Abide: Nahum; Habakkuk; Zephaniah

Joseph Stuart: Power as is held by humans is shifting malleable and subject to change based upon the climate in which it is created and resides. It is crucial though to remember that God's power is constituted in the priesthood is quite different from earthly power. It is operated upon powers of righteousness and is held by a perfect being who has our best interests at heart. In today's episode of A Biden Maxwell Institute podcast, we explore power and its earthly manifestations and divine wielding, and much, much more. My name is Joseph Stuart, I'm the Public Communication Specialist at the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship at Brigham Young University. Kristian Heal is a research fellow at the Maxwell Institute. And each week we discussed the week's block of reading from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ “Come, Follow Me” curriculum. We aren't here to present a lesson but rather to hit on a few key themes from the scripture block so as to help fulfill the maximum Institute's mission to inspire and fortify Latter-day Saints and their testimonies of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and engage the world of religious ideas. Today, we are once again joined by Truman Callens, one of our research assistants, and an Ancient Near-Eastern Studies major at BYU from Seattle, Washington. After he graduates, he plans to attend graduate school to study theology and ancient texts. Welcome back, Truman.

Truman Callens: It's good to be here. Thank you.

Joseph Stuart: We of course are thrilled to have you here. So, Truman, what is going on in the book of Nahum?

Truman Callens: The book of Nahum, as the very first verse tells us is a prophecy concerning Nineveh, the capital of Syria and the empirical power at at the time, and it's worthy to note that the book of name is not a warning to Nineveh, nor is it a call to repentance. These words are delivered solely to the people of Israel as a proclamation of the unavoidable and imminent downfall of a Syria. They were a reason for celebration for the people of Israel. The book starts, however, with chapter one, a poem about the Lord and His nature, reminding us of the many things we've learned thus far throughout the Old Testament and preparing the reader for the judgment and power displayed by the Lord in chapters two and three. Chapters two and three of the book of Nahum then bear the burden of detailing the destruction of Nineveh in both metaphorically symbolic and quiet graphic ways. I think what catches the attention of readers most from the book of Nahum is its unparalleled brutality. It is common for moderators to recoil from these chapters. When faced with the lack of mercy shown toward Nineveh, though the Lord is said to be good and slow to anger in the first chapter, only unrestrained violence and destruction is shown to Nineveh with no call to repentance, or chance at redemption. And obviously, for many Christians, this doesn't line up with their New Testament view of deity.

Joseph Stuart: I think that's very safe to say, what are some of the things that you took away this week and your study of the book of Nahum?

Truman Callens: I think there's a lot to take away from the book of Nahum. However, I don't think there's anything from the content itself that we can't learn from from other places in the Old Testament, it pulls a lot on things that we've already known from previous books and previous teachings in the Old Testament and reiterates those, I would like to highlight a couple of things that we can learn about the nature of scripture from the book of Nineveh, and number one is about the nature of prophetic literature. The hymn is a perfect illustration of how prophetic literature, especially poetic prophetic literature is in large part a reflection of emotion. And I think this will help people cope with the reality of the violence of the Book of Abraham. These are not the exact words of God. These are the prophets words, expressing a revelation that he has received by unknown means. We don't know in what form Nam received this revelation, we only get how he's expressing it, and his expression is going to be colored by his emotion and the general emotion of the people. Now the brutality of Assyria surpassed that of what any other nation had done or seen up to this point, it was unspeakable. And the prophetic poetry is an outlet for the feelings of extreme fear and oppression that had been laid upon the people and reflects the brutality of Assyria back onto them. And though the revelation we don't know this, but though the revelation received by Nahum may have been an objective view of the imminent future, a tone of celebration and revenge was added in the delivery of the Oracle. The point being that a lot of prophetic literature in the Bible are the words of God combined with the feelings of the people. And we can learn a lot about the people of the Bible by looking at the prophetic literature of their culture.

Joseph Stuart: I think about how Joseph Smith called language, a narrow little prison, how it is difficult to describe exactly what is going on, and especially when prompted by the Holy Ghost in the spirit of revelation to give the word of God in a way that is both responsible and that is going to carry the test of time. For instance, I think back to historical episodes, where leaders may have said things differently if they had understood how the violence used in their language would have been used to justify by further violence, I also think that it is very helpful to consider that God's ways are not our ways that we need to consider that, that through revelation and through priesthood authority, we received direction for what to do. But it does not mean that it is always conveyed perfectly in the way that God would happen. To me, this is tremendously comforting. It provides a way for us to have the humility to approach God for help and to continue to be humble even as we receive revelation to ensure that we're doing the best with it that we can. I think it's also crucial to remember that God's Will isn't always given through a single person. We of course, cherish that we have a prophet that we thank God for him. But we still have the opportunity to receive revelation to learn how to act by ourselves.

Truman Callens: It's important to know that the entirety of God's word will or nature isn't contained in a single oracle. These books, especially the books of the 12, minor prophets, that we're looking at right now often represent certain aspects of the divine rule of God. That's why it's important to look at the whole corpus of the Bible and also that specifically right now the corpus of the 12 Minor Prophets in conjunction with each other. What we're probably looking at in Nahum is a piece that has been selected to be where it is for a specific purpose. For example, the theologian Walter C. Kaiser suggested that names prophecy was a compliment to Jonah, for whereas Jonah celebrated God's mercy. They have marked the relentless march of the judgment of God against all sinners worldwide. As we see the books are placed in conversation with each other to teach about the entire nature of God, one book isolated is not going to give us a clearer picture of God. But all together, the illustration starts taking shape.

Kristian Heal: Up the idea that scripture is in conversation with itself, and that we can join that conversation. We can see by reading carefully, our voices are engaging with each other, and how we want to engage with those voices. I think an earlier episode, we've kind of looked at Abraham as a model of kind of talking back to God. And so we see us talking about to God prophets talking with each other, and realize that we come to write knowledge as a community of believers, rather than as the result of a single kind of monolithic voice. It's a really lovely insight.

Joseph Stuart: Yes, thanks very much, Truman. Kristian, as we turn to Habakkuk, what is going on in this book of scripture?

Kristian Heal: The book of Habakkuk is a dialogue with God, appropriately after a last comment on the eve of the Babylonian invasion, the whole book turns on notions of perceived and real power on justice and injustice. Those who oppress the poor in Judah think that they have real power but compared to the gathering Babylonian army, their power is nothing the mighty Babylonian army seems in dominance role, but the Holy One is greater than all of the powers. They are just instruments in the hands to chase in the house of Israel when they forget that God, chapter one opens with the Prophets complaints against God, that injustice prevails, he begins like a psalmist how long Oh, Lord, shall I cry out and you not listen? I suspect we've all felt this sense of helpless urgency in the face of a seemingly intolerable injustice. I certainly have. God's response is a description of the gathering Babylonian strength, this does not seem to satisfy the Prophet, it resumes his complaint. Again, at the heart of the matter is injustice. Why do you countenance treachery and standby idle while the one in the wrong devours the one in the right? Chapter Two opens with the Prophet patiently or maybe defiantly, waiting and watching for an answer from the Lord. When the Lord replies he does so with an admonition to the Prophet to write down his words so that they can be read and shared. He begins with an affirmation that the righteous man is rewarded with life for his fatality. The main body of the response is a series of five passages, beginning with the formula are you in the Jewish Publication Society version or woe to him in the King James Version, each of which denounces the enemy of Justice, the language is fierce and clear. God is not happy with those who exploit others for their own gain. Or as with the loss of these passages who are unfaithful to their God and worship idols. The Prophet, now satisfied that God will sustain the correct order of things, offers a Psalm of praise to God, which is found in chapter three. The psalm evokes ancient ideas about God as a warrior and as a creator who tamed the forces of chaos, so as to remind the audience that however far the world seems to have descended into chaos, God is mightier than that chaos. Israel's God is the God of creation and the God of nature. Pestilence marches before him and plague comes forth at his heels. There are a few moments in our lives as humans, when we feel like in significance more than in the face of the forces of nature. When earthquakes, tsunamis, pandemics, floods, or fires face us, evoking such forces adds vital perspective and an implicit response to the question that opens this book.

Joseph Stuart: So in this brief book, it seems that there's a lot going on what message or messages do you take away from Habakkuk?

Kristian Heal: I walk away from reading habit with two messages in my pocket, as it were. The first is about timing. The book opens with the Prophet asking how long Oh, Lord, shall I cry out and you're not listen, but by the end of the book, the prophet declares, yet oh, wait calmly. What separates these two sentiments is a better sense of God's timing. This is captured especially well, in chapter two, verse three, but there is yet a prophecy for a set term, a truthful witness for a time that will come. Even if it Terri's wait for it still, for it will surely come without delay. Habakkuk learns that sometimes the promised end the long awaited blessing, the long hoped for relief does not come when we expect or even want it. But he learns. Even if it tarries, wait for it still, which changes everything in my life is felt like the cry of how long is often an inflection point. There have been several times when the long awaited help is just around the corner from that cry. I have noticed that especially when my cry of how long has been followed by my frustrated and Miss timed action. I then got to see that God had a better plan for me than the one I produced by my frustration. I'm learning to be more patient and to trust that God is constantly working for my good, and even perhaps, especially when I don't see it. The other thing that separates these two sentiments is a growing reassurance of God's power and faithfulness, God's power and faithfulness can sometimes get obscured or overshadowed, especially in our extremities. But remembering God's power and faithfulness changes our relationship to the world. The events of the world, happen against the grandeur of God's eternal purposes, instead of the other way round. That seems to be the sentiment behind Habakkuk 317 through 18, which reads though the fig tree does not bad, and no yield is on the vine. Though the olive crop has failed and the fields produce no grain, their sheep have vanished from the fold and no cattle are in the pen. yet will I rejoice in the Lord exalt in the God who delivers me, once we remember God's power and faithfulness, we can deal with all of the other failures in our lives.

Joseph Stuart: That's a really lovely verse. Thank you for sharing it. Kristian. We're now turning to the last book and the three minor prophets that were reading today the book of Zephaniah, what's going on here.

Kristian Heal: Zephaniah prophesied in the days of King Josiah, the great reformer. So in the second half of the seventh century BCE, the three chapters of his book, pack quite a punch. The opening chapter is almost unmatched in the severity in totality of the rear and prophesied against Judah, the day of the Lord is at hand says in chapter one, verse seven, and it is a day of destruction, I will utterly sweep away everything from the face of the earth. This dramatic opening suggests the kind of determined clean slate that we last saw with the flood, and this seems to be the kind of destruction that precedes renewal. Before the destruction comes. However, there is a call to repentance in the opening of chapter two, and then harsh prophetic judgments against the nation's those who watched Judas' destruction with relish taunting them will be destroyed. In turn, the Lord proclaims, I've heard the tones of Moab, and there are vile things of the Ammonites, how they have taunted my people and made boasts against their territory. The day of the Lord is also the day on which the nations are humbled for their mistreatment of God's ancient covenant people. Last of all, judgment comes against Jerusalem at the beginning of chapter three, God's promises to Jerusalem and the Davidic line meant that some thought inviolable and that prophets are acting against God if they predict its downfall. But this is not so God's people are only protected to the extent that they're obedient. Jerusalem was no longer Zion, but a soiled, defiled, oppressing city. It says at the beginning of chapter three, its officials overreached, its judges like ravenous wolves, its profits, faithless and its priests offend the laws, they were called to serve. Jerusalem has not trusted in the Lord. It is not drawn nearer to its God. However, there is hope. The last half of Chapter Three describes a future messianic age when the king of Israel, the Lord is in their midst, the book ends in a completely different place than it begins. At that time. It says in chapter three, verse 20, I will bring you home, at the time when I gather you pray will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes, says the Lord.

Joseph Stuart: What stuck out to you this time as significant while you read Zephaniah?

Kristian Heal: The ending of the book reminds me of those lovely words from Paul, “Eye has not seen nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love Him.” God is faithful and generous. And as King Benjamin says, all that He requires of you is to keep His commandments. And he has promised you that if you would keep His commandments, you should prosper in the land. And he never does vary from that what she had said, Therefore, if you do keep His commandments, he does bless you and prosper you. God wants to give us all that he has. And all that He requires of you is what he's faithful to His promises and covenants. And all that He requires of us is, we have to sit still with God to find the answer to that question, what He requires of us, it may be the same as King Benjamins. Or it may be something specific, it may change over time. The other message of the book for me is that God persisted with Israel through a cycle of punishment and renewal. They were his covenant people, and he never abandoned them. He even promised them that he would come and dwell in their midst. This is what God promises and all of his actions throughout the scriptures are intended to help bring about these promises for his children.

Joseph Stuart: A beautiful place for us to end today. Have a blessed week, y'all.

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