Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.
After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.
Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.
O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away.
Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments are as the light that goeth forth.
For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
But they like men have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me.
Gilead is a city of them that work iniquity, and is polluted with blood.
And as troops of robbers wait for a man, so the company of priests murder in the way by consent: for they commit lewdness.
I have seen an horrible thing in the house of Israel: there is the whoredom of Ephraim, Israel is defiled.
Also, O Judah, he hath set an harvest for thee, when I returned the captivity of my people.
Hosea 6 offers a powerful message of repentance, restoration, and God's unwavering desire for a genuine relationship with His people. This chapter reveals both the depth of Israel's sin and the boundless grace offered to those who turn back to Him.
A Call to Repentance and Revival (Hosea 6:1-3)
Hosea 6:1-3 serves as a poignant reminder of God's perpetual readiness to receive and forgive. The prophet urges the people to return to the LORD, emphasizing that submission to His will is the key to divine intervention in their lives. "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" (Hosea 6:1). This declaration expresses hope in God's restorative power. The promise of revival, "After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him" (Hosea 6:2), speaks of a future filled with renewed life and a closer relationship with God. While Hosea's words were initially directed at Israel, they carry a profound prophetic resonance, prefiguring the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Just as Hosea prophesied, God raised Jesus "on the third day according to the Scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:4).
God's Heartache and Desire for True Devotion (Hosea 6:4-6)
God's lament in Hosea 6:4-6 reveals His deep sorrow over the fleeting faithfulness of Ephraim and Judah. "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" (Hosea 6:4). Here, God's voice resonates with the exasperation of a loving parent grieved by the inconsistent behavior of their children. He had sent prophets to correct them and implore them to repent (Hosea 6:5).
The core of God's desire is laid bare in Hosea 6:6: "For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings." These words echo God's sentiment toward the faithless King Saul (see 1 Samuel 15:22). God isn't rejecting the sacrificial system He established. Instead, He's conveying a crucial message: outward rituals are meaningless without genuine inward transformation. He doesn't want empty gestures but a heart overflowing with faithful love and a deep, personal knowledge of Him. We cannot presume to live according to our own desires, reject God's word, and then offer sacrifices as a means of appeasement. While forgiveness is available when we sin, it doesn't grant us license to continue in wrongdoing. As the Apostle Paul passionately declared, "Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means!" (Romans 6:1-2).
Covenant Broken and Wickedness Exposed (Hosea 6:7-11)
The sins of Israel extended far beyond mere misbehavior. Hosea 6:7-11 unveils the depth of their wickedness and their violation of God's gracious covenant. "But like Adam they transgressed the covenant; there they dealt faithlessly with me" (Hosea 6:7). Even the priests were implicated in acts of violence and murder (Hosea 6:9). The prophet exposes a society riddled with promiscuity, fraud, theft, and pillaging (Hosea 6:10; 7:1). These acts were not hidden from God's sight. Nothing escapes the gaze of an omniscient and omnipresent God. As Hosea emphasizes, "their evil deeds are all around me; they are before my face" (Hosea 7:2).
Hosea 6 serves as a powerful reminder that true repentance involves a turning away from sin and a turning toward God with a sincere heart. He desires a relationship built on faithful love, genuine knowledge, and obedience, not empty rituals or fleeting emotions. This chapter calls us to examine our own hearts, ensuring that our devotion to God is not merely superficial but a reflection of a transformed life.
Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.
After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.
Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.
O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away.
Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments are as the light that goeth forth.
For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
But they like men have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me.
Gilead is a city of them that work iniquity, and is polluted with blood.
And as troops of robbers wait for a man, so the company of priests murder in the way by consent: for they commit lewdness.
I have seen an horrible thing in the house of Israel: there is the whoredom of Ephraim, Israel is defiled.
Also, O Judah, he hath set an harvest for thee, when I returned the captivity of my people.
Hosea 6 offers a powerful message of repentance, restoration, and God's unwavering desire for a genuine relationship with His people. This chapter reveals both the depth of Israel's sin and the boundless grace offered to those who turn back to Him.
A Call to Repentance and Revival (Hosea 6:1-3)
Hosea 6:1-3 serves as a poignant reminder of God's perpetual readiness to receive and forgive. The prophet urges the people to return to the LORD, emphasizing that submission to His will is the key to divine intervention in their lives. "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" (Hosea 6:1). This declaration expresses hope in God's restorative power. The promise of revival, "After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him" (Hosea 6:2), speaks of a future filled with renewed life and a closer relationship with God. While Hosea's words were initially directed at Israel, they carry a profound prophetic resonance, prefiguring the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Just as Hosea prophesied, God raised Jesus "on the third day according to the Scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:4).
God's Heartache and Desire for True Devotion (Hosea 6:4-6)
God's lament in Hosea 6:4-6 reveals His deep sorrow over the fleeting faithfulness of Ephraim and Judah. "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" (Hosea 6:4). Here, God's voice resonates with the exasperation of a loving parent grieved by the inconsistent behavior of their children. He had sent prophets to correct them and implore them to repent (Hosea 6:5).
The core of God's desire is laid bare in Hosea 6:6: "For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings." These words echo God's sentiment toward the faithless King Saul (see 1 Samuel 15:22). God isn't rejecting the sacrificial system He established. Instead, He's conveying a crucial message: outward rituals are meaningless without genuine inward transformation. He doesn't want empty gestures but a heart overflowing with faithful love and a deep, personal knowledge of Him. We cannot presume to live according to our own desires, reject God's word, and then offer sacrifices as a means of appeasement. While forgiveness is available when we sin, it doesn't grant us license to continue in wrongdoing. As the Apostle Paul passionately declared, "Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means!" (Romans 6:1-2).
Covenant Broken and Wickedness Exposed (Hosea 6:7-11)
The sins of Israel extended far beyond mere misbehavior. Hosea 6:7-11 unveils the depth of their wickedness and their violation of God's gracious covenant. "But like Adam they transgressed the covenant; there they dealt faithlessly with me" (Hosea 6:7). Even the priests were implicated in acts of violence and murder (Hosea 6:9). The prophet exposes a society riddled with promiscuity, fraud, theft, and pillaging (Hosea 6:10; 7:1). These acts were not hidden from God's sight. Nothing escapes the gaze of an omniscient and omnipresent God. As Hosea emphasizes, "their evil deeds are all around me; they are before my face" (Hosea 7:2).
Hosea 6 serves as a powerful reminder that true repentance involves a turning away from sin and a turning toward God with a sincere heart. He desires a relationship built on faithful love, genuine knowledge, and obedience, not empty rituals or fleeting emotions. This chapter calls us to examine our own hearts, ensuring that our devotion to God is not merely superficial but a reflection of a transformed life.