Section 5a: Ephraim accused of deceit and lies. They were just like their scheming forefather Jacob, and Hosea pleads with them to learn the lesson from his life and turn to the Lord.
Tag: Mercy
Hosea 6 & 7
Section 4: The condemnation continues with Israel being likened to a hot oven and a silly dove. In this section the Lord calls for Israel to leave off their empty rituals and come to know Him: “I will have mercy and not sacrifice”, a verse quoted by the Lord Jesus twice in Matthew 9:13 and…
2 Kings 14,15 – Historical Context
Today we consider a historical section where the Prophet Jonah is mentioned, and consider some lessons from how the LORD God deals with both nations of Israel and Judah and their respective kings. I didn’t have the dates of the kings’ reigns when I recorded the podcast, but you can see them below on this…
Jonah 3
We see Jonah now walking in the Spirit, obedient to the LORD in both word and deed. Then we discuss faith and works; learn an important lesson on prayer; and rejoice in the multitude of God’s mercies (Psalm 106:45).
Questioning the Quran #1:1
Allah’s mercy is not mercy as we know it! بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ (Surah 1:1) The above quotation, translated as ‘In the name of Allah, the most compassionate, the most merciful’, is a common refrain throughout the Qur’an, and it is this attribute of mercy that is one of the most often spoken of in…
Psalms for Troubled Times – Psalm 119:113-128
We now come to the final group of sections – the Godward aspect. We will notice that the central section of the seven from Samech to Shin deals with the righteous basis of our relationship with the Lord. Before this we have three sections about character, and after, in a chiasmic structure, are three sections…
Psalms for Troubled Times – Psalm 119:57-80
On the SEA of life! We turn now to the beginning of the second group of seven, the manward aspect, in which we will consider the way of the blessed man with respect to his physical life on earth, and his relations with others. Group 2 – The Manward Aspect – The Earthly Man Today…
Psalms for Troubled Times – Psalm 117
The Pinnacle of Praise No doubt you have climbed to the top of a mountain at some point, and you’ll have noticed there is not much at the peak. However, it’s not the peak itself that captures your attention, but panoramic views stretching miles in all directions. At times like this there is little to…
Psalms for Troubled Times – Psalm 110c
The Throne of Grace We continue our meditations of this most important psalm, and having considered the pre-eminence and power of Christ the King, ‘set at the right hand’ (v1), we now turn to the High Priestly Ministry of our Lord Jesus, as we muse upon ‘the right hand’ being the place of prayer. A…
Psalms for Troubled Times – Psalm 106
Confession of Sin This psalm is the final psalm of Book 4 and paired with 105 both take a look back over the wilderness journey – that journey of faith from Abraham onwards. While the former praises the LORD God for His faithfulness, this makes confession of man’s faithlessness. The previous focuses on the period…
Psalms for Troubled Times – Psalm 103
Count your Blessings As we draw towards the close of this wilderness journey, the psalmist looks back, and begins to catalogue the blessings he has enjoyed – a worthwhile exercise for anyone. Our Iniquities forgiven. Our Diseases healed. Our Life redeemed from eternal destruction. Our Head crowned with lovingkindness & tender mercies. Our Mouth satisfied…
Psalms for Troubled Times – Psalm 100
Celebrating Victory That I’m writing this on VE Day is fitting. 75 years ago today, Britain came together for a day of celebration to mark victory in the European theatre of World War Two. Yet, these were the celebrations of a moment, for as Winston Churchill reminded the nation: ‘We may allow ourselves a brief…
Forward in Hope 