Hosea 6

Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. Hosea 6:1

The Shallowness Of Israel’s Repentance

Wiersbe comments: “When you read these words, you get the impression that the nation is sincerely repenting and seeking the Lord, but when you read what God says, you see how shallow their confession really was: They do not return to the Lord their God, nor seek him (7:10)… They were like physicians putting suntan lotion on a cancerous tumor instead of calling for drastic surgery. Expecting a ‘Quick fix’ is one of the marks of an unrepentant heart that doesn’t want to pay the price for deep cleansing (Ps. 51:6-7).” [1]

When we examine the words of this exhortation, we realize that some important elements are missing. We do not see anything about the confession of their sin, and neither do we hear any cry of repentance for that sin. [2]

Truly, we are walking on dangerous ground if we come before the Almighty God with a fickle heart. Ecclesiastes 5:1-2 says: “Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.” Indeed, we had better not come before God with words, words, words, but with deeds.

“After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence” (6:2). Several commentators see this verse as an oblique reference to the Resurrection. While the verse does not specifically apply to the Resurrection, there may be a spiritual connection. We need to remember that the Holy Spirit is the author of Scripture. He can take a verse from anywhere in the Holy Book and apply it to Jesus if he wishes. The Holy Spirit is the author of God’s holy word. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17). In its normal sense, this verse (6:2) applies to the restoration of Israel.

“Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth” (6:3). The simple truth is that the people have not acknowledged God. The prophet has made this plain several times, in 4:1, 6, and 5:4. We do not see them confessing this lack of knowledge and acknowledgement and asking forgiveness for it.

Some scholars feel that by the mention of the rains, the people are placing the nature gods on a parity with the True God. [3] Quite simply, their whole approach in their return to God was just not sincere.

DOES GOD EVER GET FRUSTRATED?

What can I do with you, Ephraim? What can I do with you, Judah? Your love is like the morning mist, like the early dew that disappears. Hosea 6:4

“O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? — This is the answer of the Lord to the above pious resolutions; sincere while they lasted, but frequently forgotten, because the people were fickle.” [4] We note that Judah is included in this divine complaint. Both nations are like the dew on a summer morning. When the sun comes up, and its warm rays fall on the plants, the dew quickly disappears. God’s nations could not take the heat or the temptations and lusts of pagan religions.

The American President, Harry S. Truman used to say, “If you can’t stand heat, get out of the kitchen.” In Israel’s case, particularly, they needed to get away from the temptation of idolatry. That was difficult to do since paganism had thoroughly infiltrated their society.

Later in 13:3, the prophet will also say, “Therefore they will be like the morning mist, like the early dew that disappears, like chaff swirling from a threshing floor, like smoke escaping through a window.” God sees their shallow and defective repentance. He also sees their love for him, and he knows that it would soon evaporate. [5]

“Therefore I cut you in pieces with my prophets, I killed you with the words of my mouth – then my judgments go forth like the sun” (6:5). God’s word cuts like a very sharp razor. The Book of Hebrews says, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Heb. 4:12). We note with this verse that the word even cuts into our thoughts and attitudes.

“For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings” (6:6). Feinberg comments: “Some men have inferred from such a passage as this, together with Isaiah 1:11-20; Micah 6:6-8; Jeremiah 7:21-26; and others, that God never desired the sacrificial system in Israel. This is surely a shortsighted view, for God himself instituted the Levitical system in Israel, as is clear from the books of Moses.” [6] Guthrie says, “God looks for real devotion in preference to the most excellent and extravagant tokens of it.” [7] We see this summed up in 1 Samuel. “…Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams” (1 Sam. 15:22). Guzik notes that Jesus twice quoted this passage to the religious leaders of his day (Matthew 9:13, 12:7). They just did not get it and were stuck on superficial things.” [8]

God desires mercy, not sacrifice. Again, this verse does not refute the validity of sacrifice. Paul Butler says: “…nowhere do the prophets deny the validity of sacrifice offered in the right spirit. In each case, they denounce sins of immorality, idolatry, and self-righteousness, which violate the covenant and invalidate the sacrifices.” [9] This is the only time that “mercy” is used in the Book of Hosea. God is the God of mercy, and he was looking for mercy to be expressed in his people, but it could not be found. This is one of the reasons that God could not show mercy, but rather his wrath. Joseph Addison Alexander expressed it well:

There is a line, by us unseen,

Which crosses every path,

Which marks the boundry between

God’s mercy and his wrath.

The situation in Israel did not change, and partly because of it, the nation was sent into a very long captivity. Neither did the situation in Judah change a lot. Later, Jesus referred to Hosea’s teaching when he said to the Pharisees: “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices – mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law – justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former” (Matt. 23:23).

“As at Adam, they have broken the covenant; they were unfaithful to me there. Gilead is a city of evildoers, stained with footprints of blood.” (6:7-8). Verse 7 is a little difficult to translate. The NIV here, plus the NET, NRS, and the RSV, translate “at Adam.” However, several other translations have “like Adam” (ASV, ESV, NAS). There was a city called Adam. Utley says, “At first, this seems to be a reference to Adam, our original forefather, but on closer examination of the context, there seems to be three cities (Adam, Gilead, and Shechem, cf. NRSV, NJB, REB) linked to covenant breaking…This event at Adam and Gilead on the road to Shechem is a mystery. But it involved priests, so it may have been political or religious. Since Shechem is a ‘city of refuge,’ it may have involved an issue of asylum.” [10]

“As marauders lie in ambush for a victim, so do bands of priests; they murder on the road to Shechem, carrying out their wicked schemes” (6:9). This verse seems to confirm that wickedness was going on in several cities as priests and others conducted evil on the way to Shechem and perhaps Ramoth-Gilead. Both were cities of refuge. We can use our imaginations a little and wonder if priests and others were preying on people escaping to the City of Refuge nearest them. We can guess that those fleeing for safety would be carrying money and valuables to sustain them for the time of refuge. This would be a big temptation for greedy priests and others. It would also be a terrible crime against the poor soul fleeing for mercy because of accidental manslaughter. Apparently, bloody assault and even murder were not out of question for the evil priests. [11] Pfeiffer & Harrison add: “Shechem, situated on the road from Samaria to Bethel, had long been noted for its violence (cf. Jud. 9:25, 43).” [12]

How tragic that Shechem was somehow involved in this wickedness. Shechem was not only a City of Refuge (Jos. 20:7), but a holy city in many ways. Father Abraham first pitched his tent there (Gen. 12:6, 7), then Joshua gathered the people there to renew the covenant (Jos. 8:30-35).

“I have seen a horrible thing in Israel: There Ephraim is given to prostitution, Israel is defiled” (6:10). Phillips says, “The ‘horrible thing’ that filled his righteous soul with loathing and disgust was the ‘whoredom’ of Israel…In her foul religion, union with a temple prostitute was considered the highest act of worship.” [13] He continues, “Although unconventional liaisons are common today and adulterous behavior is practically laughed out of court, God’s judgment is certain.” [14]

“Also for you, Judah, a harvest is appointed. ‘Whenever I would restore the fortunes of my people,’” (6:11). The prophet wanted to make sure that Judah was included in God’s wrath. Because of a succession of good kings, including Uzziah, Hezekiah, and Josiah (15 Phi55) and because of the great mercy of God, Judah would be spared for another 136 years after Ephraim’s fall.

Footnotes

1. Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, OT, p. 1399.

2. Boice, The Minor Prophets, Vol. 1, p. 56.

3. Coffman, Coffman’s Commentaries on the Bible, Hosea. vs. 6:1-3.

4. Clarke, Clarke Commentary, Hosea. v. 6:4.

5. Guthrie, et. al. The New Bible Commentary: Revised, p. 710.

6. Feinberg, The Minor Prophets, p. 36.

7. Guthrie, et. al. The New Bible Commentary: Revised, p. 710.

8. Guzik, The Enduring Word Bible Commentary, Hosea, vs. 6:4-6.

9. Paul T. Butler, Minor Prophets (Joplin: College Press, 1968), p. 494.

10. Utley, Free Bible Commentary, v. 6:7.

11. Coffman, Coffman’s Commentaries on the Bible, Hosea. v. 6:9.

12. Pfeiffer & Harrison, The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, p. 809.

13. Phillips, Exploring The Minor Prophets, p. 53.

14. Ibid.

15. Ibid.