Hosea 5:8-9:17 For they sow the wind,and they shall reap the whirlwind. Hosea 8:7 If only the people who quote (or paraphrase) this verse had a clue! And if only our own country’s political leadership had a clue! We have the lessons of Israel’s history. We have God’s revelation through the prophets. We even have …
Author Archives: John S.
June 6 / Hosea 1-5:7
Hosea 1-5:7 Adultery. Harlotry. Whoredom. That is how the LORD describes Israel’s unfaithfulness to Him, and He uses Hosea’s relationship with his unfaithful wife, Gomer, to illustrate the point in dramatic fashion. Israel should be utterly devoted to her one true God — as a wife to her husband — but she is not. Israel …
June 5 / Amos 5:16-9:15
Amos 5:16-9:15 But let justice roll down like waters,and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. Amos 5:24 Sound familiar? I’d like to think that we know this verse because we all read our Bibles all the time. But I suspect that our familiarity with this verse may come more from Martin Luther King, Jr.’s quoting of …
June 4 / Amos 1-5:15
Amos 1-5:15 Before we do anything else, let’s note the historical context of Amos’s ministry: The words of Amos, who was among the shepherds of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before …
Tips on the Prophets
As we begin to read the prophets, it will be helpful to bear in mind the following: More importantly, we should recognize that the prophets each preach into their own historical and geographical context. Reading these prophets chronologically, together with the corresponding historical narratives, should help us understand that context and thus gain a better …
June 3 / Jonah
Jonah 1-4 I’m guessing we all have at least a passing familiarity with the story of Jonah and the whale (or fish). But what about Jonah and the worm? Though the worm may not seem as spectacular as the whale, it is every bit as much a part of the story, and every bit as …
June 2 / II Kings 14; II Chronicles 25
II Kings 14; II Chronicles 25 Imagine this… Your favorite NFL team wins the Super Bowl. Hoorah! The team owner then immediately trades the entire team — coaching staff, star quarterback, everybody — for the team with the worst record in the league. Sports commentators go nuts. Everyone jeers. Boo! Hiss! But against all better …
June 1 / II Chronicles 22:10-24:27; II Kings 13
II Chronicles 22:10-24:27; II Kings 13 “Treason! Treason!” (II Ch. 23:13) So screams Athaliah, who herself treasonously stole the throne of Judah — how familiar that sounds! — when Jehoiada the priest reveals Joash/Jehoash as the rightful king of Judah. Joash, rescued as a baby by Jehosheba/Jehoshabeath, Jehoiada’s wife and Joash’s aunt, grows up hidden …
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June 2023 Readings
Date Reading(s) Verses 01-Jun II Chronicles 22:10-24:27; II Kings 13 76 02-Jun II Kings 14; II Chronicles 25 57 03-Jun Jonah 1-4 48 04-Jun Amos 1-5:15 74 05-Jun Amos 5:16-9:15 72 06-Jun Hosea 1-5:7 65 07-Jun Hosea 5:8-9:17 65 08-Jun Hosea 10-14; II Kings 15:1-7 73 09-Jun Isaiah 6; Isaiah 1-2 66 10-Jun Isaiah 3-5 …
May 31 / II Chronicles 21-22:9; II Kings 11-12
II Chronicles 21-22:9; II Kings 11-12 Today we get a closer look at the horrible consequences of Jehoshaphat’s alliance with Ahab. At the center of that alliance is Ahab’s daughter, Athaliah, who leads her husband, Joram/Jehoram of Judah away from the LORD and into Baal worship. He, in turn, leads Judah astray, but that is …
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