December 16 (Hosea 2–5; Psalm 136; 1 Peter 1–2)

Summary

---

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.

Transcript

[A]

A reading from the Book of Hosea. Say to your brothers, you are my people, and to your sisters, you have received mercy. Plead with your mother. Plead, for she is not my wife and I am not her husband that she put away her whoring from her face and her adultery from between her breasts, lest I strip her naked and make her as in the day she was born, and make her like a wilderness, and make her like a parched land and and kill her with thirst upon her children also. I will have no mercy because they are children of whoredom, for their mother has played the whore. She who conceived them has acted shamefully. For she said, I will go after my lovers who give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, my oil and my drink. Therefore I will hedge up her way with thorns and I will build a wall against her so that she cannot find her pass. She shall pursue her lovers, but not overtake them, and she shall seek them, but shall not find them. Then she shall say, I will go and return to my first husband, for it was better for me then than now. And she did not know that it was I who gave her the grain, the wine and the oil, and who lavished on her silver and gold which they used for baal. Therefore I will take back my grain in its time and my wine in its season, and I will take away my wool and my flax which were to cover her nakedness. Now I will uncover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and. And no one shall rescue her out of my hand. And I will put an end to all her mirth, her feasts, her new moons, her sabbaths and all her appointed feasts. And I will lay waste her vines and her fig trees, of which she said, these are my wages, which my lovers have given me. I will make them a forest, and the beasts of the field shall devour them. And I will punish her for the feast days of the Baals when she burned offerings to them and adorned herself with her ring and jewelry and and went after her lovers and forgot me, declares the Lord. Therefore, behold, I will allure her and bring her into the wilderness and speak tenderly to her. And there I will give her her vineyards and make the valley of Acre a door of hope. And there she shall answer, as in the days of her youth, as at the time when she came out of.

[B]

The land of Egypt.

[A]

And in that day, declares the Lord, you will call me my husband, and no longer will you call me my baal, for I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, and they shall be remembered by name no more. And I will make for them a covenant on that day with the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the creeping things of the ground. And I will abolish the bow, the sword, and war from the land. And I will make you lie down in safety. And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. I will betroth you to me in faithfulness, and you shall know the Lord. And in that day I will answer, declares the Lord. I will answer the heavens, and they shall answer the earth, and the earth shall answer the grain, the wine, and the oil, and they shall answer Jezreel. And I will sow her for myself in the land, and I will have mercy on no mercy. And I will say to not my people, you are my people. And he shall say, you are my God. And the Lord said to me, go again. Love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, even as the Lord loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love cakes of raisins. So I bought her for 15 shekels of silver and a homer and a lithech of barley. And I said to her, you must dwell as mine for many days. You shall not play the whore or belong to another man, so will I also be to you. For the children of Israel shall dwell many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or pillar, without ephod or household gods. Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God and David their king. And they shall come in fear to the Lord and to his goodness. In the latter days. Hear the word of the Lord, O children of Israel. For the Lord has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land. There is no faithfulness or steadfast love, and no knowledge of God in the land. There is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery. They break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed. Therefore the land mourns, and all who dwell in it languish. And also the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens, and even the fish of the sea are taken away. Yet let no one contend, and let none accuse. For with you is my contention. O priest, you shall stumble by day. The prophet also shall stumble with you by night, and I will destroy your mother. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have Forgotten the law of your God. I also will forget your children. The more they increase, the more they sinned against me. I will change their glory into shame. They feed on the sin of my people. They are greedy for their iniquity, and it shall be like people, like priests. I will punish them for their ways and repay them for their deeds. They shall eat, but not be satisfied. They shall play the whore, but not multiply, because they have forsaken the Lord to cherish whoredom. Wine and new wine which take away the understanding. My people inquire of a piece of wood and their walking staff gives them oracles, for a spirit of whoredom has led them astray and they have left their God to play the whore. They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains and and burn offerings on the hills under oak, poplar and tereban because their shade is good. Therefore your daughters play the whore and your brides commit adultery. I will not punish your daughters when they play the whore, nor your brides when they commit adultery. For the men themselves go aside with prostitutes and sacrifice with cult prostitutes and a people without understanding shall come to ruin. Though you play the whore, O Israel, let not Judah become guilty. Enter not into Gilgal, nor go up to Beth Aven and swear not as the Lord lives like a stubborn heifer. Israel is stubborn. Can the Lord now feed them like a lamb in a broad pasture? Ephraim is joined to idols. Leave him alone. When their drink is gone, they give themselves to whoring. Their rulers dearly love shame. A wind has wrapped them in its wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices. Hear this, O priests. Pay attention, O house of Israel. Give ear, O house of the King, for the judgment is for you. For you have been a snare at Mizpah and a net spread out upon Tabor and the revolters have gone deep into slaughter. But I will discipline all of them. I know Ephraim and Israel is not hidden from me for now. O Ephraim, you have played the whore. Israel is defiled. Their deeds do not permit them to return to their God for the spirit of whoredom is within them and they know not the Lord. The pride of Israel testifies to his face. Israel and Ephraim shall stumble in his guilt. Judah also shall stumble with them with their flocks and herds. They shall go to seek the Lord, but they will not find him. He has withdrawn from them. They have dealt faithlessly with the Lord, for they have borne alien children. Now the new moon shall devour them with their fields. Blow the horn In Gibeah the trumpet in Ramah sound the alarm. At Beth Aven we follow you, O Benjamin. Ephraim shall become a desolation. In the day of punishment. Among the tribes of Israel I make known what is sure. The princes of Judah have become like those who move the landmark upon them I will pour out my wrath like water. Ephraim is oppressed, crushed in judgment because he was determined to go after filth. But I am like a moth to.

[B]

Ephraim and like dry rot to the house of Judah.

[A]

When Ephraim saw his sickness and Judah his wound, then Ephraim went to Assyria and sent to the great king. But he is not able to cure you or heal your wound. For I will be like a lion to Ephraim and like a young lion.

[B]

To the house of Judah.

[A]

I, even I will tear and go away. I will carry off and no one shall rescue. I will return again to my place until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face, and in their distress earnestly seek me. A reading from the Book of Psalms. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.

[C]

For his steadfast love endures forever Give.

[A]

Thanks to the God of gods.

[C]

For his steadfast love endures forever Give thanks to the Lord of lords. For his steadfast love endures forever to him who alone does great wonders for his steadfast love endures forever to him who by understanding made the heavens for his steadfast love endures forever to him.

[B]

Who spread out the earth above the.

[C]

Waters for his steadfast love endures forever to him who made the great lights for his steadfast love endures forever the sun to rule over the day for his steadfast love endures forever the moon and stars to rule over the night. For his steadfast love endures forever to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt for his steadfast love endures forever and brought Israel out from among them. For his steadfast love endures forever With a strong hand and an outstretched arm for his steadfast love endures forever to him who divided the Red Sea in two, for his steadfast love endures forever and made Israel pass through the midst of it. For his steadfast love endures forever but overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea. For his steadfast love endures forever to.

[A]

Him who led his people through the.

[C]

Wilderness for his steadfast love endures forever to him who struck down great kings for his steadfast love endures forever and and killed mighty kings for his steadfast love endures forever Sihon, King of the Amorites for his steadfast love endures forever Enog, King of Bashan for his steadfast love endures forever and gave their land as a heritage for his steadfast love endures forever A heritage to Israel, his servant for his steadfast love endures forever it is he who remembered us in our low estate for his steadfast love endures forever and rescued us from our foes for his steadfast love endures forever.

[B]

He who gives food to all flesh.

[C]

For his steadfast love endures forever Give thanks to the God of Heaven for his steadfast love endures forever.

[A]

A Reading from the Book of First Peter Peter.

[B]

An Apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who are elect exiles of the dispersion in Pontus Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, According to the foreknowledge of God the Father and the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood, may grace and peace be multiplied to you.

[A]

Blessed be the God and Father of.

[C]

Our Lord Jesus Christ.

[B]

According to his great mercy he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor as the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him, though you do not now see him, you believe in him, and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours, searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating. When he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories, it was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you. And the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit, sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look, therefore preparing your minds for Action. And being sober minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance.

[A]

But as he who called you is.

[B]

Holy, you also be holy in all your conduct. Since it is written, you shall be holy, for I am holy. And if you call on him as Father, who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you are ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable.

[A]

Things such as silver or gold, but.

[B]

With the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you, who through him, are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God, having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth. For a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God. For all flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever. And this word is the good news that was preached to you. So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants. Long for the pure spiritual milk that by it you may grow up into salvation. If indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good as you come to him. A living stone rejected by men. But in the sight of God, chosen and precious, you yourselves, like living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ, for it stands in Scripture. Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone, chosen and precious. And whoever believes in him will not be put to shame. So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe. The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. They stumble because they disobey the word as they were destined to do. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, and that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 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. Beloved, I urge you, as sojourners and exiles, to abstain from the passions of the flesh which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers and they may see your good deeds and glorify God. On the day of visitation. Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the emperor. Servants. Be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the unjust. For this is a gracious thing when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and.

[C]

Suffer for it, you endure?

[B]

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 so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return. When he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He Himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. 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.