Through the ESV Bible in a Year with Jackie Hill Perry

Episode: December 16 (Hosea 2–5; Psalm 136; 1 Peter 1–2)
Host: Crossway
Date: December 16, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode features readings from Hosea 2–5, Psalm 136, and 1 Peter 1–2. The passages cover God's redemptive love in the face of Israel’s unfaithfulness (Hosea), a psalm of thanksgiving celebrating God’s enduring love and mighty acts (Psalm 136), and encouragements to holiness, hope, and steadfastness for Christians in exile (1 Peter). The thematic thread is God's unwavering mercy, faithfulness, and transformative calling for His people, both in judgment and redemption.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Hosea 2–5: Israel’s Unfaithfulness and God’s Redemptive Pursuit

• Metaphor of Unfaithful Spouse: The relationship between God and Israel is likened to a husband whose wife has been unfaithful, emphasizing the nation’s spiritual adultery through idolatry (00:01–02:08).
  • Quote: “Plead with your mother… she is not my wife and I am not her husband…” (00:01)
• Divine Discipline and Hope: God promises judgment—removing blessings and exposing Israel’s shame—but also allures Israel back, promising restoration in deep mercy (02:08–04:50).
  • Quote: “Therefore, behold, I will allure her and bring her into the wilderness and speak tenderly to her… and make the valley of Achor a door of hope.” (01:40)
• Symbolic Acts: Hosea is told to love an adulterous woman, symbolizing God’s faithful love for unfaithful Israel (04:50–07:32).
• Lament Over Israel’s Condition: God’s charge—a lack of truth, faithfulness, and knowledge leads to social breakdown (04:50).
  • Quote: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…” (06:00)
• Judgment on Priests and People: Both religious leaders and the people are corrupted, leading to inevitable consequences (06:00–07:45).
  • Quote: “It shall be like people, like priests. I will punish them for their ways and repay them for their deeds.” (06:45)

2. Psalm 136: God’s Enduring Love

• Structure of Refrain: Every verse ends with “for his steadfast love endures forever” (08:05–10:02), highlighting the repetitive and persistent nature of divine mercy.
• Narrative of Salvation: The psalm recounts creation, the Exodus, victories, daily provision, and the unbroken thread of God’s kindness.
  • Quote: “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.” (08:05)
• Universal Thanksgiving: Focus on God as Creator, Deliverer, Provider—worthy of perpetual gratitude.

3. 1 Peter 1–2: Hope and Holiness Amid Exile

• Audience & Context: Peter addresses believers as “elect exiles,” emphasizing both chosen status and the reality of displacement (10:06–10:27).
• New Birth and Living Hope: Through Christ’s resurrection, believers have an imperishable inheritance (10:27–11:10).
  • Quote: “He has caused us to be born again to a living hope… to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading…” (10:30)
• Redemptive Suffering: Trials serve to test and prove faith, pointing toward future glory (11:00–12:00).
• Call to Holiness: Christians are urged to mirror God’s holiness in conduct, resisting former desires (12:02–12:25).
  • Quote: “But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct…” (12:04)
• Ransom by Christ’s Blood: The foundation of the believer’s hope is not worldly, but the sacrifice of Jesus (12:25–12:40).
• Identity and Purpose: Believers are described as a “chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,” called to proclaim God’s excellencies (13:45).
  • Quote: “Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people. Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” (14:40)
• Ethics of Everyday Life: Instruction to live honorably among outsiders, submit to authorities, and endure suffering following Christ’s example (14:40–16:30).
  • Quote: “This is a gracious thing in the sight of God… For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example…” (15:33)
• Christ Our Example & Shepherd: Jesus, though innocent, suffered without retaliation, bearing our sins so we might live righteously (15:33–end).
  • Quote: “By his wounds you have been healed, for you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the shepherd and overseer of your souls.” (16:18)

Memorable Quotes & Timestamps

• Hosea:
  • “Plead with your mother… she is not my wife and I am not her husband…” (00:01)
  • “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…” (06:00)
  • “It shall be like people, like priests…” (06:45)
• Psalm 136:
  • “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.” (08:05)
• 1 Peter:
  • “He has caused us to be born again to a living hope…” (10:30)
  • “But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy…” (12:04)
  • “Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people…” (14:40)
  • “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example…” (15:33)
  • “By his wounds you have been healed…” (16:18)

Notable Segment Timestamps

• Hosea Reading: 00:01 – 07:45
• Psalm 136 Reading: 08:05 – 10:02
• 1 Peter 1–2 Reading: 10:06 – end

Summary Takeaways

The passages collectively urge a return to God’s mercy despite failure (Hosea), invite persistent gratitude for unwavering love (Psalm 136), and challenge believers to embrace a holy, purposeful, and resilient identity—even amid suffering (1 Peter). The episode’s tone is both somber over sin and exuberant in celebrating grace, ending with the hopeful assurance of restoration and spiritual belonging through Christ.