(7.) Women and Children First: God Identifies with Children and Childhood. “Every Christian ought to be a refuge… a hiding place from the wind, a covert from the tempest, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.” (George MacDonald, Growth in Grace and Knowledge). By George! There is no author that has more deeply explored the …
(6.) Women and Children First: God is Disgusted with the Mistreatment of Women. “Enough! How long will you defend the evil-doers? How long will you show kindness to those who do wicked things? You’re here to defend the defenseless, to give justice to the weak and fatherless, to maintain the rights of the oppressed and …
(5.) Women and Children First: God Identifies with Women and Womanhood. “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.” (Matthew 23:37). Jesus finally managed to catch …
(4.) Women and Children First: God’s Son Had a Human Mother. “You formed my innermost being, shaping my delicate inside and my intricate outside, and wove them all together in my mother’s womb. I thank you, God, for making me so mysteriously complex! Everything you do is marvelously breathtaking. It simply amazes me to think …
(3.) Women and Children First: Representing God’s Character. “What is the mission of man? To be a reminder of God. As God is compassionate, let man be compassionate. As God strives for meaning and justice, let man strive for meaning and justice. If we are created in the image of God, each human being should be …
(2.) Women and Children First: The Sanctity of Life in God’s Image. “There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. It is immortals whom we joke with, marry, snub and exploit.” (C S. Lewis). The Sanctity of Human Life. Every human person carries God’s holy fingerprint. Therefore all of human life is sacred, …
(1.) Women and Children First! Why? “Enough! You’re here to defend the defenseless, to give justice to the weak and fatherless, to maintain the rights of the oppressed and the needy. Your job is to rescue the powerless and stand up for them, to deliver them from all who exploit them!” (Psalm 82:2-4). Why? The Short Answer. We are …
The Gospel of Hosea, Extended: Baal 2.0 “I, Lord Yahweh, am your God. You shall not have any other gods besides Me.” (Ex. 20 and Deut. 5). The Antidote: Before we discuss the poison of blending other gods with The God, let’s make sure we’re aware of the good news, that we have the option of …
The Gospel of Hosea: A Sequel with Ezekiel. A Hundred Years after Hosea, around the year 600 BC, we see the infinitely patient and gracious Yahweh wooing His unfaithful covenant bride once again, only this time in the southern kingdom of Judah. Yahweh doesn’t give up on His bride, because His mercy endures forever. “Then …
The Gospel of Hosea: A Prequel with Elijah. Two hundred years before Hosea, around the year 900 BC, Baal had developed a fatal foothold in the northern kingdom of Israel. King Ahab, along with his Canaanite queen Jezebel, brought Baal worship to Israel, and once it was established it proved impossible to expel. The trap of …
The Gospel of Hosea, Ch. 14: Grace and Wisdom. “Return, O Israel, come back to Yahweh God (‘Elohim’), for you have stumbled because of your iniquity (‘avon’). Your sins have been your downfall.” (Hosea 14:1). In Other Words. God is making His last-gasp effort, His final passionate appeal to Israel for their repentance. Please, I beg …
The Gospel of Hosea, Ch. 13: The One and Only. “In the past, when the tribe of Ephraim spoke, the other tribes of Israel trembled in respect; they looked up to Ephraim. But the people sinned by worshiping Baal, and for this they will die.” (Hosea 13:1). Ephraim. Since Hosea referred to Ephraim as a synonym …