Nineveh: When A Plague Hits A Country

Note: I wanted to address Nineveh's status before considering their use by God to punish Tyre and the northern kingdom of Israel.

Appropriate text: “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34).

Keywords: awakening, plague, virus

Definition of Great Awakening: "The Great Awakening refers to a number of periods of religious revival in American Christian history. Historians and theologians identify three or four waves of increased religious enthusiasm occurring between the early 18th century and the late 20th century."
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Awakening].

Is the Coronavirus a plague? We perhaps are programmed to think of a plague as a widespread bacterial event, especially the Black Death of Medieval Europe (and recently in China). But did you know that scientists are not in full agreement whether that plague was from the fleas on rats which was the prevailing assumption or from a virus epidemic like the Ebola.ⁱ Figuratively, a pandemic of a virus can be called a plague. Because one definition of “plague” is “any widespread calamity or evil.”ⁱⁱ

I suppose I've always been a history enthusiast. Biblical history is especially included. A common expression, "Those who ignore history are bound (or doomed) to repeat it" is a mis-quotation of an original text written by George Santayana, but, nevertheless, it expresses truth.ⁱⁱⁱ While a freshman in college I was fascinated by the recurring so-called religious “great awakenings” in American history. It is interesting to me how that those spiritual revivals seem to have accompanied periods of great numbers of death, sickness, and hardships.

ARE NATIONAL TROUBLES OF DIVINE ORIGIN? During a weekly Bible class in 2010 while Haiti was recovering from its recent combined earthquakes and cholera epidemic, an immigrant in class asked if God was not punishing Haiti for its voodoo practices. A good question. Through the years, Haiti had suffered cyclones, hurricanes, tropical storms, torrential rains, floods and earthquakes which have killed and injured thousands. So, if so, is God likewise punishing America for its sins with the current virus pandemic? The President recently during an interview referred to the coronavirus pandemic as a plague. Some purist may object that a plague is bacterial and not viral, but the Bible's use of plague includes a wide range of disasters. So the question is, is the Unites States being given a wake-up call from a plague?

PLAGUES. The term "plague" is found around 100 times in the Bible and it's not restricted to bacterial diseases. Easton’s Bible Dictionary defines plague as a "stroke of affliction, or disease. Sent as a divine chastisement (Numbers 11:33; 14:37; 16:46-49; 2 Samuel 24:21).”^iv There were ten plagues for Egypt under Moses (which included frogs, flies, etc., which were not viruses). Israel received plagues under Moses (Numbers 16), under David (2 Samuel 24); etc. God did not restrict His chastisement to just His declared “people.” He sent punishment to other nations which included plagues. The great super-power of Assyria was so visited.

NINEVEH IS RELIGIOUS CAPITAL OF ASSYRIA. In 765 BC, Assyria was hit by a plague, and in the following year, the king was not able to campaign (it was customary for the Assyrian king to lead a military expedition every year). In 763 BC, a revolt broke out, which lasted until 759 BC, when another plague struck the land.^v Then Jonah shows up after a couple years. His preaching is about God's destroying Nineveh. Nineveh believes, repents and is saved for the time being.

THE BOOK OF JONAH. The book of Jonah is a narrative of the prophet of God Jonah being sent to preach to Nineveh because of their wickedness. This happened during Jeroboam II's reign in Israel (2 Kings 14:25) which would place it around 750 BC. Although the Bible omits mentioning the two consequent plagues and revolt stated above that preceded Jonah's trip to Nineveh, for our purpose, let's be aware of them. These plagues and civil unrest is authenticated from archeaology.^vi

ALL ARE SUBJECT TO GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS. It is important for us to observe that Nineveh was not Hebrew. So why does a prophet of God need to preach to Nineveh? The Bible teaches that God is the God of all creation (Genesis 1-3; Romans 3:29); hence, Nineveh like the Amorites of Canaan was subject to the righteousness of God. Remember the Canaanites were supposed to be removed from the land of Canaan because their sins were full. Abraham was told, “And in the fourth generation they [his children: Israel] will come back here; for at present the sin of the Amorite is not full” (Genesis 15:16). They were sinners even though they were not entrusted to preserve the knowledge of God (via the written Torah).

The apostle Paul explains for us, “(For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. [This condemned the Hebrews who disobeyed the Law (gw)]. For when the Gentiles [which included the Assyrians], which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves-- [failure to do this condemned Nineveh]” (Romans 2:13, 14).

NATIONAL VERSUS INDIVIDUAL JUDGMENT. “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34). "Nations are judged in the here and now." This was a constant saying of my mentor, Homer Haley, often said to have been a “Walking Old Testament” so called because of his quotes and knowledge of the OT. There are two specified judgments. The difference of the judgments is, “nations are judged now; individuals are judged when Jesus returns.” This is a dichotomy: “a division into two especially mutually exclusive or contradictory groups or entities” (Merriam-Webster). Individuals are judged after death (Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 20:12-14); but nations are judged now.

“Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34).

DEFINITION OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.^vii Jesus told John that we as individuals have the duty to fulfil all righteousness (Matthew 3:15). Thayer defines righteousness as "doing what is expected of us, existing acceptable to God, justice, integrity, and rightness." John's baptism^viii was required (before the cross) for the individual, including Jesus. A nation is an ordained authority from God to (1) be a terror (punisher) to evil (kakos, wickedness, Romans 13:3)^ix and (2) a boon to those doing well (1 Peter 2:13-15). So, a nation is exalting righteousness when they fulfil their role. A nation obviously is not required to believe and be baptized, as the individual is told to do (Mark 16:15,16). The United States government exists to allow people to do good; e.g., Christians believing and ministering to the Lord Jesus Christ. Nineveh was not required to become Jewish (or Christian for that matter) but were to punish evil and promote good among its people. King Cyrus of Persia is called God's shepherd who performs His pleasure (Isaiah 44:28). But Cyrus was not Jewish; neither did he become a convert. But his government decreed the return of all peoples to their respected nations. Likewise, the American government isn't required to be a church but is required to allow the free rein of the gospel; and so is every government ordained on this planet.

THE “FIRST GREAT AWAKENING” 1730s and lasted to about 1740.^xi This “revival” is described as “turning America from a collection of godless colonies into a God-fearing nation, setting the stage for independence and establishing the moral foundation for a new country conceived in liberty.”

THE “SECOND GREAT AWAKENING” was a religious revival that began in the late eighteenth century (1790s) and lasting until the middle of the nineteenth century (1850s). The sword of the Civil War purged the nation's immoralities in the following decade.

THE “THIRD GREAT AWAKENING” in the late 1800s was characterized by new denominations, active missionary work, Chautauquas, and the “Social Gospel” approach to social issues.

“THE FOURTH GREAT AWAKENING.” This “revival” is still debated. Economist Robert Fogel^xii says it happened in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Law passed though against preaching “politics”. The Supreme Court passed in favor of abortion that has resulted in millions of deaths. A liberal mores political climate in media, however, sparked some objections from the churches.

Will we have a FIFTH GREAT AWAKENING? Since the election of Donald Trump a declaration of religious freedom has allowed preaching legally (in the pulpit) unmolested by the government; but to what degree will the gospel yet affect the nation's moral degradation?

A New, Unidentified "BIRD" Virus Is Causing Pneumonia Outbreak in China, Officials Say. ^xiii

-- Gaylon West
THROW OUT THE LIFELINE website

ihttps://www.nature.com/scitable/blog/viruses101/could_the_black_death_actually/

iihttps://www.dictionary.com/e/is-the-coronavirus-a-plague/

iiiGeorge Santayana (1863-1952) in his Reason in Common Sense, The Life of Reason, Vol.1, wrote "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

ivEaston also defines plague as “painful afflictions or diseases, (Leviticus 13:3,5,30; 1 Kings 8:37), or severe calamity (Mark 5:29; Luke 7:21), or the judgment of God, so called (Exodus 9:14).”

vhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashur-dan_III

viAccording to the eponym canon. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashur-dan_III

viidikaiosunē^G1343. Thayer Definition: 1) in a broad sense: state of him who is as he ought to be

1a) attain a state approved of God; 1b) integrity, virtue, purity of life, rightness, correctness of thinking feeling, and acting; 2) in a narrower sense, justice or the virtue which gives each his due.

viiiJohn's baptism is not the gospel baptism of the kingdom that was commanded after Jesus arose from the dead.

ixRomans 13:3 “For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same”

xhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_epidemics_and_pandemics#cite_note-42

xihttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Awakening#cite_note-FOOTNOTECurtis1991135-5

xiihttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Fogel

xiiihttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/china-ground-zero-future-pandemic- 180965213/

Fifth Plagues: Flu, Aids, Flu, Ebola, Coronavirus