READING FOR MAY 11, 2026: NAHUM 2, 2 CORINTHIANS 11, PSALM 40:9-17
NAHUM 2 If for some reason anyone skipped reading this chapter and jumped only to this guide, go back and read it. It is a unique and almost poetic description of God in battle against Nineveh. There might not be another such battle description in all of literature. The attackers that history records in this battle apparently are the Medes and the Babylonians, but the ultimate force utilizing these nations is the God of Israel.
God appears to be trash-talking, in a very artistic manner, to Nineveh, telling them to get ready for what’s about to hit them. He even provides the outcome before He commences the battle: He will restore Jacob, even though Nineveh had decimated Judah and Israel.
As God approaches the city, He describes the impressive display of military might of the attackers: the warriors in their uniforms dyed in scarlet (image for blood), the chariots flashing with steel, the spears poised for throwing, and the overall dizzying movement. Then the offi- cers hurry up the wall and open the river gates to flood the city. The palace is shaken, the city is stripped of its riches, and people are taken captive. Cries of lament are heard throughout.
Though the city had been secure and at peace, now everyone abandons it. Its immense wealth is plundered, leaving nothing of value. All its citizens experience physically visible panic. In verses 11-12 God sarcastically asks, “Where is the den of lions that had killed so much prey?” God answers in verse 13 that, because He was against them, they will no longer threaten anyone. The Bible stresses that God is love. But it also reminds us that He is not to be trifled with: “Worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire” (Heb. 12: 28-29). Don’t allow smooth-talking teachers to convince you otherwise.
2 CORINTHIANS 11 Paul asks the Corinthians to bear with him in this chapter while he expresses some rather personal feelings. Do we have friends with whom we can share like this? It seems increasingly rare these days. Paul thinks of himself as a spiritual matchmaker between the Corinthians and God. He confesses, though, he fears Satan might trick them away from their relationship with the Lord, just as he did with Eve so long ago. We should take Paul’s concern seriously. Satan has not lost any of his subtilty. Just as then, he is able to make what God has clearly called sin to appear good and acceptable. Paul is pleading with us not to deviate from what he has taught about Jesus. It would be hard to build a case that salvation can’t be lost from his letter. The former anchor Lester Holt signed off each NBC nightly newscast with a comment appropriate to holding onto our salvation: “Take care of yourself and each other.”
READINGS FOR MAY 11, 2026 CONTINUED: 2 CORINTHIANS 11, PSALM 40:9-17 Perhaps for the first time, Paul informs them that he subsisted on the donations from other churches in order to preach the Gospel to them for free. He somewhat sarcastically asks, is this proof that he did not love them? He again warns that false teachers are hard to spot. Do we know the truth given to us through the apostles’ teachings or are we only vaguely familiar?
As evidence of his almost desperation that they not fall away, he reluctantly recounts his credentials as a credible spokesman for God—a spiritual resume. On a related issue, let’s ask ourselves, why would Paul undergo such tumultuous hardships if he thought all people would go to heaven whether they heard and accepted the Gospel or not? What are we willing to do to share the Gospel with those loved ones who still don’t know or don’t believe?
PSALM 40:9-17 David makes a great point in verse 9: he proclaims the good news of righteousness among God’s people. We must keep in the front of our minds that righteousness is connected with gladness, not the drab existence sometimes portrayed in popular culture. In Brian Tabb’s article about the book of Philippians, he writes, “The Apostle Paul uses the Greek words for joy and rejoicing sixteen times in only 104 verses. And yet he writes from a dingy Roman prison.” David says, don’t hide this little-known truth from others. Be verbal about our salvation. Yes, evils without number surround us (vs. 12). Yes, our sins are many (vs. 12). Satan tells us we are thus too flawed to talk about our faith. David instead prays for God’s deliverance and victory over Satan’s forces. David tells those of us who truly seek God (and we wouldn’t be studying this if we weren’t) and those who love God’s salvation (the Gospel of Jesus Christ) to REPEAT CONTINUALLY THE FOLLOWING WORDS AFTER HIM:
“THE LORD BE MAGNIFIED.”
