We continue through Hosea where chapter 6 has some useful lessons for us all. The opening sounds good…
“Come, let us return to the LORD; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him.
Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.” (Hosea 6.1 – 3, ESV)
It appears to be a call for revival from the people themselves: “Come let us return to the LORD…let us know; let us press on to know the LORD…” After all, “he will come to us as the…spring rains that water the earth.”
Nice try. Here’s is God’s response:
What shall I do with you, O Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah? Your love is like a morning cloud, like the dew that goes early away. Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth, and my judgment goes forth as the light. (Hosea 6.4, 5, ESV)
Your love is transient. Therefore, “I have hewn them by the prophets… slain them by the words of my mouth.” Huh? Reminds me of recalcitrant military personnel. Say I have a guy who doesn’t like to keep his hair in regs. The regs are there; he just ignores them. But if I give him a direct order, and he doesn’t do it, I have “…slain him by the words of my mouth.” He’s not only guilty of ignoring written haircut regulations, he has violated a direct order from his commanding officer. Much more serious.
What does God want? Words? Ritual? Or relationship with him?
For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. (Hosea 6.6, ESV)
I desire love, not sacrifice. Knowing God, not burnt offerings.
What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the LORD; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats.
When you come to appear before me, who has required of you this trampling of my courts? Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations— I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; they have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them.
When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood. Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause. (Isaiah 1.11 – 17, ESV)