Dust in the Wind

In this episode of Arise + Abide, Sally and Curtis explore Hosea 13, a powerful chapter that highlights the culmination of Israel's long pattern of unfaithfulness. Building on chapter 12's warnings, Hosea 13 opens with a sobering reminder that Ephraim—once a tribe whose words carried weight and inspired fear—has now fallen into idolatry and self-reliance, sealing its own destruction. Through vivid imagery of mist, chaff, and smoke, God reveals how fleeting the nation's strength has become apart from Him.

Sally and Curtis reflect on the themes of misplaced trust, forgotten dependence, and misused influence. They discuss how Israel's prosperity led them to pride, causing them to forget the Lord who provided for them in the wilderness. Curtis draws attention to the responsibility that comes with influence, while Sally highlights the warning embedded in Israel's story: when comfort replaces devotion, hearts drift.

Even as the chapter describes fierce judgment, the conversation emphasizes God's patience, His desire for His people to return, and the hope that ultimately finds its fulfillment in Christ. The episode closes by pointing forward to the restoration promised in Hosea 14 and with Paul's triumphant reminder from 1 Corinthians that through Jesus, God brings victory over sin and death.