About this episode
In Job 12 we have a continuation of his response to Zophar. This chapter tells us Job accepts that all that has happened to him is from the Almighty (Shaddai - a Hebrew word which expresses two different aspects of God's character - it means "the destroyers" and also, "the nourishers"). In chapter 42verses11 we are told that Job's suffering was from God. Job starts chapter 12 with supreme sarcasm, "No doubt you (my 3 friends) are the people, and wisdom will die with you" ESV verse 1; i.e. you're know-alls so why should I, Job, bother talking to you. Can't you see the wicked also prospering, he contends. In verse 10 we have another Hebrew parallelism i.e. the first expression meaningfully correlates to the second - the life of the beasts equates to the breath of humanity (Ecclesiastes 3verses19).
Nahum was an Elkoshite from the southern kingdom of Judah. His name means "comfort" (a similar idea to the "parakletos" - Comforter of the New Testament). Jesus made Capernaum (city of comfort, or consolation) his base of operations in Galilee. The comfort of the prophecy of Nahum was that Judah's oppressor would be dealt with by the Almighty. The book was written between 624 AD and
612 AD when Nineveh was overthrown by Babylon. As Egyptian power declined from the middle of the 7th century BC Assyria rose to prominence. Firstly, Nineveh and then Babylon assumed the dominant position in the threatening Assyrian development. Then in 612 BC Babylon conquered Nineveh and she no longer had a rival. Judah rejoiced for although the Babylonians, who God would bring against them in His chastisement, were exceedingly cruel they were more humane than their Ninevite brothers. Chapter 1 of Nahum deals with the Almighty's wrath against Nineveh. Verse 2 describes God's jealousy - Nineveh had been the nation who had brought the LORD's punishment upon God's guilty people. But the Assyrians had delighted in the cruelty meted out on Israel. Israel's Sovereign demonstrated His power
over nature. When Yahweh is aroused to judge who can withstand His might. But after chastisement has been given our Potentate will compassionately pardon His people and destroy their oppressors. Chapter 2 details the destruction of Nineveh. All of Nineveh's powerful defenders and defences would be useless against the coming Babylonian onslaught. The panic within Nineveh is graphically portrayed. Colourful and emotional language describes the chaos experienced by the Ninevites. The den of the former ravening lion has itself become plundered.
James 5 concludes this letter from the half-brother of our Lord Jesus Christ. Verses 1-6 contain a warning to the rich. We remember that in chapter 2 the poor were showing favour to their rich oppressors but, as chapter 5 tells us, the time of reckoning had arrived. The soldiers of Rome, who had encircled Jerusalem in 70 AD, had heard that the rich had swallowed their gems in an attempt to escape with some of their wealth. So, when
