It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain. – Isaiah 4:6

Today's Scripture Reading (April 24, 2026): Isaiah 4

The American rock band "The Killers" released their hit song "Human" in 2008, though they admit it was written while they were recording their second album, "Sawdust." "Sawdust" was released in 2007, but it was recorded over a long period, starting in 2002, which gives us a rough estimate of when the song was written. The band admits they could have released the song on "Sawdust," but purposely held it back for their third studio album, "Day and Age." "Human" was the first single released from the album.

"Human" has received a bit of controversy over one key lyric in the chorus. In 2014, the song was voted as having the "weirdest lyric of all time." The problem is grammatical: the first and last lines of the chorus, which are identical, don't quite make sense.

            Are we human or are we dancer?

            My sign is vital, my hands are cold

            I'm on my knees, looking for the answer

            Are we human or are we dancer (B. Flowers, D. Keuning, M. Stoermer, R. Vannucci Jr.)?

Shouldn't the line be either "dancers" or maybe "denser," but not "dancer"? The band has been frustrated by the controversy. Brandon Flowers says the song was a response to a negative comment by gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson, who argued that the United States was "raising a generation of dancers, afraid to take one step out of line."

I think Isaiah would have understood the lyric. He and many of the Prophets of Israel almost always found themselves on the outside when it came to the people's religious beliefs. His message is that if you are willing to follow God, you often won't please the nation's religious elite. Professing God's ideals will often set you against culture, even religious culture.

Moses was not always accepted by the people of Israel that he led, even though he followed God. Jonah didn't want to go to Nineveh, rejecting God's path in favor of a cultural route. Elijah was called a troublemaker by the king because he followed God. Jesus was crucified, and most of his students were persecuted and killed, all because they were following a God who demanded something different from them. He didn't want them to dance to the beat of the cultural drums. But Isaiah knew that even in these times, God would give shelter from the storms and the rain to those who followed him and dared to step out of line.

Luckily, he still provides that shelter, and those who preach a radical love and acceptance of God often need it. As do those who teach about the church's responsibility to "the least of these" in our struggle against the mainline culture, which seems to desire to demonize the poor and persecute the outsider, neither of which is approved by the Jesus of the Christian Church.   

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 5

The look on their faces testifies against them; they parade their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to them! They have brought disaster upon themselves. – Isaiah 3:9

Today's Scripture Reading (April 23, 2026): Isaiah 3

For the past few years, I have been convicted by the "Sin of Sodom." I also have been bothered by the church's flirtation with Sodom's sin. Here is the problem: I think we have misidentified the sin. We have made the sin of Sodom about homosexuality, and we have taken a stand against that sin. Part of the reason why we have misidentified the sin is that we do not have many LGBTQ people in our midst, and the ones who are attending are deeply closeted. As a result, there has been no pushback. So, for most of the Christian Church, we can identify homosexuality as Sodom's sin and, with the same breath, say that we don't have a problem. The problem is out there somewhere. Then we can point at the others who identify as either homosexual, bisexual, or pansexual, as the ones caught in this sin. Worldwide, about 10% of people self-identify this way.

We treat Sodom as if it were a city full of gay men. After all, the story seems to make that accusation.

Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom—both young and old—surrounded the house. They called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them" (Genesis 19:3-4 – italics mine).

The author of Genesis doesn't say "some," he says "all the men." It should be the first clue that something unusual is at work here. Add to this that the story is not just about Sodom, but Gomorrah and the other cities of the plain, do we really believe that all of these men had adopted a gay lifestyle? For me, that doesn't make sense.

So, if the sin of Sodom is not homosexuality, what is it? I think the answer to that question is hospitality. Sodom refused to welcome the strangers and make them feel welcome and safe. They didn't want visitors to the city. They refused to offer assistance to the stranger. They persecuted people whom Jesus called "the least of these." And they had decided that the best way to keep visitors away was to humiliate those who came to their cities and then let them go to tell the story of Sodom. They paraded their sin, were even proud of it, and they wanted people to know.

I think we still do. We parade our ideas about the people who are not welcome in our midst. And the LGBTQ community is only a portion of the people that we don't want in our fellowships. Visitors quickly understand that they are not welcome. I have had to discipline church leaders who went to people and declared, "We don't want your kind here." It is something that every church needs to guard against.

I belong to a congregation that enjoys handing out candy to children on Halloween. I get it, Halloween is not really our holiday, but kids are out and wandering the neighborhood. So, we hand out candy. Three to four hundred children, together with their parents, stop by for candy, a free hot dog, and hot chocolate during the evening. They can warm themselves by a fire and dance to the Halloween-appropriate music, assisted by a laser light show. Last year, we were picketed by people who believed we were welcoming people into the church who shouldn't be invited into the Christian community. I couldn't disagree more. I am proud to be part of a group of people who just want to use any excuse to roll out the welcome mat.

The sin of Sodom was alive and well in Jerusalem and Judah. And it is alive with us as well. The truth is that we need to find excuses to welcome people, because the sin of Sodom is insidious. Unless we are on guard against it, it will find its way into even the best-intentioned congregation of Christ's believers.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 4

You, LORD, have abandoned your people, the descendants of Jacob. They are full of superstitions from the East; they practice divination like the Philistines and embrace pagan customs. – Isaiah 2:6

Today's Scripture Reading (April 22, 2026): Isaiah 2

Leave no one behind. It is the oft-repeated motto of various military groups. We will not leave anyone behind, whether they are healthy, injured, or even dead; we will bring every soldier home. It is an encouraging thought, especially if you are fighting in foreign lands. I have watched with interest the dignified transfer of soldiers coming home from various conflicts over the years. These moments serve as a reminder that every person is important and worthy of being brought home.

However, sometimes military personnel are forced to leave someone behind. In 1940, Allied troops were forced to evacuate from Dunkirk (Dunkerque), France. Between May 26 and June 4, about 198,000 British and 140,000 French and Belgian troops were removed from the French Port to the United Kingdom. That is almost 340,000 soldiers, and it was an amazing operation. Military vessels were assisted by civilian boats in getting individuals off the French Coast and the European mainland. The Dunkirk evacuation was an exciting moment in military history and the story of World War II.

What we sometimes forget is that we didn't get everyone. As massive as the evacuation effort was, and even though 340,000 soldiers were removed from France, at least 40,000 British troops and another 40,000 French troops were left behind. Many of these soldiers who were abandoned at Dunkirk were summarily executed. Those who were lucky enough to be captured were abused and mistreated with actions that were a violation of the Geneva Convention guidelines that governed how sick and wounded prisoners should be treated. They were denied food and medical treatment and forced to drink ditch water and eat rotten food. Sean Longden writes this:

These dreadful days were never forgotten by those who endured them. They had fought the battles to ensure the successful evacuation of over 300,000 fellow soldiers. Their sacrifice had brought the salvation of the British nation. Yet they had been forgotten, while those who escaped and made their way back home were hailed as heroes (Sean Longden; Dunkirk: The Men They Left Behind).

Isaiah speaks about the coming judgment over Judah and Jerusalem and the approaching "Day of the Lord." And he makes this jarring statement: "You, Lord, have abandoned your people, the descendants of Jacob" (Isaiah 2:6a). Luckily, he also explains that the people have become entangled in the superstitious beliefs of eastern nations; they practiced divination like the Philistines and willingly embraced pagan customs. It is like God had sent the people of Jerusalem all the ships they needed, but they chose to stay behind rather than be rescued by their God. The people chose to be abandoned; it was not an action that God initiated. The people could have been saved, but they chose not to be.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 3

"Come now, let us settle the matter," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool." – Isaiah 1:18

Today's Scripture Reading (April 21, 2026): Isaiah 1

We need God; we can't be good enough on our own. God's promise to his people has always been that He will make us clean. If we rely on just what we can do, we will keep coming up short. What we need is God; Isaiah understood that dependence. He preached it to those around him. When the Assyrians attacked, he told the king to rely on God, and God would take care of the enemy.

We need God. The only way that we can be all that we are designed to be is with God's presence in our lives. Anything else is not enough. We need God's action to make us clean.

Holy Humor Sunday was a couple of weeks ago (April 12, 2026). It is usually the first Sunday after Easter, and it is always a day to tell good jokes. I know I am late, but let me leave you with a couple of humorous stories.

Attending a wedding for the very first time, a little girl watched the service, fascinated by everything happening around her. At one point in the service, she whispered to her mother, "Why is the bride dressed in white?"

Her mother smiled and replied, 'Because white is the color of happiness, and today is the happiest day of her life.'

The child thought about this for a moment, then turned her attention back to the events at the front of the church. But soon, a puzzled look came over her face, and she turned once more to her mother with a follow-up question. "So why is the groom wearing black?"

Or maybe this one;

A little girl, dressed in her Sunday best, was running as fast as she could, trying not to be late for Sunday School. As she ran, she prayed, 'Dear Lord, please don't let me be late! Dear Lord, please don't let me be late!'

She continued to run and pray, but in her haste, she tripped on a curb and fell, skinning her knee, tearing her dress, and getting her clothes streaked with mud. But the little girl got up, brushed herself off, and started running again toward the church and her looming class.

As she ran, she began to pray again, 'Dear Lord, please don't let me be late…But please don't shove me either!'

One more?

A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six-year-old students. She was trying to explain to the eager ears around her the intention of the fifth commandment; 'Honor thy father and thy mother.' After discussing the various ways we can honor our parents, this teacher asked, 'Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?'

Without missing a beat, one little boy answered, 'Thou shalt not kill.'

Holy Humor Sunday arose out of the idea that Easter is God's joke on the devil. Just when Satan thought he had won, God raised Jesus from the dead. But the continuing practical joke on the devil is us. Regardless of the lies we have been fed, God resurrects his church by raising us from all that should have killed us. And every time that Satan feels that he has a leg up on the people of God, God raises us once again, making us into a Righteous People, through whom God's Justice reigns in all the places that he sends us. In the presence of Satan, he continues to make us white as snow.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 2

He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high places, on the hilltops and under every spreading tree. – 2 Kings 16:4

Today's Scripture Reading (April 20, 2026): 2 Kings 16

Many years ago, I had contact with a young woman in the church. She had just left a church that she had previously called home, and, as I was talking with her, I seriously wondered if aliens had abducted her. My problem was with the reason she gave for leaving her church. She had attended this church for several years, and her church had a fairly relaxed dress code. People came to church wearing a wide range of clothes. You could see suits and nice dresses, but you could also see jeans and T-Shirts; the church openly accepted whatever dress the person felt comfortable in. It didn't matter what you wore. My friend was one who would show up at church wearing jeans and a T-shirt, which was totally acceptable. Incidentally, her old church had the same dress code as the church that I led. I couldn't care less what you are wearing, I am just glad that you are in church.

As she was telling me she had left her church, she also indicated where she had decided to go, adding that her new church had a strict dress code. Her new church required men to wear suits and ties and women to wear dresses. And when I asked her why she had changed churches, she told me she liked that her new church required a dress code, while her old church hadn't. I mentioned that she could have worn a dress to her old church, but she wanted a place that would demand it of her, not one that would let her come as she was. The whole thing seemed strange, almost alien, to me. It is usually the ones wearing the suits and dresses who want people to dress like them, not the t-shirt crew wishing someone would tell them how to dress.

Ahaz became king. His fathers had walked in the ways of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But Ahaz looked out at the world and realized that there were other gods who might demand more of him. So, Ahaz started to sacrifice, not just to the God of his Father's, but to every other god he could conceive of. It wasn't that he made too few sacrifices; it was that he made too many. In his mind, he wanted to make sure that he covered all of the bases. And in covering all of the bases, he actually missed them completely.

God makes this statement throughout the Bible. I desire your obedience more than I desire your sacrifice. I desire your respect more than I desire to dress you in a particular way. And the reality is this: being obedient is much more demanding than making many sacrifices because it occupies all of who we are. It is much easier to follow many rules than to build a relationship with God. My friend wanted the rules more than she wanted the relationship. It is easier to dress in a certain way than it is to give God all of who we are. But God desires the latter more than the former. Giving God all that we are is the life path that honors him.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 1

See also 2 Chronicles 28:4

Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. Unlike David his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the LORD. – 2 Chronicles 28:1

Today's Scripture Reading (April 19, 2026): 2 Chronicles 28

The "Manifesto of Race" or "Charter of Race" was published on July 14, 1938, by Benito Mussolini's Fascist Party. The "Manifesto" was anti-Semitic in nature, stripping Jews of their Italian citizenship and, with it, any position in the government or the professional positions which many Jews had previously held. Depending on how you look at the events leading up to the release of "Manifesto," it could be considered both a surprise and a very predictable event. As for the surprise, Mussolini had never shown any interest in racial politics. But the "Manifesto" was predictable because it helped cement relationships between Mussolini's Italy and Hitler's Germany. Hitler had privately confessed to looking up to the Fascist Leader, but throughout most of his career, Mussolini had absolutely no interest in the German dictator. However, by the late 1930s, things were changing. Hitler's star was definitely on the rise, and Mussolini decided to try to hitch a ride. And so, the "Manifesto" was intended to show solidarity with Germany's cause. Historians have examined the document as evidence of the extent of Hitler's influence over Mussolini. But it was more likely evidence of Mussolini's thirst for power, a thirst so strong that he was willing to change even his own strongly held beliefs.

King Ahaz of Judah had no positive attributes. If Jotham was the perfect king, his son Ahaz was his negative image. While Jotham had pursued the things of God, Ahaz had become a student of the religions of the countries surrounding Judah. Ahaz not only became an expert on these foreign beliefs and gods, but also a follower of them. Ahaz became an imitator of the surrounding nations. He was a man without restraint; he believed every myth with which he came into contact.

Even in rough times, Ahaz refused to follow God. Until the last beat of his heart, Ahaz believed that the gods of other nations would come to his rescue. His heart was never attracted to the God his father had faithfully served. While other kings had returned to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in times of tragedy, even in trouble, Ahaz's heart increased in rebellion against God.

But maybe the saddest part of the story is that Ahaz found himself following the gods of a nation that no longer even existed. Ahaz followed the gods of Israel. But Israel had already been destroyed, and her gods had done nothing to save her. Still, Ahaz seemed willing to follow Judah's sister nation into obscurity.

Late in his life, Mussolini reportedly confessed that he wished his "Manifesto of Race" had never been written. For Ahaz, that was a level of awareness he had never mastered. While Hitler's star had been on the rise when the "Manifesto" was published, Mussolini also recognized Hitler's deep decline. By that time, it was too late to change his own path, but it was not too late to admit regret. But, to the very end, Ahab was convinced that the god who had failed Israel had the power to save him.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 2 Kings 16

Jotham waged war against the king of the Ammonites and conquered them. That year the Ammonites paid him a hundred talents of silver, ten thousand cors of wheat and ten thousand cors of barley. The Ammonites brought him the same amount also in the second and third years. – 2 Chronicles 27:5

Today's Scripture Reading (April 18, 2026): 2 Chronicles 27

One of the questions of the day is "What exactly is going to happen with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)?" It is an interesting question. Can NATO survive if the United States decides to pull out? I have my own beliefs, but I admit I don't know the answer.

NATO was born out of a need to stand up to the Soviet Union in the aftermath of World War II. The United States' immediate hope after the war was to withdraw its soldiers from Europe. The thought was that, within six months of Germany's defeat, American presence might no longer be needed. It was men like General Holland Smith, who had the great nickname "Howlin' Mad," who realized that the threat the Soviet Union posed to Europe meant the United States had to have a presence. That presence has kept peace in Europe for the past 80 years, a phenomenal achievement. And a lot of credit goes to the American continued presence. But now, the United States has begun to wonder whether it needs to leave, which in turn raises questions about the future of NATO. Does the world still need NATO?

My answer is an emphatic yes. Even a NATO without the United States is still needed. And it is needed on both sides of the Atlantic. It may be surprising to learn that the United States, which shares a northern border with Russia despite the American government's belief that an ocean separates the two, does not want an alliance. At the same time, Russia seems intent on regaining the prestige and territory it possessed during the Soviet era. Maybe we have begun to believe the lie that our flat maps tell us, that says that Russia is a great distance away, but it isn't. And the United States, with its cry that it needs to possess Greenland, would seem to understand the world as it really is, not as it is shown to us on a flat map hanging on a wall. At the very least, Canada will need to be part of a northern alliance. And the northern country will need to strengthen its defenses along its northern borders. An alliance is still needed, not just for the defense of Europe but for all northern-hemisphere countries.

Ammon was a nation that existed due east of the southern portion of the Kingdom of Israel, essentially where the Kingdom of Jordan is today. To the south of Ammon, and due east of Judah, was the nation of Moab. During the reign of King Jehoshaphat of Judah (870-849), Ammon and Moab, along with some other minor tribes, formed an alliance against him (Jehoshaphat) and his expansionist tendencies. But the Ammon-Moab alliance couldn't last. The nations began to backstab and wage war against each other until, a hundred years later, King Jotham of Judah marched into Ammon, defeated them, and demanded a heavy tribute. As long as the nations stuck together, they were okay, but once they allowed conflict to separate them, they were easily defeated by anyone who wanted to march against them.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 2 Chronicles 28

Return, Israel, to the LORD your God. Your sins have been your downfall! – Hosea 14:1

Today's Scripture Reading (April 17, 2026): Hosea 13 & 14

Alice Cooper admits there is a period in his career that is basically a black hole; he simply doesn't remember it. In a 2009 interview, Cooper made this comment.

Well, there's three albums that were basically my blackout albums – Zipper Catches Skin, DaDa and Special Forces. I wrote them, recorded them and toured them and I don't remember much of any of that (Alice Cooper, The Quietus, 2009).

A year earlier, he actually added a fourth album to that list: Flush the Fashion. All of the four recordings were made between 1980 and 1983.

You've heard of lost weekends—well, those were my lost years. I ambled through those albums and tours in a foggy haze. By the summer of 1983, I was drinking hard, rail thin, malnourished, and knocking on death's door. Again (Alice Cooper, Golf Monster, 2008).

Cooper at least recognized his problem, worked hard to get clean, and is still rocking his audiences forty years later. But if he hadn't recognized his problem, he might have never made it out of the 80s.

There is a song in the Alice Cooper catalog that has been called a bit of a historical curiosity. The song tells the story of a singer who is listening to his own music and doesn't remember ever writing it. It is a song that perfectly describes the lost years of Alice Cooper. The song is "I Never Wrote Those Songs." The opening words of the song say this:

My tape recorder, it must be lyin'
'Cause this I just can't believe
I hear a voice that's cryin'
That's not me
The wheel goes round, I hear a sound
It's comin' out all wrong
And I swear to you
I never wrote that song

The historical problem? The song was included on Cooper's "Lace and Whiskey" album and was written in 1977, before Cooper's black hole. It is almost as if Cooper knew where his life was leading him before the black hole that convinced him he needed to take a different path.

I have to admit that "I Never Wrote Those Songs" has long been one of my favorite Cooper compositions. And it is a good reminder that our actions have consequences. And it is not just politicians who sometimes want to distance themselves from the past; we often want to do the same thing.

God has made the argument that Israel has suffered because of their sin and the things they have done in the past. Now, he offers the solution. Return to me. James would sum up this concept for all of us.

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up (James 4:7-10).

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 2 Chronicles 27

It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms; but they did not realize it was I who healed them. – Hosea 11:3

Today's Scripture Reading (April 16, 2026): Hosea 11 & 12

In a Department of Defense news briefing on February 12, 2002, U.S. Secretary of State Donald Rumsfeld attempted to explain the lack of evidence linking Iraq to weapons of mass destruction. In explaining the situation, Rumsfeld distinguished between what he called three categories of knowledge. First, there are the known knowns, which encompass everything we know we know. I know where my house is and can find my way home. I know I love my wife, children, and grandchildren. I know that God wants us to love each other. Many things would fit into this category of things that I know I know.

Rumsfeld's second category was known unknowns. These are the things that I know I don't know. I am not a brain surgeon; I don't know how to do that, and because I don't know, I would never try. My granddaughter was diagnosed with hip dysplasia when she was two, and I am thankful for the medical staff who operated on her because I know that procedure was beyond what I know. Both of these first categories are easy for us because we either know or we know that we don't know.

Rumsfeld's third category is the most troublesome: unknown unknowns. These are things we don't know that we don't know, or things we don't even know we should know. Sometimes I know I can be a bit of a government apologist, but these are the areas where I believe our government often makes its most serious mistakes; they simply don't know what they don't know. Maybe they should have, but I know from my own life that my actions have definite consequences, and some are very unexpected because I don't know some things. Confused? I know the feeling.

God speaks through Hosea and is speaking to the Northern Kingdom of Israel, or Ephraim. And maybe we would be excused if we thought that God had given up on them. They had rebelled against the house of David, rejected the Temple in Jerusalem and the worship that took place there, and exchanged it for the worship of the Golden Calfs set up in Bethel and Dan. Their kings had decided to follow different religious practices, and often resorted to murder to accomplish regime change; they seemed to love doing evil.

But God says that he hadn't given up on them. They didn't know that they didn't know, but in the days of Jeroboam I, he taught Ephraim to walk; in bad times, he took them in his arms; and when they were sick, he healed them. But Ephraim didn't know that God was still with them. It never occurred to them that God would stand by their side, even though they had chosen to walk a different path.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Hosea 13 & 14       

Samaria's king will be destroyed, swept away like a twig on the surface of the waters. - Hosea 10:7

Today's Scripture Reading (April 15, 2026): Hosea 10

Hosea's ministry in Israel was a long one. It would seem unlikely that the writing that bears his name was written at one particular time. His time on the stage of Israel probably began late in the reign of Jeroboam II. The Bible describes Jeroboam II as an evil King; however, he reigned for over four decades and chose to protect the Prophet Amos. While the poor and weak were both marginalized and taken advantage of during his long reign, that could be said of other Kings of that time. Probably the best we can say about this king is that Jeroboam II provided a stable environment for the people of Israel during his reign, something his successors were unable to do.

Jeroboam's son, Zechariah, assumed the throne of Israel upon his father's death, but his reign lasted only six months. King Zechariah was murdered by the captain of his guard, a man named Shallum, who then took the throne for himself. For Hosea, this act likely ended the reigns of the legitimate kings of Israel.

Shallum reigned for one month before the captain of his guard, Menahem, killed Shallum and once again took the throne for himself. Menahem provided a little more stability to Israel and reigned for 10 years over his Kingdom. Menahem died of natural causes, and his son, Pekahiah, replaced him on the throne. But what had become an ordinary occurrence in Israel since the death of Jeroboam II, Pekahiah reigned for two years before he was assassinated by another military officer named Pekah, who then became king as had the murderers who preceded him.

Pekah reigned for eight years, but they were eventful. One of the major events during the reign of Pekah was the rising threat posed by Assyria to the nations in the area. Pekah and Israel (Samaria) decided to ally with Aram-Damascus against Assyria, and they invited Judah to join the alliance. However, Judah was not interested in allying with Israel. King Pekah refused to take Judah's no as an appropriate answer. So, with the backing of Aram-Damascus, Israel went to war with Judah. Assyria had been watching developments to the south of its territory and decided to enter the war on Judah's side. Judah, with Assyria's assistance, won the war, but at a high price: Judah became a tributary of the Assyrian Empire.

It is probably during this time that Hosea writes this prophecy. He probably didn't live long enough to see Israel fall to the Assyrians in 722 B.C.E. and disappear into the pages of history. Still, he was present during this war and witnessed King Pekah's assassination by a close friend and advisor, Hoshea. In 722 B.C.E., Hoshea became the King who was destroyed and "swept away like a twig on the surface of the waters" (Hosea 10:7). Hoshea disappeared from the pages of history, and the reality is that after 722, we don't know what happened to the last King of Israel (Samaria).

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Hosea 11 & 12

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

Then the LORD said to Hosea, "Call him Jezreel, because I will soon punish the house of Jehu for the massacre at Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel." – Hosea 1:4

Today's Scripture Reading (April 7, 2026): Hosea 1

On December 16, 1970, Paramount Pictures released a melodrama that became an unquestioned success. The movie became a pop culture superstar. It was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Actress. The movie's theme song was nominated for two Grammys. The movie was "Love Story," starring Ryan O'Neal and Ali MacGraw. In 1970, both were up-and-coming actors and the "beautiful people" of Hollywood. And it really was a love story. My mother loved the movie, but I didn't really get it. There were no gunfights or car chases, and Ali MacGraw's character, Jenny, dies in the end; according to my standards, that's not evidence of a good movie. Of course, I was also only ten when the movie debuted. The story was about a young lawyer who fell in love with a girl. The couple wants to have children, but can't; so, they go to the doctor and find out that she has a fatal disease (probably leukemia, although we are never told what it was in the movie). There is one scene where the young man tries to borrow some money from his father to help with treatment, and Dad writes off the request by asking if he got some girl in trouble. It was this moment in the story that was supposed to draw the viewer's attention to the young couple's commitment to each other, even in sickness. They are soul mates and hopelessly in love.

In the final scene, Dad realizes what is going on and comes to see his son to apologize. Ryan O'Neal's Character, Oliver, responds to his dad with the movie's tagline: "Love means never having to say that you are sorry." And everybody sighs and cries.

The story of Hosea is a love story, but it is not that story. That becomes obvious with the first lines of the story; God tells Hosea to go and marry a promiscuous woman, literally a prostitute. And our question is, "Really? Would God do that? I don't understand; let me find something else to read. Maybe something about Jesus."

And almost to make this worse, the way that some translators have used for this passage has phrased it this way: "Hosea, go and marry a prostitute so that you will have children of Prostitution." This passage anticipates that Gomer will not be committed to the relationship. It anticipates that Gomer will not change her ways and will become pregnant with children who are not Hosea's. And if I am honest, I am not sure which really surprises me more: that God would ask Hosea to do it, or that Hosea would actually say yes.

And so, Hosea goes out and finds Gomer. And at this point in history, that probably meant that Hosea would have to go and bargain with Gomer's Dad. And he was probably overjoyed that someone wanted to marry her, because, given her behavior, there weren't a whole lot of suitors coming around to talk to dear old dad. Gomer may not have had anything to do with it. Hosea made a deal with Dad, and Gomer became Hosea's wife; it is quite possible that no one asked her what she wanted.

But we are told that Hosea marries Gomer, and together they have a child named Jezreel. And there was meaning in the name. Jezreel was the place where Jehu, the king of Israel, killed the house of Ahab. Every person that he could find who was related to Ahab was killed. And Jehu said that he was doing God's will, but that was not the full truth. The reality is that Jehu, who was an evil king, committed the act in such a way to maximize the evil and his own pleasure in the act, and he caused the most damage possible to the nation of Judah.

There are two things that we need to notice about this boy named Jezreel. The first is that this is Hosea's son. And Hosea loves his son. There is absolutely no trace of shame in his name. But the second thing we need to notice is that, even in choosing the name Jezreel, there is a prophetic announcement. Hosea is a prophet of God, and the office has consumed him.    

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Hosea 2 & 3