Chronological Bible Blog

Psalm 42; Psalm 43; Psalm 44; Psalm 45; Psalm 46
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Today we read Psalm 42 verse 1, which is one of my favorite verses in the Bible! “As the deer pants for streams of water, so I long for you, O God.”  That is so right on.  Lately these days I have been longing for God more than ever – and I love that.  I am thankful for that.  There have been seasons in my life – which can certainly be called “dry” seasons – where I have not longed for God.  Where I have not longed for the true Living Water.  I just love the picture this Psalm verse paints in my mind – a deer in the wilderness is fleeing from hunters.  It is literally dying of thirst as it runs.  It is tired.  It is weary.  It is running from death.  And it needs water.  It pants for streams of water.  Like this deer, I pray that I long for God in the same way.  As I flee from sin.  As I am tired.  As I am weary.  As I run from death.  I need God.  I long for God.   How about you?  Do you long for God these days as a deer longs for water?  Are you consistently drinking from the true Living Water?

I think Psalm 43 verse 5 starts off with a couple of questions that then answer themselves by the end of the verse – “Why am I discouraged?  Why so sad? I will put my hope in God!  I will praise him again–my Savior and my God!” I would agree with what this verse is getting at.  If I find myself to be discouraged or sad, it comes as no great surprise to me that I have been putting my hope in things other than God.  I have been perhaps even praising false idols.  And the sure fire way to be freed from the discouragement or sadness?  To put my hope once again in God and God only.  And to praise him again!  I think this Psalm verse is a great reminder to make sure we are not placing our hope in anything other than God.  For anything other than God will only leave us empty in the end.

Psalm 44 verse 3 is a wise statement about where the Israelites and our true strength and victory in life comes from! “They did not conquer the land with their swords; it was not their own strength that gave them victory. It was by your mighty power that they succeeded; it was because you favored them and smiled on them.”

Every time I read Psalm 44 verse 23 it reminds me of one of the amazing aspects of the Psalms – that the Psalms are people like us speaking to God – and in all sorts of emotional ways: “Wake up, O Lord! Why do you sleep? Get up! Do not reject us forever.” This type of verse reminds me that it’s okay for us to not always talk to God in our “church voice.”  It’s okay to get a little bit passionate in our prayers to God.  I think God would prefer us to be real with him – where we are right now or at any given moment – rather than try to put on any special facades for God.  If ever you feel like you are at a loss for words for what you might want to say to God – how you might be needing to pray to God – surf through the Psalms…  you’ll very likely find voice for what you are trying to say. 

Today we read Psalm 46, which is an incredible Psalm! This Psalm represents a song of hope celebrating the certain triumph of God’s kingdom – even in the midst of times of severe trouble. This Psalm served as the inspiration for Martin Luther’s famous Hymn, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God.” Just after 9/11 I saw emails and posts on the internet floating around with the entirety of this Psalm. I would encourage you to keep this Psalm in your “back-pocket” as a Psalm to meditate upon whenever you personally might be going through times of severe trouble – or whenever our world might be going through times of severe trouble. Near the end of Psalm 46 in verse 10 we read a tiny little verse that I think is the key to this Psalm – “Be still, and know that I am God.” If you are going through a time of trouble in your life right now, will you take some time to meditate upon Psalm 46 and in particular verse 10? 

Psalm 45 is very likely a song of praise to King David on his wedding day.  Interestingly, after the Babylonian exile, this Psalm was applied to the Messiah, Jesus Christ, the promised Son of David.  I can see how some verses in this Psalm could apply to both the current king of the day and the true king yet to come.  Verse 7 is a good example: “You love what is right and hate what is wrong. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you, pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else.”  Below is Mary’s (Martha’s sister) anointing of Jesus from the Gospel of John chapter 12 verses 1-8.   

YouTube: Psalm 42 and my reflections above on Living Water reminded me of the Brother Yun book titled Living Water.  Brother Yun wrote the well-known book Heavenly Man, and Living Water is his second book.  Below is a 10 minute talk from Brother Yun about his imprisonment in China and his ultimate freedom in Christ.

Are you drinking deeply of the Living Water? Click here for Water!

Comments from You:  What verses or insights stand out to you in today’s readings?  Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!

God bless,
Mike

Proverbs 30:1-31:31
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Proverbs chapter 31 and the preceding chapter 30 are thought to be essentially an “appendix” to the overall book of Proverbs, as they are non-Israelite in origin. Chapter 29 was the final chapter of the Proverbs of Solomon.  Proverbs chapter 31 verses 1 through 9 consist of 3 sayings that King Lemuel’s mother taught him. The entirety of Proverbs chapter 31 demonstrates the significance and role of wise women in the ancient Near East, where the queen mother was often an influential figure. Who have been some wise women in your life?

Proverbs 31:8-9 today teaches us this powerful lesson: “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those who are perishing. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.”  Do you believe that God calling you to speak up in some way for the poor and helpless?  Maybe it’s somewhere in your city or neighborhood or home that this call is leading you to speak up…  Will you speak up?  Will we speak up?  Tangent alert – It’s been a while since I’ve posted up about World Vision, so I hope you don’t mind me going down a bit of a tangential path here that I do think is related to this Proverb.  Please know that I don’t work for World Vision – I simply love their ministry and know they are efficient and effective in their work.  I’ve been sponsoring children through World Vision for the past 7 years.  Below are a couple of paragraphs I sent out in an email to my friends and family recently about World Vision:

“The reason for this portion of the email is to encourage you to do your shopping throughout the year at World Vision’s Gifts website – http://www.WorldVisionGifts.org/  On this website you can purchase a goat for a family in need in our world!  Yes, instead of buying your father another tie he won’t wear, buy him a World Vision goat this Christmas!  (or for his birthday or Father’s Day)  Everyone loves a goat! And the good news about this goat is that it won’t come to live with your gift recipient. 🙂 It will go to a family who really needs the goat’s milk – a family who perhaps can start breeding goats and start a small business.  And World Vision will mail a wonderful gift card to your recipient to let them know about the goat you bought in their honor!  In addition to goats, you can buy wells for clean water, fruit trees, and food.”

Last, but not least, for just $1 a day you can change a child’s life through World Vision’s Child Sponsorship.  World Vision works in villages where people are making less than $1 a day.  You might be surprised to know that there are 1.2 billion people on our planet that are making less than $1 a day.  This is abject poverty.  And you and I can do something about it by investing 1 of our dollars from our wallets or purses each day into World Vision’s Child Sponsorship program. This upcoming year will you join me in sponsoring a child?  It will change that child’s life – and yours.  Please take five minutes to learn more about Child Sponsorship online here: http://www.worldvision.org/

Proverbs 31:10-24 is a great reflection upon a godly wife.  I read a commentary that said such a wife is almost a personification of wisdom.  I like that thought!  And certainly it makes sense that a women / wife would be a personification of wisdom rather than a man / husband…  🙂   Just kidding!  I’m a guy, so I can make this kind of joke right?  In all seriousness, how about that thought for each of our lives – male or female – would it be a godly thing to move toward being a personification of wisdom?  Obviously I’d say that Jesus was the only human this side of heaven that will walk this earth as a pure personification of wisdom.  But let us seek wisdom in how we live our lives each and every day.  Let us seek God’s Wisdom that is worth far more than rubies…

Here is a little Proverbs 31 humor… while searching for an image for Proverbs 31 I came across this photo below.  The person who took this photo said “we call her the Proverbs 31 Doggie.”  Cute!  🙂

Proverbs 31:25-31 are a continued great look at what a godly woman does.  I really like verse 30 which seems so opposite of what our culture is often selling us today: “Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the LORD will be greatly praised.”  I think this holds so true for women and men – our beauty or good looks or outer appearances do not last.  They are not eternal.  What matters is what’s inside – our relationship with and love of God and other people.  So, I think this is a great reminder for us to focus on what’s inside – which is what’s eternal.  And yes, our culture will continue to try to sell us on the latest fads to look better on the outside.  Will you refuse to buy into that which will not last?  Do you realize that holiness is beautiful?  This picture below comes from Memphis, Tennessee:

YouTube:  As I mention World Vision above, here’s their powerful One Life video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_2GAEzJL6I

How are you spending your one life? Click here and invest it in the One!

Comments from You:  What verses or insights stand out to you in today’s readings?  Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!

God bless,
Mike

Proverbs 25:1-29:27
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Proverbs chapter 25 verses 4 & 5 today are interesting: "Remove the dross from silver, and the sterling will be ready for the silversmith. Remove the wicked from the king’s court, and his reign will be made secure by justice."  I believe dross is some sort of impurity that is in silver when it is heated up.  Actually, I just looked it up in the dictionary and dross means:  "impurity: worthless or dangerous material that should be removed; "there were impurities in the water"" or "[n. DRAHSS] Something that is useless or worthless is dross. This noun refers to the less-than-desirable parts of something. Near synonyms include: refuse, rubbish, and impurity. Another more specific use of the word dross describes the scum or slag thrown off from metals in the process of melting them. It traces back to the Old English dros, which corresponds to the Middle Dutch droes and the Germanic dros. All of these are words for dregs (less than desirable parts)."  So, this proverb is also saying the wicked in the king’s court is an impurity that must be removed for a secure reign with justice.   This makes sense in a governmental sense.  You don’t want crooks on the cabinet.  But, I think this also works well in our own personal lives.  Sin is a dross – an impurity – in our life that must be removed so that we will be of use to the "silversmith" – Jesus.  Do you have dross / sin in your life?  Will you allow God to remove the dross – the impurity – from your life through the work of his expert Silversmith, Jesus?  Please let Jesus heal you of the dross in your life.  Jesus is the only one who truly can!

In proverbs 25:6-7 today we read – "Don’t demand an audience with the king or push for a place among the great. It is better to wait for an invitation than to be sent to the end of the line, publicly disgraced!"  This reminds me of Jesus’ parable of not taking the best seats at the feast, or you may be asked to move down. But take the lowest seats and you may be asked to move on up. This is similar to Jesus’ teaching: "those who are first, shall be last. And those who are last, shall be first." Are you comfortable being last?  This Proverb today also talks about waiting for an invitation.  How are you doing these days on waiting?  Are you comfortable with waiting?  Are you even comfortable on waiting for God?  I’ll share with you that when I am in a season of "waiting" I have been incredibly encouraged by Isaiah 40:31 – "But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."  And I’ve also been encouraged greatly by the Lincoln Brewster song "Everlasting God" that has the awesome line – "Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord!"  Amen!  Do you feel your strength rising as you wait upon the Lord? 

Proverbs chapter 25 verses 9 & 10 is a strong teaching – “So discuss the matter with them privately. Don’t tell anyone else, or others may accuse you of gossip. Then you will never regain your good reputation.”  This Proverb stands out to me for when we see someone who perhaps sins.  Maybe a brother or sister in Christ has a moral failing.  And then the big question is this – will we discuss the matter directly with that person, to correct them.  OR – will we discuss the matter with others and be a gossip?  Don’t get me wrong – there may be a time and a place to discuss the matter with others, such as a pastor, to get advice on how to discuss the matter with the person who stumbled.  But, we absolutely should not resort to simply being a gossip about someone else.  That’s seeing one sin of someone else’s and then creating another sin of your own!  (note that even though this image below shows two women, men can gossip just as much as anyone else!)

Proverbs 25:14 is spot on: "A person who doesn’t give a promised gift is like clouds and wind that don’t bring rain." Don’t be that person!  Make sure you give promised gifts.  And how about giving unexpected gifts?  Gifts for no particular reason?  When is the last time you surprised someone with a gift out of the blue?  Below is a great image for Proverbs 25:13 from today’s readings:

Proverbs 25 verse 15 is a beautiful meditation in the midst of our hussle-bussle world of today – "Patience can persuade a prince, and soft speech can crush strong opposition."  Basically this Proverb tells us that we don’t need to be in a hurry or be loud!  Are you a patient person?  Do you speak softly / humbly?  Mind if I close the post out today with an image of a dog demonstrating patience with a cute kitten?   Thanks…  🙂  Do you demonstrate patience regularly like this dog is demonstrating below?

Worship God:  The reflection on Jesus healing us of our sins in Proverbs 24:4-5 above reminded me of the Casting Crowns song "East To West."  Here’s a fantastic live version of this song!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUkTenwz_mw

Do you know how far the east is from the west? Click here to learn about the Silversmith who can forgive the "dross" in your life!

Comments from You:  What verses or insights stand out to you in today’s readings?  Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!

God bless,
Mike

2 Chronicles 29:3-31:21
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We are re-introduced to King Hezekiah of Judah in today’s readings!  The quantity of the Chronicler’s writings about the reign of Hezekiah is second only to the reigns of David & Solomon.  We’ll be reading about Hezekiah again in the coming days.  Reading about Hezekiah today was such a breath of fresh air after the atrocities of King Ahaz in yesterday’s readings…  Hezekiah is a hero!  He re-opens the Temple!  He reinstitutes the sacrifices to God!  You’ll recall from our readings in Second Kings chapter 18 verses 5 through 7 we got an overview of who Hezekiah was – “Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was never another king like him in the land of Judah, either before or after his time. He remained faithful to the LORD in everything, and he carefully obeyed all the commands the LORD had given Moses. So the LORD was with him, and Hezekiah was successful in everything he did.”  Below is a coloured woodcut from Henry VIII´s Great Bible, from the year 1538, of King Hezekiah burning pagan idols:

We have great readings today in Second Chronicles chapter 30 about King Hezekiah inviting all of Israel and Judah to celebrate the Passover of the Lord!  Yeah, sure, they ended up celebrating it a month later than normal because not enough priests had been purified, nor enough folks gathered in Jerusalem at the original time.  But, in light of the Passover not being widely celebrated in many years, this was huge. I love Hezekiah’s letter that he wrote – and verse 9 in particular: “For if you return to the LORD, your relatives and your children will be treated mercifully by their captors, and they will be able to return to this land. For the LORD your God is gracious and merciful. If you return to him, he will not continue to turn his face from you.”  Think these words of Hezekiah’s could apply to us in our lives today as well?  Do you need to return to the Lord in any area of your life?  Is there a sin that you are still indulging in that is hampering your relationship with God?  Will you confess and repent of that sin?  Will you return to the Lord?  For the Lord your God is indeed gracious and merciful…

YouTube Video: Today’s readings in Second Chronicles reminded me of Jars of Clay’s song “Two Hands:”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0h2sUC6wPg

Do you have two hands? Click here to meet the One who gave you your Hands!

Comments from You:  What verses or insights stand out to you in today’s readings?  Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!

God bless,
Mike

2 Kings 16:19-20; 2 Chronicles 28:26-27; Isaiah 13:1-16:14
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HALF-WAY – Big news! We cross the halfway threshold in our Chronological Bible readings today! Whoo-hoo! Yep, June 30th marks the end of our first 6 months of readings and July 1st marks the beginning of our final 6 months of readings. Congratulations!

If by chance you’ve stopped reading the Chronological Bible at some point this past six months, how about starting back up with us again as we embark on our final six months? We’d love to have you on the journey with us once again! Let’s go!

In Isaiah chapter 13 we are beginning a new section of the book.  Chapters 1 through 12 were primarily chapters of judgment against the southern kingdom of Judah, as well as some mentions of the northern kingdom of Israel.  Chapter 13 begins 11 chapters of judgment on other nations, beginning with Babylon.  At this time in history (early 700’s B.C.) Babylon was still part of the Assyrian empire.  So this oracle from Isaiah was incredible in that it spoke of Babylon’s destruction even before Babylon became a world power!  Babylon brought about the downfall of Judah and Jerusalem later between the years of 605 and 586 B.C.   But then Babylon would be conquered by Cyrus the Persian in 539 B.C.  Below is a map of the Babylonian empire from the late 7th / early 6th centuries B.C.  You’ll note in this map below that the actual city of Babylon is located in modern day Iraq, about 90 kilometers south of Baghdad.  An interesting quick history of the city of Babylon, along with some pictures, is at this website link.

An interesting commentary I read on chapter 14 verses 12 through 15 is that some think Isaiah is giving a description of the fall of Satan from heaven in these verses.  However, most commentaries seem to say contextually that these verses are about the king of Babylon.  I do see how some could think that these 4 verses could apply to the fall of Satan – “”How you are fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning! You have been thrown down to the earth, you who destroyed the nations of the world. For you said to yourself, `I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars. I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north. I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High.’ But instead, you will be brought down to the place of the dead, down to its lowest depths.”  Below is an engraving titled “Satan Falls” by the artist Gustave Dore:

In Isaiah we will read many prophecies against cities and kingdoms. I realize these can be tough to read in some ways.  As you read these prophecies, consider why these prophecies were written. Why were these prophecies proclaimed by Isaiah?   Bible.org’s excellent commentary on this section of the book of Isaiah titled “The Burdens Upon the Nations” is worth spending a few minutes reading at this link.

Today we read in Isaiah chapter 15 a message against Moab, or the Moabites!  Now, the big question for each of us is how many sermons in your life have you ever heard that touch on the Moabites??  I will admit that there is only one I can think of – and I actually just heard it on my iPod while jogging yesterday!  From a previous post, many of you know that I’m a fan of Josh Harris and listen to his sermons often.  Well, he has a recent sermon about the Moabites from Numbers 22 through 25, where the Moabites were first fearful of Israel (Num. 22) because of their size, and they realized they could not defeat them in open warfare.  So, they tried to get Balaam to curse the Israelites (Num 23 & 24), but Balaam wouldn’t do it because God was giving him messages of blessings upon the Israelites!  So, finally the Moabites decide to simply seduce the Israelites (Num 25) into worshiping their gods and this strategy worked!  To the point where God ended up killing 24,000 Israelites with a plague (Num 25:9) because of their disobedience!  Josh Harris does a great job of integrating this story of the Israelites and the Moabites into our lives and how we can fall prey to temptation just like the Israelites if we’re not careful. You can download an MP3 of this great sermon on temptation at this link.  And you can check out more of Josh Harris’ sermons online at this link: http://feeds.feedburner.com/covenantlifechurch  A very bright map that shows where Moab is located in comparison to Judah and Israel is below:

YouTube: As I mention Josh Harris above, here he is talking briefly about resisting temptation:

Are you struggling with temptation? Click here and struggle no more!

Comments from You:  What verses or insights stand out to you in today’s readings?  Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!

God bless,
Mike

Isaiah 1:21-5:30
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Powerful readings in Isaiah today… The southern Kingdom of Judah is getting a stern warning from the prophet today!  A scary warning to the people of Judah for their disobedience comes at the end of our readings today in chapter 5 verses 26 through 30: “He will send a signal to the nations far away. He will whistle to those at the ends of the earth, and they will come racing toward Jerusalem. They will not get tired or stumble. They will run without stopping for rest or sleep. Not a belt will be loose, not a sandal thong broken. Their arrows will be sharp and their bows ready for battle. Sparks will fly from their horses’ hooves as the wheels of their chariots spin like the wind. Roaring like lions, they will pounce on their prey. They will seize my people and carry them off into captivity, and no one will be there to rescue them. The enemy nations will growl over their victims like the roaring of the sea. A cloud of darkness and sorrow will hover over Israel. The clouds will blot out the light.”  A random side note here, and definitely an indication of how much I’m swimming in our culture…  (as we all do to some extent – like fish surrounded by water – though, I think the Lord of the Rings has many redeeming values to it)  As I read these verses above, I thought of the orc armies from the Lord of the Rings running amuck over Middle Earth…

This map below gives a good overview of the growth of the Assyrian empire between 824 B.C. and 640 B.C. and how it engulfs Judah during this time period.  The prophet Isaiah was preaching his stern warnings right in the middle of this time period!

Isaiah chapter 5 verse 20 was directed at Judah in the 8th century B.C., but I wonder if this verse can have application to our world today? “Destruction is certain for those who say that evil is good and good is evil; that dark is light and light is dark; that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter.”  Can you think of any examples in our modern world where evil is portrayed as good and good is portrayed as evil?  I can think of far too many examples unfortunately.  This twisting of good and evil, light and dark, bitter and sweet did not make God happy back in eighth century B.C.   Think God is happy about this twisting of good and evil today?

Worship God: Isaiah chapter 2 today reminds me of the MercyMe song “How Great is Your Love:”

Do you know how great God’s love is for you? Click here to find out!

Comments from You:  What verses or insights stand out to you in today’s readings?  Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!

God bless,
Mike

Isaiah 28:1-29; 2 Kings 17:5; 2 Kings 18:9-12; 2 Kings 17:6-41; Isaiah 1:1-20
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Today we read the first chapter of the book of the prophet Isaiah!  (Though we’ve already been reading many chapters from Isaiah) A powerful quote from Bible.org at this link about this book is: “The Book of Isaiah is one of the most important books of the Old Testament. While little is known of the personal life of the prophet, he is considered to be one of the greatest of them all. The book is a collection of oracles, prophecies, and reports; but the common theme is the message of salvation. There was, according to these writings, no hope in anything that was made by people… There would be a purging of the nation because God is holy. Before the nation could inherit the promises made to the fathers, it would have to be made holy.”

~ Isaiah ~
Author: Isaiah
Date: Eighth century B.C.
Content: Isaiah’s long ministry lasted almost sixty years and covered the reigns of four kings, the last one being Hezekiah, the reformer. Isaiah was sent primarily to Judah, although his message concerns the northern kingdom of Israel as well. He lived through the awful days of the civil war between Israel and Judah in 734-732 B.C. and saw the destruction of Israel by Assyria in 722 B.C. the grim lesson taught by Israel’s fall was not lost on Isaiah, and he used it to encourage Hezekiah to trust in the Lord. The Lord delivered Judah from the mighty Assyrian army by sending a plague to destroy the camp. Isaiah also looked beyond his own time to the coming exile of Judah and the deliverance that God would provide.
Theme: Isaiah was one of Jesus’ favorite books and he quoted it frequently, because the central them is salvation. God is seen as the Savior of his people, who redeemed them from Egypt, who will redeem them from their coming captivity, and who will send his beloved Servant to bear the sins of us all (Isaiah 53:6). God freely offers to pardon all who will turn to him in repentance and faith. The future kingdom of God on earth is also described in exquisite detail as a time when men will lay down their swords and, in peace, sing praises to God their King. (Above commentary is from Tyndale Publishers “The One Year Bible Companion” p. 11) More great commentary on the book of Isaiah is at this link.  Below is a portrait of the prophet Isaiah by artist Guy Rowe:

Today in Isaiah chapter 1 verses 2 and 3 we read these words of the prophet Isaiah: “Hear, O heavens! Listen, O earth! For the LORD has spoken: “I reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me. The ox knows his master, the donkey his owner’s manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.” These words were spoken to the Israelites in the 8th century B.C., but do you suppose they can apply to our modern world today as well? Do we know God? Do we truly understand God? I do think that sometimes we can forget that God is our Father. We are his children. He has brought us up. And we have rebelled. Is an ox at times smarter than us in terms of knowing who its master is? Do we truly know who our master is? I’m afraid sometimes I live my life as if I am my own master. I am “master of my own destiny!” Well. . . am I really? What about you. Who is your master day in and day out? Do you know your Master? Do you understand?

YouTube: Today’s readings in Isaiah reminded me of Michael W. Smith’s song “A New Hallelujah:”

Do you want to sing a new Hallelujah?  Click here and sing!

Comments from You:  What verses or insights stand out to you in today’s readings?  Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!

God bless,
Mike

Hosea 9:1-14:9
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Today we wrap up the book of Hosea!  It’s been a great read for me this year.  It has been a good look at how the prophets of the Old Testament were warning Israel & Judah over and over again of their sins – sins that multiplied as we read in today’s readings – and there was no repentance.  Things just got worse.  This did make me think today – if we continue to sin and sin and things get worse and worse in our lives and how we are adversely affecting other people’s lives around us, is maybe the most compassionate thing for God to do – for us and others – to stop us from our path of destruction?  My thought here in today’s readings is that God is a compassionate God.  Yes, he’s throwing out some tough stuff in what he’s saying – and will be doing – but for the end goal of getting people from stopping their sinful ways and harming themselves and others.  Today, we are fortunate, compared to the Old Testament days, that we have Jesus Christ as a mediator for our sins between us and God – and not just a mediator – but a Healer.  Jesus can heal us from our sinful desires and ways.  So, while I do see God as being compassionate in the Old Testament & I am so thankful for his great compassion of sending his son Jesus to the earth for us.  Without a doubt, God is good.

Hosea chapter 10 verse 12 I loved today: “Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of my love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the LORD, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you.’”  Beautiful verse! Are you planting good seeds of righteousness in your life?  What would good seeds of righteousness be?  Is it possible that faith in Jesus is a seed of righteousness that you should plant – and that would indeed harvest a crop of God’s love in your life?  To plant these seeds of righteousness, you may need to plow up some hard ground in your heart and you may need to seek God like never before.  Do you think this plowing is worth it?  Will you plow so that God may come into your life and shower righteousness upon you?

In Hosea chapter 11 verses 8 & 9 we read this about God’s compassion: “”Oh, how can I give you up, Israel? How can I let you go? How can I destroy you like Admah and Zeboiim? My heart is torn within me, and my compassion overflows. No, I will not punish you as much as my burning anger tells me to. I will not completely destroy Israel, for I am God and not a mere mortal. I am the Holy One living among you, and I will not come to destroy.”  I absolutely love these verses. Do you believe that God will not give up on you?  Do you believe that God’s heart overflows with compassion for you?  Do you believe that God is the one and only Holy and Living God, who is indeed involved in every single moment of your life?  Do you believe God is closer than the air you breathe?  (Thanks to the musician David Wilcox for this last question.  I love that thought – God is closer than the air we breathe!)

Hosea 12 verse 6 has a phrase I love – “So now, come back to your God! Act on the principles of love and justice, and always live in confident dependence on your God.” Always live in confident dependence on God.  Wow.  My prayer for each of us is that we would indeed always live in confident dependence on God…

The book of Hosea ends with a phenomenal verse – chapter 14 verse 9: “Let those who are wise understand these things. Let those who are discerning listen carefully. The paths of the LORD are true and right, and righteous people live by walking in them. But sinners stumble and fall along the way.”  This verse reminds me of the beauty of studying the Bible!  The Bible gives us wisdom – and also we need wisdom to understand the Bible’s teaching.  But, the beauty is that the more we study the Bible, the more we gain wisdom, and the more that wisdom allows us to truly understand what we’re reading in the Bible!  It’s a never-ending circle of elevation in our study of the Bible – we’ll never fully “get it” all this side of heaven.  But the more we study the Bible, the more I believe we’ll be able to truly understand it and put it into practice.  Do you believe this to be true?  Have you found over time that studying the Bible becomes more and more interesting and you gain more and more insights and understandings?  This verse above I think also has a warning if we don’t surrender our lives to Jesus, dive into God’s Word, and put it into practice in our lives.  There is the very real risk of stumbling and falling along the way…  Let us not stumble!

YouTube: Hosea chapter 10 verse 12 reminded me of the movie “The Blind Side,” which is a wonderful movie about a Christian family. Have you seen the movie yet? Below is the trailer:

Have you been protected from your Blindside?  Click here for eternal protection!

Comments from You:  What verses or insights stand out to you in today’s readings?  Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!

God bless,
Mike

Hosea 2:14-8:14
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Hosea chapter 3 brings us redemption again for Israel.  Verse 5 I believe applies to us today – we who are in the last days (all the days after the life of Jesus) – "But afterward the people will return to the LORD their God and to David’s descendant, their king. They will come trembling in awe to the LORD, and they will receive his good gifts in the last days."  Have you returned to Jesus?  Jesus who is from the line of David?  Is Jesus your king?  Are you receiving God’s good gifts through your awe and faith in God through Jesus?

Hosea chapters 4 & 5 are classic prophesying!  If you ever think of a prophet in the Old Testament going around and stirring things up in the land – think of these 2 chapters…   If you’re just checking out this website and today’s readings, I realize that they will sound very harsh on the surface.  However, context from Jeremiah & Ezekiel & 2 Kings will help catch you up on why God is not happy here. Essentially the northern kingdom of Israel is worshiping Baal, an idol/false god, and not God himself.  And the immorality in the land is skyrocketing.  God’s reaction here is actually a compassionate reaction – he is trying to reverse the immorality and bring people back to him in repentance.  Below is an image of Hosea prophesying by the artist Duccio di Buoninsegna from the year 1308:

Verses 1 & 2 in chapter 4 set the stage for these 2 chapters: “Hear the word of the LORD, O people of Israel! The LORD has filed a lawsuit against you, saying: “There is no faithfulness, no kindness, no knowledge of God in your land. You curse and lie and kill and steal and commit adultery. There is violence everywhere, with one murder after another.”   See any violations of the Ten Commandments in these 2 verses?

Verse 18 really stood out to me today: “Their love for shame is greater than their love for honor.” Is it possible in our world today that there are people who love shame more than they love honor?  It is possible that this happens in our lives at times?  Will we pursue love of honor in our lives, leaving behind anything that might look like love of shame?

Today we get prophesying by God via Hosea on what’s going to happen to Israel due to her unfaithfulness and many sins.  Hosea chapter 6’s first 2 verses start things off on what seem like a hopeful note.  However, commentaries suggest that this was a very shallow pledge by Israel: “Come, let us return to the LORD! He has torn us in pieces; now he will heal us. He has injured us; now he will bandage our wounds. In just a short time, he will restore us so we can live in his presence.” Even if this is a shallow pledge from Israel, I do really like verse 3 too: “Oh, that we might know the LORD! Let us press on to know him!”   Are we pressing on in our lives to know God?  Are we returning to God?  Are we seeking to continually live in His presence? 

God’s reply to all of this in verse 6 is fantastic: “I want you to be merciful; I don’t want your sacrifices. I want you to know God; that’s more important than burnt offerings.” Are there times in our lives where we try to bring “sacrifices” of prayer or pledges of repentance or works, when really what we should be bringing to God is mercy for others and just simply the desire to know God?  Do our “acts” of repentance sometimes get in the way of our actual love relationship with God?

Chapter 7 Verse 16 stood out to me today as well: “They look everywhere except to heaven, to the Most High.”  If we are hurting, sad, tired, do we look to things other than God?  Do we look to “quick fixes” from things of this world that are not healthy for us?  Do these “quick fixes” really fix the problem?  Are we looking everywhere except to heaven, to the Most High?  Will we look only for the Most High – God?

Worship God: Today’s readings in Hosea remind me of Brandon Heath’s song “Your Love:”

Are you experiencing God’s love in your life? Click here for love!

Comments from You:  What verses or insights stand out to you in today’s readings?  Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!

God bless,
Mike

Isaiah 12:1-6; Isaiah 17:1-14; 2 Chronicles 28:16-21; 2 Kings 16:10-18; 2 Chronicles 28:22-25; 2 Kings 18:1-8; 2 Chronicles 29:1-2; 2 Kings 15:30-31; 2 Kings 17:1-4; Hosea 1-2:13
~ Click here to read today’s Scripture on BibleGateway.com ~ // Mobile Site Link
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Today Isaiah chapter 12 is a very short chapter.  But it is a wonderful song of praise to God!  Verse 2 reads: “Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.” How does this verse resonate with you? Do you frequently sing songs of praise to the Lord? Do you trust in God? Are you not afraid? Is God your strength and your song?

In 2 Kings 16 today King Ahaz of Judah messes up big time…  Whaddya think about his idea to remove the bronze altar from the Temple and install an altar that was designed in Damascus?  Think God will be happy about this?  Essentially King Ahaz swapped his security in God to placing his security in King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria and his pagan gods.  Stay tuned to upcoming readings…  Again – I come back to our lives today.  Are we ever similar to King Ahaz in doing something in our lives that we know is not pleasing to God?  Do we know what is right and what is wrong and sometimes choose what is wrong?  Why do we do this?  Can we stop doing this?  If so, how?  Might it help us to stop doing wrong things if the #1 priority in our lives today were God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit?  What is the #1 priority in your life today?

Allright, today is a big day! We start the book of Hosea. Hosea prophesied in about 750 B.C. in the northern kingdom of Israel – which was rare.  Most of the prophets were in the southern kingdom of Judah.  Hosea lived during the final / last days of the northern kingdom, which ended in 722 B.C.  Below is an image of Hosea with the five kings: Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah and Jeroboam, and with his wife, Gomer, from a 14th century illuminated Bible:

~ Hosea ~
Author: Hosea
Date: Eighth century B.C.
Content: The book of Hosea consists of two unequal parts, the first containing Hosea’s life (chapters 1-3) and the second containing Hosea’s messages (chapters 4-14). Hosea was a prophet to the northern Kingdom of Israel prior to its fall in 722 B.C., and his ministry spanned some forty years. He was a contemporary of Amos, Isaiah, and Micah. Hosea’s unhappy marriage life depicted symbolically the state of affairs in his nation. Just as his wife left home for a life of prostitution, so Israel had left God to seek after false gods. But as Hosea continued to love his wife and finally brought her home again, so God continued to love Israel and promised to restore her someday.
Theme: Two things stand in marked contrast in the book of Hosea: the love of God and the waywardness of Israel. God is depicted as faithful, caring, forgiving, kind, and loving. God’s unfailing love is the theme of the book. Israel is seen as faithless, straying, sinful, rebellious, and wanton. She is characterized by ignorance of what God requires and total lack of desire to please God. However, just as Hosea’s love triumphed in the end, so will God’s love work a miracle of transformation in Israel. (Above commentary is from Tyndale Publishers “The One Year Bible Companion” p. 15)  A wonderful commentary on the book of Hosea by Hampton Keathley IV is at this link.  Below is an image for the traditional tomb of the prophet Hosea near the Jordanian mountain called Jabel Osha (Osha is Arabic for Hosea):

Hosea chapter 1 certainly stands out right away – with God commanding Hosea to marry a prostitute, Gomer.  The purpose of this relationship is to parallel Israel’s unfaithfulness to God.  You’ll note that the names of the children born to Gomer get progressively worse for the people of Israel – 1.  Jezreel, or "God scatters"  2. Lo-ruhamah–`Not loved’-  3. Verse 9 provides the worse name that could be bestowed to symbolize God’s relationship with Israel: "And the LORD said, "Name him Lo-ammi–`Not my people’–for Israel is not my people, and I am not their God." Ouch….  This is about as bad as it can get for Israel.    Below is an image of Hosea, Gomer and their 3 children:

Fortunately, we see redemption in verse 10: "Yet the time will come when Israel will prosper and become a great nation. In that day its people will be like the sands of the seashore–too many to count! Then, at the place where they were told, `You are not my people,’ it will be said, `You are children of the living God.’"  Whew!  This applies to most of us reading this as well – Gentiles.  This is the beginning of the mission to the Gentiles after the time of Jesus.  Do you we believe we are part of this promise?  That we are parts of the sands of the seashore?  That we are children of the living God?

Chapter 2 is a powerful "legal case" against Israel and her unfaithfulness to God.  Verse 8 stood out to me in this chapter today: "She doesn’t realize that it was I who gave her everything she has–the grain, the wine, the olive oil. Even the gold and silver she used in worshiping the god Baal were gifts from me!"  Do we realize that everything we have comes from God?  Everything?  Do we misuse any of these gifts from God in our life in ways that would not be pleasing to God?  Could God bring a "legal case" or "lawsuit" against us today for misusing his gifts to us?

YouTube: Today’s readings in Isaiah 12 reminded me of the Newsboy’s song “He Reigns:”

Does God Reign in your life? Click here and let Him Reign!

Comments from You:  What verses or insights stand out to you in today’s readings?  Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!

God bless,
Mike