Justin Houtz

2 Kings 15-16; Hosea 1; Hebrews 1

DateVersionReading Plan
July 4, 2026ESV (2016)ESV Life Journal Plan – 2026

2 Kings 15-16

Observation & Interpretation

The chapters depict the succession of kings for Judah and Israel, some doing right in the eyes of the LORD (mostly the kings of Judah) and those doing evil. A particularly notable section is in 2 Kings 16:10-18, during the reign of Ahaz in Judah, in which Ahaz saw a pagan altar of Assyria in Damascus and sent Uriah the priest a model of the altar, and its pattern, exact in all its details (2 Kings 16:10). Uriah built the altar and Ahaz made offerings to it and moved the bronze altar to the Lord from the front of the house, from between his altar and the house of the LORD, putting it on the north side of his altar (2 Kings 16:14).

Application

Ahaz’s movement of the bronze altar of the LORD to a less prominent place in order to prioritize the pagan altar symbolizes the radically corrupt nature of the human heart. We too can look upon the things of this world and attribute to them a greater value than our God, moving them to a position of greater perceived importance. Whether comfort, pleasure, marriage, job, kids or other, we functionally rank them as possessing higher significance with how we choose to spend our time and resources. Through the story of Ahaz’s wickedness, we see our own sin in the disregard of the One who created us and sacrificed His only Son that we could be redeemed. May this lead to conviction such that we would turn from our evil ways and grant the LORD the primacy in our hearts that He alone deserves.

Hosea

Observation & Interpretation

The Book of Hosea begins with a time indicator of when the LORD came to Hosea: in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel (Hosea 1:1). When the LORD first spoke to Hosea, He told Hosea to take a wife of whoredom, representing the whoredom of the land for forsaking the LORD (Hosea 1:2). Hosea did so, taking Gomer to be his wife and the two conceived multiple children. The first child was a son and the LORD told Hosea to name him Jezreel, which means “(God will scatter)” (BBC) (Hosea 1:4). Gomer conceived again, a daughter, and the LORD told Hosea to call her No Mercy (Hosea 1:6). When Gomer was done weening No Mercy, she conceived again and LORD said to call his name, “Not My People” because they were not His people and He was not their God (Hosea 1:9). It was to be said of them that Israel shall be gathered together and appoint for themselves one head. They were to go up from the land, for great would be the day of Jezreel (Hosea 1:11).

Application

Similar to the previous reflection of 2 Kings, the opening chapter of Hosea gives indication for the depth of man’s sin. The ESV Bible Introduction of Hosea states that Hosea’s “ministry followed a golden age in the northern kingdom, with a peace and prosperity not seen since the days of Solomon. Unfortunately, with this prosperity came moral decay, and Israel forsook God to worship idols.” How much history has repeated itself in the prosperity experienced by the West and the deviation from God that has resulted. It is certainly a blessing from God that He has provided for us in such abundance, but in our wickedness, we have credited the source of wealth to our own doing rather than a gift from the Source of all good things. What heaviness of heart this should bring to the saints, that we would repent of our self-aggrandizement and respond in gratitude to the One who lavishes us with far more than we could ever ask or imagine.

Resources