Israel was a spreading vine; he brought forth fruit for himself. As his fruit increased, he built more altars; as his land prospered. – Hosea 10:1

Today's Scripture Reading (February 28, 2023): Hosea 10

Several years ago, the world seemed obsessed with "The Prayer of Jabez." And I admit that I even have my version of the prayer. My version says, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my influence! Let your hand be with me and keep me from causing harm and pain." I also freely admit that my version is not a faithful representation of the prayer that Jabez prayed but rather uses the "Prayer of Jabez" as a framework to address some of the needs in my life. Jabez prayed, "enlarge my territory," which I think corresponds well to "enlarge my influence" in my daily life. And while it seems that Jabez wanted to be kept from harm and pain, my largest concern is that I will not be the cause of harm or pain. I know that I have not been completely successful in that endeavor; I know that my truth has hurt some, and I am sincerely sorry for that. But that harm is also why I must keep praying my version of Jabez's prayer.

Hosea says that Israel was "a spreading vine." The intent here seems to be that Israel was increasing its influence. While far from a world superpower, the nation was becoming an even more important political player in the area. They are also bringing forth fruit; the country is going through a period of prosperity. Hosea wants his audience to understand that it was God that has given success to his people. But that success has not become the core of the nation's faith in their God. Instead, they have taken the money and influence that has been gained and have spent it on multiplying the altars in the countryside. And all those altars worshipped a god other than the one responsible for the increase.

For Hosea, this was a situation the prophet felt he needed to address. If the people didn't change, the time would come when the nation would get the prize toward which it had been working so hard. God would remove his blessing, and the people would have to do with the blessings they could get from their human shaped idols.

And it is something that we need to keep in our minds. As rough as life can be, if God ever completely removed his blessings from us, I am not sure we could comprehend how bad life could be. One acquaintance maintains that this is his definition of hell, a place where God is not. We may not think God has much to do with our evil world, but he is here, walking with us. And a world completely devoid of his presence is a nightmare that I hope no one among us ever has to experience.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Hosea 11 & 12

Do not rejoice, Israel; do not be jubilant like the other nations. For you have been unfaithful to your God; you love the wages of a prostitute at every threshing floor. – Hosea 9:1

Today's Scripture Reading (February 27, 2023): Hosea 9

I admit that I am a city boy. I was born in a small community, but that community was and is part of a metropolitan city with a population exceeding five million people. Other portions of my life have been spent in cities around the one million mark. But I have also spent over a decade living in small rural communities. There is a significant difference between the two living circumstances. And one of those differences is how much we think about our food. As a city boy, food comes from the grocery store. Okay, we know that it doesn't originate there, but we just don't spend much time thinking about the origins of our food. We complain about pricing and why things are so expensive. Still, even then, it is a complaint against the corporate overseers that control the distribution of the food and not against the farmer trying to eke out a living trying to grow the fruits and grains and raise the cattle, chickens, and pigs that grace our tables.

But in a small town, it is different. In a rural community, you are confronted with planting season and harvest, and in between, you worry about not enough rain or, sometimes, too much rain. Rural communities understand that bringing the crop to harvest is almost a miraculous thing because so many things must go right for the farmer to reap a good crop at harvest time. The windows for planting and harvesting are so tight, and the times when rain or sun is required are incredible. And that is without mentioning the dangerous hail, which can easily wipe out a crop quickly if the hail comes at the wrong time. So, when the crops come in, and when the animals are sold to provide food for our tables, it is truly a time to celebrate because it means that we survived the growing season and have something to sell to consumers to put on their tables to provide much-needed food. And all of us owe a debt of gratitude to the farmers and ranchers who work incredibly long hours to provide us with the food we need.

We think that at least portions of Hosea were intended as a part of a harvest season sermon presented by the prophet. And this is one of the passages that possibly lends credence to that belief. Israel was in a celebratory mood for whatever reason, and the harvest is always a good thing to celebrate. But even more importantly, Assyria was in a period of decline. For now, Israel seemed safe from all that endangered them. That fact, combined with a successful harvest, meant that Israel and her sister nations had something to celebrate. But Hosea comes with a warning. You might be celebrating now, but it will be short-lived unless you are willing to change your behavior and stop sinning against God. Only that behavior change could be a lasting reason for a celebration. But Hosea does not see that repentance; instead, he sees a people stuck in their sin.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Hosea 10

Israel cries out to me, 'Our God, we acknowledge you!' – Hosea 8:2

Today's Scripture Reading (February 26, 2023): Hosea 8

Just prior to the death of Pope Benedict XVI on New Year's Eve, 2022, I had a conversation with a friend about two Popes who were both apparently wearing the traditional "fisherman's ring." The "fisherman's ring" is a nod to the tradition that says the Bishop of Rome, who we recognize as "the Pope," holds the same office that the Apostle Peter held near the end of his life. The ring, worn by the Pope, is destroyed at the time of his death. Normally, there is only one Pope and one "fisherman's ring." but with Benedict's unusual decision to step down from the papacy before the end of his life, my friend was concerned that there might be two fisherman's rings in existence.

I was never quite sure why this caused concern, but I am not a Catholic. I have a healthy respect for most recent popes, but they are not my leaders. Still, it seemed to be a discussion my friend needed to have. The reality of the situation is that all bishops wear rings that symbolize their office, but the Pope's ring is just a little more special. And if you ever get close enough to greet a pope, kissing the ring is a special sign of respect. As a Protestant Christian, I have often wondered what I might do if I was ever close enough to a Pope to have a personal greeting. Would I kiss the ring, even though I am not a Catholic? Apparently, Pope Francis is more comfortable with sharing an embrace instead of having people slobbering over his ring, which is more my style. Or maybe a slight bow, recognizing the respect that I hold for Francis, even if that respect is far from the unwavering obedience of one who is a disciple of the Roman Catholic Church.

Maybe the reality is that followers can "kiss the ring" without truly meaning what is inferred from the action. And that is true of others as well as the Pope. The idea of "kissing the ring" symbolizes a subservient attitude to any leader. As a result,  news agencies report about those who head to Mar-a-Lago to figuratively "kiss the ring" of the former president, Donald Trump. Being the sometimes pessimist I am, I wonder how many people who "kiss the ring" really mean the subservience illustrated by the action. For the Pope, I think there is a higher percentage of true believers than there might be for someone like former President Trump.

Hosea hears the cries of the people of Israel proclaiming their allegiance to God. They cry out to God, "we acknowledge you." They have "kissed the ring." But the real question is not whether the people have acknowledged the sovereignty of God but whether they really meant what their words have stated. Hosea argues that the people came to the Temple to figuratively "kiss the ring," but they weren't being sincere. And God knows the difference between those who sincerely want to follow him and those who simply go through the motions of acknowledging God without ever intending to follow him. Even Jesus would recognize this truth as he taught his disciples that "many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers' (Matthew 7:22-23). Regarding our relationship with God, gathering around his house or coming to "kiss the ring" is never enough, and if we are not sincere, it is always a wasted action.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Hosea 9

They delight the king with their wickedness, the princes with their lies. – Hosea 7:3

Today's Scripture Reading (February 25, 2023): Hosea 7

Assassination is an old game. It is often one way of removing a figure of authority to be replaced with someone else. While this might not make sense to us, it is also, admittedly rarely, a benevolent response, whether or not we agree with the action. The last British Monarch to be assassinated, and I understand that some might not approve of me even using that word for his death, was George V, King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India. But the Assassination of George V appears to fall into the benevolent category.

The story of George V's assassination was not revealed until many years after his death on January 20, 1936. George V had been ill for a significant period before his death. And when he died, no one was surprised; his death was expected. In fact, earlier that day, his physician issued a bulletin that "the King's life is moving peacefully towards its close." At 11:00 that evening, his doctor visited him one last time. And without the knowledge of the King or any of his family members, the doctor administered morphine and then cocaine. He acted secretly because he believed the family would object to his plan. Within fifteen minutes of administering the drugs, the King's breathing quieted, and he was pronounced dead at 11:55 pm. Undoubtedly, the death of the King was coming, but it was hastened by the will of one man who believed that the King deserved a dignified ending. And the King's physician, Lord Dawson of Penn, also now controlled the manner in which the world would find out about George's passing. Because he died a few minutes before midnight, the death of the King could be released in the morning edition of the Times, which Dawson believed was better than if the King had died during the day and was revealed in one of the less appropriate evening papers. The King was dead. And when the reality of the King's death was finally revealed, a short poem was penned.

            Lord Dawson of Penn

            Killed many men.

            That's why we sing

            'God Save the King.'

Our best guess at the meaning of Hosea in this verse is that he is referring to one of the successful assassinations that took place during his lifetime. Of the seven Kings that Hosea saw rise to the throne of Israel during his lifetime, only two died of "natural" causes. Four Kings were assassinated during the years of his life. And Hoshea, the last King of Israel, was likely killed by Israel's Assyrian conquerors after Hosea's death. None of these Kings suffered from a benevolent assassination, and each time the one who killed the King took his place on the throne. Two times, the assassinator later in his reign became the assassinated. And each of the four kings assassinated during Hosea's lifetime was betrayed by someone they trusted. The kings seemed delighted with their wickedness as they put into practice their evil plans borne out of lies. It was a picture of national chaos and a nation's decimation.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Hosea 8

What can I do with you, Ephraim? What can I do with you, Judah? Your love is like the morning mist, like the early dew that disappears. – Hosea 6:4

Today's Scripture Reading (February 24, 2023): Hosea 6

I admit that I am one of those people who actually likes a foggy morning. There is something about getting up, looking out the window, and seeing the fog settling on the ground around you. Nothing that is far away can be seen, and sometimes you have to struggle to see even the things that are close to you. For me, there is also a feeling that the clouds are trying to hold you in their embrace. And, especially if I can stay inside, I am able to just snuggle into that embrace. But part of the enjoyable feeling, for me, is that fog is a relatively rare experience where I live. I also know that most of the time, the fog will disappear as the sun rises in the sky. There have been a couple of times when the fog persisted later in the day, but that is not usually the case. Fog is temporary, and even on those rare foggy days, the fog is delicate enough that it doesn't last.

As Hosea looks at the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah, he searches the kingdoms and does not see places where love is absent. The problem is that while love is present in Israel and Judah, it is fragile. Love, like the morning mist or dew, quickly disappears as the day matures and the sun rises. There is no permanence to the love of the Kingdoms of Jacob. And in many ways, people had stopped expecting love to be a lasting element in their day-to-day life. They don't give it, and they don't receive it from God or the gods.

Because love is not a lasting presence in the Empires, God has no idea how to deal with them. He loves them, but because love is temporary, so is the people's understanding of God and his love. Another part of the problem is that love is at the core of who God is. If we cannot or refuse to understand love, then we will not be able to understand God. And if we don't act with love, then we will never be able to reflect the presence of God into our world, which was what God wanted from Israel.

Love is at the center of what it means to be a follower of Christ. And not just love for those who love us. Jesus made this point clear.

"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 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. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:43-48).

I don't think it is an exaggeration to argue that we are not followers of Christ if we do not love. Love is essential to the people we are, even loving those who are not like us, those who hate us, and those who disagree with us. Christ in us means that we have decided, with the power of the Holy Spirit, to be beacons of love in our communities. This is how people will know that we are Christians; because we love.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Hosea 7

Ephraim is oppressed, trampled in judgment, intent on pursuing idols. – Hosea 5:11

Today's Scripture Reading (February 23, 2023): Hosea 5

Karl Marx argued that "the oppressed are allowed once every few years to decide which particular representatives of the oppressing class are to represent and repress them." I wish I could say that he was wrong, but I can't, at least not honestly. I am not a Marxist, but I believe that Marx identified a major societal problem. Where Marx struggles is with the answer to the problem. Marx wanted to replace the oppressing ruling class with people more representative of the population, but when his theory was put into practice, he simply created another oppressive ruling class. After all, a slave sold to another master is still a slave. Nothing really changed.

But there is a secondary problem with Marx's assessment of society, which is that to be oppressed doesn't always take an oppressor. Sometimes we do it ourselves. And that was something that Hosea needed Israel to understand.

Using the name Ephraim is a common way of referring to the Northern Kingdom of Israel, dominated as it was by the tribe of Ephraim, just as the tribe of Judah dominated the south. So, as Hosea states that Ephraim is oppressed, he is not indicating just the single tribe but all of the Northern Kingdom. But his message is also not that Ephraim's oppression comes from outside the nation. Hosea is writing around 766 B.C.E., just forty-five years before Assyria defeated the country in 721. Assyria was on the horizon, and yet, at the time of Hosea's prophecy, the empire was in a period of significant decline. In 766, Israel was not in immediate danger of being defeated and oppressed by Assyria. Still, Hosea insists that they are oppressed. The easiest answer is that even in decline, Assyria continued to be much more than Israel could handle. And that is likely true. But Hosea doesn't name someone who is doing the oppressing of Israel. Instead, he argues that "Ephraim is oppressed, trampled in judgment, intent on pursuing idols." Possibly a clearer statement of intent might be to translate this verse as "Ephraim is oppressed, crushed by their own judgment because they have willingly followed human commandments (or false commandments) instead of God's commands." Israel was oppressed by their own actions, following the harsh expectations placed on them by false gods instead of the divine commandments of God.

Sometimes we still rail against the rules we believe God has placed on us. But the expectations that cause us the most trouble are not a result of God's commandments; they are rules that result from our very human expectations. After all, it was Jesus who taught;

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30).

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Hosea 6

There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed. – Hosea 4:2

Today's Scripture Reading (February 22, 2023): Hosea 4

A friend of mine continually reminds me about the church's struggle to maintain the ideals of Christ. Recently, we discussed the handicapped people in the church. His view is that disabled worshippers are, at best, tolerated by Christians and, at worst, exiled by the church. I have a very different perspective. I have many Christian friends with some disabilities. They are valued people in my circle of influence, and I am very glad to call many of them friends. Besides, I am not without my own disabilities, whether they are readily apparent or not. All of which I tried to relate to my friend. His reply? How many times did you lock them in the closet?

The answer to his question is "zero." But I also understand the angst. We haven't always done well with people who are unlike us. I don't think it is a Christian thing, but a human one. We seem only to want to validate those who are like us. It shouldn't be that way, but it is.

Hosea has a message for Israel. There are things that Israel was supposed to be. They were designed to be a faithful people, filled with love. And if they could be characterized by faith and love, they would acknowledge all of the things God has accomplished in their midst. But that is not what Israel is doing. God's complaint against the descendants of Jacob is that where faith, love, and an acknowledgment of God should have been, these good things have been replaced with cursing, lying, murder, stealing, and adultery. What is interesting is that what God lists are half of the Ten Commandments. You would think that if Israel were going to keep some of the rules, the Big Ten would be the first on the list.

Sometimes, I have to admit that I agree with my friend. But then again, we fail in the same areas. If God has a complaint about us, it probably isn't too far from his complaint about Israel, as spoken through Hosea. Where is the faith, love, and acknowledgment of God that is supposed to be present in our communities? And why would we argue about what kind of cursing is acceptable and which is not? Why would we lie to get our own way? Is it possible that we steal, and then make excuses for it? We may not murder, but we are not free from hate. And lust and adultery are much too present in our culture.  

And there are likely many other ways that we have sinned. None of which is good news for the Christian Church. But our desire should be the same as Hosea's. We know we are sinners. But that knowledge can arm us in ways we need to change because I am convinced that we are the only Bibles that people like my friend will ever read. If they don't see Christ in us, they will likely never know how much Christ loves them and wants to be with them. That is not the way that we should react to our world. But it should be. Because, to the Christian Church, everyone is invaluable, and they need to understand that that is the truth that we want to proclaim.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Hosea 5

In that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, the birds in the sky and the creatures that move along the ground. Bow and sword and battle I will abolish from the land, so that all may lie down in safety. – Hosea 2:18

Today's Scripture Reading (February 21, 2023): Hosea 2 & 3

I have admitted that I have lived in relative peace and security. I have never experienced living in a war zone. What I know about life with a battle raging around you has been reserved for the news I receive from my television screen. But it is something that I have thought about during times of conflict in my life. And I wonder what it was like to be a civilian during the Vietnam War. Or to be a child living in Iraq during the days of Saddam Hussein? What is it like living in Ukraine with Russia knocking on your door, trying to take your home away from you? It is beyond my experience; what I know is what my T.V. tells me.

I have never had to live in a war zone, but I know what it is like to live in a world where some people don't like me. And although there are no threats to my physical well-being, it is hard to live knowing that some people don't like you because they disagree with you on some subject. I know what it is like to have people telling lies and spreading untrue rumors. It is a different kind of violence, but it is still violence.

And I dream of a day when the violence will end. It is a day that Isaiah had seen.

He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore (Isaiah 2:4).

Someday, the Bible talks about an era of peace. It is a peace we can't understand in our violence-torn world. It will be a day when we will sincerely want the best for others, even the ones with whom we might have a significant disagreement. It will be a world where children can go to bed and not worry about the bombs that might fall on their house during the night, nor about the intruder who might break in to take what is not theirs.

It will be a day when the earth will be changed fundamentally. From a natural science position, there will be a change among the animals. God will make a covenant with the natural world. It will be a day when "the wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them" (Isaiah 11:6). A time when the human race will no longer wish to make war anymore, And our children will all be able to live with peace and security; a time when we will all be able to lie down in safety.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Hosea 4

Yet I will show love to Judah; and I will save them—not by bow, sword or battle, or by horses and horsemen, but I, the LORD their God, will save them." – Hosea 1:7

Today's Scripture Reading (February 20, 2023): Hosea 1

Love. It is something for which most of us yearn. Those who are lucky have found relationships that have fulfilled their need for love. We have found them in parents and then spouses. We have those needed love relationships with our children. And if we are really lucky, we have found those relationships in some close friends.

But, while I believe that real love is supposed to be unconditional, often, that is not our expectation. Maybe the most common question I hear is, "why would someone love me?" And frequently, it is an unanswerable question. Maybe there is no reason why we should be loved, and yet we are.

Once again, I feel like we have a bit of a translation problem in this verse. When Amos says that God "will show love to Judah," the phrase might be better translated as God "will show mercy to Judah." The Hebrew word translated as love here, rāham, could also be interpreted as mercy. And mercy seems to be a better fit. For whatever reason, from our human understanding, likely because of their lengthy disobedience, God loved Israel, but he did not show mercy to them, at least not in a way that we can understand. But to Judah, God was willing to love them, and he would show them mercy.

Another reason that I like the word "mercy" over "love" is because we can never earn mercy, while sometimes we feel we can earn love. If God had found a reason for mercy in Judah, then it would be more of a matter of justice than mercy. Mercy is only given to the guilty, and Judah was guilty despite the presence of good kings like Hezekiah who wanted to do what was right in the presence of his God. And yet, God showed mercy to Judah, even though they didn't deserve it.

And in God's mercy, he would deliver them from the Assyrians in a completely unexpected way. It wouldn't be with the help of a great warrior like David. The skills of the chariots and the speed of the horsemen would not deliver them. God would do it, and when he did, there would be no other answer than that God's mercy had come to their aid.

The author of Kings tells us the rest of the story.

That night the angel of the Lord went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies! So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there (2 Kings 19:35-36).

We have tried to explain the death of a hundred and eighty-five thousand soldiers in a single night. Rats and disease have been suggested as the reason. But for Judah, there was only one cause of the defeat of the Assyrians; God and his mercy.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Hosea 2 & 3

When Jonah's warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. – Jonah 3:6

Today's Scripture Reading (February 19, 2023): Jonah 3 & 4

There is never a time when we are more susceptible to change than when we are in trouble. Unfortunately, as we discussed when considering Jonah 2:1, that change is often momentary. As soon as the disaster passes, so does our desire to make a change. Lasting change often happens only when we decide to make a change during the better times in our lives.

So, having said that, one thing about the story of Jonah that has always surprised me is the relative ease with which the people of Nineveh accept Jonah's message. And it was not just the people; the author of Jonah tells us that the king believed as well. All of this seems unusual for a power such as Assyria, an Empire used to ruling and not accepting the message of itinerant prophets.

The trouble with dating Jonah also makes understanding the Assyrian's acceptance of Jonah's message a little harder. The book of Jonah doesn't tell us the name of the reigning King in Assyria, but we can make some good guesses. To the best of our knowledge, Jonah's adventures took place during the reign of Jeroboam II (786-746 B.C.E.). Taking those dates into consideration and looking at the Assyrian Empire, the dating leaves us with a probability that the King in the Book of Jonah was one of three brothers who reigned during that time; Shalmaneser IV (783-773 B.C.E), Ashur-dan III (773-755 B.C.E.), and Ashur-nirari V (755-745 B.C.E.), all of whom were the sons of Adad-nirari III (811-783 B.C.E.). This is significant because these four kings represent a dark age in Assyria. We have very few records from this period of the Assyrian Kingdom. As well, Assyria was going through a period of significant decline. During their reigns, the king's power decreased in relation to the power of important officials in the Empire. And that meant that the situation in Assyria made it a perfect moment for the message carried by Jonah.

But it also meant that the change would be short-lived. Because of a lack of records, we can only make an educated guess, but it seems likely that Tiglath-Pileser III would end this period of decline by murdering Ashur-nirari V. And any repentance that had occurred in the Kingdom as a result of Jonah's message would have died with the murder of the King. Under Tiglath-Pileser III, the Empire would see a resurgence in power, and they would find out that the reprieve they had received from God was over, and the nation, once again, was under His judgment.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Hosea 1

From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the LORD his God. – Jonah 2:1

Today's Scripture Reading (February 18, 2023): Jonah 1 & 2

I have to admit that I have a love/hate relationship with the story of Jonah. I love it because it is filled with truth that I can understand. After all, I have been there. Okay, I have never been swallowed by a huge fish, but I have found myself in places I should never have been because I disobeyed God. I have refused God from going to my Nineveh. I have resisted the move of God and tried to set the agenda in my relationship rather than letting God guide me in the way he wants to take me.

For me, it started early. The first time I told God that I would never be a pastor, I was about fourteen and angry with a pastor speaking at a youth camp. If this guy was an example of the pastorate, then pastors were idiots, and I had no intention of being an idiot. So, God, ask someone else. I don't want to go. And so, God seemed to take me on a journey. I went from I won't be a pastor to I am willing to serve as a youth pastor, but that is as far as I am prepared to go. After serving as a youth pastor for many years, God called me to be the pastor of a church. I said okay, but I am not into church planting and don't want to go there. And then I planted a church. I have joked that now I am telling God that I absolutely will not pastor a church in Hawaii.

My hate of the Jonah story is really the big fish. And it is not that I don't believe that the fish is possible. God could do whatever he wanted, and if that meant creating a fish that could swallow Jonah, well, he created all the ones that couldn't consume him, so making one that could swallow Jonah doesn't seem to be that hard a task. My discomfort with the big fish story is that the fish becomes the story's focus when that really isn't the main message of the tale. Whenever we bring up the story of Jonah, the first thing we think of is the whale or big fish, and not this incredibly childish prophet who wanted to get everything his own way. I understand when my four-year-old grandson throws a tantrum because he isn't getting his way, but I am a little more critical if it is an adult throwing a tantrum, even if that adult is me. After the story of the big fish, the prophet eventually goes to Nineveh to preach God's message, and God saves the city. But then, Jonah pouts that God's eventual salvation of the city was precisely why he didn't want to come to Nineveh in the first place; he knew that God would save the Ninevites. And in the process, Jonah becomes a prophet with all my failures.

But, part of the story is that Jonah was swallowed by the whale, and in his fear, the prophet turns to God. But there is no upside to this prayer. Yes, God saved him, and Jonah went and preached in Nineveh, saving the city for at least a short time. But the problem is that nothing changed inside Jonah. He was the same selfish child after the whale that he was before. And that, too, sounds a lot like me.

We often seem to forget that the purpose of prayer is not to change God but rather to change us. And that change seems possible in the grip of a disaster, like being swallowed by a whale. But often, like Jonah, when the whale disappears, we go back to the same behavior we struggled through before the disaster. There is no change. The problem is that if we want to change, we need to be willing to start the transition before we find ourselves in the belly of the whale. That is a change that will last, and when the whale comes, we can just continue the journey until we get to the other side.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Jonah 3 & 4

I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them," says the LORD your God. – Amos 9:15

Today's Scripture Reading (February 17, 2023): Amos 9

In 1948, the unthinkable happened; Israel was planted in Palestine as a nation in the Middle East one more time. Israel has had a long history of both its presence and absence in Canaan. It is a presence that began with God promising the land to Abraham. And yet, even Abraham left the land that had been promised to him to spend time in Egypt. Jacob, Abraham's grandson, raised his family in Palestine but found themselves evicted from the land because of a severe famine.

For the next 400 years, the descendants of Jacob, literally Israel, lived in Egypt and grew into a nation. While Israel started their time in Egypt as valued guests, they became enslaved people in the land until God brought them out of Egypt and through a forty-year journey in the wilderness before he once again planted these descendants of Abraham back in the land that was intended for them. And after gaining control of the land, they would stay there for the next 800 years.

But as the end of those eight centuries drew  closer, Amos was given a message for Israel. You have enjoyed time in this land, but it is about to be taken from you because of your sin. Israel will be removed from Palestine. The country will pass through God's purifying fires, but they won't be removed forever. There will be a time when Israel will be brought back, and a time will come when they will never leave the land again.

The first of these removals happened in 721 B.C.E. The Assyrian empire entered the Northern Kingdom and carried away the people of Israel. In 586 B.C.E., Babylon did the same thing to the Southern Kingdom of Judah. The Persian Empire would then replant Judah before they disappeared again in the early years after the death and resurrection of Christ.

Israel would be replanted once again in Palestine in 1948, almost nineteen centuries after the Romans had defeated Israel in 70 C.E. Then, the world was confronted by the suffering of the Israeli people, the expulsion of Jews from some European nations, and the final insult of Adolf Hitler's attempt to eliminate the race, all of which had produced a political imperative to restore Israel to the land that they once walked, even over the protestations of the people who currently occupied the land. Was this the final time Israel would be placed in "their land," an event spoken of by Amos? The truth is, we don't know. But God's final words to Amos were that that day would come. It was a day when Israel would be finally planted in the land, never to be removed again.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Jonah 1 & 2

"In that day," declares the Sovereign LORD, "I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight. – Amos 8:9

Today's Scripture Reading (February 16, 2023): Amos 8

In his science fiction novel 334, Thomas Disch argues this about the end of the world.

The end of the world. Let me tell you about the end of the world. It happened fifty years ago. Maybe a hundred. And since then it's been lovely. I mean it. Nobody tries to bother you. You can relax. You know what? I like the end of the world.

As much as I know some won't like me for saying this, Disch is right. And it is part of the contemporary Christian problem and our obsession with the end times. We interpret everything written about the end as a future thing. And those who argue that some of what end times enthusiasts consider to be still coming have already taken place are marginalized and often ridiculed. And yet, there is scholarship that suggests much of what has been predicted in the Bible has already occurred. The end times have already happened. Many scholars remind us that the end times properly began with the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. The end times have continued in an unbroken chain of events over the 2000 years that have elapsed since that birth in Bethlehem.

As far as the Bible is concerned, we also must recognize that many predictions have an immediate, intermediate, and end times element. Consider Isaiah's famous prophecy read every Christmas that the virgin would be with child.

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. He will be eating curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, for before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste (Isaiah 7:14-16).

When the full context of the passage is considered, it appears to be less about the birth of the Messiah and more about Isaiah's warning to Israel. They were afraid, and Isaiah is trying to encourage them that in the time that it takes a young woman, the literal translation of the word we have as a virgin, to give birth to a child and for that child to grow to know right from wrong, God will take care of the cause of the fear of the people. That is Isaiah's intention for the prophecy, but it is also about the birth of Jesus. Both are correct readings of the prophecy. Part of our problem is that often we don't know which way a prophecy might be directed until after it happens.

God declares to Amos, "In that day," a common expression meaning the end times, that the sun will go down at noon and the land will become dark. If we take the prophecy literally, this will take place at the end of all things. For the sun to go down at noon, we know the real catastrophe that would have to happen for that event to take place. It would likely only occur as the earth began to experience its final death throes. But it might not mean that. God could be talking about a total eclipse of the sun, and experts argue that there were two such eclipses during the prophet's life.

Of course, there is also a Jesus connection with Amos's words. Matthew reports that during the crucifixion of Jesus, ^"From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land" (Matthew 27:45). As a result, we have three different possibilities for this prophecy of Amos. And all of them are a possible fulfillment of what God wanted Amos to know.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Amos 9

 

"The high places of Isaac will be destroyed and the sanctuaries of Israel will be ruined; with my sword I will rise against the house of Jeroboam." – Amos 7:9

Today's Scripture Reading (February 15, 2023): Amos 7

In his song "Stronger Beer," Canadian country singer Tim Hicks explains the differences between the United States and their northern neighbor, Canada. Admittedly, many differences between the two countries are marginal, but Hicks lists them anyway.

We eat Smarties you eat M&M's
You think all our money looks pretend
Ya, we got Bryan Adams but, hey you got Bruce Springsteen
We can drink in bars when we're just nineteen

As you can tell, the song evolves around the idea that drinking alcohol is easier and more profitable, as defined by the ability to get drunk north of the United States/Canada border. But maybe it is also about how we categorize our national Identities, even if most of the ways we like to identify ourselves are shallow. For instance, Hicks highlights the differences between Canadian and American Football, including a larger field, bigger footballs, and one less down for the Canadian version of the game. But it also asks a good question: How do we see our nations? Do Americans identify themselves by their superiority? Do they really think the United States is a better place to live than anywhere else in the world? Does a massive inferiority complex really characterize Canadians? Or are these things artifacts of our national situations? What really does describe us, regardless of where we live?

Amos uses different language as he speaks of what God will do and some interesting names. He starts with the "high places of Isaac." Normally, the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah would identify either with Israel or Jacob, the one for whom the nation was named, or sometimes all three patriarchs, as in saying the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But rarely would they identify with Isaac alone, yet Amos specifically calls the high places as being "of Isaac." And likely, this is because the nation had somehow identified with the patriarch Isaac. There was something about Isaac that the people began to think resembled them.

After Amos mentions "the high places of Isaac," he moves on to the "sanctuaries of Israel." Amos is not pointing at the Temple in Jerusalem, but the other places that had sprung up to worship other gods in the countryside throughout both of the Kingdoms.

 Lastly, the prophet speaks of God opposing "the House of Jeroboam." As a Royal House, the House of Jeroboam lasted for a very short time. Jeroboam's House lasted for twenty-four years and included only two kings, Jeroboam and his son, Nadab. So, it is unlikely that Amos was speaking of the actual "House of Jeroboam," which was long gone by the time Amos was born. Rather, Amos is pointing at the legacy of Jeroboam. Specifically, Amos argues that Jeroboam was responsible for dividing the nation of Israel into the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah and that the King was responsible for the birth of religious cults found in the north and a break with the God who had brought Israel out of Egypt.

Amos wants his audience to recognize that God was big enough to remove all these things. And not only could he do it, but God would do it at some point in the future.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Amos 8

Go to Kalneh and look at it; go from there to great Hamath, and then go down to Gath in Philistia. Are they better off than your two kingdoms? Is their land larger than yours? – Amos 6:2

Today's Scripture Reading (February 14, 2023): Amos 6

The United States Republican extremist politician Marjorie Taylor Greene continues to make headlines. Recently, she made headlines again by complaining about her salary. As a Junior member of Congress, Greene makes just shy of 175,000/year, which apparently is not enough to allow her to live in the comfort to which she has become accustomed. She also believes that her hours are too long. And there is no doubt that the demands of Congress are hard. Having said that, Greene seems to have aspirations that reach toward the Presidency of the United States, and if she thinks the demands of Congress are tough, living in the White House is even tougher, especially if you want to do the job right.

Whenever someone complains about their salary, one of the first things I want to do is compare their compensation to the average person. For Green, who was elected from Georgia, the median income of the state that elected her is about 62,000/year; that means Greene is making close to three times what the average person makes in the state where she was elected. And I wouldn't be surprised if the people who actually voted for Greene in the last election made even less. Greene thinks she deserves more than three times what the average person in Georgia makes. I am not convinced that is true.

The people living in Israel are complaining that their lives are hard. Shouldn't the people of God have an easier time in life? But Amos has a simple answer. If you want to know about how life is lived, I suggest you go to the Sumerian city of Kalneh, a city founded by Nimrod, the great warrior and the great-grandson of Noah. Go to the Hittite city of Hamath or the Philistine city of Gath, the home of Goliath and his brothers. Go to these cities and see how they are living. Do you really think life is better for them than it is for you?

It is a good question for all of us, and maybe one that Greene should ask as she looks at how the people around her live. Greene's problem, and the problem for Israel, is that they think they deserve better, but none of us do, not really. We are blessed already, and that was a message that Amos wanted Israel to understand. Kalneh, Hamath, and Gath were suffering under God's judgment. And if they weren't careful, Israel could find itself in an even worse position than they were experiencing right now. They needed to thank God for their blessings rather than complain that they deserved better. It is something that was true in Israel in the days of Amos and is true in the world that we live in today.

It is my message for Marjorie Taylor Greene; count your blessings. And if you are not sure how you are surviving on your measly wage, consider those people in your state working two or three jobs to make less than a third of what you are making and do something to change their situation. Who knows, it might even change how you think about your life and the money you are making.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Amos 7

Do not seek Bethel, do not go to Gilgal, do not journey to Beersheba. For Gilgal will surely go into exile, and Bethel will be reduced to nothing." – Amos 5:5

Today's Scripture Reading (February 13, 2023): Amos 5

Not everything is translatable into North American societal expectations or language. My phrasing is intentional because English is not always at fault; sometimes, it is the language, but sometimes it is just all the meaning and expectations we might load into a word or even a product. For instance, Pepsodent toothpaste struggled with an advertising campaign in one Southeast Asia area because they promised that the toothpaste "whitens your teeth." White teeth are highly sought after in our culture. White teeth are good. There was nothing wrong with the translation of the goal of the Pepsodent advertisement except that, in this area, the locals chewed betel nuts because black teeth were considered more beautiful than white. Pepsodent was trying to sell something the people didn't want because they missed societal expectations.  

Another great example was the Coors beer "Turn it Loose" campaign in Spain. Unfortunately, the translators forgot to check the phrase in Spanish. Instead, they turned their wonderful advertising phrase into a common expression that people used to indicate someone was suffering from diarrhea. I guess there is more than one way of "turning it loose."

One last example goes to Parker Pens. Parker executives decided to use the phrase "It won't leak in your pocket and embarrass you" when they expanded into the Spanish-speaking part of Mexico. They chose the word "embaraza," thinking it meant "embarrass." Again, a little homework might have helped, but "embaraza" doesn't mean embarrass; it means impregnate. Parker's advertising slogan became "Parker Pens won't leak in your pocket and make you pregnant." Now, that is some incredible ink in those pens.

Some phrases in the Bible also don't translate well into English. And this is one of them. There is a seriousness in this passage, but also a bit of a pun that we miss reading the verse only in English. On the serious side, Amos tells Israel that the problem isn't a place; it is what is inside of them. So don't bother going to Bethel, the place where God met with Jacob, because God will not meet you there. And don't bother going to Gilgal, where Israel's sin was forgiven in the days of Joshua. And the same goes for Beersheba, where the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had a spiritual connection with God. A change in place was not what Israel needed. The required change would have to take place inside the people before any pilgrimage would matter.

As for the pun, it takes place in the second half of the verse. Gilgal can mean wheel, and Bethel means "House of God. So that last part of the verse, which reads "For Gilgal will surely go into exile, and Bethel will be reduced to nothing," might be better phrased as "For Gilgal (wheel) will roll into exile, and the House of God (Bethel) will become the House of nothing (Bethaven)." Sometimes, it is all in the translation,

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Amos 6