Year in the Bible Week 26

The Ancestors of Christ: Jotham, Ahaz by Michelango, in the Sistine Chapel c. 1512

This is week 26 of our Year in the Bible, so we are officially half done. Congratulations!

As we read about Ahaz dismantling the temple, he seems so far removed from God that we can forget how God is using him for divine purposes. As a descendant of David, he is an ancestor of Christ! We hope for more from him, but it doesn’t happen.

In Israel it is far worse, as they are turning further away from God, even denying him to other nations to gain favor. The prophets decry this abandonment and warn of coming disaster. In Hosea we read a terrific allegory, which is carefully and completely explained so that there is no question about meaning. Contrast this with Jesus and the woman at the well, where he, too, recounted the sins of Israel, but shrouded without full explanation. I wonder how many times God shows us allegorical imags today to guide us, and we miss them!

The book of Hosea has more to it than just the story and the warnings. There’s actually a lot of hope in it. The video below lays it out nicely, I think.

This coming week we get the contrast of Hezekiah leading in Jerusalem successfully, totally relying on God, while Samaria falls to Assyria with no help from above. Keep Reading!