The Lord's Judgment and Love for Israel
Arise and Abide
In this episode of Arise + Abide, Curtis and Sally explore Hosea chapters 10 and 11—two striking passages that reveal both the severity of God’s judgment and the depth of His enduring love. Hosea paints Israel as a once-fruitful vine whose prosperity led them away from the Lord and deeper into idolatry. Their misplaced trust in altars, idols, and military strength exposes a hardened spiritual landscape in need of breaking up and renewal. Yet woven through the warnings is a tender reminder of God’s fatherly compassion. As Hosea recounts, God taught Israel to walk, lifted the yoke from...
info_outline
His Faithful Love Endures Forever
Arise and Abide
Hello everyone, Curtis here, thanks for listening! We had been trying to publish episodes twice a week but now that I am back in school full time we have had to scale back to once a week. We will continue to alternate episodes with psalms until we finish the book and continue with the Old Testament timeline. This episode is on Psalm 136, and we will explore the call to remember God’s faithfulness and the promise of God!
info_outline
Hosea Announces Israel’s Punishment
Arise and Abide
In this episode of Arise + Abide, Curtis and Sally read Hosea chapter 9 and reflect on the painful consequences of Israel’s unfaithfulness to God. As Hosea announces the nation’s coming punishment, the chapter reveals both the grief and justice of God—how His love has been betrayed by those who turned to idols and false gods. Israel’s worship has become distorted, their festivals corrupted, and their trust misplaced in fertility gods that cannot bless or sustain them. Curtis and Sally discuss how God’s judgment in this passage is not arbitrary but the natural result of Israel’s...
info_outline
The Whirlwind
Arise and Abide
In this episode of Arise + Abide, Sally and Curtis read Hosea chapter 8, where the prophet declares that Israel has “planted the wind and will harvest the whirlwind.” Through Hosea’s message, God warns His people that their idolatry, self-appointed kings, and misplaced alliances will lead to destruction. Israel has built altars meant to remove sin, yet those very altars have become places of sin. They’ve forgotten their Maker and trusted in their own strength, seeking security in palaces, fortified cities, and foreign powers instead of the Lord....
info_outline
Praise The Lord!
Arise and Abide
In this episode of Arise + Abide, Curtis and Sally read and reflect on Psalm 135—a song of worship that calls all who serve the Lord to praise Him for His goodness, power, and enduring love. From creation to deliverance, the psalm recounts God’s mighty works, contrasting His living presence with the lifeless idols made by human hands. Curtis shares how the psalm’s repeated invitation to “praise the Lord” reminds us to glorify God in every circumstance—remembering His faithfulness through all generations. Sally explores the deep contrast between a living relationship with the...
info_outline
Praise The Lord!
Arise and Abide
In this episode of Arise + Abide, Curtis and Sally read and reflect on Psalm 135—a song of worship that calls all who serve the Lord to praise Him for His goodness, power, and enduring love. From creation to deliverance, the psalm recounts God’s mighty works, contrasting His living presence with the lifeless idols made by human hands. Curtis shares how the psalm’s repeated invitation to “praise the Lord” reminds us to glorify God in every circumstance—remembering His faithfulness through all generations. Sally explores the deep contrast between a living relationship with the...
info_outline
Israel’s Love for Wickedness
Arise and Abide
In this episode of Arise + Abide, Curtis and Sally explore Hosea chapter 7—a sobering look at Israel’s rebellion and God’s grieving heart. The Lord longs to heal His people, yet their sins run deep. They’ve become unaware of their spiritual decay, chasing foreign gods and trusting in human power instead of turning back to Him. Through vivid metaphors—an overheated oven, a half-baked cake, a witless dove, and a crooked bow—Hosea exposes how misplaced passions and pride have made the people useless to God’s purpose. Curtis and Sally reflect on the Lord’s perspective: He sees...
info_outline
Praise the Lord
Arise and Abide
In this episode of Arise + Abide, Sally and Curtis reflect on the final song of ascent, Psalm 134. As pilgrims arrive in Jerusalem, they call on those serving in the temple—especially those keeping the night watch—to lift their hands and praise the Lord. Together, they explore the beauty of worship that involves not just our voices but our whole selves, and how both travelers and temple servants encourage one another in unity. The discussion highlights the challenges of serving in unseen or difficult circumstances, the reminder that God always sees and knows, and the promise of blessing...
info_outline
A Call to Repentance
Arise and Abide
In this episode of Arise + Abide, Curtis and Sally reflect on Hosea chapter 6, a passage titled A Call to Repentance. Hosea invites the people to return to the Lord with the assurance that God will respond as surely as the dawn breaks and the spring rains fall. Yet the chapter also reveals God’s grief over Israel and Judah’s fleeting devotion—love that evaporates like morning mist. The discussion explores God’s heart for relationship over ritual, emphasizing that He desires love and obedience rather than empty sacrifices. Curtis and Sally connect Hosea’s message to Jesus’ words in...
info_outline
Harmony
Arise and Abide
In this episode of Arise + Abide, Sally and Curtis reflect on Psalm 133 and its powerful imagery of harmony. David compares unity among God’s people to the anointing oil flowing over Aaron and the refreshing dew of Mount Hermon—both symbols of blessing and life. Together, Sally and Curtis explore how true harmony cannot be manufactured by individual effort but comes from God’s Spirit, covering us like oil and refreshing us like dew. They discuss the rarity and preciousness of harmony, connecting it to Paul’s call in Philippians 2 to live with humility, put aside selfishness, and...
info_outlineIn this episode of Arise + Abide, Curtis and Sally reflect on Hosea chapter 5, a sobering passage that exposes the failure of Israel’s priests and leaders. The text reveals how arrogance, idolatry, and misplaced trust in foreign powers led God’s people into spiritual ruin. Despite their sacrifices, the Lord had withdrawn, leaving them to experience the consequences of their rebellion.
Curtis and Sally discuss how this chapter shows the depth of Israel’s brokenness—their deeds would not allow them to return to God without His intervention. They explore how God’s judgment, though severe, carries the promise of restoration when His people confess their guilt and earnestly seek Him again. Drawing connections to Jesus’ teachings, they reflect on the cost of discipleship, the danger of idolatry in modern life, and the enduring call to repent and turn back to the Lord.
Even in the midst of judgment, Hosea 5 reminds us of God’s steadfast desire to be known by His people and His readiness to heal and redeem those who humbly return to Him.