Matthew 3-4 tells us the story of Jesus getting baptized then Jesus being led by
the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. The main point of these
stories is to remind believers that we are at war. There is a real enemy; if there
is a real enemy, it helps to be mindful of the typical weapons of the enemy as
well as practical methods of fighting back against the evil in the world.
One of the themes in the prophets is their call of exhortation to God’s people. The call can be to get back to Torah observance, or justice or it in case of Haggai to stop procrastinating. We get to learn from how God shepherds His people during periods of “we will do it later” and gain wisdom for our own tendencies.
Hosea the prophet’s life and marriage to Gomer the prostitute is both moving and mysterious. There is no happily ever after. Instead we are left to consider how we treat God and if we will be a faithful covenant partner to Him.
