What Does God Desire?
Notes
Transcript
Ties in with previous verse, 5:15. There are three things that God desires from our text today. Remember that these three things are addressed to the covenant people of God, yet have relevance to the people of the new covenant — the church of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Here is the first thing that God desires ...
I. True Repentance, vs. 1-5.
I. True Repentance, vs. 1-5.
Verse 1 — “Come” is the gracious invitation of God. This is a role of the priest to lead the people back to the Lord.
Acknowledgement of what the LORD has done, the promise of restoration but note this… no acknowledgement of their sin which brought about their current situation.
Verse 2 — The promise of restoration after a short period of judgment. They are very much like the dead which will come to life again because the LORD will”revive” and “raise up” and This will be done that “we may live before Him.” That should be the results of the LORD’s correction of His people. But Israel forgot their covenantal relationship with the LORD, His desire for their faith and obedience. They wanted the benefits without these two things.
The New Testament does not explicitly cite this verse, but 1 Cor 15:4 asserts that Christ arose on the third day “in accordance with the Scriptures,” and no other text speaks of the third day in the fashion that Hos 6:2 does.
Verse 3 — the call to search for and know the LORD on the basis of His consistent gracious character, seen as certain as the dawn and the rains which water the land. They are not exhorted to know things about the LORD, but to know Him in their day-to-day experience of living.
Verse 4 — The LORD reveals His exasperation and despair over both Ephraim and Judah, the leading tribes of the two kingdoms. Verses 1-3 sound promising, yet the LORD knows their heart… and it isn’t pretty. Will they ever heed the call?
Their loyalty (lovingkindness, loyal love) toward the LORD and others is described like a morning cloud and dew, which do not last and dissipate quickly as the sun rises. This was true then as it was for their forefathers as they traveled in the wilderness.
When He killed them, then they sought Him, And returned and searched diligently for God;
And they remembered that God was their rock, And the Most High God their Redeemer.
But they deceived Him with their mouth And lied to Him with their tongue.
For their heart was not steadfast toward Him, Nor were they faithful in His covenant.
Verse 5 — Therefore …
I have hewn in pieces by the prophets, I have slain them by the words of My mouth— The LORD has verbally slain the people through the words of of the prophets who speak the words of the LORD.
The judgments on you are the light that goes forth. These are God’s declarations of the people’s “guilt,” the light shines forth, revealing the depths of their apostasy.
“The word of God will be the death either of the sin or of the sinner.” — Matthew Henry
The second thing God desires is ...
II. True Loyalty, vs. 6a.
II. True Loyalty, vs. 6a.
This is one of the great texts of the prophets—Jesus used it to expose the hypocrisy of his opponents (Matt 9:13; 12:7).
“But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire compassion, and not sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
“But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire compassion, and not a sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.
Hosea desires that his reader acquire the loving and compassionate heart that comes from a transformational life with God. In Hosea’s context the shrines and rituals of Israel had become impediments to true spirituality, and Hosea called upon the people to denounce them.
The third thing that God desires is the ...
III. True Knowledge of God, vs. 6b.
III. True Knowledge of God, vs. 6b.
This second half of verse 6 reveals that the LORD wanted the Israelites (and Judah) to acknowledge Him rather than bringing burnt offerings to their altars. These sacrifices meant nothing, even offensive, unless they were offered out of a heart of love for God that demonstrated obedience to God’s word.
Samuel said, “Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.
“What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me?” Says the Lord. “I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fed cattle; And I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs or goats.
“When you come to appear before Me, Who requires of you this trampling of My courts?
“Bring your worthless offerings no longer, Incense is an abomination to Me. New moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies— I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly.
“I hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts, They have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them.
“So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.
“Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil,
Learn to do good; Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless, Defend the orphan, Plead for the widow.
IV. How do the leaders and people respond? vs. 7-11.
IV. How do the leaders and people respond? vs. 7-11.
A. They doubted God’s love for them, vs. 7.
A. They doubted God’s love for them, vs. 7.
There are various interpretations as to how “Adam” is to be understood. The context seems to point to the town of Adam in Gilead, on the eastern side of the Jordan River, near a crossing of the river. They sought God’s blessings while violating His covenant. They have dealt treacherously with God.
B. They demonstrated a lack of love for God, vs. 8.
B. They demonstrated a lack of love for God, vs. 8.
Gilead is a region on the east side of the Jordan; this may also refer to the city and region of Ramoth-Gilead. It was not only a Levitical city, it was a city of refuge. It should have been a city holy to the LORD, yet they are described as a city of wrong doers, as robbers. They should have been leading the people in right living before God, but are characterized as those who plunder others and living not as those set apart for God’s service, but living in uncleaness. They demonstrate by their actions against others their own lack of love for men and their Creator.
C. They delighted in behavior vile to God, vs. 9.
C. They delighted in behavior vile to God, vs. 9.
Shechem was a major religious and political center in Israel. It was another of the cities of refuge appointed by the LORD where people could supposedly flee for safety, but both Ramoth-Gilead and Shechem had been contaminated by illegitimate bloodshed.
Shechem was on the route from Samaria to Bethel, where pilgrims would pass through the town. The word translated “crime” in the NASB actually comes from a Hebrew word which refers to the vilest sexual sins. The picture of this behavior by priests, who should have leading the people to the LORD was vile to God.
D. They practiced religious apostasy against God, vs. 10.
D. They practiced religious apostasy against God, vs. 10.
God was absolutely aware of what the leaders and people were doing. He has observed the horribleness of the Israelites in one accord practicing spiritual apostasy by going after pagan gods and thereby making themselves unclean. Adding to this the works of religious apostasy, which would involve sexual immorality, and the horrible thing the LORD saw was a blatant disregard for a relationship with Him; they would rather seek other gods, other ‘lovers.’
E. Judah is also guilty, vs. 11a.
E. Judah is also guilty, vs. 11a.
Judah has also been included in this. Because they too have sinned horribly, there would be a certain harvest of judgment. This would come with certainty when the LORD paid back His people for their sins. Judgment will come before the promised deliverance and blessing from the hand of the LORD toward His people.