Through the ESV Bible in a Year with Jackie Hill Perry

Episode: December 15 (Hosea 1; Psalm 135; James 3–5)

Date: December 15, 2025
Host: Crossway

Episode Overview

This episode of "Through the ESV Bible in a Year" features a sequential reading of Hosea 1 (Old Testament), Psalm 135, and James 3–5 (New Testament). The episode’s primary focus is on themes of faithful love and judgment in Hosea, praise and the uniqueness of God in Psalm 135, and practical instruction on wisdom, speech, humility, and prayer in the Book of James.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Hosea 1: God’s Faithful Love and Judgment

[00:01–01:41]

• God’s Command to Hosea:
  The Lord instructs Hosea to take "a wife of whoredom" as a symbolic act representing Israel's unfaithfulness (00:01).
  • Quote: “Go, take to yourself a wife of whoredom, and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the Lord.” (Reader, 00:06)
• Symbolic Children:
  • First child named Jezreel, signaling coming punishment for the house of Jehu (00:16).
  • Second, a daughter named “No Mercy,” indicating God will no longer have mercy on Israel, though He will on Judah (00:38).
  • Third, a son named “Not My People,” signifying the broken relationship: “For you are not my people, and I am not your God.” (Reader, 01:16)
• Restoration Promised:
  In spite of judgment, God promises a future restoration:
  • “...the number of the children of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea… it shall be said to them, children of the living God.” (Reader, 01:18)
  • Uniting of Israel and Judah foretold.

2. Psalm 135: God’s Supremacy and Worthiness of Praise

[01:41–03:23]

• Call to Worship:
  • "Praise the Lord. Praise the name of the Lord." (Cantor, 01:44)
  • The goodness of God and His choice of Israel are emphasized.
• God’s Sovereignty:
  • “For I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods. Whatever the Lord pleases, he does…” (Cantor, 01:53)
  • God’s acts in creation and history, particularly the Exodus and the defeat of enemies, are celebrated.
• Contrast with Idols:
  • The impotence of idols is mockingly described: “They have mouths, but do not speak… Those who make them become like them, so do all who trust in them.” (Cantor, 02:52)
• Exhortation:
  • A repeated call to all of Israel to bless the Lord and recognize His perpetual goodness.

3. James 3–5: The Power of Speech, Wisdom, Humility, & Prayer

[03:23–end (~08:20)]

On the Tongue and Speech

• Speech’s Power:
  • “So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire. And the tongue is a fire…” (Cantor, 03:37)
  • The tongue’s destructive potential and the dual nature of blessing and cursing are highlighted: “With it we bless our Lord... and with it we curse people... These things ought not to be so.” (Cantor, 03:47)
• Impossibility of Human Taming:
  • No human can fully tame the tongue, which is “a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” (Cantor, 03:52)

True Wisdom

• Earthly wisdom versus the wisdom from above:
  • “…the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.” (Cantor, 04:13)

Warnings Against Worldliness and Pride

• On Passions and Worldliness:
  • “You desire and do not have, so you murder… You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?” (Cantor, 04:32)
• Submission and Humility:
  • “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil…” (Cantor, 04:47)
  • “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” (Cantor, 06:32)

On Judgment, Planning, and Riches

• Presumption Rebuked:
  • “...you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” (Cantor, 06:37)
• Wealth and Injustice Condemned:
  • The rich are warned: “The wages of the laborers… are crying out against you... You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence.” (Cantor, 06:54)

Final Instructions: Patience, Prayer, Restoration

• Patience in Suffering:
  • Example of Job’s steadfastness: “You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.” (Cantor, 07:33)
• Truthfulness and Oaths:
  • “But above all, my brothers, do not swear… but let your yes be yes and your no be no…” (Cantor, 07:40)
• Power of Prayer, Mutual Confession:
  • “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray... Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.” (Cantor, 07:51)
  • “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” (Cantor, 08:00)
• Role of Restoration:
  • “...whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.” (Cantor, 08:14)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On God’s Mercy Amid Judgment:
  • “In the place where it was said to them, you are not my people, it shall be said to them, children of the living God.” (Reader, 01:18)
• On the Power of Speech:
  • “How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire. And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness.” (Cantor, 03:37)
• On God’s Sovereignty:
  • “For I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods.” (Cantor, 01:53)
• On Divine Wisdom:
  • “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason…” (Cantor, 04:13)
• On Humility:
  • “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (Cantor, 04:47)
• On the Fleeting Nature of Life:
  • “What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” (Cantor, 06:37)
• On Restoration:
  • “Whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.” (Cantor, 08:14)

Timestamps of Major Segments

• Hosea 1 Reading: 00:01–01:41
• Psalm 135 Reading: 01:41–03:23
• James 3–5 Reading & Reflection: 03:23–end (~08:20)

Summary

This episode weaves together powerful biblical passages centering on faithfulness and judgment (Hosea 1), the all-surpassing greatness and praiseworthiness of God (Psalm 135), and intensely practical exhortations for Christian living—guarding our words, seeking true wisdom, submitting humbly to God, enduring suffering with patience, and restoring those who wander (James 3–5). Each segment offers a progression from recognizing human frailty to the transformative power of God’s mercy and grace, emphasizing the call to a holy, humble, and communal life in dependence on God.

Listeners are left with an invigorating sense of both the sobering seriousness of God’s words and the hope-filled assurance of His redemptive plans.