Rēad to Read …Again
Daily Reading: Nahum 1-3
Nahum 3:7
And it shall come to pass, that all they that look upon thee shall flee from thee, and say, Nineveh is laid waste: who will bemoan her? whence shall I seek comforters for thee?
Nahum’s ministry was short, just three years, from about 713 – 710 BC. He prophesied that Nineveh would be destroyed. Remember, this city was the capital city of the Assyrians who, in 722 BC captured and carried away the northern kingdom of Israel, meaning that Nahum’s message of doom for Nineveh was about 10 years or so thereafter. Jonah’s message to Nineveh was about 150 years earlier. God spared the Assyrians then, but would not, could not, after their horrible treatment of the northern kingdom.
This might be a good time for a review of historical facts that every Christian should know.
Basic Timeline of the Old Testament | |
Adam | 4000 BC |
Noah | 2400 BC |
Abraham | 2000 BC |
Moses & the Exodus | 1400 BC |
Reign of David | 1015-975 BC |
Reign of Solomon | 975-935 BC |
Divided Kingdom | 935-722 BC Northern Kingdom |
935-586 BC Southern Kingdom | |
Return of Israel | 538-400 BC |
Silent Years | 400-5 BC |
Note: All dates are approximate and subject to scrutiny. Exact dates are impossible. |
Upon the death of Solomon, Israel was divided, ushering that which is commonly called the kingdom of Israel. It was made up of two kingdoms:
Southern Kingdom | Northern Kingdom | |||
Called | Judah | Called | Israel | |
Capital City | Jerusalem | Capital City | Samaria | |
Tribes of Israel | 2 | Tribes of Israel | 10 | |
Commonly Called | House of David | Commonly Called | Ephraim | |
First king | Rehoboam | First king | Jeroboam | |
Total number of kings | 20 of which 8 obeyed God's laws | Total number of kings | 19 - none obeyed God's laws | |
Conquered by Babylon | 606 BC | Conquered by Assyria | 722 BC | |
Three Deportations | 606, 597, 586 | |||
Three Returns | 536 Decree of Cyrus | |||
458 Ezra Returns | ||||
444 Nehemiah Rebuilds walls |
With all this given, let this be given first. God’s Word is true and perfect, our understanding is not. After all, which has the higher probability, God’s Word being incorrect, or our understanding of God’s Word being incorrect?
Dr. William T. Howe
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