scripture on a more intentional…in a more intentional way. So, a couple more days and we will have reached the end of the road there as far as shipping goes. We’re well past shipping for arrival for Christmas time internationally but here domestically with in the United States, a couple more days and then we will have reached that threshold as well. So, we’re kind of in the final…final days. So, to check out the Daily Audio Bible Shop.
If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that dailyaudiobible.com as well. There is a link on the homepage. Thank you humbly and profoundly for your partnership. If you’re using the Daily Audio Bible app you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or the mailing address, if that’s your preference, is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.
And, as always, if you have a prayer request or encouragement 877-942-4253 is the number to dial.
And that’s it for today. I’m Brian I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.
Community Prayer and Praise:
Good morning siblings it’s your little sis His Little Cherry in Canada. Today is the third Sunday in Advent the beginning of joy and I’m so grateful for Advent this year. Every day in Advent I have been walking to the sunrise and it’s been such a nourishing exercise. Today is bitterly cold. It’s -17 right now that’s Celsius which is about 1°F and I still plan to walk to the sunrise. I’m just getting ready to go, bundling up. I’m putting three pairs of pants on and my big wool sweater and then my big knee length down jacket and I am bundling my head up with just a slit for my eyes showing and deep Arctic gloves and on and on and on. And I will be waddling to the sunrise this morning but I will be there and I just have come to depend on seeing the sunrise. Hosea 6:3 says, “as surely as the sun rises the Lord will appear. He will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth. So, come Lord Jesus I will meet you at the sunrise. We will both be there.” And family I’m taking you with me today to discover the certainty of joy.
Hello DAB family I was just listening to this song that says, “yes I will choose to glorify your name, the name of all names” and I was thinking about just 2020 and how we can say as believers God has been good in 2020. God has been faithful this year. We’re going to look at all of the things that he’s done for us and know all of the things we don’t know that He’s done for us to take care of us, to show us love, to protect us. He’s done so much. And, so, I choose to praise Him. I choose to give thanks for all that He is and all that He’s done in 2020. I am praising Him for it. This has been a great year. It…it still has and sometimes I have to go to the store, and I wear a mask and I feel claustrophobic and I don’t like it but I’m praising Him and when I hear about people sick, I pray for them. So, that’s the way I choose to live but I choose to praise the name of all names, Jesus and I just encourage you all to do the same. And I love you and bless you and I’m so happy to finish out the year with DAB.
Grace and peace Daily Audio Bible family this is RJ calling for Jesus. I just want to say this year 2020 has been a year of bitter and sweet. This year I’ve actually lost my mom. A month before that I actually got married to the love of my life. Three months before that I actually contracted the…the Covid virus and was tested positive and wow…during the season, you know, with my mom when we had her a home going I was able to reconcile with to my children one of my…one of my boys here that’s with my new wife has gotten in trouble with the law, you know, my job is at a…has had…a lot of things have been happening, a lot of ups and downs. But I pray to God in the name of Jesus. So, a word of encouragement to those who are listening and to just never give up. Our God is able. He’s faithful to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we could ask or think according to the power that worketh in us through Christ. So, I pray that each and every one of you guys that are listening that you’re encouraged, that you let the love of God shine in your hearts and in your mind that whatever you do or what you see will be through that lens of love and you will share it to others. Be encouraged my family. Let the love of God continue to shine. Love you all. May God bless you. Amen.
Good morning this is Boyce in northern Nevada and first of all I want to thank Brian for this amazing community and this app that helps us to start our day with the word of God. I feel burdened to pray for all of the delivery people that are working right now many times around-the-clock. I’m a USPS mail carrier myself. And, so, I know that all…all delivery drivers and carriers are working tremendously harder than normal during this season. And, so, I just want to pray. Father God just be with all of the…the carriers - FedEx, UPS, USPS, Amazon drivers - that are having to work just around-the-clock tremendously longer hours and under the burden of this Covid 19 situation that is adding tremendous strain to their…to their jobs. And just give them a sense of gratitude for all of the joy that we get to…we get to help people to receive the things that they ordered and that they need and that we have good jobs that are providing for our families. Also, Lord give them a sense of, you know, the harder that we work the more that we enjoy our…our time off. So, I just ask that you be with them and keep them safe, their family safe in Jesus’ name.
Hey Daily Audio Bible family this is Jason from North Carolina area. Brian I just wanted to say thank you for this. I’m glad that the Lord convicted your heart and allowed in His good grace you to produce this podcast. And I look forward to the God of My Story that I purchased for me and family members for Christmas. I look forward to using that as a companion to the Daily Audio Bible next year. This is my fourth you’re listening, and this is going to be the first year that I complete the Daily Audio Bible completely. And I thank the Lord God for that for it has changed my life profoundly. Jim and Janet if you’re listening to this just know that I love you so much and I thank you for this gift. I thank you for the encouragement and I’m glad that I truly believe the Lord prodded you to tell me about it because it is definitely within the wheelhouse of how I learn and just cannot tell you enough how it has grown me and matured me, and I look forward to keeping it a part of my life for as long as the Lord will allow. And I definitely look forward to using the Chronological Daily Audio Bible next year in the evenings. I’m a nurse so in the mornings I love having this quiet time making breakfast listening to the Daily Audio Bible, but I’ve been convicted and know lately that in the evenings I’m kind of board and I just look forward to hearing from the Chronological. So, again I thank you for that resource as well. I love you all and I thank you very much for this. Just it is wonderful again to have this example of community within our own local churches and families but as a church abroad. In Jesus’ name I pray. Thank you, guys. Amen.