Hosea 5 & 6 -- What God WANTS Versus What We Too Often Give

God did not like what He saw in His people:

“I know all about the people … what they have done is not hidden from Me…. They will not give up their deeds and return to their God  They are determined to be unfaithful to Me; they do not know the Lord.  Their pride testifies against them.  The people … will stumble because of their sin … They will come to worship the Lord … but they will not be able to find him, because He has left them.  They have not been true to the Lord; they are children who do not belong to Him.  So their false worship will destroy them and their land.”

Hearing all this, the people decided: 

“Come, let’s go back to the Lord.  He has hurt us, but He will heal us.  He has wounded us, but He will bandage our wounds.  In two days, He will put new life in us; on the third day He will raise us up so that we may live in His presence and know Him.  Let’s try to learn about the Lord.”

That certainly sounded genuine and heartfelt, but my commentary says, “Upon closer examination, we see that no sin is specifically confessed.  The repentance is shallow and insincere.”  God saw through them and continued to try to bring them around:

“Your faithfulness is like the morning mist, like the dew that goes away early in the day … I want faithful love more than I want animal sacrifices.  I want people to know Me more than I want burnt offerings.  But they have broken the agreement as Adam did; they have been unfaithful to Me.”

Just like Adam, looking at the forbidden fruit, they didn’t trust God, and they picked the fruit instead.

Father, help me to give up everything in my life that’s not of You.  Lead me to see how my intentional sin hurts my relationship with You.  Cause me to remember these sins and specifically confess them when I commit them.  Don’t let my worship be false.  Remind me to maintain faithful love for You.  Reveal Yourself to me as I strive to know You more.

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford