Hosea 14; 2 Chronicles 26-27; Psalm 61; Matthew 20
Hosea 14
In rebuking Israel for their sinfulness, the prophet Hosea calls his people to return to God in a prayer of repentance: "Return, Israel, to the Lord your God. Your sins have been your downfall! Take words with you and return to the Lord. Say to him: 'Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously, that we may offer the fruit of our lips.'" (Hosea 14:1-2). Hosea is confident that this will lead to the restoration and healing of the nation: "I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them." (Hosea 14:4). Hosea concludes his book by acknowledging God's righteousness and the importance of following Him: "The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them." (Hosea 14:9).
2 Chronicles 26-27
The lives of the kings of Judah provide many faith lessons. Those who worshiped God and followed His law experienced His blessings. God strengthened their kingdoms, subdued their enemies, and increased their prosperity. Unfortunately, this often led to self-confidence and pride, causing these kings to exalt themselves above God's commandments. This is what happened to Uzziah: "But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the Lord his God and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense." (2 Chronicles 26:16). Even when 70 priests opposed him, instead of heeding their counsel, he resisted them. As a result, God punished him with leprosy.
Psalm 61
In challenging circumstances, David brings the anguish of his soul to God, asking Him to lift him: "From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I." (Psalm 61:2). The peace of the soul often seems out of reach when we face difficulties, but by knowing God and turning to Him, we can restore our confidence in Him: "Then I will ever sing in praise of your name and fulfill my vows day after day." (Psalm 61:8)
Matthew 20
Explaining the principles of the Kingdom of Heaven to His disciples and the crowd, Jesus tells the parable of the workers in the vineyard. Its main message is that salvation depends entirely on God's grace, sovereignly distributed by Him (Matthew 20:1-16).
Jesus again speaks to His disciples about His upcoming suffering, death, and resurrection. Unfortunately, they continue to think about their understanding of Christ's Kingdom. Ignoring Jesus' words, they argue about who among them will be the greatest in the coming Kingdom. When Jesus asks them about the cup He is to drink and the baptism He is to undergo (clearly referring to His suffering and death), they respond with readiness, not fully grasping what He means. Seeing this, Jesus tells them, "You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant." He confirms that one day, they will suffer as He will. His main conclusion is, "Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:26-28)
In rebuking Israel for their sinfulness, the prophet Hosea calls his people to return to God in a prayer of repentance: "Return, Israel, to the Lord your God. Your sins have been your downfall! Take words with you and return to the Lord. Say to him: 'Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously, that we may offer the fruit of our lips.'" (Hosea 14:1-2). Hosea is confident that this will lead to the restoration and healing of the nation: "I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them." (Hosea 14:4). Hosea concludes his book by acknowledging God's righteousness and the importance of following Him: "The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them." (Hosea 14:9).
2 Chronicles 26-27
The lives of the kings of Judah provide many faith lessons. Those who worshiped God and followed His law experienced His blessings. God strengthened their kingdoms, subdued their enemies, and increased their prosperity. Unfortunately, this often led to self-confidence and pride, causing these kings to exalt themselves above God's commandments. This is what happened to Uzziah: "But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the Lord his God and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense." (2 Chronicles 26:16). Even when 70 priests opposed him, instead of heeding their counsel, he resisted them. As a result, God punished him with leprosy.
Psalm 61
In challenging circumstances, David brings the anguish of his soul to God, asking Him to lift him: "From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I." (Psalm 61:2). The peace of the soul often seems out of reach when we face difficulties, but by knowing God and turning to Him, we can restore our confidence in Him: "Then I will ever sing in praise of your name and fulfill my vows day after day." (Psalm 61:8)
Matthew 20
Explaining the principles of the Kingdom of Heaven to His disciples and the crowd, Jesus tells the parable of the workers in the vineyard. Its main message is that salvation depends entirely on God's grace, sovereignly distributed by Him (Matthew 20:1-16).
Jesus again speaks to His disciples about His upcoming suffering, death, and resurrection. Unfortunately, they continue to think about their understanding of Christ's Kingdom. Ignoring Jesus' words, they argue about who among them will be the greatest in the coming Kingdom. When Jesus asks them about the cup He is to drink and the baptism He is to undergo (clearly referring to His suffering and death), they respond with readiness, not fully grasping what He means. Seeing this, Jesus tells them, "You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant." He confirms that one day, they will suffer as He will. His main conclusion is, "Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:26-28)
Posted in Reading Bible Together