HOSEA CHAPTER SIX
There is considerable disagreement among theologians about the first three verses in Hosea 6. This may be, as my mother would say, “too much sugar for a nickel”, but I want to take you (briefly) through the conflicting opinions.
There is a sizable group who believes that these verses indicate true repentance from God’s people. The fact that God describes their loyalty as “a morning cloud and the dew which goes away early” in Hosea 6:4, as well as God’s words in Hosea 7:1-2, “They deal falsely… they do not consider in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness,” argue against true repentance. The remaining chapters, which deal with the results of their sin and the day of punishment, would not be necessary if God’s people had already demonstrated true repentance.
There is another group that believes that Hosea is begging the people to return to the Lord, and that may well be true.
Yet another group believes the people of Israel have heard Hosea’s words and are offering a form of repentance that is superficial, rather than a deep sorrow in their souls over their own sin.
Wiersbe calls these verses “hypocritical subterfuge”, (Bible Exposition Commentary (BE Series) - Old Testament) and I tend to agree with him. I could explain myself (and probably will), but let’s see what you find on your own.
Hosea 6:1
The people say, “Come, let us return to the Lord.” They acknowledge the punishment God has given them.
1) What punishment do they say God has given them?
2) What remedy do they seek? (vs. 1-3)
3) What do these verses say about Israel’s repentance?
4) In what way do these verses indicate a contrite heart?
5) Read Acts 3:19. How do we gain refreshment from the Lord?
6) What evidence do we see for true repentance (180 degree turn away from their sin) in Hosea 6:1-2?
7) Verse 3 suggests that they will respond to God in two ways. What are they?
Verse 3 suggests that the people believe God’s response to their actions is automatic. “As certain as the dawn.”
8) What simile is used to describe the way they think God will come to them? (like what?) Verse 3
9) What are the benefits usually derived from rain?
10) Is there any mention of brokenness? Surrender?
J. Vernon McGee described the people of Israel during Hosea’s ministry as religious but without relationship or knowledge of God. They appeared to be close to God because of their religious practices, but they were far from Him in their hearts.
This could well describe the Bible Belt of the United States today. It could even describe some of our churches. Religious without any true knowledge of God.
Wiersbe suggests the people wanted “happiness, not holiness, a change of circumstances, but not a change in character.”
In a way, their relationship with God is formulaic, rather than personal. If they offered a form of repentance, they thought, then God would respond in a certain way. A way that brought prosperity and healing.
I understand this attitude. It’s much easier to attend worship services and pay a tithe than it is to have an intimate, moment-by-moment relationship with Almighty God. The checklist of duties is easier to perform. The relationship, once enjoyed, however, is unutterably sweet and cannot easily be abandoned.
Prayer Pause:
Let’s take a serious look at our own relationship with God. Is it limited to church attendance and financial giving or is it an intimate relationship with the Most High God? Do we have religion or a relationship with God?
Do we desire transient happiness or holiness? Do we most desire to have a certain set of circumstances or a deep and abiding change in our hearts?
Today, pray what David prayed after his debacle of sin.
“Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
Psalm 51:10 nabs
____________
Hosea 6:4-11 is God’s response to the “return” offered to Him in the preceding three verses.
God uses the term “Ephraim” instead of Israel because the tribe of Ephraim is, by this time, all that remains. (See Hosea 5)
11) How does God describe the loyalty of His people?
See Blue Letter Bible/Hosea 6:4/Gesenius’ Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon. (you can follow the link below)
12) What does this say about the “morning cloud”?
13) What is dew?
See Wikipedia for a discussion of the properties of dew.
14) How long does morning dew last? How long do morning clouds last?
Dew can be a great blessing, especially in arid areas like the Negev, and can provide a significant portion of the water found in some plants.
Mentioned in the Bible numerous times, dew can be a precious commodity. Manna fell with the dew and provided food and nourishment for the children of Israel. (Numbers 11:9) Gideon asked God for dew on the fleece as a confirmatory sign of God’s will. (Judges 6:37-40) The absence of dew was a sign of God’s judgment as spoken by Elijah, (1 Kings 17:1) while it’s presence nourishes the plants and refreshes the land.
On the other hand, dew can hydrate funguses and cause plant diseases, such as potato blight, to grow. It can be a blessing or a curse, depending on the situation.
Dew is formed when an exposed surface radiates heat to cool itself and atmospheric moisture condenses on the surface.
This is a very subtle concept, but God uses a kind of divine double entendre (without the explicit undertone) by saying that they are like dew, formed when a warm surface cools. This is in stark contrast to the nurturing, refreshing rain He sends.
Their supposed fervor for Him is nothing more than a cooling-off-in-progress, over before it is well-begun.
In addition, dew evaporates quickly in the morning, just as the evidence of their cooling fervor will quickly evaporate.
In a way, their “dewy” loyalty is doubly transient. It can’t be trusted.
Hosea 6:5
This is a hard verse, but there are some important truths included here. We do well to approach this verse with a deep reverence.
We serve a God who is long-suffering, kind, and full of grace and mercy. He is not, however, a push-over. He is serious about sin and it’s price. He doesn’t overlook our sin. He doesn’t fail to respond to our idolatry.
He can be as fierce as a blazing forest fire, as deadly as an avenging angel.
“Therefore I have hewn them in pieces by the prophets;
I have slain them by the words of My mouth;
And the judgments on you are like the light that goes forth.”
Hosea 6:5 nasb
The verse begins with “therefore”. We’ve looked at this word already, so I won’t direct you to Blue Letter Bible again. To refresh your memory, this word can be translated as “so”, “because”, or “afterward”.
This verse opens with the understanding that God’s actions are in response to, and coming after, the repentance that was as transient as morning dew.
“I have hewn them in pieces by my prophets.”
At first glance, I thought God was referring to the words of the prophets. Then, I remembered Samuel. You will understand this principle better if you read it for yourself, so turn now to 1 Samuel 15:1-35.
Samuel’s instructions to Saul were very clear.
15) What was Saul supposed to do? v. 3
16) Why did God want to destroy Amalek? (See Deuteronomy 25:17-19)
17) What did Saul do instead? 1 Samuel 15: 7-9,12
18) When Samuel confronted Saul, who did Saul say was responsible? 1 Samuel 15: 15, 21
19) Samuel’s response to Saul is vital to our understanding of how God views sin. Read 1 Samuel 15:22-23 and write those verses below:
Saul soon finds that there is a point of no return, (1 Samuel 15:26) but, even then, his greatest concern was not his standing with God. He was most concerned with how the situation appeared before the people. (1 Samuel 15:30)
20) Who did God use to complete the destruction of Amalek? (1 Samuel 15:33)
21) Compare the actions of Samuel to God’s words in Hosea 6:5
PRAYER PAUSE:
God called Saul’s sin rebellion and insubordination. Saul had an attitude that’s rampant in our world today and, sadly, even in the body of Christ.
He wanted what he wanted.
He thought partial obedience was enough.
He was more concerned about what others thought than about him than what God thought.
When God used Samuel to complete the acts of obedience Saul was supposed to perform, it was a kind of judgment against Saul. It not only resulted in the death of Agag, but also the loss of Saul’s kingdom. God had literally hewn Agag in pieces by the prophet and had hewn Saul’s kingdom in pieces, as well.
Let’s stop for a few minutes and examine our own hearts. Do we offer partial obedience in order to have what we want? Are we most concerned about God’s opinions or that of others?
Let’s repent of our own rebellion and insubordination and commit ourselves to complete obedience to the will of God, even when it is hard. Let’s take our eyes off the world and put them on our Lord.
____________
“I have slain them by the words of My mouth.”
Jeremiah 23:29 describes for us how God’s Word might slay us.
22) To What does He compare God’s Word?
After Jeremiah was beaten and put in the stocks by Pashhur, he was exhausted and brokenhearted. His prayer, recorded in Jeremiah 20:7-13, tells something of how the Lord works in our hearts. Read this passage, then take note of Jeremiah 20:9.
Jeremiah was consecrated as a prophet of God before he was born. (Jeremiah 1:5) After his time in the stockade, he must have considered giving up on his ministry as a prophet. He soon came to understand that he could not stop speaking in the name of the Lord because leaving the ministry, not speaking God’s word, would have an unbearable effect on him.
23) What effect would turning away from God have on Jeremiah? (see Jeremiah 20:9)
24) How do Jeremiah’s words compare to those of Hosea 6:5?
To be sure this is perfectly clear, let’s look at this verse in a little different way. The people of Israel had centuries of God’s Word. They were not lacking in available information. They had God’s law. They had God’s prophets. They didn’t sin because they were ignorant of what God expected. They sinned because they didn’t care what He expected. They didn’t see him as relevant. They didn’t want to obey.
PRAYER PAUSE:
The reasons for sin and rebellion have not changed, despite thousands of years that have passed. When we choose to sin, whether it be pride, or prejudice, or gossip, or gluttony, we do it because we want to do it. We do not sin because we are powerless to resist, but because we choose not to resist temptation.
Pause now to review Ephesians 6:10-18. The purpose of our spiritual armor is so that we can resist the schemes (temptations) of the devil.
Take a moment to write down the spiritual armor mentioned in Ephesians 6.
After you’ve made your list, pray that you will “put on the armor” and equip yourself for the battle to which God has called you.
____________
“Like the light that goes forth.”
Every morning, the sun rises without fail. There is nothing man can do to change that fact. In that same way, God’s judgments on Ephraim will go forth, just as He has determined, and mere man cannot change it. It is as certain as the sun rising in the east and setting in the west.
Hosea 6:6
This is a beautiful verse designed to help us understand how to live the life of a disciple. The word translated as “delight” in the NASB is chaphets and is translated as “desire” in NIV and KJV. Unless we understand what pleases God, we will never fully please Him.
Follow the link to Blue Letter Bible below: https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?page=1&strongs=H2654&t=NASB#lexResults
Scroll down to the “Concordance results” to see the places this word is used in Scripture.
25) Look specifically for the verses that relate to God’s delight or desire and make a note below of the things that please Him. (I’ve listed several. You may find others, including those things in which God does not take delight.)
Psalm 37:23 says that God has a plan for us and He is delighted when we follow His plan.
Psalm 51:6
Isaiah 42:21
Isaiah 53:10-11
Jeremiah 9:24
Ezekiel 33:11
Hosea 6:6
Micah 7:18
Hosea 6:7
This verse says that Israel has broken their covenant with God in the same way that Adam broke covenant.
26) What covenant did God make with Adam? (Genesis 2:16-17)
27) How did Adam break that covenant? (Genesis 3:6)
28) What covenant did God make with Israel? (Genesis 15:18, Genesis 17, Exodus 24:7, Leviticus 26)
29) How did Israel break the covenant in the same manner Adam did?
The people have dealt “treacherously” against God. (See Hosea 5:7, where the same word is used.) The word here indicates a fraudulent dealing and implies an attempt to hide or cover their treachery.
30) What had the people done in an attempt to hide their disobedience? (Hosea 4:11-14)
Prayer Pause:
No matter how hard we try to wrap our rebellion toward God in outward acts of religion, we cannot hide our sin from God. He sees it all. He knows it all.
Let’s ask God to reveal the ways we hide our sin from the world and attempt to hide our sin from Him. Pray that He will show our hearts the way He sees them. Ask for the wisdom and grace to allow His transformation and the willingness to obey.
____________
Hosea 6:8
This verse refers to Gilead, a region known for the healing balm they made. (Jeremiah 46:11) The name is derived from a root word, Gal`ed. It means “witness heap”, and refers to the heap of stones made by Jacob and Laban. (Mizpah) Gilead had become a city of wrongdoers.
31) In what way was the city “tracked with bloody footprints”?
There is a terrible irony here. A city known far and wide as a place of healing had become a place of bloodshed, violence, and death. Though the world saw the balm, God saw the betrayal.
PRAYER PAUSE:
Friends, if we take a hard look at ourselves, we may see some of bloody Gilead in our own lives. We must not allow it to persist. How might God see betrayal in your life? Will you let Him remove that betrayal and make you whole?
____________
Hosea 6:9
This verse speaks of a band of priests committing murder on the way to Shechem. Every time I read this verse, I’m stunned. What kind of priest would murder a innocent person? As hard as it is to believe, the kind of priests they had in the Northern Kingdom during Hosea’s ministry would commit murder and more.
We’ve studied the priests of Jeroboam’s religion before. They were not legitimate priests. They didn’t know the law. They did whatever they wanted and led the people into greater and greater sin.
Shechem was the capital of the Northern Kingdom. Read this article about Shechem to help you understand the spiritual and historical significance of the city.
(For those without internet access, Shechem was the first city to which Abram came when he entered the Promised Land. Moses pronounced the blessings and curses here. Joseph’s bones were buried here. Rehoboam was made king of Israel in Shechem (but later was king only over the Southern Kingdom) and Jeroboam (who was made king over the Northern Kingdom) established it as the capital of the new Northern Kingdom. The capital was later moved to Samaria.
Because of it’s location forty miles north of Jerusalem, Shechem served as a crossroad city for trade and travel. The priests, then, traveled the road to Shechem and took advantage of their fellow travelers.
You can see photos of Shechem here:
(This website is a good resource to find photographs of Bible sites.)
Ezekiel was a contemporary of Daniel and ministered as prophet to Israel (by then only the Southern Kingdom remained) more than 120 years after Hosea. In Ezekiel 21, the prophet Ezekiel was told by God to “set your face toward Jerusalem and speak against the sanctuaries, and prophesy against the land of Israel.”
Read Ezekiel 22:1-16 and 23:27 to learn more about the sin in the “bloody city”.
32) What sins does Ezekiel mention?
33) How will God respond?
God makes it clear that Judah will not be exempt from the judgment for which Israel/Ephraim is headed. God will deal with their sin?
34) What “appalling thing” is mentioned in Jeremiah 5: 30-31? (Jeremiah was a prophet to Judah/Israel from 627-574.)
35) How does this compare with the sin of Israel/Northern Kingdom?
Hosea 6:11
The judgment God pronounces is tempered with grace. Judah will reap a harvest for their sin, but God promises restoration “when I restore the fortunes of My people.”
Even after all the sin, the judgment, the discipline, the destruction, God still refers to the children as Israel as “My people”. This is one more reminder that God may chasten as a loving father will chasten His children, but nothing could remove the nation from God’s heart.
The purpose of discipline is not destruction. The purpose is to bring God’s people to the end of their rebellion and back to their Lord. God’s goal is restoration.
PRAYER PAUSE:
How have you seen the discipline of God lead to restoration in your life? In that of your loved ones?
Pause now and thank God for His grace that gives us the harvest of love and restoration we could never deserve.
Closing Thoughts:
It’s easy to make a commitment to a Bible study before you know how detailed it will be. It’s much harder to keep that commitment when it requires as much time and effort as this one has required. I’m so proud of the good job you have done.
At this point, we’ve covered 84 of the 197 verses in Hosea. We’re 42% of the way through. Congratulations and well done!
If you haven’t found a study partner or group, I would encourage you to do so. The more support you have, the easier it will be to make it through these next eight chapters.
I’m proud of you, humbled by the trust you’ve shown in me and this study, and in awe of the deep work God is doing in your lives.
God bless you as you press into His Word and into Him.
Here's a little extra:
The photo above is of a grain silo built during the time of King Jeroboam II and located at Megiddo. This silo dates back to the time of Hosea.
The stories we're studying are not fiction. They are real, historical facts. Sites and artifacts from that time are still visible in Israel today.
Here's the link to Chapter Seven.
Here's a little extra:
The photo above is of a grain silo built during the time of King Jeroboam II and located at Megiddo. This silo dates back to the time of Hosea.
The stories we're studying are not fiction. They are real, historical facts. Sites and artifacts from that time are still visible in Israel today.
Here's the link to Chapter Seven.
#Hosea #indepthBiblestudy #Biblestudy
