Podcasts about assyrians

In chapter 5 Eliphaz continues his first talk. He says that, although the fool appears to prosper this is only for a time. As verse 7 indicates, the trouble for which that type of person was born will soon come upon them. This is not the case for the upright, contends Eliphaz. In verse 17 the words of Eliphaz are directed at Job - "Behold, blessed is the one whom God reproves; therefore, despise not the discipline of the Almighty" (Hebrews 12verses5-11). The supposed friend is saying, since you are suffering greatly your secret sin must be great; so be grateful for the chastisement that has come from God. And when you repent you will find lasting peace. The prophecy of Micah related to the period BC 787 to BC 721. Chapter 1 tells of the kings whose reign the prophecy spanned; and include an allusion to the earthquake of BC 786 - once more establishing Micah's authority as Yahweh's prophet (cp Deuteronomy 18). The prophet Micah was from a rural area - Moresheth. Verses 2-16 tell of the coming destruction, and like the pattern in Amos, the following chapter outlines the reasons for this judgment. The prophet Micah was a contemporary of the prophet Amos. Both prophets extensively use the device of ascending numeration - i.e. if (x) is sufficient, then (x+1) will be more than enough. Our God is beyond "sufficient", He is super abundant - Exodus 34verses6-7 “Abounding in steadfast love (chesed) and faithfulness (eduth) .. keeping steadfast love (chesed) for thousands" ESV; compare also the thoughts of 2 Corinthians 8 and 9. Verse 2 echoes Isaiah 1verses2, and once again we are dealing with two contemporary prophets - Micah to the northern kingdom of Israel; and Isaiah the southern kingdom of Judah. By contrast to Micah Isaiah was the prophet in Jerusalem who was constantly able to advise the king. The language of Yahweh coming out of His place to judge is prominent among the prophets of this era. Micah declared that Yahweh will roar out of His place against the idols in showing His wrath. Israel's wounds were incurable and so God was left with no alternative, but to execute justice. From verses 10 to the chapter's end is an itinerary of the path the Assyrians took on their March through the Land. It is also a great play on words, i.e. tell it not in tell town; then, in the house of dust, roll yourselves in dust... v16 make yourselves bald like the bald eagle etc. After the conqueror had taken the prophesied route the foe would then take the population of the northern kingdom to exile in Assyria. Chapter 11 of Hebrews is about "by faith"verses what can be accomplished; chapter 12 "with hope”verses patiently enduring; chapter 13 "in love" the abiding overarching necessity for believers - these 3 (compare 1 Corinthians 13verses13; Galatians 5verses5-6)). The writer completed the book on the great and lofty themes of God's Word. All good translations convey the sense of Hebrews 11 verses 1-3, that faith tells us that the framing, or adjusting, of this world's ages has been done with our Lord Jesus Christ in mind. Faith is the reality, substance, of the things being hoped for. Without faith, hope and love we would find ourselves living in a meaningless world. The chapter could also be called "Faith's family". From verses 4-7 the writer takes us to the roots of this family and looks at what was done by faith before the flood. Abel commences the list, and his name means "futility" - that is the human position apart from God (but with God all things are possible). Abel offered what God asked i.e. what God wanted. It cost Abel his life (as it had, and would still, cost the lives of the faithful readers of this book should they stand firm for their faith). But faith gave Abel an abiding and eternal life guaranteed by God. Similarly, Enoch's life was threatened by Lamech, whose power could not match that of our Almighty Sovereign. Verse 6 should be read slowly and pondered, "Without faith it is not possible to please God; for the ones who come to Him must wholeheartedly believe two things - God is; and He becomes a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him". Noah was warned of God about a coming flood, when as yet it had not even rained on earth. The readers were likewise being threatened to be overwhelmed by an impending and tumultuous unstoppable Roman tide, and if they were without God's provided ark (Christ) they could not survive. By faith Noah built the ark to save his family, commencing this labour 20 years before having any family. Consider Abraham and Sarah (Vv8-12). They, says the prophet Isaiah, were the human founding source of faith's family (51verses1-2). Both of them left a life of luxury to faithfully follow He who had promised them a land and city with foundations (verses 9-16; cp also Hebrews 6verses13-20). The writer shows that all the Father's family died in faith awaiting their future reward at Christ's coming. The book's readers, likewise, had in Jerusalem no continuing city; but were seeking the one which their God was building; and by faith they would constitute that city (Psalm 87). It was by faith (verses 17-19) that Abraham was able to offer,   as a sacrifice, the heir of the promises. Abraham was fully and firmly convinced that Isaac would be resurrected. The members of the patriarchal family demonstrated their faith, often in small and simple ways - faith is frequently shown in the little things (verses 20-22). Moses' faith was evident when God used Moses to deliver Israel from Egypt. Faith gave Moses the capacity to endure suffering. Moses looked, not on what seemed to be, but believed what the Omnipotent had promised (so must the readers' faith sustain them in their trials). Faith brought Israel through the Red Sea (and it sustained would see them rewarded in the Promised Land). The writer says time was insufficient to keep naming the members of faith's family (verses 32-38); but consider the power of faith to sustain enduring trust in God to live faithfully in a godless world. And all of these together with us will receive the reward of the faithful when our Lord Jesus Christ comes to set up his kingdom on earth (verse 39). Thanks for joining us - we pray you found these comments helpful in your appreciation of God's words, join again tomorrow 

Our story picks up with Joash (the hidden royal) being brought forth at the age of seven and hailed as the king of Judah followed by the death of Athaliah. Peace reigns in Judah as we see over 100 years of four fairly "good" kings reigning in Judah from 835-731 B.C. These kings started well but didn't always finish well: Joash, Amaziah, Uzziah and Jotham. King Joash     ⁃    Takes the kingship at age 7     ⁃    Jehoiada, the High Priest, is Joash's mentor, advisor and instructor     ⁃    Spiritual reformation was taking place across Judah as Joash starts out so well with Jehoiada as his advisor -  until Jehoiada's death     ⁃    Joash then gets new advisors (2 Chronicles 24:17-18) and they led him astray, worshiping idols and God's anger came.     ⁃    Zechariah is the High Priest after Jehoiada. Zechariah was Jehoiada's son. He tells Joash and his new advisors of their sin against God, so they plot to kill him. 2 Chronicles 24:20. Zechariah is stoned to death.     ⁃    Hazael is victorious in bottles over Judah     ⁃    Then Joash's assignation follows Amaziah      ⁃    Amaziah is Joash's son - Amaziah starts well but doesn't finish well, following the pattern of his father.     ⁃    Mercenaries come from Israel     ⁃    Amaziah is given victory as he acts on the words of God through a prophet.  2 Chronicles 25:9      ⁃    But then Amaziah brings idols back from that victory. 2 Chronicles 25:15. Again a prophet comes to Amaziah to warn him, but this time Amaziah doesn't listen.      ⁃    He is then defeated by Jehoash, king of Israel and he too is assassinated. King Uzziah (also known as Azariah)     ⁃    Uzziah is Amaziah's son. 2 Chronicles 26:4-5 tells that he had godly counsel and as long as he sought the Lord, God gave him success.     ⁃    He was an extremely capable king     ⁃    Ruled for 52 years     ⁃    In Israel, Jeroboam II was ruling. Uzziah and Jeroboam II expanded both nations to the original size of the kingdom at the time of David and Solomon.     ⁃    New prophets arise during the reign of Jeroboam II and Uzziah: Jonah, Amos, Hosea and Isaiah     ⁃    Their kingdoms experienced the glory days of David and Solomon     ⁃    But then Uzziah does not finish well. His pride went to his head and he usurped the role of the priests in burning the incense and immediately gets leprosy.  2 Chronicles 26:16-17 King Jotham     ⁃    Uziah's son, Jotham becomes king of Judah. 2 Chronicles 27:2. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but the people, however, continued their corrupt practices.     ⁃    Battle with the Ammonites - Godly king who is victorious over the Ammonites. 2 Chronicles 27:6     ⁃    Prosperity & Spiritual decline begins. The renewal did not spread throughout all the people.      ⁃    We see the growing power of their enemy in Assyria Next week our story continues with the rise of the power of the Assyrians. Now What? Learn about God at https://www.awakeusnow.com EVERYTHING we offer is FREE. View live or on demand: https://www.awakeusnow.com/tuesday-bible-class Join us Sundays  https://www.awakeusnow.com/sunday-service Watch via our app. Text HELLO to 888-364-4483 to download our app.

Thoughts on the Bible Readings December 3rd (Job 3, 4; Jonah 4; Hebrews 10)The initial suffering of Job is intensified in chapters 3-41 as we are told of his education. Following the drift of the conversations and the unfolding drama in Job can be complex. Recommended reading to assist the above is available from CSSS -"The Education of Job" by David Baird. In chapter 3 Job is in such despair that he mourns his birth. Surely many of us have been there at some time in our life, but we should never lose hope - when we cannot help ourselves, God can and is willing and waiting for us to commit ourselves to Him in continual prayer. If it wasn't for the pathetic situation Job found himself in, the imagery and poetry is magnificent. One after another the metaphors of his tragedy are multiplied. Job 3verses13-19 tell us that in death people are unconscious and are as though they had never existed. From verses 20-26 the question is asked, "Would it have been better to have never existed, than to be enlightened and find oneself in the condition that Job now found himself?" Job 4 is about the response of Eliphaz who most likely was the eldest of Job's friends. The great error of his discourse that was widely believed at this time was, that God pays back people swiftly for their actions - right, or wrong. It is known as the doctrine of exact retribution. So, the argument of Eliphaz is that the innocent never suffer. And since you, Job, are suffering you must be guilty. Verse 7 is the key to Eliphaz's discourse. From verse 8 to the chapter's end Eliphaz says, this is what I have found in my experience. The record of the book of Job is not an endorsement of the beliefs of any of the friends. It is simply a record of what was said among them. In chapter 4 several of Eliphaz's views supposed spiritual views on the spiritual world are found to be false.Jonah 4 concludes the book with the mission, which God gave him, being accomplished. Yet Yahweh must still teach the prophet some important lessons. In those lessons we find a great contrast between our God's compassion and the prophet's anger. Jonah, still the great patriot who knew what God would bring upon guilty Israel through the Assyrians, said to his Sovereign, I should not have done what you asked, since You are true to Your revealed character. God now will re-educate His prophet. Jonah left the city in a bad mood brooding on what would follow. The temperature intensely rose and Jonah's misery increased. And so, Yahweh in His kindness caused a gourd grow to rapidly and shade the prophet. Jonah was thankful for this. But then, just as quickly a grub destroyed the gourd. Jonah was outraged and complained to God, who told the prophet that the Almighty had worked two miracles, as was His right, to teach Jonah that Assyria was God's and did not belong to the prophet. Even the animals of Nineveh were under God's care. Today, the modern city of Mosul is built on the site of ancient Nineveh. The Taliban constructed massive tunnels beneath the city. And though there is no record of where Jonah went, or what he did, after the book's end, archaeologists have found beneath the city of Nineveh a tomb with the inscription, "Nabi Yonas" (i.e. the prophet Jonah). So, it appears the lessons were learnt and the prophet continued to labour preaching God's Word to the Assyrians.

This is part of a lecture presented by historian Homer Abramian explainining on how, for the first time in recorded history, excavators such as Émile Botta and Austen Henry Layard uncovered the ruins of the Assyrian Empire in the mid-1800s. Their discoveries eventually led to the decipherment of cuneiform, opening the door for the world to learn about the ancient Assyrians.

Thoughts on the Bible Readings December 3rd (Job 3, 4; Jonah 4; Hebrews 10) The initial suffering of Job is intensified in chapters 3-41 as we are told of his education. Following the drift of the conversations and the unfolding drama in Job can be complex. Recommended reading to assist the above is available from CSSS -"The Education of Job" by David Baird. In chapter 3 Job is in such despair that he mourns his birth. Surely many of us have been there at some time in our life, but we should never lose hope - when we cannot help ourselves, God can and is willing and waiting for us to commit ourselves to Him in continual prayer. If it wasn't for the pathetic situation Job found himself in, the imagery and poetry is magnificent. One after another the metaphors of his tragedy are multiplied. Job 3verses13-19 tell us that in death people are unconscious and are as though they had never existed. From   verses 20-26 the question is asked, "Would it have been better to have never existed, than to be enlightened and find oneself in the condition that Job now found himself?" Job 4 is about the response of Eliphaz who most likely was the eldest of Job's friends. The great error of his discourse that was widely believed at this time was, that God pays back people swiftly for their actions - right, or wrong. It is known as the doctrine of exact retribution. So, the argument of Eliphaz is that the innocent never suffer. And since you, Job, are suffering you must be guilty. Verse 7 is the key to Eliphaz's discourse. From verse 8 to the chapter's end Eliphaz says, this is what I have found in my experience. The record of the book of Job is not an endorsement of the beliefs of any of the friends. It is simply a record of what was said among them. In chapter 4 several of Eliphaz's views supposed spiritual views on the spiritual world are found to be false. Jonah 4 concludes the book with the mission, which God gave him, being accomplished. Yet Yahweh must still teach the prophet some important lessons. In those lessons we find a great contrast between our God's compassion and the prophet's anger. Jonah, still the great patriot who knew what God would bring upon guilty Israel through the Assyrians, said to his Sovereign, I should not have done what you asked, since You are true to Your revealed character. God now will re-educate His prophet. Jonah left the city in a bad mood brooding on what would follow. The temperature intensely rose and Jonah's misery increased. And so, Yahweh in His kindness caused a gourd grow to rapidly and shade the prophet. Jonah was thankful for this. But then, just as quickly a grub destroyed the gourd. Jonah was outraged and complained to God, who told the prophet that the Almighty had worked two miracles, as was His right, to teach Jonah that Assyria was God's and did not belong to the prophet. Even the animals of Nineveh were under God's care. Today, the modern city of Mosul is built on the site of ancient Nineveh. The Taliban constructed massive tunnels beneath the city. And though there is no record of where Jonah went, or what he did, after the book's end, archaeologists have found beneath the city of Nineveh a tomb with the inscription, "Nabi Yonas" (i.e. the prophet Jonah). So, it appears the lessons were learnt and the prophet continued to labour preaching God's Word to the Assyrians.

There is ample archaeological and genetic evidence to confirm what became of the tribes of the Northern Kingdom after they were deported by the Assyrians.  As nomads, they were broadly known as Scythians, and they spread continuously over a large area.  These many nations would eventually become heralders of the gospel and will one day be reunited with Judah.  VF-2353 Watch, Listen and Learn 24x7 at PastorMelissaScott.com Pastor Melissa Scott teaches from Faith Center in Glendale. Call 1-800-338-3030 24x7 to leave a message for Pastor Scott. You may make reservations to attend a live service, leave a prayer request or make a commitment. Pastor Scott appreciates messages and reads them often during live broadcasts. Follow @Pastor_Scott on Twitter and visit her official Facebook page @Pastor.M.Scott. Download Pastor Scott's "Understand the Bible" app for iPhone, iPad and iPod at the Apple App Store and for Android devices in the Google Store. Pastor Scott can also be seen 24x7 on Roku and Amazon Fire on the "Understand the Bible?" channel. ©2025 Pastor Melissa Scott, Ph.D., All Rights Reserved

A Sermon for the Sunday Next Before Advent Jeremiah 23:5-8 & St. John 6:5-14 by William Klock As we come to the last Sunday in the Church Year, I've been reflecting on the scripture passages we've read these last twenty-two weeks of Trinitytide.  The first half of the Church Year walks us through the life and ministry of Jesus.  The second half, following Trinity Sunday, walks us through the life and ministry of the church.  The lessons remind us who we are and encourage us to be the people and the community that Jesus and the Spirit have made us.  Last week we were reminded that just as the old temple was the place where Israel found forgiveness and the presence of God, so the church—the new temple—is also to be the place where the world encounters the presence of God and the forgiveness that flows from the cross.  On All Saint's, just a few weeks ago, we heard the Beatitudes and were reminded of the character that Jesus and the Spirit have given us.  We are the community that is poor in spirit, that mourns sin and the fallenness of the world, the meek who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, and the peacemakers.  And thinking of all that, it's easy to feel overwhelmed.  Sometimes we fail.  A lot of the time it just feels like the pushback against us is overwhelming. I feel like Israel in the wilderness with temptation after temptation and enemy after enemy.  But then I think, wait a minute.  Even in the wilderness, God was with Israel.  I think of Moses, reiterating the torah, the law, to Israel as they were on the verge of finally entering the Holy Land, and as he called them to commit to the Lord's covenant—and he knew it seemed like an overwhelming thing to them—he said to them: You can do this.  It's not too hard.  It's not far off.  It's not in heaven that you have to go and bring it down.  It's not across the ocean, that you've got to send someone far away to fetch it.  God's word is near you.  It's in your heart and it's in your mouth so that you can do it.”  Even more, there was the Lord, present in a shining cloud of glory right in their midst—always present with them in the tabernacle.  Ready to forgive and to purify and to strengthen them to be the people he'd created and called them to be.  And if that was true of Israel and of her relationship with God in the Old Covenant—well, maybe I shouldn't be so discouraged.  Because, in Jesus, God has established something even better.  And so I pore over his word, and I pray, and I look forward to Sundays and his invitation to come feast at his Table. I find hope in the promise in the lesson we read today from Jeremiah.  It's a passage I think of a lot.  To a people who had failed, to a people broken and being carried off into exile, to a people who had lost his presence, the Lord promised: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.  In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.'  Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when they shall no longer say, ‘As the Lord lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt,' but ‘As the Lord lives who brought up and led the offspring of the house of Israel out of the north country and out of all the countries where he had driven them.' Then they shall dwell in their own land.” (Jeremiah 23:5-8) All of it is important, but the part that really gets me here is that promise that the Messiah would redefine what it meant to be God's people.  The Lord's deliverance of Israel from exile was the thing, the event that defined them as a people.  It was the event that they could hold onto as proof that the Lord was real and living and active, that he is faithful and worthy of trust.  That he makes good on his promises.  It was his gracious and loving deliverance of Israel from Egypt that motivated them to return his love and faithfulness with their own devotion and allegiance.  And yet, the Lord says, when the Messiah has done his work, it'll no longer be about Egypt and the exodus, but about the deliverance brought by the Messiah.  In hindsight, we can say that our existence as the people of God is defined by the cross and the empty tomb—by the body and blood of Jesus the Messiah shed for us.  The Passover, the meal that reminded the Jewish people of their identity of God's people, the meal through which each generation participated in that rescue from Pharaoh's bondage, was redefined by Jesus.  He took the Passover bread and the Passover wine and redefined them.  No longer do they represent deliverance from Egypt, but our deliverance from sin and death by his body broken and his blood poured out.  And Brothers and Sisters, in the midst of the wilderness; struggling to keep our baptismal vows to fight the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil; struggling to be faithful stewards of the gospel and the life of the Spirit, it ought to be strengthening to remember both what the Lord has done for us and that he is so closely with us. This is why the church gives us today's Gospel—the familiar story of Jesus feeding the five thousand.  For the last six months the lessons have been exhorting us to take up Jesus' yoke, to take up our crosses and to follow him.  And when we forget who we are and what the Lord has done for us it's easy to forget that Jesus has promised his yoke is easy and his burden is light, and that in taking up our crosses, he walks alongside us bearing his own.  He is with us in the wilderness.  And that's what today's Gospel is all about.  St. John, in the sixth chapter of his Gospel, writes: “Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming to him.  ‘Where are we going to buy bread,' he said to Philip, ‘so that they can have something to eat?'  (He said this to test him.  He himself knew what he intended to do.)  ‘Two hundred denarii,' replied Philip, ‘wouldn't be enough to buy bread for each of them to have just a little!'  One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, joined in.  ‘There's a boy here,' he said, ‘who's got five barley loaves and to fish.  But what use are they with this many people?'  ‘Make the men sit down,' said Jesus.  There was a lot of grass where they were, so the men sat down, about five thousand in all.  So Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and gave them to the people sitting down, and then did the same with the fish, as much as they wanted.  When they were satisfied, he called the disciples.  ‘Gather up the bits and pieces left over,' he said, ‘so that nothing is lost.'  So they collected it up and filled twelve baskets with the broken pieces of the five barley loaves left behind by the people who had eaten.  When the people saw the sign that Jesus had done, they said, ‘This truly is the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world. (John 6:5-14) Now, the lectionary leaves out the first four verses of the chapter.  Because of that we miss two important details.  The first is the time and the second is the place.  John tells us in verse 4 that “the Passover was at hand”.  Remember again what the Passover was all about.  Passover was the annual festival in which the Jews recalled the events of the Exodus—those events that Jeremiah points to as defining the very identity of Israel as the people of God.  I'll say it again, because it's important to understand: In the Exodus the Lord had delivered them from their Egyptian slavery, he had defeated Pharaoh and the gods of Egypt, he had given them his law and the tabernacle and had taken up his dwelling in their midst, and he had led them through the wilderness.  Each new generation of Jews, as they took part in the Passover meal, became participants in the events of the Exodus, in the establishing of the Lord's covenant.  The Exodus, commemorated by the Passover, was the defining event in Israel's life as the people of God.  So it's not just at the Last Supper, but throughout his ministry that Jesus takes the Passover and redefines it in terms of himself: his provision for the people, his body and blood, his cross and his resurrection leading a new people in an exodus from sin and death. The other important detail in those first verses is the place.  This took place on the far side of the Sea of Galilee.  Jesus has led the people into the wilderness and he's taken up his seat on a mountain.  Again, John stages the story using the imagery of the Exodus.  We have a great crowd of people in the wilderness.  John wants us to be thinking about Israel in the wilderness.  These people are hungry for supper, but there's no food to be had.  The only thing missing is the people grumbling to Moses.  But these people were just hungry to hear Jesus.  This time it's Jesus who realises the people's need before they realise it themselves.  That's something to take comfort in.  Jesus is looking after our needs before know them ourselves. Jesus turns to Philip and asks what's to be done to feed all these people.  Now, Philip—a good Jew whom I'm sure knew his people's story—should have recalled the manna in the wilderness, but he wasn't thinking of Jesus on that level just yet.  Andrew, on the other hand, has met a boy who happens to have brought a sack lunch: a couple of fish and five little loaves of bread.  Such a little bit of food might as well have bene nothing if you're thinking about distributing it to five thousand people.  But I don't think Andrew would have bothered telling Jesus about this boy and his lunch if he hadn't thought that Jesus could make use of it somehow.  What could Jesus possibly do with so little?  The situation seemed totally impossible, and yet the Lord had provided for his hungry people in the wilderness all those centuries before.  Why not again?  And so Andrew gives us a hopeful sign. Brothers and Sisters, this is how the people of God are called to respond in hopeless situations.  This how we're to depend on Jesus as he leads us through the wilderness—when our calling, our task, our vocation, when being the people he's made us seems so hard, when you feel like you can't carry your cross another step.  Don't grumble like Israel did.  Don't give up on God and put your faith in horses, chariots, foreign kings, and pagan gods like Israel did back in the days of Jeremiah.  The Lord has always been faithful to provide and he always will.  Andrew knew that.  I don't know if Andrew was thinking about it, but I think that as John wrote this, he was thinking about one particular event in Israel's past and about King Hezekiah.  The way John tells the story seems to deliberately echo the story of Hezekiah. Hezekiah was also in a hopeless situation.  The Assyrians had besieged Jerusalem.  The messenger of the Assyrian king called up to Hezekiah's men on the walls of the city that he would destroy them and that it would be because Hezekiah had purged Judah of its altars and shrines to the Assyrian gods.  The Assyrian king sent a message to Hezekiah, warning him that the Lord would not be able to deliver him.  Hezekiah no doubt had advisers who saw the situation as hopeless.  Some would have advised him to surrender to the Assyrians and to bow before their gods.  Others would have urged him to form an alliance with the Egyptians, which would have involved their gods as well.  To many, it would have seemed that Hezekiah was out of options.  But he knew better.  The King took the message from the Assyrian king and went to the temple.  He prayed.  Sometimes that's all you can do.  And the Lord sent the Prophet Isaiah to Hezekiah with a message of reassurance:  The king of Assyria will not enter Jerusalem.  “I will defend this city to save it for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David” (Isaiah 19:34).  And that very night an angel struck down 185,000 men in the camp of the Assyrians. Andrew now, like Hezekiah taking Sennacherib's letter to the temple and not knowing what to do, only that the Lord would do something, Andrew now brings the boy and his lunch to Jesus.  The Lord will provide.  Somehow.  In some way.  And Jesus does just that.  He took the bread, gave thanks to God, and started breaking it into pieces and somehow there was still bread in his hands as the baskets began to fill.  And the same with the fish.  No matter how much Jesus gave out, there was still more in his hands.  And everyone—the multiple thousands sitting there on the grass—everyone had their fill.  Just like they did in the wilderness after they'd left Egypt.  And yet there's an element of the story here that points to this new exodus that's taking shape being even greater than the first.  In the first exodus, there was no manna left over.  There was always enough to satisfy the needs of the people, but if you tried to gather extra and to keep it, it rotted away and produced worms.  In contrast, when Jesus feeds these people in the wilderness, there are twelve basketfuls left over—presumably food the people took home with them to eat and to be reminded the next day of what the Lord had done. But that's not the only Old Testament echo that John works into the story.  Andrew faithfully taking the loaves and fishes to Jesus echoes Hezekiah going before the Lord to ask for a miracle.  But as John tells us about Jesus dividing up the bread and fish, there's an echo of another story the people would have known very well. John, I think, tells the story to deliberately recall the prophet Elisha and, in particular, the events of 2 Kings 4.  There was a famine in the land and Isaiah had a band of followers to provide for.  A man brought them twenty loaves of bread and a sack of grain, but it wasn't nearly enough to feed Elisha's men.  That didn't concern Elisha.  He gave the sack of bread to his servant and commanded him to give it to the men so that they could eat.  His servant balked at that.  “How can I can set this before a hundred men?” he asked.  Elisha commanded him again to take it to the men and said, “Thus says the Lord, ‘They shall eat and have some left.'”  And, somehow, the men ate their fill and, just as the Lord had promised, there were leftovers remaining (2 King 4:42-44). Now, back to our Gospel: The people on that mountain with Jesus put the pieces together: Passover, wilderness, bread from heaven, baskets of leftover bread.  And they declare that Jesus is “the prophet who is to come into the world.”  Jeremiah's new exodus is somehow underway, with Jesus at its head.  Their acclamation is taken straight from the Lord's promise to Moses in Deuteronomy 18: “I will raise up a prophet like you from among their brothers.  And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I commanded him” (Deuteronomy 18:18-19).  The new exodus has begun.  Jesus is the prophet who was promised, a prophet like Moses, a prophet like Elisha—and yet a prophet even greater.  Verse 15 says: “So when Jesus realised that they were intending to come and seize him to make him king, he withdrew again, by himself, up the mountain.”   “King” means “Messiah”.  Now, did the people really understand who and what the messiah was to be?  I don't think so.  Almost no one fully understood that until after the events of Jesus' death and resurrection.  But that doesn't mean the people that day, filled miraculously with bread and fish, didn't recognise the Messiah in Jesus.  All the pieces were there.  Here was the good shepherd who cared for the sheep when no one else would.  (It's worth noting that when Mark tells this story, he introduces it saying that when Jesus looked out at the crowd, he saw sheep in desperate need of a shepherd.)  Here was the prophet who would lead the people like Moses in the long-awaited exodus.  If Jesus was those two things, then he also had to be the long-awaited branch that Jeremiah had prophesied would come from the root of David.  Jesus saw the recognition dawn in their eyes and he withdrew.  The time wasn't right.  This wasn't how the Messiah was to come into his crown or to take his throne.  Nevertheless, as we draw the lines that connect the promises of God in Jeremiah to their fulfilment in John's Gospel, you and I should, ourselves, be overwhelmed by the faithfulness of God.  He does what he promises.  He will feed us in the wilderness.  He will go before us to conquer the promised land. Brothers and Sisters, the Lord invites us to his table this morning and here we again recall his faithfulness.  Here, like the Jews participating in each new generation in the events of the Exodus and finding their place in the people of God, we find our manna in the wilderness, we recall and participate in the death and resurrection of Jesus, and are reminded that we are his people and that, just as was promised so long ago, he has delivered us from our bondage to sin and death.  The sheep that were scattered, have been drawn together by the God of Israel.  You and I have heard the story of God's faithfulness.  We have come to Israel's king and submitted ourselves in faith.  And now, here at his Table, we experience his faithfulness ourselves as we eat the bread and drink the wine.  Here is our new covenant manna in the wilderness.  Finally, having known the faithfulness of God, we're summoned ourselves to walk in faith, trusting that the Lord will finish what he has begun, that he will do what he has promised. In our Collect we asked the Lord to “stir up our wills”.  We may have come to the end of another Church Year, but the story is hardly over.  Advent is almost here and with it the reminder that Jesus is coming and that as we wait for him, he's given his Church a mission and his own Spirit to ensure that mission is fulfilled.  He has made us stewards of the good news that he is this world's true Lord.  We have our own parts to play in this story.  And it's not an easy task.  But take heart.  The fact that the principalities and powers (as Paul described them in that Ephesians passage we read a couple weeks ago), the fact that they're fighting back means that we're precisely where the Lord wants us to be and doing what he wants us to do and the powers of darkness know it and fear what Jesus and the Spirit will accomplish through the church.  So don't give up.  Don't be afraid.  Don't be weary in well-doing.  Petition the Lord in faith, knowing that he is faithful to fulfil his promises.  Whether it takes a hundred years or a hundred thousand years for the world to answer the king's royal summons to faithful allegiance, he will be with us and he will equip us for every good work.  He will feed us in the wilderness and see us through to the promised land. Let's pray: Stir up, O Lord, the wills of your faithful people; that we may produce abundantly the fruit of good works, and receive your abundant reward, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

After months of challenges and setbacks, director Frank Gilbert premiered his film Son of Assyria at a cinema in his hometown of Chicago. Mr Gilbert told SBS Assyrian that he felt immense joy and relief as audiences responded with pride, emotion, and tears while watching this portrayal of modern Assyrian history, highlighting the persecution and mass killings of Assyrians in northern Iraq at the end of the 19th century.

From the acclaimed author of 1177 B.C., a spellbinding account of the archaeological find that opened a window onto the vibrant diplomatic world of the ancient Near East In 1887, an Egyptian woman made an astonishing discovery among the ruins of the heretic king Akhenaten's capital city, a site now known as Amarna. She found a cache of cuneiform tablets, nearly four hundred in all, that included correspondence between the pharaohs and the mightiest powers of the day, such as the Hittites, Babylonians, and Assyrians. Love, War, and Diplomacy: The Discovery of the Amarna Letters and the Bronze Age World They Revealed (Princeton University Press, 2025) tells the story of the Amarna Letters and the dramatic world of the Bronze Age they revealed. Blending scholarly expertise with painstaking detective work, Eric Cline describes the spectacular discovery, the fierce competition among dealers and museums to acquire the tablets, and the race by British and German scholars to translate them. Dating to the middle of the fourteenth century BCE and the time of Tutankhamun's immediate predecessors, Amenhotep III and his son Akhenaten, the Amarna Letters are the only royal archive from New Kingdom Egypt known to exist. In them, we learn of royal marriages, diplomatic negotiations, gift-giving, intrigue, and declarations of brotherly love between powerful rulers as well as demands made by the petty kings in Canaan who owed allegiance to Egypt's pharaohs. A monumental achievement, Love, War, and Diplomacy transports readers to the glorious age of the Amarna Letters and the colonial era that brought them to light and reveals how the politics, posturing, and international intrigues of the ancient Near East are not so unlike today's. Eric H. Cline is professor of classics and anthropology at George Washington University. Caleb Zakarin is editor of the New Books Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

From the acclaimed author of 1177 B.C., a spellbinding account of the archaeological find that opened a window onto the vibrant diplomatic world of the ancient Near East In 1887, an Egyptian woman made an astonishing discovery among the ruins of the heretic king Akhenaten's capital city, a site now known as Amarna. She found a cache of cuneiform tablets, nearly four hundred in all, that included correspondence between the pharaohs and the mightiest powers of the day, such as the Hittites, Babylonians, and Assyrians. Love, War, and Diplomacy: The Discovery of the Amarna Letters and the Bronze Age World They Revealed (Princeton University Press, 2025) tells the story of the Amarna Letters and the dramatic world of the Bronze Age they revealed. Blending scholarly expertise with painstaking detective work, Eric Cline describes the spectacular discovery, the fierce competition among dealers and museums to acquire the tablets, and the race by British and German scholars to translate them. Dating to the middle of the fourteenth century BCE and the time of Tutankhamun's immediate predecessors, Amenhotep III and his son Akhenaten, the Amarna Letters are the only royal archive from New Kingdom Egypt known to exist. In them, we learn of royal marriages, diplomatic negotiations, gift-giving, intrigue, and declarations of brotherly love between powerful rulers as well as demands made by the petty kings in Canaan who owed allegiance to Egypt's pharaohs. A monumental achievement, Love, War, and Diplomacy transports readers to the glorious age of the Amarna Letters and the colonial era that brought them to light and reveals how the politics, posturing, and international intrigues of the ancient Near East are not so unlike today's. Eric H. Cline is professor of classics and anthropology at George Washington University. Caleb Zakarin is editor of the New Books Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From the acclaimed author of 1177 B.C., a spellbinding account of the archaeological find that opened a window onto the vibrant diplomatic world of the ancient Near East In 1887, an Egyptian woman made an astonishing discovery among the ruins of the heretic king Akhenaten's capital city, a site now known as Amarna. She found a cache of cuneiform tablets, nearly four hundred in all, that included correspondence between the pharaohs and the mightiest powers of the day, such as the Hittites, Babylonians, and Assyrians. Love, War, and Diplomacy: The Discovery of the Amarna Letters and the Bronze Age World They Revealed (Princeton University Press, 2025) tells the story of the Amarna Letters and the dramatic world of the Bronze Age they revealed. Blending scholarly expertise with painstaking detective work, Eric Cline describes the spectacular discovery, the fierce competition among dealers and museums to acquire the tablets, and the race by British and German scholars to translate them. Dating to the middle of the fourteenth century BCE and the time of Tutankhamun's immediate predecessors, Amenhotep III and his son Akhenaten, the Amarna Letters are the only royal archive from New Kingdom Egypt known to exist. In them, we learn of royal marriages, diplomatic negotiations, gift-giving, intrigue, and declarations of brotherly love between powerful rulers as well as demands made by the petty kings in Canaan who owed allegiance to Egypt's pharaohs. A monumental achievement, Love, War, and Diplomacy transports readers to the glorious age of the Amarna Letters and the colonial era that brought them to light and reveals how the politics, posturing, and international intrigues of the ancient Near East are not so unlike today's. Eric H. Cline is professor of classics and anthropology at George Washington University. Caleb Zakarin is editor of the New Books Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/book-of-the-day

Nehemiah was cup bearer to the king of Persia - an exalted and esteemed position. He had just received news from Hanani of the terrible condition of the walls and gates of Jerusalem. The year was about BC 469 and as soon as Nehemiah heard these words he prayed and fasted for several days acknowledging his sins and those of his people, which had brought this terrible situation. He acknowledges Yahweh's righteousness and His loving kindness quoting from the Law of Moses, as told in Deuteronomy. Chapter 1 concludes with the implication that Nehemiah intended to take up the matter with king Darius. The next chapter tells of Nehemiah in the presence of the king with his face showing a sadness of heart - this was forbidden by the law. Nehemiah who, the book shows to be a man of prayer and action, is questioned by the king as to what the sadness might mean - is there a plot against the king? Whereas the prayer of chapter 1 was over many days this time this prayer is a brief spontaneous momentary prayer requesting God to cause the king to favourably listen to Nehemiah's prayer. The response of the king was to grant Nehemiah extended leave to return to Jerusalem to fix the problem. In verses 9-10 we are told of the Persian king's support for Nehemiah. We are also told about the disturbance this created among the Jews' enemies. After 3 days of thinking about the size of the problem before him Nehemiah arose at night and secretly inspected the walls. So that ownership of the problem would occur, Nehemiah asked the rulers what they would recommend be done. Their answer was, "Let us rise up and build". This only served to strengthen the opposition they faced. Nehemiah told Sanballat, the Horonite (i.e. Edomite), Geshem - the Arabian; and Tobiah- the Ammonite and servant to Sanballat - that these enemies had "no portion or right or claim in Jerusalem" (2verses20 ESV).   Hosea in chapter 12 speaks of Israel's falsehood to God and even to the Assyrians also so that Egypt came and punished them. Verses 2-14 speak of the LORD's quarrel with both the northern kingdom of Ephraim and the southern kingdom of Judah. These verses tell in a parable what both kingdoms needed to learn - and of course the lessons are equally true for us. Hosea tells us that Jacob was from the time of his birth until the night before his confrontation with Esau a deceiver to whom God was teaching lessons by continuously exposing Jacob to deceivers far worse than himself - particularly Laban, who was both his uncle and father-in-law. When Jacob was faced with a dilemma that he could not solve God compounded the problem for him by dislocating Jacob's hip (read Genesis 32). Now Jacob was forced to rely on God, rather than his own resourcefulness, and to now have finally learnt that all along he should have left the solution to his problems with God. The summation of Jacob's life given by God, through Moses, was that Jacob was a "plain" (Hebrew "just", or "upright") man - this meant he always tried to be godly, but had to wrestle with traits that were strongly part of his heritage. The greatest lesson of his life was to learn to TRUST God. Hosea tells us that now Jacob having found God at Bethel (the house of God) tells us to learn the same. Deuteronomy tells us that when they gave their tithes to Yahweh that they were to recite, "A Syrian ready to perish was our father" (Jacob). For us the great lesson from the life of Jacob is recorded in verse 6 - read aloud, pause and ponder. Despite what Israel and Judah had done God would restore them in His loving kindness, as the remainder of the chapter indicated. Verse 13 indicated that Yahweh chose to work through those whom society sees as misfits- Moses was but a prophet. In Colossians 3 verses 1-4 tell us that since we have through the act of baptism been raised in him to a new life our thoughts and actions should be in harmony with this. And so, from verses 5-9 all those past behaviours are to find no place among believers. Our new self is being renewed every day through our growth in understanding what it means to be "in Christ". From verses 12-17 the focus of the believer's mind and actions is to centre on living with (and as) Christ. From verses 18 to the chapter's end, he addresses the different groups within Christian households and advises on proper behaviour. Chapter 4 continues with instructions for masters and servants - such an important topic as five sixths of the Roman world were slaves. Verses 2-4 is a request to those at Colossae to pray for Paul's preaching. Verse 5 tells that their speech and behaviour must be sincere at all times - "seasoned with salt". Verses 7-17 conclude with final greetings. Verse 18 tells us that the letter was written by Paul in his own handwriting.   Thanks for joining us - we pray you found these comments helpful in your appreciation of God's words, join again tomorrow 

From the acclaimed author of 1177 B.C., a spellbinding account of the archaeological find that opened a window onto the vibrant diplomatic world of the ancient Near East In 1887, an Egyptian woman made an astonishing discovery among the ruins of the heretic king Akhenaten's capital city, a site now known as Amarna. She found a cache of cuneiform tablets, nearly four hundred in all, that included correspondence between the pharaohs and the mightiest powers of the day, such as the Hittites, Babylonians, and Assyrians. Love, War, and Diplomacy: The Discovery of the Amarna Letters and the Bronze Age World They Revealed (Princeton University Press, 2025) tells the story of the Amarna Letters and the dramatic world of the Bronze Age they revealed. Blending scholarly expertise with painstaking detective work, Eric Cline describes the spectacular discovery, the fierce competition among dealers and museums to acquire the tablets, and the race by British and German scholars to translate them. Dating to the middle of the fourteenth century BCE and the time of Tutankhamun's immediate predecessors, Amenhotep III and his son Akhenaten, the Amarna Letters are the only royal archive from New Kingdom Egypt known to exist. In them, we learn of royal marriages, diplomatic negotiations, gift-giving, intrigue, and declarations of brotherly love between powerful rulers as well as demands made by the petty kings in Canaan who owed allegiance to Egypt's pharaohs. A monumental achievement, Love, War, and Diplomacy transports readers to the glorious age of the Amarna Letters and the colonial era that brought them to light and reveals how the politics, posturing, and international intrigues of the ancient Near East are not so unlike today's. Eric H. Cline is professor of classics and anthropology at George Washington University. Caleb Zakarin is editor of the New Books Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

From the acclaimed author of 1177 B.C., a spellbinding account of the archaeological find that opened a window onto the vibrant diplomatic world of the ancient Near East In 1887, an Egyptian woman made an astonishing discovery among the ruins of the heretic king Akhenaten's capital city, a site now known as Amarna. She found a cache of cuneiform tablets, nearly four hundred in all, that included correspondence between the pharaohs and the mightiest powers of the day, such as the Hittites, Babylonians, and Assyrians. Love, War, and Diplomacy: The Discovery of the Amarna Letters and the Bronze Age World They Revealed (Princeton University Press, 2025) tells the story of the Amarna Letters and the dramatic world of the Bronze Age they revealed. Blending scholarly expertise with painstaking detective work, Eric Cline describes the spectacular discovery, the fierce competition among dealers and museums to acquire the tablets, and the race by British and German scholars to translate them. Dating to the middle of the fourteenth century BCE and the time of Tutankhamun's immediate predecessors, Amenhotep III and his son Akhenaten, the Amarna Letters are the only royal archive from New Kingdom Egypt known to exist. In them, we learn of royal marriages, diplomatic negotiations, gift-giving, intrigue, and declarations of brotherly love between powerful rulers as well as demands made by the petty kings in Canaan who owed allegiance to Egypt's pharaohs. A monumental achievement, Love, War, and Diplomacy transports readers to the glorious age of the Amarna Letters and the colonial era that brought them to light and reveals how the politics, posturing, and international intrigues of the ancient Near East are not so unlike today's. Eric H. Cline is professor of classics and anthropology at George Washington University. Caleb Zakarin is editor of the New Books Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/military-history

From the acclaimed author of 1177 B.C., a spellbinding account of the archaeological find that opened a window onto the vibrant diplomatic world of the ancient Near East In 1887, an Egyptian woman made an astonishing discovery among the ruins of the heretic king Akhenaten's capital city, a site now known as Amarna. She found a cache of cuneiform tablets, nearly four hundred in all, that included correspondence between the pharaohs and the mightiest powers of the day, such as the Hittites, Babylonians, and Assyrians. Love, War, and Diplomacy: The Discovery of the Amarna Letters and the Bronze Age World They Revealed (Princeton University Press, 2025) tells the story of the Amarna Letters and the dramatic world of the Bronze Age they revealed. Blending scholarly expertise with painstaking detective work, Eric Cline describes the spectacular discovery, the fierce competition among dealers and museums to acquire the tablets, and the race by British and German scholars to translate them. Dating to the middle of the fourteenth century BCE and the time of Tutankhamun's immediate predecessors, Amenhotep III and his son Akhenaten, the Amarna Letters are the only royal archive from New Kingdom Egypt known to exist. In them, we learn of royal marriages, diplomatic negotiations, gift-giving, intrigue, and declarations of brotherly love between powerful rulers as well as demands made by the petty kings in Canaan who owed allegiance to Egypt's pharaohs. A monumental achievement, Love, War, and Diplomacy transports readers to the glorious age of the Amarna Letters and the colonial era that brought them to light and reveals how the politics, posturing, and international intrigues of the ancient Near East are not so unlike today's. Eric H. Cline is professor of classics and anthropology at George Washington University. Caleb Zakarin is editor of the New Books Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/middle-eastern-studies

From the acclaimed author of 1177 B.C., a spellbinding account of the archaeological find that opened a window onto the vibrant diplomatic world of the ancient Near East In 1887, an Egyptian woman made an astonishing discovery among the ruins of the heretic king Akhenaten's capital city, a site now known as Amarna. She found a cache of cuneiform tablets, nearly four hundred in all, that included correspondence between the pharaohs and the mightiest powers of the day, such as the Hittites, Babylonians, and Assyrians. Love, War, and Diplomacy: The Discovery of the Amarna Letters and the Bronze Age World They Revealed (Princeton University Press, 2025) tells the story of the Amarna Letters and the dramatic world of the Bronze Age they revealed. Blending scholarly expertise with painstaking detective work, Eric Cline describes the spectacular discovery, the fierce competition among dealers and museums to acquire the tablets, and the race by British and German scholars to translate them. Dating to the middle of the fourteenth century BCE and the time of Tutankhamun's immediate predecessors, Amenhotep III and his son Akhenaten, the Amarna Letters are the only royal archive from New Kingdom Egypt known to exist. In them, we learn of royal marriages, diplomatic negotiations, gift-giving, intrigue, and declarations of brotherly love between powerful rulers as well as demands made by the petty kings in Canaan who owed allegiance to Egypt's pharaohs. A monumental achievement, Love, War, and Diplomacy transports readers to the glorious age of the Amarna Letters and the colonial era that brought them to light and reveals how the politics, posturing, and international intrigues of the ancient Near East are not so unlike today's. Eric H. Cline is professor of classics and anthropology at George Washington University. Caleb Zakarin is editor of the New Books Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-studies

From the acclaimed author of 1177 B.C., a spellbinding account of the archaeological find that opened a window onto the vibrant diplomatic world of the ancient Near East In 1887, an Egyptian woman made an astonishing discovery among the ruins of the heretic king Akhenaten's capital city, a site now known as Amarna. She found a cache of cuneiform tablets, nearly four hundred in all, that included correspondence between the pharaohs and the mightiest powers of the day, such as the Hittites, Babylonians, and Assyrians. Love, War, and Diplomacy: The Discovery of the Amarna Letters and the Bronze Age World They Revealed (Princeton University Press, 2025) tells the story of the Amarna Letters and the dramatic world of the Bronze Age they revealed. Blending scholarly expertise with painstaking detective work, Eric Cline describes the spectacular discovery, the fierce competition among dealers and museums to acquire the tablets, and the race by British and German scholars to translate them. Dating to the middle of the fourteenth century BCE and the time of Tutankhamun's immediate predecessors, Amenhotep III and his son Akhenaten, the Amarna Letters are the only royal archive from New Kingdom Egypt known to exist. In them, we learn of royal marriages, diplomatic negotiations, gift-giving, intrigue, and declarations of brotherly love between powerful rulers as well as demands made by the petty kings in Canaan who owed allegiance to Egypt's pharaohs. A monumental achievement, Love, War, and Diplomacy transports readers to the glorious age of the Amarna Letters and the colonial era that brought them to light and reveals how the politics, posturing, and international intrigues of the ancient Near East are not so unlike today's. Eric H. Cline is professor of classics and anthropology at George Washington University. Caleb Zakarin is editor of the New Books Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/archaeology

From the acclaimed author of 1177 B.C., a spellbinding account of the archaeological find that opened a window onto the vibrant diplomatic world of the ancient Near East In 1887, an Egyptian woman made an astonishing discovery among the ruins of the heretic king Akhenaten's capital city, a site now known as Amarna. She found a cache of cuneiform tablets, nearly four hundred in all, that included correspondence between the pharaohs and the mightiest powers of the day, such as the Hittites, Babylonians, and Assyrians. Love, War, and Diplomacy: The Discovery of the Amarna Letters and the Bronze Age World They Revealed (Princeton University Press, 2025) tells the story of the Amarna Letters and the dramatic world of the Bronze Age they revealed. Blending scholarly expertise with painstaking detective work, Eric Cline describes the spectacular discovery, the fierce competition among dealers and museums to acquire the tablets, and the race by British and German scholars to translate them. Dating to the middle of the fourteenth century BCE and the time of Tutankhamun's immediate predecessors, Amenhotep III and his son Akhenaten, the Amarna Letters are the only royal archive from New Kingdom Egypt known to exist. In them, we learn of royal marriages, diplomatic negotiations, gift-giving, intrigue, and declarations of brotherly love between powerful rulers as well as demands made by the petty kings in Canaan who owed allegiance to Egypt's pharaohs. A monumental achievement, Love, War, and Diplomacy transports readers to the glorious age of the Amarna Letters and the colonial era that brought them to light and reveals how the politics, posturing, and international intrigues of the ancient Near East are not so unlike today's. Eric H. Cline is professor of classics and anthropology at George Washington University. Caleb Zakarin is editor of the New Books Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From the acclaimed author of 1177 B.C., a spellbinding account of the archaeological find that opened a window onto the vibrant diplomatic world of the ancient Near East In 1887, an Egyptian woman made an astonishing discovery among the ruins of the heretic king Akhenaten's capital city, a site now known as Amarna. She found a cache of cuneiform tablets, nearly four hundred in all, that included correspondence between the pharaohs and the mightiest powers of the day, such as the Hittites, Babylonians, and Assyrians. Love, War, and Diplomacy: The Discovery of the Amarna Letters and the Bronze Age World They Revealed (Princeton University Press, 2025) tells the story of the Amarna Letters and the dramatic world of the Bronze Age they revealed. Blending scholarly expertise with painstaking detective work, Eric Cline describes the spectacular discovery, the fierce competition among dealers and museums to acquire the tablets, and the race by British and German scholars to translate them. Dating to the middle of the fourteenth century BCE and the time of Tutankhamun's immediate predecessors, Amenhotep III and his son Akhenaten, the Amarna Letters are the only royal archive from New Kingdom Egypt known to exist. In them, we learn of royal marriages, diplomatic negotiations, gift-giving, intrigue, and declarations of brotherly love between powerful rulers as well as demands made by the petty kings in Canaan who owed allegiance to Egypt's pharaohs. A monumental achievement, Love, War, and Diplomacy transports readers to the glorious age of the Amarna Letters and the colonial era that brought them to light and reveals how the politics, posturing, and international intrigues of the ancient Near East are not so unlike today's. Eric H. Cline is professor of classics and anthropology at George Washington University. Caleb Zakarin is editor of the New Books Network.

From the acclaimed author of 1177 B.C., a spellbinding account of the archaeological find that opened a window onto the vibrant diplomatic world of the ancient Near East In 1887, an Egyptian woman made an astonishing discovery among the ruins of the heretic king Akhenaten's capital city, a site now known as Amarna. She found a cache of cuneiform tablets, nearly four hundred in all, that included correspondence between the pharaohs and the mightiest powers of the day, such as the Hittites, Babylonians, and Assyrians. Love, War, and Diplomacy: The Discovery of the Amarna Letters and the Bronze Age World They Revealed (Princeton University Press, 2025) tells the story of the Amarna Letters and the dramatic world of the Bronze Age they revealed. Blending scholarly expertise with painstaking detective work, Eric Cline describes the spectacular discovery, the fierce competition among dealers and museums to acquire the tablets, and the race by British and German scholars to translate them. Dating to the middle of the fourteenth century BCE and the time of Tutankhamun's immediate predecessors, Amenhotep III and his son Akhenaten, the Amarna Letters are the only royal archive from New Kingdom Egypt known to exist. In them, we learn of royal marriages, diplomatic negotiations, gift-giving, intrigue, and declarations of brotherly love between powerful rulers as well as demands made by the petty kings in Canaan who owed allegiance to Egypt's pharaohs. A monumental achievement, Love, War, and Diplomacy transports readers to the glorious age of the Amarna Letters and the colonial era that brought them to light and reveals how the politics, posturing, and international intrigues of the ancient Near East are not so unlike today's. Eric H. Cline is professor of classics and anthropology at George Washington University. Caleb Zakarin is editor of the New Books Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/language

Fr. Mitch examines the lack of benefits the Egyptians, Assyrians and Babylonians gained from the subjugation and exile of the people of Israel, and to what this is testimony.

Isaiah 11:1-10 Isaiah prophesies the kingdom of Judah's downfall at the hands of the Assyrians. The people of God are like a tree felled to a stump. But all is not lost. From that stump, the remnant of Israel, God's Messiah will come, and he will restore all that has been lost. On a personal level, we all suffer loss to various degrees. Sometimes we're responsible, other times we're not. Jesus, our Messiah, full of God's spirit, comes to restore all that has been lost: our place in creation, our relationship with God, and our mission to the world.  By Ed Flint

Jonah wasn't afraid to obey God. He refused to obey. He had become bitter and resentful against his hated enemies, the Assyrians whose capital was Nineveh. There was no way Jonah was going to give the Ninevites a chance to repent and receive mercy. Ever felt that way? Bitterness does not satisfy or protect like it promises, though, and it has disastrous consequences for us and the people around us. Check out this message to see what we mean.Hearing God's invitation to act is one thing. Receiving it and obeying is a whole 'nother kettle of fish. Jonah heard the voice of God, but it wasn't something he wanted to hear, so he tried to run away from it. Have you ever done that? Some stories in the Bible have more to teach us about what not to do than what to do. The book of Jonah is one such story.Join us for service every Sunday at 9:15am or 11:00am (EST). Here are ways to connect with us!Text TODAY to 937-358-6565 to let us know you decided to say 'Yes!' to Jesus leading your life. Text BAPTISM to 937-358-6565 to find out more about getting baptized as an expression of your new faith.Text SERVE to 937-358-6565 to find a serve community to join that matches your skills and passions.Text PRAYER to 937-358-6565 to let us know how we can be praying for you!And if you would like to support The Valley Church financially, you can GIVE online via our website: www.thevalley.church/give.

11/9/2025 Nahum 3:1-19 Ninevah's Complete Ruin Intro: Given the limited amount of information that we know about Nahum, the best we can do is narrow the timeframe in which the Book of Nahum was written to between 663 and 612 B.C. Two events are mentioned that help us to determine these dates. First, Nahum mentions Thebes (No Amon) in Egypt falling to the Assyrians (663 B.C.) in the past tense, so it had already happened. Second, the remainder of Nahum's prophecies came true in 612 B.C. Nahum did not write this book as a warning or “call to repentance” for the people of Nineveh. God had already sent them the prophet Jonah 150 years earlier with His promise of what would happen if they continued in their evil ways. The people at that time had repented but now lived just as bad if not worse than they did before. The Assyrians had become absolutely brutal in their conquests (hanging the bodies of their victims on poles and putting their skin on the walls of their tents among other atrocities). Now Nahum was telling the people of Judah to not despair because God had pronounced judgment and the Assyrians would soon be getting just what they deserved.

Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app.Show notes and transcript up tomorrow, 11/3.#AutisticAF Out Loud Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. Click to receive new posts… free. To support my work, please consider a paid subscription.Notes, sources, and further readingnot comprehensive or complete, but where I startedInternational Law: Starvation as War CrimeSupporting Sources:* Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, Article 8(2)(b)(xxv): Case Matrix Network documenting “Intentionally using starvation of civilians as a method of warfare” as war crime casematrixnetwork​* D'Alessandra, Federica and Matthew Gillett. “The war crime of starvation in non-international armed conflict.” Oxford Blavatnik School of Government Working Paper BSG-WP-2019-031 (November 2019) bsg.ox​Counter/Nuance Source:* Lieber Institute West Point. “The War Crime of Starvation – The Irony of Grasping at Low Hanging Fruit” (September 2024): Notes starvation crime requires armed conflict context and specific intent elements; discusses challenges of prosecution lieber.westpoint​SNAP Shutdown & November 2025 Funding CrisisSupporting Sources:* CBS News. “SNAP funding is set to lapse Nov. 1, leaving recipients empty-handed” (October 30, 2025): USDA memo states “the well has run dry” and “At this time, there will be no benefits issued November 01”; 42 million Americans affected cbsnews+1​* NBC News. “Government shutdown effects bear down on millions more people after a crucial Nov. 1 deadline passes” (November 1, 2025): Despite judge's ruling, Trump administration indicated November SNAP payments likely delayed nbcnews​Counter/Nuance Source:* NBC News. “Federal judge orders Trump administration to pay SNAP benefits out of contingency fund” (October 31, 2025): Rhode Island Judge McConnell and Massachusetts Judge Talwani ruled USDA must use $5.25B contingency fund; creates uncertainty about timing rather than total cutoff nbcnews​Government Shutdown Timeline & StatusSupporting Sources:* Wikipedia. “2025 United States federal government shutdown” (updated November 2025): Documents shutdown began 12:01 AM EDT October 1, 2025; became second-longest (22 days) on October 22; resulted from partisan disagreements over spending, foreign aid, and ACA health subsidies wikipedia​* CBS News. “The 2025 U.S government shutdown, by the numbers” (October 30, 2025): Senate has voted 13 times on House-passed continuing resolution; all failed to reach 60-vote threshold needed to overcome filibuster cbsnews​Counter/Nuance Source:* NPR. “The federal government is still shut down. Here's what that means across the country” (October 30, 2025): Notes Republicans blame Democrats for voting against funding 14 times; Democrats counter that GOP refuses to address expiring ACA tax credits affecting 24 million Americans npr​USDA Refusal to Use Emergency FundsSupporting Sources:* Texas Tribune. “The federal shutdown will halt November SNAP benefits” (October 28, 2025): USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins stated October 27 via USDA website that no November 2025 SNAP benefits would be issued; agency memo says “contingency funds are not legally available to cover regular benefits” texastribune​* USA Today. “Government shutdown live updates” (November 2, 2025): Documents that USDA claimed $5.25 billion contingency fund reserved for disasters, not regular benefits; judges ordered use anyway usatoday​Counter/Nuance Source:* Fortune. “Judges order Trump administration to use emergency reserves for SNAP payments during the shutdown” (October 31, 2025): Federal courts rejected USDA legal interpretation; Massachusetts Judge Talwani ruled government “obligated to deploy contingency funds as necessary” fortune​Social Security & Trump WarningsSupporting Sources:* Newsweek. “Social Security, Medicare are ‘going to be gone,' Donald Trump warns” (October 21, 2025): Reports Trump statement during shutdown linking Democratic opposition to potential program loss newsweek​* Duke University Government Relations. “Fall 2025 Government Shutdown Updates” (October 31, 2025): Notes “Social Security ‘could vanish,' Trump warns” among shutdown impacts; documents 31-day shutdown status governmentrelations.duke​Counter/Nuance Source:* American Progress. “The Trump Administration's Plans To Covertly Cut Social Security Disability Benefits” (October 2025): Distinguishes between shutdown rhetoric and separate regulatory changes to tighten disability eligibility criteria americanprogress​Autism Employment & Benefit DependencySupporting Sources:* Autism Society. “Employment Statistics” (October 2025): Reports up to 85% of autistic adults with college degrees unemployed or underemployed; notes 40% lower earnings than peers with other disabilities autismsociety​* Kids Club ABA. “Autism Unemployment Rate” (May 2025): Cites National Autism Indicators Report showing 14-16% full-time employment among autistic adults kidsclubaba​Counter/Nuance Source:* Reddit r/autism. “PSA: The ‘85% autism unemployment rate' isn't accurate” (July 2024): Statistical critique noting figure conflates unemployment, underemployment, and labor force non-participation; argues if 85% of autistic adults were unemployed, they'd represent 94% of all unemployed at 4% national rate reddit​“Useless Eaters” & Eugenic RhetoricSupporting Sources:* Mostert, Mark P. “Useless Eaters: Disability as Genocidal Marker in Nazi Germany.” Documents Binding & Hoche 1920 tract; eugenic progression from efficiency language to T-4 program catholicculture+2​* NIH/PMC. “Confronting the Legacy of Eugenics and Ableism” (December 2023): Shows Industrial Revolution capitalist productivity models reframed disability as state cost pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih​Counter/Nuance Source:* Migration journal. “Reconsidering the history of eugenics and discrimination” (December 2024): Notes eugenic ideas were “deeply intertwined” with race, gender, class and disability—varied significantly across national contexts academic.oup​Boomerang Effect & Internal ColonialismSupporting Sources:* Wikipedia. “Imperial boomerang”: Documents Césaire's “terrific boomerang” thesis from Discourse on Colonialism (1950); Foucault's “Society Must Be Defended” lecture (1976) on colonial tactics returning home wikipedia​* Osun Global Commons. “Césaire's Boomerang Effect on the Streets of Berlin” (March 2023): Analyzes how European bourgeoisie “tolerated Nazism before it was inflicted on them” because it targeted non-Europeans first osunglobalcommons​Counter/Nuance Source:* Reality Studies. “The Department of War on American Cities, Ukraine, Gaza, and the Imperial Boomerang” (September 2025): Cautions against deterministic causation in linking colonial and domestic tactics realitystudies​Britain: Colonial Policing to Domestic ControlSupporting Sources:* Wikipedia. “Aliens Act 1905”: Documents how British emergency powers and crowd-control from Ireland informed domestic legislation wikipedia​* Human Rights Watch. “This Alien Legacy: The Origins of ‘Sodomy' Laws in British Colonialism” (December 2008): Shows British colonial legal mechanisms later echoed in domestic law hrw​Counter/Nuance Source:* Past & Present. “Aliens in a Revolutionary World” (April 2022): Notes British Alien Act 1793 “fell into disuse” post-Napoleonic Wars, complicating narrative of automatic domestic adoption academic.oup​France/Algeria: Torture Techniques to ParisSupporting Sources:* World Socialist Web Site. “Maurice Papon and the October 1961 massacre of Paris” (October 2021): Documents Papon's 1956-58 Algeria torture role, then as Paris police chief applied “same methods” in 1961 massacre wsws​* BBC. “How a massacre of Algerians in Paris was covered up” (October 2021): Confirms Papon supervised “repression and torture” in Algeria 1956; police records show he directed 1961 Paris massacre tactics bbc​Counter/Nuance Source:* LA Review of Books. “How to Forget a Massacre” (October 2019): Emphasizes Papon's individual agency empowered by de Gaulle rather than systemic inevitability; many police refused participation lareviewofbooks​U.S. Philippines to Domestic Militarized PolicingSupporting Sources:* The Diplomat. “How America's Wars in Asia Militarized the Police at Home” (June 2020): Documents Philippine Constabulary (1901) as hybrid military-police; veterans imported counterinsurgency techniques to U.S. law enforcement thediplomat​* Brown University Costs of War. “How the United States' Post-9/11 Wars Helped Militarize U.S. Police” (September 2020): Traces “colonial and anti-Black roots” through Philippines to 1033 program watson.brown​Counter/Nuance Source:* Jacobin. “Policing Empire” (September 2014): Argues policing-empire link involves domestic political contestation each era, not automatic transfer jacobin​Ottoman Empire: Genocides & StarvationSupporting Sources:* USHMM Holocaust Encyclopedia. “The Armenian Genocide (1915-16): In Depth” (August 2023): Documents centralized CUP deportation orders as “death warrant”; forced marches caused starvation, dehydration, exposure deaths encyclopedia.ushmm​* Genocide Education Project. “Brief History” (February 2016): Estimates 1.5M Armenians killed, 2M+ Christians total including Greeks and Assyrians genocideeducation​Counter/Nuance Source:* University of South Florida Genocide Studies. “The Ottoman Genocide of the Assyrians”: Notes genocides were “culmination of series of policies”; emphasizes WWI context and CUP nationalist ideology as distinct causal streams digitalcommons.usf​Black Radical Thought & Internal ColonialismSupporting Sources:* Gilderle hrman Institute. “Both Black and Disabled: Intersectional Experiences” (June 2022): Traces eugenic scientific racism; notes Black disabled Americans as “internal colonies” subject to extraction and surveillance gilderlehrman​* NIH/PMC. “Past Is Prologue: Dismantling Colonial Legacies to Advance Black Health” (December 2023): Argues chattel slavery was “expansive colonial project”; mass incarceration ongoing colonial project pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih​Counter/Nuance Source:* University of Miami. “The Forgotten Activists: Black People in the Disability Rights Movement” (January 2022): Notes disability movement historically “comprised of White people”; cautions against conflating marginalization without attending to specific mechanisms repository.law.miami​Food Insecurity & Violence (Structural Violence Frame)Supporting Sources:* NIH/PMC. “Association of Food Insecurity With Multiple Forms of Interpersonal Violence” (April 2023): 19 of 20 studies show food insecurity associated with increased violence; General Strain Theory supports food insecurity as stressor pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih​* Human Organization. “University Student Food Insecurity as a Form of Structural Violence” (May 2023): Uses structural violence framework for institutional food insecurity harm meridian.allenpress​Counter/Nuance Source:* CSIS. “Dangerously Hungry: The Link between Food Insecurity and Conflict” (April 2023): Notes agricultural abundance can also drive conflict; food-conflict link is “complex” https://open.substack.com/live-stream/74795?utm_source=live-stream-scheduled-upsellcsis​ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit johnnyprofaneknapp.substack.com/subscribe

2 Chronicles 32 tells of Sennacherib's attack upon Israel and Judah. The year is BC 709. God has made provision for the defence of Jerusalem during a siege by its geography and the water course from outside the city to be secreted and channelled beneath the city emerging from the Gihon (the "Virgins' Fountain") to the Pool of Siloam. Hezekiah completes this magnificent engineering feat (one can walk its length today beneath Jerusalem). King Hezekiah has armed the people well, but more importantly he has fortified the faith of the nation. Sennacherib comes and blasphemes Yahweh, the living God. The general of the Assyrians seeks to undermine the courage of the defenders by speaking directly in Hebrew to the soldiers and people on the wall. Hezekiah makes it a matter of prayer to the Almighty. So, the invaders are doomed for it is not Judah who they will fight but their Almighty Sovereign. They fall in the siege not to shoot a single arrow. Overnight 185,000 Assyrians are slain. An added complication is that at this time king Hezekiah is fatally stricken with leprosy. God heals the faithful king and adds 15 years to Hezekiah's life (his prayer in Isaiah 38 should be read to appreciate his desperation and his gratitude). Many nations bring gifts on Hezekiah's recovery including ambassadors from Babylon. Sadly, king Hezekiah becomes lifted up in pride and shows the ambassadors what was to become Babylon's lure to destroy Jerusalem in about 100 years (see 2 Kings 20verses12-19 and meditate on the lessons Paul draws from this in 1 Timothy 6verses17-19.Daniel 12 explains to us of the time of the end when Michael (one like God) - the Lord Jesus Christ - stands up. It will be a 'time of trouble such as has never been'. But God's people will be delivered and the wise will shine as the stars (cp Matthew 13verses43). The understanding of the signs of the times would be concealed until the end time. From verses 5-12 Daniel is given a sequence of time periods which culminate in our era. Daniel himself is assured personally that at that time he would receive eternal life (cp Philippians 3verses7-11).We are told of the selection of Barnabas and Paul by God to undertake preaching as representatives of the ecclesia in Antioch in Syria. This chapter speaks of Saul's name being changed to Paul - meaning "little"; since he now saw himself in that way (see 1 Corinthians 15verses9). We see that Barnabas and Saul were chosen from a very select group of believers. Barnabas and Paul first sail to Cyprus - quite possibly where Barnabas has connections (he sold his land and business). It was here that the Apostles were aided by God in the face of a powerful enemy. From verses 13-52 we read of the Apostles' journeys to Perga and to Antioch in Pisidia. Antioch was in the mountainous region of Turkey. Paul appears to have been sick at this time. Ramsay speculates that it was perhaps malaria. Paul's address in the synagogue at Antioch is masterful and contains many echoes from Stephen's defence in Acts 7. In addition to bringing salient points from Israel's history to the fore - especially those which focus on the coming Messiah - Paul shows how the Scriptures (in particular Psalm 2; Psalm 16 and Isaiah 55) reveal that Christ would die and be raised to eternal life. Through the Lord Jesus Christ forgiveness of sins would be granted to those believing and accepting God's offer. The next Sabbath the entire city comes to hear Paul's message. The Jews stir up opposition and are denounced by Paul, who declares that from now on Paul and Barnabas would preach to the Gentiles. The Apostles left Antioch shaking the dust from their feet as the Lord Jesus had commanded his disciples to do in Matthew 10verses14).Thanks for joining us - we pray you found these comments helpful in your appreciation of God's words, join again tomorrow

The book of Isaiah holds sharp warnings for the people of God—not only the ancient people of God but the church today. 587 BC was a disastrous time for the people of Jerusalem and Judah. More than a century earlier the northern tribes of Israel were conquered and carried away by the Assyrians. Now the Babylonians laid waste the southern territories and a seventy-year exile uprooted the nation. Shameful idolatry had caused the undoing of the people. Innumerable warnings incited only an unresponsive disdainfulness; the prophets were considered fools (Hos 9:7). God, who never threatens in vain, allowed the axe to fall (Isa 1:7).[1] Isaiah 1:10-18 begins the Prophet's message, and while seemingly hopeless, a reminder of the Lord's mercy is assuredly present, for in amazing love, God never abandons his people, though they falter. The waning people of God hear the words of the Lord through the Prophet Isaiah who calls them to return—return to the Lord and return to worship. In a similar manner, the message subsists today and transcends generations, as the people of God are not called to mere sacrifices but to purity of heart, for without such a condition, God's people may not rightfully worship and, therefore, may not worship in sincerity. There are three essentials which must be observed from the text. [1] Stuart D. Sacks, Revealing Jesus as Messiah: Identifying Isaiah's Servant of the Lord (Fearn, UK: Christian Focus Publications, 1998), 16. [2] Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are from the English Standard Bible.

Last month, VCY held its fall rally and the guest presenter was Chris Katulka from the Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry. He spoke on the issue: Why Israel Matters. Why does Israel still matter? Chris had this to say in his opening comments concerning the Bible: "From Genesis to Revelation, this book is Jewish, OK? Do you know that your Savior Jesus is Jewish? You know he never went to church, he went to synagogue. He never celebrated Christmas or Easter. That would be awkward, OK? Jesus celebrated Passover. He honored Yom Kippur. He kept the Feast of Tabernacles. He celebrated Hanukkah. Jesus is Jewish and we believe that if you have a passion for God's Word, then you should automatically have compassion for God's chosen people." That pretty much says it all, but we encourage you to listen to this larger portion of audio from the rally as Chris explains how the existence of a Palestinian state would really be a reward to Hamas. He breaks down Genesis 12:3 (the promise to Abraham) and how it extends throughout the entire Bible. Find out why the Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Assyrians and numerous other people groups are gone, yet Israel is still in existence. Other points are examined as well, all to show that Israel still matters!

Last month, VCY held its fall rally and the guest presenter was Chris Katulka from the Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry. He spoke on the issue: Why Israel Matters. Why does Israel still matter? Chris had this to say in his opening comments concerning the Bible: "From Genesis to Revelation, this book is Jewish, OK? Do you know that your Savior Jesus is Jewish? You know he never went to church, he went to synagogue. He never celebrated Christmas or Easter. That would be awkward, OK? Jesus celebrated Passover. He honored Yom Kippur. He kept the Feast of Tabernacles. He celebrated Hanukkah. Jesus is Jewish and we believe that if you have a passion for God's Word, then you should automatically have compassion for God's chosen people." That pretty much says it all, but we encourage you to listen to this larger portion of audio from the rally as Chris explains how the existence of a Palestinian state would really be a reward to Hamas. He breaks down Genesis 12:3 (the promise to Abraham) and how it extends throughout the entire Bible. Find out why the Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Assyrians and numerous other people groups are gone, yet Israel is still in existence. Other points are examined as well, all to show that Israel still matters!

Two ancient empires, Assyria and Babylon, repeatedly opposed God's people in the Old Testament, each representing different forms of evil. Assyria was a brutal war machine that loved violence and conquest, destroying the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 BC and scattering the ten tribes. Babylon, in contrast, was a sophisticated cultural center that prided itself on achievements like the Hanging Gardens, but their true danger lay in their arrogant self-sufficiency and belief that they were the center of the cosmos. While Assyria represents obvious evil through cruelty and violence, Babylon symbolizes the more subtle temptation of pride, cultural sophistication, and materialism. Both empires ultimately fell due to their opposition to God, teaching us that evil comes in different forms and that we must guard against both obvious sins and subtle pride in our own lives.https://www.ankenyfree.church

* 2 Kings: The divided kingdom is symptomatic of Israel's separation from God. In the northern kingdom, the prophet Elijah passing on the mantle of his ministry, along with a double blessing from God, to Elisha. With the defeat of Moab, and the mocking of Syria's blinded army, God's covenant people had opportunity after opportunity to thrive. Instead, their sin brought judgment. Ahab's sons were killed after his wicked widow Jezebel was thrown out of a window to her death. In the southern kingdom of Judah, the sole surviving son of the royal family became king, but eventually Joash too was murdered. After Elisha died, Israel and Judah fought, with rampant paganism in the north so weakening the ten tribes that they were carried carried away captive by the Assyrians. Meanwhile down south, the more benevolent reigns of kings like Azariah, Jotham, Hezekiah, and Josiah only postponed God's judgment until Nebuchadnezzar carried away Judah in the Babylonian captivity. Lessons abound in Second Kings. Available on MP3-CD or download.   BEL SUBSCRIPTIONS: Please consider one of our monthly subscriptions that will not only help support BEL, but they also promote better understanding of the Bible and may equip you to more effectively reach those around you. Monthly Sermons: Enjoy all of Bob's sermons from the month on Sermon Video DVD, great also to watch with the family. Or, get these on Sermon Audio CDs which are standard audio Compact Discs that will play on any CD player including the one in your car. Or get them on a single Sermon MP3-CD which will play on an MP3 player, in a DVD player, or in your computer.Monthly Bible Studies: Enjoy the Scriptures with Bob's Monthly Bible Study DVDs, great too for a small group Bible study. Or get these teachings on a single Monthly Bible Study Audio MP3- CD which will play on an MP3 player, in a DVD player, or in your computer.Monthly Topical Videos: Coming to your mailbox, you'll get a Monthly Topical DVD to enjoy one of Bob's great videos specially selected to be entertaining and to teach about life from a biblical worldview.Monthly Best of Bob Shows: Every month our crew selects the eight best BEL shows of the month and for the folks who might have missed some of them, we mail them out on the Best of Bob MP3-CD.Monthly BEL TV Classics: Enjoy Bob Enyart's timeless, popular TV show delivered to your home on the Monthly BEL TV Classics DVDs with great audio and video clarity thanks to our state-of-the-art mastering from the studio-quality Sony beta tapes to DVD!Monthly Donation: For folks who just want to make sure that Bob Enyart Live stays on the air, please consider making a pledge in the form of a Monthly Donation.

* 2 Kings: The divided kingdom is symptomatic of Israel's separation from God. In the northern kingdom, the prophet Elijah passing on the mantle of his ministry, along with a double blessing from God, to Elisha. With the defeat of Moab, and the mocking of Syria's blinded army, God's covenant people had opportunity after opportunity to thrive. Instead, their sin brought judgment. Ahab's sons were killed after his wicked widow Jezebel was thrown out of a window to her death. In the southern kingdom of Judah, the sole surviving son of the royal family became king, but eventually Joash too was murdered. After Elisha died, Israel and Judah fought, with rampant paganism in the north so weakening the ten tribes that they were carried carried away captive by the Assyrians. Meanwhile down south, the more benevolent reigns of kings like Azariah, Jotham, Hezekiah, and Josiah only postponed God's judgment until Nebuchadnezzar carried away Judah in the Babylonian captivity. Lessons abound in Second Kings. Available on MP3-CD or download.   BEL SUBSCRIPTIONS: Please consider one of our monthly subscriptions that will not only help support BEL, but they also promote better understanding of the Bible and may equip you to more effectively reach those around you. Monthly Sermons: Enjoy all of Bob's sermons from the month on Sermon Video DVD, great also to watch with the family. Or, get these on Sermon Audio CDs which are standard audio Compact Discs that will play on any CD player including the one in your car. Or get them on a single Sermon MP3-CD which will play on an MP3 player, in a DVD player, or in your computer.Monthly Bible Studies: Enjoy the Scriptures with Bob's Monthly Bible Study DVDs, great too for a small group Bible study. Or get these teachings on a single Monthly Bible Study Audio MP3- CD which will play on an MP3 player, in a DVD player, or in your computer.Monthly Topical Videos: Coming to your mailbox, you'll get a Monthly Topical DVD to enjoy one of Bob's great videos specially selected to be entertaining and to teach about life from a biblical worldview.Monthly Best of Bob Shows: Every month our crew selects the eight best BEL shows of the month and for the folks who might have missed some of them, we mail them out on the Best of Bob MP3-CD.Monthly BEL TV Classics: Enjoy Bob Enyart's timeless, popular TV show delivered to your home on the Monthly BEL TV Classics DVDs with great audio and video clarity thanks to our state-of-the-art mastering from the studio-quality Sony beta tapes to DVD!Monthly Donation: For folks who just want to make sure that Bob Enyart Live stays on the air, please consider making a pledge in the form of a Monthly Donation.

BABYLONIANS, ASSYRIANS, EGYPTIANS, PHILISTINES 

* 2 Kings: The divided kingdom is symptomatic of Israel's separation from God. In the northern kingdom, the prophet Elijah passing on the mantle of his ministry, along with a double blessing from God, to Elisha. With the defeat of Moab, and the mocking of Syria's blinded army, God's covenant people had opportunity after opportunity to thrive. Instead, their sin brought judgment. Ahab's sons were killed after his wicked widow Jezebel was thrown out of a window to her death. In the southern kingdom of Judah, the sole surviving son of the royal family became king, but eventually Joash too was murdered. After Elisha died, Israel and Judah fought, with rampant paganism in the north so weakening the ten tribes that they were carried carried away captive by the Assyrians. Meanwhile down south, the more benevolent reigns of kings like Azariah, Jotham, Hezekiah, and Josiah only postponed God's judgment until Nebuchadnezzar carried away Judah in the Babylonian captivity. Lessons abound in Second Kings. Available on MP3-CD or download.   BEL SUBSCRIPTIONS: Please consider one of our monthly subscriptions that will not only help support BEL, but they also promote better understanding of the Bible and may equip you to more effectively reach those around you. Monthly Sermons: Enjoy all of Bob's sermons from the month on Sermon Video DVD, great also to watch with the family. Or, get these on Sermon Audio CDs which are standard audio Compact Discs that will play on any CD player including the one in your car. Or get them on a single Sermon MP3-CD which will play on an MP3 player, in a DVD player, or in your computer.Monthly Bible Studies: Enjoy the Scriptures with Bob's Monthly Bible Study DVDs, great too for a small group Bible study. Or get these teachings on a single Monthly Bible Study Audio MP3- CD which will play on an MP3 player, in a DVD player, or in your computer.Monthly Topical Videos: Coming to your mailbox, you'll get a Monthly Topical DVD to enjoy one of Bob's great videos specially selected to be entertaining and to teach about life from a biblical worldview.Monthly Best of Bob Shows: Every month our crew selects the eight best BEL shows of the month and for the folks who might have missed some of them, we mail them out on the Best of Bob MP3-CD.Monthly BEL TV Classics: Enjoy Bob Enyart's timeless, popular TV show delivered to your home on the Monthly BEL TV Classics DVDs with great audio and video clarity thanks to our state-of-the-art mastering from the studio-quality Sony beta tapes to DVD!Monthly Donation: For folks who just want to make sure that Bob Enyart Live stays on the air, please consider making a pledge in the form of a Monthly Donation.

* 2 Kings: The divided kingdom is symptomatic of Israel's separation from God. In the northern kingdom, the prophet Elijah passing on the mantle of his ministry, along with a double blessing from God, to Elisha. With the defeat of Moab, and the mocking of Syria's blinded army, God's covenant people had opportunity after opportunity to thrive. Instead, their sin brought judgment. Ahab's sons were killed after his wicked widow Jezebel was thrown out of a window to her death. In the southern kingdom of Judah, the sole surviving son of the royal family became king, but eventually Joash too was murdered. After Elisha died, Israel and Judah fought, with rampant paganism in the north so weakening the ten tribes that they were carried carried away captive by the Assyrians. Meanwhile down south, the more benevolent reigns of kings like Azariah, Jotham, Hezekiah, and Josiah only postponed God's judgment until Nebuchadnezzar carried away Judah in the Babylonian captivity. Lessons abound in Second Kings. Available on MP3-CD or download.   BEL SUBSCRIPTIONS: Please consider one of our monthly subscriptions that will not only help support BEL, but they also promote better understanding of the Bible and may equip you to more effectively reach those around you. Monthly Sermons: Enjoy all of Bob's sermons from the month on Sermon Video DVD, great also to watch with the family. Or, get these on Sermon Audio CDs which are standard audio Compact Discs that will play on any CD player including the one in your car. Or get them on a single Sermon MP3-CD which will play on an MP3 player, in a DVD player, or in your computer.Monthly Bible Studies: Enjoy the Scriptures with Bob's Monthly Bible Study DVDs, great too for a small group Bible study. Or get these teachings on a single Monthly Bible Study Audio MP3- CD which will play on an MP3 player, in a DVD player, or in your computer.Monthly Topical Videos: Coming to your mailbox, you'll get a Monthly Topical DVD to enjoy one of Bob's great videos specially selected to be entertaining and to teach about life from a biblical worldview.Monthly Best of Bob Shows: Every month our crew selects the eight best BEL shows of the month and for the folks who might have missed some of them, we mail them out on the Best of Bob MP3-CD.Monthly BEL TV Classics: Enjoy Bob Enyart's timeless, popular TV show delivered to your home on the Monthly BEL TV Classics DVDs with great audio and video clarity thanks to our state-of-the-art mastering from the studio-quality Sony beta tapes to DVD!Monthly Donation: For folks who just want to make sure that Bob Enyart Live stays on the air, please consider making a pledge in the form of a Monthly Donation.

Assyrian Resilience: Leadership and Perpetual Warfare after 1177 BC AUTHOR NAME: Eric Cline BOOK TITLE: After 1177 BC, The Survival of Civilizations Professor Cline analyzes why societies like the Assyrians survived the 1177 BC collapse, identifying their successful leadership and redundant systems (government, military, writing). Since trade partners vanished, Assyrian leaders resorted to war almost yearly to acquire necessary resources. Their complex relationship with the Babylonians involved periods of alliance and fighting until the Babylonians eventually defeated them centuries later.

Factors of Survival: Antifragility, River Systems, and IPCC Resilience Models AUTHOR NAME: Eric Cline BOOK TITLE: After 1177 BC, The Survival of Civilizations; 1177 BC, the year civilization collapsed Phoenicians demonstrated antifragility by flourishing in chaos, using trade wealth to buy off the threatening Neo-Assyrians. The Cypriots, though on an island, were later overwhelmed by the Assyrians. The survival of Egyptians, Assyrians, and Babylonians is partially attributed to their location on major river systems (Nile, Tigris/Euphrates), which the failed Hittites lacked. Resilience is analyzed using IPCC definitions: Phoenicians and Cypriots transformed, while Egyptians merely coped.

2 Kings 18 Summary2 Kings 18 describes the reign of Hezekiah, king of Judah. Hezekiah becomes king at age 25 and rules for 29 years in Jerusalem. He is portrayed as a faithful and righteous king, removing idolatry from Judah, breaking down altars to other gods, and even destroying the bronze serpent that Moses had made because people had begun to worship it.Hezekiah trusts in the Lord more than any king before or after him. During his reign, Assyria captures Samaria and exiles Israel for their unfaithfulness. Later, King Sennacherib of Assyria invades Judah and takes several fortified cities. Hezekiah tries to appease Sennacherib by paying tribute, but the Assyrians still threaten Jerusalem. Sennacherib sends officials to Jerusalem to intimidate the people, boasting that God cannot save them from Assyria.The chapter ends with the people silent, following Hezekiah's command not to answer the Assyrian envoys. The fate of Jerusalem is left unresolved in this chapter, setting up the events to follow in the next chapters.

Daily Dose of Hope October 8, 2025   Scripture – John 4:1-42   Prayer:  Holy God, You are the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the one who was and is and is to come.  We love you and give you praise.  We rejoice in your powerful name.  Thank you for how you call each of us.  Thank you for how you provide for us and equip us with everything we need.  You don't need to use us but you do; you allow us to be part of your work in this world.  Thank you, Lord.  Help us to see the blessing of serving you.  We pray this in your name, Amen.   Welcome to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional/podcast that complements the daily Bible reading plan at New Hope Church in Brandon, Florida.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts which will last through the end of 2025.  Today, we begin John 4.   This is the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well.  Many of you are familiar with this passage and it is an extraordinary one.  Let's try to look at it with fresh eyes.  There are some really fascinating aspects to this narrative:   ·      Jesus did not have to go through Samaria; he chose to.  He was making a statement here.  As we have mentioned before, the Jews and Samaritans hated one another.  Usually, Jews went the long way around Samaria so they didn't have to be contaminated by the people who they called dogs and half-breeds.  Remember, the region of Samaria was once the Northern Kingdom.  They set up their own capital and their own temple.  After the Assyrians conquered them, many people moved out and others moved in.  Thus, the people who lived there during Jesus' day were a mix of cultures and nationalities.  ·      Jesus initiates a conversation with the woman at the well.  Jews and Samaritans didn't have conversations.  Honestly, men and women didn't have conversations.  So many things about this situation were taboo.  But Jesus doesn't care about social conventions, he cares about individual people. ·      The woman was at the well in the middle of the day.  That tells us that she was trying to avoid others.  It was really, really hot at that time of day.  Most women would have drawn water in the cool of the morning.  This woman was avoiding the town women because she was probably the focus of their gossip.  She had been married many times and she was, at the time, living with a man who wasn't her husband. ·      We don't know much about this woman, but my guess is that she had a life filled with hardship and trauma.  Jesus knew that.  He saw her needs and her struggles and he offered her living water.  She was open and receptive.  ·      This woman turns out to be one of the best evangelists in the New Testament.  She goes and tells the townspeople about this man who knew everything about her life.  Remember, these are the people who don't like her but she is boldly sharing about Jesus anyway.  Thus, many of the Samaritans believed and became committed to following Jesus.  ·      Jesus is in the business of changing lives and whole communities.  And he uses all of us.  Our past does not matter to Jesus, only our hearts and desire to change.     Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Nahum vividly describes the coming destruction of Nineveh at the hands of the Babylonian army. No matter what preparations the Assyrians attempt to make, the LORD will lead the Babylonian army in bringing His destruction. Nineveh will be plundered and left desolate as the LORD carries out His judgment against the unrepentant city.  Rev. Phillip Fischaber, pastor at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Walnut, IL, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Nahum 2:1-13.  To learn more about Holy Trinity, visit htlcwalnut.org. “Majoring in the Minors” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that goes through the books of Hosea, Joel, Jonah, Micah, and Nahum. Although the books of these prophets are shorter, the Word of God they preached was important in the years leading up to the coming of the Christ, and that Word remains important for the Church today. Just as we still need to listen to their call to repentance over our idolatry, so we still need to heed their call to trust in the Savior, Jesus.  Sharper Iron, hosted by Rev. Timothy Appel, looks at the text of Holy Scripture both in its broad context and its narrow detail, all for the sake of proclaiming Christ crucified and risen for sinners. Two pastors engage with God's Word to sharpen not only their own faith and knowledge, but the faith and knowledge of all who listen. Submit comments or questions to: listener@kfuo.org

Why did the Assyrians spare Philistine port cities like Gaza when they conquered The Levant? How did the Persians overthrow the Babylonians in the region? What did Alexander The Great send back to his tutor after he sieged Gaza City?  William and Anita are joined once again by Josephine Quinn, Professor of Ancient History at the University of Cambridge and author of How The World Made The West, to discuss the five ancient empires that conquered Gaza. Join the Empire Club: Unlock the full Empire experience – with bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access to miniseries and live show tickets, exclusive book discounts, a members-only newsletter, and access to our private Discord chatroom. Sign up directly at empirepoduk.com  For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com. Email: empire@goalhanger.com Instagram: @empirepoduk Blue Sky: @empirepoduk X: @empirepoduk Assistant Producer: Becki Hills Producer: Anouska Lewis Executive Producer: Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What if the world's most sophisticated ancient civilizations - the Assyrians with their vast libraries, the Maya with their impossible astronomical precision - weren't just tracking celestial mechanics? What if they were documenting something far stranger?​​If you are having a mental health crisis and need immediate help, please go to ​ ​ ​​https://troubledminds.org/help/ and call somebody right now. Reaching out for support is a sign of strength. ​ ​ ​ ​​​LIVE ON Digital Radio! Http://bit.ly/40KBtlW ​ ​ ​​http://www.troubledminds.net or ​ ​ ​ ​​https://www.troubledminds.org ​​​​Support The Show! ​ ​ ​ ​​https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/troubled-minds-radio--4953916/support ​ ​ ​ ​​https://ko-fi.com/troubledminds ​ ​ ​ ​​https://patreon.com/troubledminds ​ ​ ​ ​​https://www.buymeacoffee.com/troubledminds ​ ​ ​ ​​https://troubledfans.com ​ ​Friends of Troubled Minds! - ​ ​ ​ ​​https://troubledminds.org/friends ​ ​​​Show Schedule Sun--Tues--Thurs--Fri 7-10pst ​iTunes - ​ ​ ​​​​https://apple.co/2zZ4hx6 ​Spotify - ​ ​ ​​​​https://spoti.fi/2UgyzqM ​TuneIn - ​ ​ ​​​​https://bit.ly/2FZOErS ​Twitter - ​ ​ ​​​​https://bit.ly/2CYB71U ​​​​​----------------------------------------​​https://troubledminds.substack.com/p/the-substitute-king-ritual-shadow​​https://x.com/conciouscreator/status/1969904986839790003​​https://substack.com/home/post/p-157073949​​https://www.ranker.com/list/occult-connections-eclipses/april-a-taylor​​https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assyrian_eclipse​​https://www.britannica.com/science/eclipse/Assyrian​https://www.academia.edu/122309568/The_Substitute_King_%C5%A1ar_p%C5%AB%E1%B8%ABi_An_Assyrian_Ritual_of_the_First_Millennium​​https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Substitute_king_ritual​​https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Udug​​https://the-demonic-paradise.fandom.com/wiki/Udug​​https://www.deliriumsrealm.com/assyrian-babylonian-demonology/That's another dive into the mysteries they don't want you exploring here on Troubled Minds Radio. Keep Your Mind Troubled: If today's episode challenged your perception of reality, you're exactly where you need to be.Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and hit that notification bell so you never miss our investigations into the unknown.Your five-star rating and review helps other truth-seekers find us in this sea of mainstream disinformation. Join the Community: Connect with nearly 1,000 fellow researchers in our Discord server, follow @TroubledMindsR on X for breaking updates, and support independent media by upgrading to Spreaker Prime for exclusive bonus content.Share Your Truth: Got a paranormal encounter, conspiracy evidence, or inside knowledge they're covering up? Email troubledmindsradio@gmail.com - your story could be featured on an upcoming episode. This is your host reminding you that in a world of manufactured narratives, questioning everything isn't paranoia...

The Son of David strikes down 185,000 Assyrians. Hezekiah becomes sick and is told he will not recover. And God responds with mercy to a bad prayer, but good tears. Have a listen. Show Notes: Support 1517 Podcast Network 1517 Podcasts 1517 on Youtube 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts 1517 Events Schedule 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education What's New from 1517: Untamed Prayers: 365 Daily Devotions on Christ in the Book of Psalms by Chad Bird Remembering Your Baptism: A 40-Day Devotional by Kathryn Morales Sinner Saint by Luke Kjolhaug The Impossible Prize: A Theology of Addiction by Donavan Riley More from the hosts: Daniel Emery Price Chad Bird

The history of Gaza dates back more than 5000 years. In antiquity, it was a key port on the Mediterranean coast. Assyrians, Ancient Greeks, Romans, Byzantines and the Ottomans have all left their mark on this small territory. This rich history is seen by Palestinians as central to their identity. Amid the death and destruction of the war, the BBC's Middle East Correspondent Yolande Knell meets the Palestinians who've desperately tried to save what remains of Gaza's past.This episode of The Documentary comes to you from Assignment, investigations and journeys into the heart of global events

3/8. In Professor Eric Cline's After 1177 BC, The Survival of Civilizations, the Assyrians are a prime example of resilience post-1177 BC. Their success derived from strong leadership and constant warfare, allowing them to secure resources when traditional trade partners failed. Their complex, on-again-off-again relationship with the Babylonians eventually led to Neo-Assyrian dominance in the Near East for centuries, showcasing the rise and fall of empires.

Netanyahu recognizes the Armenian, Assyrian, and Greek genocides during his interview with Patrick Bet-David on the PBD Podcast. Turkey blasts the move as politically motivated, exposing deep rifts in Israel-Turkey relations and sparking emotional global reactions from Armenians, Assyrians, and Greeks.

Correctly understanding and interpreting the Bible adds depth and beauty to our understanding—and to do it incorrectly leads to wrong assumptions and false doctrine. Learn more about the judgment of the Assyrians and the important connection between the books of Nahum and Jonah.

In this first-ever Slingshot Nation Live, I share the vision behind launching a movement of giant-slayers while diving into the deeper battles we face — from biblical accounts of an angel striking down 185,000 Assyrians overnight, to fresh stories of disclosure and fallen angels, to demonic encounters stopped in the name of Jesus. Along the way, I open up about my personal journey, the creation of Slingshot Nation as the counter to The Confessionals, and why we're stepping into a new season of spiritual warfare, truth, and preparation for the days ahead. If you're able, consider helping the Merkel family with medical expenses by donating to Lindsay's GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/b8f76890