In our study so far, we have seen that Hosea was instructed to marry a prostitute named Gomer, who subsequently bore him three children and he wasn’t even sure the last two were fathered by him. Then Gomer left him for another man and Hosea had the humiliating responsibility of buying back his own wife. We have also seen that this was a vivid picture of what the people of Israel had done to their God by prostituting themselves to idols and committing spiritual adultery. In a nutshell the first three chapters are about faithful Hosea and his faithless wife.
The next part of our study (Hosea chapters 4 – 6:6) contains a lot of statements where God is confronting the nation of Israel with their unfaithfulness. To understand the shocking nature of Hosea, we need to understand the warnings that God had made to the children of Israel before they entered the Promised Land. Read Deuteronomy 6:1-3, 5-6, 10-15, 25 and 8:1-2
- Moses was informing the Israelites on how they were to respond to Gods gracious gift of the Promised Land. What specific instructions did Moses give? Does this apply today?
Read Hosea 4:1-6. God has charged his people with no faithfulness, no love and no knowledge of God; what a change from the intention we saw in Deuteronomy.
- What signs of this do we see in the world today? What signs do we see in the church and in our own lives?
Hosea 4:9-19 opens with Hosea’s accusation against the priests, then broadens out to address the people. ‘Like people like priest’ v9; the people and the priests are as bad as each other.
- What idols are the people worshipping? V12-13 What do you worship instead of God?
Hosea 5 presents the evidence and judgement is made; the Israelites were sinking deep into sin. Their sin had paralysed them; in 5:4-6 they seek God with their flocks and herds offering sacrifices and they go through the motions with no real love. Israel and Judah were weak, sick nations who both turned to the king of Assyria for help. In 5:13 they lacked a personal knowledge of who God is. When we are deep in sin God lovingly waits for us to seek him personally. God doesn’t try to force his people to love him. He allures them as a lover woos his beloved, as Hosea did with Gomer.
- In what way might we turn to other places for security other than seeking God through his word?
‘Rejoice in the traditions of your church or denomination. They are a great asset. But do not put your trust in them. We need to live with a fresh experience of God in and through his word. We need our own knowledge of God. We need to hide Gods word in our hearts.’ Tim Chester
Hosea 6:1-6 reminds us that God desires mercy not sacrifice, and acknowledgement of God rather than burnt offerings. The Israelites were unrepentant; their concern was for healing not cleansing. They were expecting a quick fix; they saw forgiveness as a mechanical rather than a relational matter that involves getting right with God. He likens them to the morning mist which doesn’t last. God longs to embrace them but they refuse to return with any sincerity.
- What about our love for God? Is it like the morning dew? Or is it more permanent? What does this look like in your life day to day?
God doesn’t want your relationship with him to be one of shallow transient feelings and empty words and rituals. God wants your relationship with him to be so much more that this. God wants you to know he loves you so much he sent his Son to die for you. Hosea is a picture of the heart of God towards sinners that is fulfilled in the person and work, especially the work on the cross, of Jesus.
Prayer:
Father help us to turn to you. We pray that our words will come from broken hearts not hardened hearts. We see you, knowing your blessing will come just as the dawn comes each morning.