Nahum: A Prophet of Doom (Nahum 1:15) - Good News!

¹⁵  Behold, upon the mountains, the feet of him

    who brings good news,

    who publishes peace!

Keep your feasts, O Judah;

    fulfill your vows,

for never again shall the worthless pass through you;

    he is utterly cut off.

There is a hospital in our area where committed medical personnel treat children who have various forms of cancer and other diseases. Happily, there are many cases when a child is cured of the ailment by God’s hand through this wonderful staff. On such an occasion, the staff throws the child a party and the child rings a bell announcing the deliverance they now have over their life-threatening illness.

What great news this is especially to those in bondage to some disease! Surely such a pronouncement is worthy of celebration. Who among us would not also rejoice over such great news?

That is what we have in verse 15 (chapter 2, verse 1 in the Hebrew Bible). Nahum has repeatedly pronounced the coming judgment upon Nineveh and the Assyrians. For centuries, this evil empire has dominated the middle east bringing destruction to many and hopelessness to others. The northern kingdom of Israel was overthrown by them. They also held sway over the southern kingdom of Judah as a constant threat of their destruction as well. But now, God, through His prophet, has announced that is about to end!

The verse begins with words almost identical to those found in Isaiah 42:7 (we aren’t sure who wrote them first). Essentially, these two verses say the same thing: a messenger has appeared on the mountains surrounding Judah and that messenger announces the “good news” that the enemy of Judah has been defeated and the people have been delivered from their bondage. Peace has come. Ring the bell!

This terrific news of peace is followed by two commands: “keep your feasts” and “fulfill your vows”. The first is likely a reference to three annual feasts of Israel: Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. Passover is a remembrance and celebration of God’s deliverance of the Hebrew people from their bondage to Egypt. Pentecost is a celebration of the newness of life given to God’s redeemed. Tabernacles celebrates the continual abundance of God’s provision for His people. With the defeat of the enemy, Judah may celebrate!

“Fulfill your vows” is a reminder to the people to fulfill the commitments they have made to God. To turn from your vow would be sin. In other words, Judah must consecrate themselves to serve and obey God.

Why should they celebrate? Why should they consecrate? “For never again shall the worthless pass through you; he is utterly cut off.” Your enemy is through. Your slave master has been forever defeated! Assyria will never again trouble Judah!

But this verse not only provides good news for Judah and the Old Covenant people. It also provides good news for the Church and the New Covenant people of God. Paul quotes the similar verse from Isaiah in Romans 10:15 and interprets it has the good news proclaimed by Gospel preachers. What great news such ministers deliver! Ring the bell! We are sinners in bondage to sin and Satan. But Christ has provided the deliverance from our sin and the devil. That’s good news! So, what should we do?

First, let us celebrate our deliverance! Let us celebrate with the Lord’s Supper, the New Covenant counterpart to Passover. Let us celebrate the coming and indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the counterpart to Pentecost. Let us celebrate the daily provision of our Lord until He comes, the counterpart to Tabernacles. Celebrate your deliverance, believer!

Second, let us consecrate our lives to serve and obey our Deliverer. What God commands us, let us do gladly. He has given us freedom and brought us peace.

And, just like Assyria, the enemy of God’s people Judah, would never defeat and control Judah again, Satan/sin will never defeat and control us again! God will preserve His people and protect them until the day He comes!

Celebrate! Consecrate! Ring the bell for deliverance provided by God’s Son the Lord Jesus Christ has arrived!

Have you been delivered? Have you repented of your sins and put your trust in Christ for the keeping of your soul? The message has arrived. Have you received it?

The Providence of God, an Election, and Answered Prayer

Praise the Lord for His providential hand in His execution of His eternal decree!  I am comforted knowing that God works ALL things according to the counsel of His will.  And ALL things includes an election such as took place yesterday.

The Presidential race was between 2 fallen candidates, 2 sinners; how could it be otherwise?  Both have sins charged against their account and both will add to that list over the remaining days of their lives.  No one, except Christ, is perfect.  Apart from the grace of God and the redemption of sin found in Christ, neither of these 2 individuals will spend eternity with the Savior.  

Because of their falleness, their plans are also not perfect.  Neither of them can save this nation.  Only God can do that.  But one candidate has a plan to restore this country to its greatness while the other has a plan merely to maintain the direction of the past 8 (or, perhaps, 24 years), a plan which has proven to be a failure.  The latter plan has led our country to the precipice of bankruptcy and insignificance in the world.  That plan has, at its core, a hatred of nationalism, patriotism, religion, and individual rights.  It seeks to have government, the federal government, serve as the master of each individual.  The income of the people, in this view, belongs to the ruling class in Washington, not to the people themselves.

Surely such a plan is straight from the devil's pen.  I firmly believe Satan has been behind those working to elect Hillary Clinton.  Oh, I doubt any of them believe or even sense that has been the case.  But the deceptions and outright lies attached to her candidacy adds support to this theory.  Satan is the master of lies, the master of deceit; certainly he has been a major contributor to that campaign.

Many prayers were offered up to God that He would intervene and save us from Hillary Clinton for the good of this country and the greatness of His name.  He certainly had no reason to do so.  Our nation has strayed far from Him.  He could have sat back and simply said, "you will reap what you have sowed", pretty much what has happened over the past 2 decades.  But prayers went up before His throne pleading, once more, for His mercy and grace.  I believe, God, in His providence, has answered our prayers.  Donald Trump, a fallen man, is now the President-elect; the certain success of Hillary Clinton has been thwarted, again, by the hand of the Almighty.

Let us give thanks to our God for giving us another opportunity to return to our Savior.  And let us lift up those elected yesterday, praying that each one comes to Christ, if lost, and serves this nation best by serving the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

The Lilith Myth

Several years ago, one of my students selected “Lilith” as the Old Testament person on which they wrote a report for my Old Testament History class.  Since I had not “exempted Lilith” from the selection choices of the students, I accepted the paper.  The paper was well written and received a good grade.  However, it also received several comments from me, specifically one that read “Lilith is not in the Old Testament”. 

More than once over the years I have had students ask me about Lilith.  Recently I was asked again and, instead of spending class time discussing this myth, I told the class I would send them a link to an article on this subject which I had previously posted on my blog.  I guess I had at one time intended to post such an article but never did!  So here are my thoughts on the subject.

1.  Who or What is Lilith?

a.  A Brief Answer to the Question.

Lilith (sometimes spelled “Lillith”) is a myth or legend.  Briefly, the story teaches Adam had a wife before Eve and her name was Lilith.  Evidently Lilith was a modern feminist for she had no interest in submitting to her husband.  Therefore she left him.  While there are several variations to the legend, Lilith is usually pictured as a wicked woman.   

b.  A More Detailed Answer.

For those who wish more information on Lilith, there are many books containing the story.  In fact, the story varies somewhat from one telling to another.  The following, however, is the more detailed answer I give to those who ask about Lilith.

(1)  According to the legend, God created man and woman on the 6^th day of creation but that woman was not Eve. 

(2)  He created Adam from the dust of the ground and brought the animals before him to be named.  Time and time again, Adam saw the animals in pairs, male and female.  He became jealous of the love these pairs shared for one another  (some interpretations of this myth claim Adam even tried to copulate with the female of each species!).

(3)  Adam cried out to God that he needed a proper mate.  So God then formed Lilith also using the dust as He had done with Adam. 

(4)  Some teach that Adam and Lilith’s union produced an innumerable amount of demons that still trouble men today.  Others teach Lilith, after leaving Adam, had sex with Satan and that’s where the demons originated.

(5)  This 1^st couple never had any peace together.  During sexual relations, Lilith did not want to lie beneath Adam because she viewed herself as his equal (both were formed from the dust).  As a result, Lilith left Adam.

(6)  Adam again complained to God, indicating a need for another helpmate.  God sent 3 angels to bring Lilith back.  They found her by the Red Sea (some say she was producing demons at the rate of 100 a day!).  The angels demanded she return to Adam or they would drown her.  Lilith refused and, after some debating with the angels, they finally left her.

(7)  Several variations of the story exist to explain the appearance of Eve.  The bottom line is that Adam needed a mate and God ultimately used one of Adam’s ribs to form Eve.

(8)  Some accounts of this myth have Lilith appearing in other Biblical accounts.  For example, some claim she is the demon who killed Job’s children.  Others claim she became the queen of Sheba with whom Solomon met.

2.  Is there any Scriptural Support for Lilith?

The short answer is “NO”.  Nevertheless, supporters of the myth use certain passages in their attempt to prove the existence of Lilith.

a.  Isaiah 34:14 – The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) translation of the original Hebrew reads:

“Wildcats shall meet with hyenas, goat-demons shall call to each other, there too Lilith shall repose, and find a place to rest.”

Other translations render “Lilith” as “screech owl” or “night bird” or some other similar phrase.

The original (Hebrew) word is pronounced “Lilith”.  Quoting from Gesenius’ Lexicon concerning this word:

“… a nocturnal spectre, which had, according to the rabbins, the form of a beautiful woman, and lay wait for children by night.  …  It is really lamentable that any one could connect the word of God with such utter absurdity; many understand this nocturnal creature spoken of to be simply the screech owl.”

b.  Genesis 1:26-28 and Genesis 2:18-25

These two passages teach the creation of man.  To those who hold to the Lilith myth, Genesis 1 reveals the creation of Adam and Lilith while the Genesis chapter 2 passage is the creation of Eve.

What they fail to mention is that the context of Genesis 2 includes the creation of Adam.  Is this Adam different from the one created in Genesis 1?  If not then why do two separate creation narratives teach the creation of 1 man but 2 women?

Anyone who has spent some time studying Genesis 1 and 2 understand that Genesis 1 is simply a summary of God’s creative work.  Since the Scripture is God’s revelation to man and the work of Christ is the redemption of man, a more detailed explanation of the creation of man (and woman) is in order.  So Genesis 2 retells the creation of mankind in a more specific way.  There are two accounts but the creation of one man (Adam) and one woman (Eve).  Lilith is nowhere to be found.

3.  How did Such a Legend Begin?

Around the time of Christ, the Jews attempted to explain what appeared to be contradictions or inconsistencies with the Scriptures (e.g., Old Testament).  They developed a complex system of interpretation called the midrash.  One of the supposed inconsistencies was the two separate accounts of creation found in Genesis 1 and 2. 

Similar questions were addressed by the Jewish mystical literature of the 13^th century known as the Kabbalah.  In various publications dating from the 9^th to the 13^th century, the legend of Lilith appears to develop.  These works include “The Alphabet of Ben Sira” (probably compiled in the 11^th century) and “The Book of Splendour”, a Kabbalah work of the 13^th century.

Lilith appears in various pieces of literature, even in Goethe’s 19^th century work “Faust”. Lilith is part of the conversation between Faust and Mephistopheles.  While I never watched the show, I understand the TV sitcom “Cheers” had a character named Lilith who appeared to be modeled after the woman of this myth.  Furthermore, modern feminists have adopted Lilith as the symbol for their philosophy.

4.  Conclusion

While it is an interesting myth, that is all Lilith is:  a myth.  She and the account of her life is nowhere to be found in the Scripture.  She did not exist; she was never real; the stories are untrue.

I would recommend those who are fascinated by Lilith pick up their Bibles and become more interested in the revelation GOD has given to us rather than spending time in legends men have provided.

Is Satan in Genesis 3?

Is Satan in Genesis 3?

Summarizing Genesis chapter 3, the serpent appears to Eve in the Garden of Eden and tempts her by (1) questioning God’s Word (v. 1, “Did God actually say”) and (2) questioning God’s character (v. 4, “You will not surely die”). Eve is deceived, eats from the forbidden tree, gives the fruit to her husband, and he also eats. As a result of their sin, they are awakened to their nakedness and attempt to provide a covering for their own sin (v. 7). Then, when God makes an appearance, their rebellion and guilt is evidenced by their attempt to hide from Him (v. 8). God gives them an opportunity to confess their sin but Adam blames Eve (and God) and Eve blames the serpent (vv. 12-13). God then pronounces judgment upon the serpent, then Eve, and, lastly, Adam (vv. 14-19). The chapter ends with God providing the only proper covering of sin, namely, an innocent substitutionary blood sacrifice (v. 21), and forces the couple from the Garden to keep them away from the Tree of Life (vv. 22-24).


It is often claimed that the temptation of Adam and Eve was the work of Satan, the father of lies, the deceiver, the devil. Yet this being is never mentioned in the story of Genesis 3. So is Satan in Genesis 3?

I see three possible answers to the question:

1. No, Satan is not present in Genesis 3. The temptation is the work of an animal, a serpent.
2. Yes, the serpent in chapter 3 is actually Satan.
3. Yes, the serpent in chapter 3 is an actual animal but is being used by Satan to tempt mankind.

I dismiss the first possibility outright. Nothing in Scripture indicates the sin we see in the world is the result of the temptation of a sinful animal. Animals, unlike man, do not have the ability of fellowship with God because they are not created in the Imago Dei. Scripture never speaks of animals possessing a moral faculty, an ability to make moral choices, such as rebelling against God. So, apart from some evil outside entity, no serpent would have ever come to Adam and Eve, talked with them, and tempted them to sin.

Therefore, I conclude Satan is in the chapter. The question now remains, is Satan alone or is he using an actual serpent to accomplish his mission?

Based on Isaiah 14:12-14 and Ezekiel 28:12-15 (which I will not discuss here), we understand Satan to have been a heavenly spirit being, an angel, who, in his pride, rebelled against God and led other angels to do so as well. Satan and his cohorts were cast down to the earth (Ephesians 2:1 refers to him as the “prince of the power of the air”) and they have continually tempted and tormented man. Revelation 12:9 records, “And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.” Revelation 20:2 also refers to him as “the dragon, that ancient serpent”.

The references to Satan as “that ancient serpent” directly connect the thoughts of Revelation with Genesis 3. The phrase “the deceiver of the whole world” is also an allusion to the time when he, indeed, deceived the whole world, namely, the time when he deceived Adam and Eve which, as a result, led to the fall of all mankind.

Furthermore, the proclamation made by God as part of the judgment upon the serpent in Genesis 3:15 certainly extend beyond the simple understand of a man bruising the head of some serpent. The offspring of woman bruising the head of the serpent is a far more serious injury than the bruising of the man by the serpent. God is not simply talking about men killing snakes here. Given the references in Revelation 12 and 20, it appears obvious the serpent’s offspring in Genesis 3:15 is a reference to Satan himself.

The “offspring of woman” also implies a son born without a human father and, therefore, is a picture of Christ. God is communicating to the first humans there is hope for mankind against this tempter. One will come who will deal a deadly blow to the head of the serpent, namely, Satan. Did Christ actually accomplish such a task?

The Scriptures clearly say “yes”. Hebrews 2:14 reads, “...he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil.” John writes, “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.” (1 John 3:8) Jesus said, “Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out.” (John 12:31) Paul, speaking of Christ’s work on the cross, writes, “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” (Colossians 2:15) And, because of Christ’s victory over Satan, those who are His true followers no longer have to listen to the temptations of the devil. (James 4:7)

Finally, I also believe there is an actual, physical serpent in the Genesis 3 account. God’s judgment against the serpent in Genesis 3:14 calls for the serpent to live on his belly forever. Obviously, this reference can not be to Satan since he does not possess a physical body. Hence, this part of the curse must be applied to an animal, an actual serpent which Satan has used in order to tempt Adam and Eve that day in the garden.

That is why I hold to the 3rd possible answer to the question “Is Satan in Genesis 3?” Yes, he is. However, the serpent in chapter 3 is an actual animal being used by Satan to tempt mankind.