Author: Dave Dishman (Page 252 of 458)

A regular complaint about the Bible involves the perceived difference between the God depicted in the Old Testament and the God featured in the New. The former appears harsh, vindictive, and judgmental. The latter, viewed through the teachings of Jesus, presents as more gentle and caring. Jesus loves the little children, you know.

But the prophet Hosea turns the perception of the grim Old Testament God upside down. He shares with us the Lord’s own words:

When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son…it was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms…I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love. To them I was like one who lifts a little child to the cheek, and I bent down to feed them.

Like a loving parent with an adored child, for hundreds of years the Lord led his children and patiently waited for them to look up.

But those children twisted out of the Lord’s hand—Now they sin more and more; they make idols for themselves…it is said of these people, “They offer human sacrifices! They kiss calf-idols!”

I’m no expert on parenting, but when your children start offering human sacrifices, it’s time to intervene. Even with this depth of heinous evil, the Lord remained patient, longing for his children to return.

The Lord’s leniency overshadows his judgement.

God extends patience far beyond our imagination, but eventually the Lord disciplines those he loves. The entire story of the Bible—Old Testament and New—expresses the Lord’s immense patience and overarching love for every person who’s ever lived.

Hosea 12 & 13 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022

Photo by Ante Hamersmit

In the midst of a screed against the wildly wayward people of Israel, predicting impending disaster (one line reads the king of Israel will be completely destroyed), Hosea the prophet laid out a beautiful recipe for flourishing.

Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you.

Marvelous words to live by, wise words to instruct a younger generation, solid words to take to heart. Self-help books gully-wash the market, and I’ve enjoyed several good ones. But in all those pages you’ll find no better advice for flourishing.

Sow righteousness, and keep at it year after year. Plow through my hard heart. Let the Lord send rain in his time and at his pleasure. He’s growing me slowly, quietly, imperceptibly. At some point I’ll reap the fruit of unfailing love.

Sounds like a pretty good life.

Hosea 10:12 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022

The old, stained, and well-used recipe card above is for my Grandma Mayes’s German Chocolate pound cake—one of my favorites.

I grew up in the Ozarks around lots of fishermen, guys with bass boats and bait-stained fingers. My wife loves to fish, starting as a little girl in a Colorado stream next to her house in the mountains. I enjoy eating fish someone else caught and cleaned.

Jesus worked with a bunch of fishermen. After a confrontation about paying a temple tax one of them entered the house where Jesus waited. Jesus spoke first and somehow knew of the private conversation. He asked Peter who kings collect taxes from—their children or others? Peter answered, from others.

Then the children are exempt, Jesus replied. But so that we may not cause offense, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.

Jesus referred of his divinity. As the Son of God, he wasn’t required to pay a tax to the temple dedicated to God. Or, to look at it another way, as part of the Trinity—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—Jesus didn’t need to pay a tax to himself.

But since this wasn’t the time to press the point, Jesus sent Peter off to catch a fish. First cast, big fish with a the predicted coin in its mouth. Jesus underscored his claim to divinity with the miraculous catch of a money-fish. One more stunning incident Peter and the rest of the disciples experienced.

People who fish love to tell stories. You hear tales of whoppers—the one that got away was a state record for sure!

With Jesus around the fish stories took a turn, much like the lives of the fishermen in his orbit, and the lives of those who follow him today.

Matthew 17 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022

Photo by NOAA

Walking around with Jesus all day presented a challenging dilemma for his disciples. When was Jesus making small talk about lunch, or saying something totally profound about the kingdom of God?

On a boat ride Jesus warned the disciples: Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

His disciples thought Jesus referred to their current lack of bread. But Jesus took them to task, reminding them of the two miraculous feedings of thousands with a few loaves. If Jesus wanted bread, he would just make some. Rather, Jesus warned against the teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

What teachings? These religious teachers loved places of honor and showing off. They tithed even from their spice rack, while neglecting justice, mercy and faithfulness. They placed heavy burdens on people without lifting a finger to help.

Jesus eventually confronted this clique: You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are (Matthew 23:15).

Nasty yeast.

Nothing turns people away from the Christian faith more completely than abuse fostered on unwitting followers by religious leaders. We read about it all the time, and many faithful people suffer for their past confidence in deceitful spiritual guides.

I pay attention when Jesus brings up the religious teachers of his day, as I’m a religious teacher myself. It’s sobering to recognize the dueling nature of the yeasts mentioned by Jesus. One yields destruction, and another other brings the aroma of the kingdom of God.

Like the disciples, I’m often slow on the uptake. If I want to lead people toward the kingdom of God, I need to pay careful attention of the type of yeast I sprinkle through my dough.

Matthew 16 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022

Photo by Margaret Jaszowska