Threshing floors and winepresses will not feed the people; the new wine will fail them. – Hosea 9:2

Today's Scripture Reading (April 14, 2026): Hosea 9

I like the idea of repurposing some buildings. There was an old grocery store not far from where I live that remained empty for a long time. The problem, admittedly, was the price the owners wanted for the building and the cost of recreating something different within it. I thought the property would have made a good church. It had ample parking, which is often the nemesis of any church, and I often wished I were wealthy enough to buy the property and donate it to a church organization.

Churches are often forced to move to the suburbs and outskirts because undeveloped land is available there, and it is often cheaper to build on. But the flip side is that it leaves inner-city neighborhoods without nearby churches. Churches in the suburbs are often driven to rather than walked to. Admittedly, that is another problem of the contemporary church. We are creating churches that serve a particular niche rather than a community. I think the best solution to the problem is to repurpose buildings in the inner city. A local example is an inner-city theater that has been transitioned to a city-center church. It can be done, but it is never easy.

But that is not the situation about which Hosea is speaking. The threshing floor and winepresses have been repurposed into churches; however, these worship spaces were dedicated to honoring false gods. The problem was that there was a purpose to worship on the threshing floor. The hope was that the worship service on the threshing floor or winepress would increase the harvest. Maybe in contemporary times, it would be like holding a spring church service in your barn, hoping the worship would translate into a better harvest the next fall.

I have to admit that holding a worship service in a barn might be fun, but it would not guarantee a good harvest, even if the God of Israel were the one being worshiped. Jesus spoke directly to this situation in his "Sermon on the Mount."

But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous (Matthew 5:44-45).

Hosea's concern is the purpose of these worship events. It was not Yahweh who was being worshiped, but instead, the local false gods. As far as Hosea was concerned, they might as well have hosted a local hootenanny or dance, because that would probably at least encourage the neighborhood. But worshiping false gods would not increase the harvest, even if the worship was taking place on the local threshing floors and winepresses.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Hosea 10

For they have gone up to Assyria like a wild donkey wandering alone. Ephraim has sold herself to lovers. – Hosea 8:9

Today's Scripture Reading (April 13, 2026): Hosea 8

Wild donkeys still exist, but they are critically endangered. Most of what we see as wild donkeys are actually descendants of domesticated breeds that have gone feral. But there still are wild donkeys in the world. Part of the conservation problem is distinguishing feral domesticated animals from truly wild donkeys; however, it is an important distinction, and the real wild donkeys desperately need our help.

Wild donkeys are very different from wild horses, especially when it comes to social structures. In the wild, horses form permanent herds for protection. Donkeys don't. It is not that they don't come together for protection, because they do. But a donkey is much more fluid in the social structure they adopt. They may gather in large herds when food is plentiful, but when food is scarce, they can shrink their social groups. They also tend to establish territories rather than fighting for harems. And there is evidence that grandmothers, mothers, and daughters stay together to facilitate the teaching of the next generation.

What donkeys seldom do is go it alone. They need other donkeys for protection and support. It might be a small group of donkeys standing together when food is scarce, but donkeys still tend to stand as a group. Something has gone very wrong if a wild donkey stands alone.

It is part of what has happened to Israel or Ephraim. Hosea describes Israel as a wild donkey that has chosen to stand alone; because it is alone, it is also vulnerable. Eventually, Ephraim will have to stand against Assyria, the bully on the world stage during this era, and unless things change, they will do it alone. They would not be the only ones. Nations often seem to think that they can stand alone, but none of them can. We need each other. Eventually, Israel will fall to Assyria because it decides to stand alone. Assyria would eventually fall to Babylon because it stood alone. Babylon would fall to the Medes and Persians because it was alone—next, the Greeks, then the Romans. But the disease is always the same; someone decides that they can stand alone.

Following the Second World War, the two Uniteds, the Kingdom and the States, realized that survival was possible only if the nations stood together. It is the reason behind the formation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). NATO could stand against the Soviet Union and its satellites and survive, allowing Germany to transform itself once more into an economic power in Europe, because they decided to do so together. Today, as we begin to see cracks develop in NATO, there is no mystery as to what will happen if we go it alone. History has already told our story. And Hosea spoke of it to Israel. Becoming a wild donkey and walking alone in the wilderness means we will fail, regardless of how strong we think we are. We will have sold ourselves to lovers who only want to take us for what they can, and then let us die in the presence of the next pack that decides to stand together.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Hosea 9

They do not cry out to me from their hearts but wail on their beds. They slash themselves, appealing to their gods for grain and new wine, but they turn away from me. – Hosea 7:14

Today's Scripture Reading (April 12, 2026): Hosea 7

Many years ago, I found myself in an argument with a respected engineer. I probably should have admitted defeat from the very beginning, but I waded into the conversation unprepared for what was about to happen. We were talking about the Theory of Evolution. I was admitting where I saw holes in the theory, especially in the idea of a natural movement from simple to complex, or from chaos to order. In every place in nature of which I am aware, the natural movement is in the other direction, from order to chaos. However, I admit that the Theory of Evolution makes sense to me, and we see evidence of this in the natural world. My solution to the problem was a guided evolution, a primary mover whom I call God or Yahweh, you can call him or her or it or them anything you want, who guides the process. It is a natural solution to the problem. A guided evolution could move from chaos to order, which seems impossible any other way.

Somehow, our discussion moved to the concept of theory and law. And my observation was that we have something we call "The Theory of Gravity," which seemed to me more like a proven Law. The concept of Gravity explains why I can walk on Earth, why the planets orbit the sun, and why tides exist. And it explains so much, allowing us to operate and dream of leaving the Earth, and clarifying the difference between Gravity here on our Blue Marble and on the Moon, or even what we might experience on Mars if we decide to go there. Yet, despite the evidence for Gravity's existence and our ability to explain it, it is still labeled as a "theory."

My engineer friend smiled and explained why. He explained that we don't know Gravity exists; we have an explanation that seems to work, but who knows whether it's true. Everything that I attribute to Gravity is more fully explained by "The Law of Repeated Events," which simply states that, under certain circumstances, things that occur one way will always occur that way. I am not sure he sold me on his explanation.

God, speaking through Hosea, speaks about all the ways Israel has tried to handle the life around them. They weep in their beds and slash their flesh. They ask the false gods of the nations for grain and new wine, but all of their actions end in futility. The one thing they don't do is go to the God of their forefathers, yet only He holds the answers to the people's problems. In the end, they brush off the Law of God by calling it just another theory accepted by people living in their sister Kingdom of Judah, but not by them. They are smart enough to know they need to look elsewhere, even when elsewhere isn't working.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Hosea 8

As at Adam, they have broken the covenant; they were unfaithful to me there. – Hosea 6:7

Today's Scripture Reading (April 11, 2026): Hosea 6

When I was younger, I worked in a church office. Actually, I worked with the church's youth, was involved in the church's music, and produced the weekly worship order and bulletin. One thing you should know about me is that I really struggle with proofreading. Too often, I read what I want to be there rather than what is. Whether it looks like it or not, I depend heavily on grammar apps even in writing this blog. And back then, I relied heavily on early grammar apps that focused more on spelling than grammar.

When producing the bulletin, I would often use the previous week's worship folder as a template, updating the info that had changed since then. But my lack of proofreading skills often meant mistakes went unchecked. I remember one mistake that lasted for an embarrassing number of months. The problem was that it was part of the bulletin that was featured every week without change. It was a permanent part of the Worship Order, which was included on the back page of the Worship Folder. The phrase included was "Open Alter," indicating a prayer time that usually occurred in the first half of the service. Because it was a weekly feature, I seldom looked at the phrase.

However, one retired Pastor in the congregation read the phrase every week and cringed. The problem was a spelling mistake. Finally, this Pastor had had enough, and he came to me to ask me to correct the spelling. It shouldn't have read "Open Alter", which would indicate some sort of change, but rather "Open Altar", indicating a place of prayer. He added, in his request that I correct the spelling, that maybe we hoped people would change at the Prayer Altar, but we still shouldn't spell "Altar" that way. And he was right.

We have a grammatical problem with this passage in Hosea. Grammatically, everything points to a place called "Adam." In this English translation, the grammar is rendered for the reader as "at Adam," which is reinforced by the phrase at the end of the verse, "they were unfaithful to me there." However, the context seems to refer to a person named Adam, or perhaps to the human race.

And so, we struggle through this passage. If something happened at a place called Adam, we are not sure what that was. But we do know that Adam and Eve, at the beginning of the human story, rebelled against God, they broke the covenant, and proved themselves unfaithful to the God who had created them and walked with them. And Israel was walking down that same road, just like Adam.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Hosea 7

Personal Note: Happy Birthday to my sister, Cheri.

I know all about Ephraim; Israel is not hidden from me. Ephraim, you have now turned to prostitution; Israel is corrupt. – Hosea 5:3

Today's Scripture Reading (April 10, 2026): Hosea 5

I remember the game. We were winning; in fact, it wasn't a contest. It was late in the game, and we were up by over 4 touchdowns, threatening to score again. It was early in the season, and we were unbeaten. None of the games had been close, but then again, we hadn't played the good teams yet. In the stands, the crowd's emotions were rising. Then, suddenly, I heard the beginnings of a chant. "We're number one. We're number one." I think I muttered, "Yeah, we're number one." It was the truth. Unbeaten, we were in sole possession of first place in our division. Yes, it was early, but we had to be the favorites to win the division.

Unfortunately, I was walking past the coach when I made my comment, and he immediately voiced his displeasure. He did not want to hear any of his players making that comment. We weren't number one until the timer had hit zeroes on the final game of the season with us in the lead. Until that moment came, all we were was a bunch of wannabes with a lot to prove.

Have you ever noticed that no one brags about being number two? We remember the champions, but seldom remember the runners-up. Okay, most of the time, unless there is something special about the futility. I am old enough to remember watching the Buffalo Bills play in four consecutive Super Bowls from 1991 to 1994. Maybe I remember that team because they lost them all. They came in second four years in a row. They are the only team to appear in four consecutive Super Bowls, and of course, the only team to lose them all. It has been over three decades since then, and they have never been invited back to the dance.

It is not just in modern sports that this competition exists. All through our lives, we want to find something that we can dominate at; something where we can say, "I'm number one. Number twos need not apply."

Judah was the largest of the twelve tribes of Israel. They were in possession of Jerusalem and Solomon's Temple, and the line of David came from their ranks. For the other eleven tribes, it was a reminder of Judah's supremacy. As a result, jealousy arose between the tribes, especially between the Tribe of Ephraim and Judah; Ephraim was number two. And they became defined by their "twoness."

So, they became the masters of imitation. Ephraim had led the rebellion against Judah after Solomon's reign. Judah might have Solomon's Temple, but Ephraim enthusiastically supported the worship advocated by the northern tribes of the two Golden Calves, which were placed in Bethel and Dan. Ephraim contaminated the Northern Tribes with their leadership and quickly led their neighbors away from God.

There is a principle that argues that if you tell a lie often enough, people will eventually begin to believe it. But there is a more insidious effect of telling the lie. If you tell it enough, you begin to believe it yourself. Hosea argues that Ephraim had told their lies so often that they began to believe them. Hosea reminds them that not only were they rejecting a truth, but God was aware of their acceptance of a lie, and He was not pleased. In using the title "Ephraim," he was not just indicating the tribe, but all of the northern tribes who had chosen to follow "number two" into evil and defeat.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Hosea 6

They feed on the sins of my people and relish their wickedness. – Hosea 4:7

Today's Scripture Reading (April 9, 2026): Hosea 4

Julius II was the Leader of the Roman Catholic Church from November 1, 1503, until his death on February 21, 1513. Julius was known as "The Warrior Pope" and "The Fearsome Pope," and the rumor is that he did not choose his papal name in honor of Pope Julius I, whose papacy lasted from February 6, 337, until April 12, 352, but after the Dictator of the Roman Republic, Julius Caesar. During his time on the Catholic Throne, he centralized and expanded the church's power. He also created the Vatican Museums and initiated a plan to rebuild St. Peter's Basilica.

Although we aren't sure, Pope Julius also probably ruled over a broke church that increased its debt during his reign. This desperate need for money might have been the primary reason that Julius II allowed the collection of indulgences, which were spent on his pet projects, especially St. Peter's Basilica. The Dutch theologian Erasmus of Rotterdam (1466-1536) fiercely criticized Julius II the year after the Pope's death, in his satirical dialogue "Julius Excluded from Heaven." The dialogue recounts a fictional tale of the drunken Pope's conversation with St. Peter, in which he justifies his life and plans to create a rival home from which he can conquer heaven. As the title implies, Peter ultimately excludes the Holy Father from entering heaven.

Of the Warrior Pope's many sins, the collection of indulgences might have been one of the most serious. Maybe that is hard to understand, but indulgences depend on the people's sinfulness. The more a person sins, the more people who are willing to pay the indulgences the church requires. When the church is broke, those indulgences are needed to accomplish the goals of the church leadership. Which means the church needs people to sin to raise the funds for various projects, or even to pay off the church's debt. It is a practice that the Protestant Church has condemned since the very beginning of the Reformation. In the Catholic Church, indulgences were not voluntary, but commanded over and above any tithes or sacrifices. And sometimes, indulgences were paid to release loved ones from extended stays in purgatory. The German Dominican Friar Johann Tetzel (1465 – 1554) is credited with using the phrase "when the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs," in the collection of his indulgences. It is this phrase that enraged Martin Luther and launched the Reformation.

Hosea makes a similar accusation against the church of his day. The priests have multiplied in number, but that growth has meant the church needs to raise more money. As a result, they have cheered on the people's sins and have begun taking all the sacrifices to eat, rather than just the portion reserved for the priests. Hosea describes all of this as the priests feeding "on the sins of my people" and relishing "their wickedness." They celebrate the sins of the people so that they can increase the sacrifices of the people and line their own pockets rather than strive for the well-being of the people.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Hosea 5

She will chase after her lovers but not catch them; she will look for them but not find them. Then she will say, 'I will go back to my husband as at first, for then I was better off than now.' – Hosea 2:7

Today's Scripture Reading (April 8, 2026): Hosea 2 & 3

I know that we all have bad days, but do you ever wonder how you got to that bad place? A while back, I heard a story from a friend who had just traveled through an airport afflicted with the disease of sprawl. And the solution at this airport was to run these mini subway cars between the various parts of the airport. So, my friend had to take one of these subways, and just before the subway doors closed, a horn sounded. And then this lighted sign turns on, saying, "Please step back." It is really not a big deal; another mini subway will arrive in about thirty seconds; these things run continually.

So, he was on the subway when the horn went off, and the sign came on. And there was this one genius who thought the meaning of the horn was the same as the color yellow at a stop light; it means to go faster. My friend hears the horn go off and watches as this brainy guy drags his ninety-year-old mother by the hand, with his brother following behind, toward the departing subway. As I mentioned, in about thirty seconds, a new one will arrive, and this guy will have lots of time to get his mother and his brother situated. But he doesn't want to wait the thirty seconds. As a result of his impatience, he drags Mama and jumps through the slowly closing door. There is only one problem with his plan: Mom can't make it. She is half in and half out of the subway with the door closed on her. This poor woman has one son tugging at her from the inside, with the other son pushing her from the outside, and my friend is having a nightmare about what is going to happen to the woman when the subway starts moving. And then one of the two sons makes this comment loud enough for those around them to hear. "Come on, Mama, get on the train. Why do these things always happen to us?"

Now, reality check – these things always happen to us because I have ignored all of the warning signs. I heard the horn, I saw the sign, but I am too special to follow those kinds of rules and wait the thirty seconds for the next train. The horn and the sign are placed there for no other purpose than to keep me safe; to make sure that things like this don't happen to me. But I decided to ignore them. These things likely keep happening because you keep ignoring the warning signs.

God is saying the exact same thing. I will allow things to happen in her life, not because I am angry, but because I know that life is better my way. I will provide them with the warning horns and the flashing signs so that maybe she, and God is talking about both Israel and Gomer, will come back to the ones who love her. God's purpose is never punishment; He is always chasing after us, hoping that we will turn once more to Him and to a better, safer way to live.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Hosea 4