I desire faithful love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God instead of entirely burned offerings.
Hosea 6:6 (ceb)
Before getting to the unfaithfulness of the people, God has some choice words of judgement to His priests.
They are not interceding for the people to God, but interceding for themselves to false gods! They are oppressing God’s beloved rather then helping them. They are leading people astray rather than to God.
And the results are disastrous; not just for the priests, but for Israel, too!
“O LORD, send us faithful leaders who point people to Jesus! Point people to You!”
I desire faithful love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God instead of entirely burned offerings.
Hosea 6:6 (ceb)
Hosea is the first of “The Book of the Twelve” or the “Minor Prophets” (though not chronologically first).
It shares a shocking command from God for the prophet in regard to his family in the first three chapters and then a series of collected “sermons,” warning Israel of God’s coming punishment and their exile; pleading with them to repent.
Yet they won’t and what is prophesied will come to pass.
Yet, even then, God’s love and grace will prevail and restoration will take place.
Through it all, God is good and faithful, even if His people aren’t.
I desire faithful love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God instead of entirely burned offerings.
Hosea 6:6 (ceb)
Hosea is one of those Bible books that often gets overlooked. There are some difficulties in it and, like most prophets, some of the things he has to say, well, don’t sound nice!
It’s as if what God has to say isn’t what we want to hear!
But it is something we need to hear – and then obey!
Hosea speaks to a people who have been grossly unfaithful to God, “whoring” after other gods and nations; being appallingly unfaithful in every way to the God to loves them.
He also warns Israel of the coming disaster – being conquered and deported to Assyria.
Yet, the story does not end in Assyria, but with the assurance of a coming Messiah, through Whom God’s loving covenant will be renewed – forever!
Our faithlessness as a people and as the Christian Church has plenty to heed from what God says through Hosea. Although we do not fear deportation again, we are called to be faithful in our love and commitment to God and His good, righteous Word and Law!
May we be so faithful!
Thank You, Lord God, for Your faithful and never-ending love for us!
“God is faithful. He has chosen you to share life with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”
1 Corinthians 1:9 (NirV)
“We have this confidence You’ll finish what You started God, You have never failed You won’t start with me You’re present in every step Patient in every heartache God, You have never failed You won’t start with me”
Today we see how God, who started His good work in us will continue to work on us; and He is faithful in all He does!
Some feel that when you become a Christian, everything becomes easy. Everything is happy. Everything is prosperous.
You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing Your praise and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever!
Psalm 30:11-12
That is far from reality!
But the reality extends far further than the persistence of suffering for Christians. It is rooted in the One who sees us through them. Who supersedes them. Who has overcome them! Entrenched is the reality that such struggles are finite.
“Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”Psalm 30:5b
