Year 9, Day 207: Hosea 6-7

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Hosea 6:6 is one of my all-time favorite verses of the Bible.  God tells us that He desires steadfast love and not sacrifice.  He desires knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.  These two qualities speak not only to the heart of God, but to how humanity continues to hurt Him in our relationship with Him.

Take them in reverse order.  God desires knowledge of Him rather than burnt offerings.  I think there are two points to consider here.  First. Remember the priests that God has been prophesying against in the last few chapters.  What are they doing wrong?  The priests aren’t teaching people about God and His ways!  The fact that God desires knowledge of Him more than burnt sacrifices tells us why He is so angry at the priests.

Furthermore, think about a burnt sacrifice.  Anyone can take an animal to the priests.  Anyone can offer a sacrifice.  Just because a sacrifice is made doesn’t mean that there is relationship or desire behind the sacrifice. It is entirely possible to treat a burnt offering like we treat taxes.  None of us enjoy paying taxes, but we do it because it is expected.  The same situation existed in Israel.

This brings us to the first quality that God desires.  He desires steadfast love over sacrifice.  Remember that anyone can offer a sacrifice.  The only people who love are people who genuinely care.  The only people who show love are people who are in a vested relationship.   God wants relationship and love over blind meaningless obedience.

This makes God’s critique of the people pop.  In verse 4, God tells the Israelites that their love is like a morning cloud or like the morning dew.  It might be present for a small time, but it is fleeting and easily disperses.  It evaporates. In Hosea 7:14 God accuses them of beating upon their breasts instead of crying from their hearts.  In other words, they make a shallow show of their faith.  In Hosea 7:16 God says that they return, but not to the Most High.  They are trying to appease the gods, but not trying to be in relationship with the one true God.  The people are faking relationship instead of giving God the genuine thing.

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