Contemplate these questions as you dwell in Hosea 6:1-7:16:

1. Hosea presents a sharp contrast between outward rituals and heartfelt devotion to God. How does this distinction challenge contemporary religious practices that prioritize adherence to rituals or ceremonies over genuine, heartfelt connection with God? How might one cultivate genuine devotion rather than performative acts of worship?

2. The passage highlights God's longing for heartfelt repentance and steadfast love from His people, contrasting it with their superficial remorse over consequences. In what ways can individuals distinguish between genuine sorrow for wrongdoing and mere remorse over the outcomes of their actions? How might this understanding impact one's approach to seeking forgiveness from God?

3. The text draws parallels between the people's behavior and Adam's transgression of the covenant with God. How does this connection emphasize the recurrent theme of rebellion against God's covenant throughout biblical narratives? How might reflecting on these parallels prompt believers to reassess their commitment to honoring God's covenant in their daily lives?

Transcript:

 As we start out, I just want to ask you a question, if for no other reason for you to consider it.  Have you spent some time in Hosea before? Have you done anything other than just read through it to read it? Have you stopped and thought about what is happening here and, and the harshness of this language?

You can just think about this on your own or you can tell me in the comments, but I know that as we go through this, chances are you're hearing words differently. You're seeing things differently. Then if you read through it quickly to say that you had read Hosea, so  as we come to the text today, as we contemplate that, I want us to think about what the beginning of this here is saying.

Now, you'll notice here in our English translation, we have quotes around verse one through verse three. You know, those aren't there in the original language. They didn't have punctuation like we do today, but you can tell by the way it said sort of the. The way that essentially God is quoting them, you can tell it here in the text, right?

Come, let us return to the Lord, for he has torn us down, that he may heal us, he has struck us down, and he will bind us up.  The idea here that, that God is, you know, quoting them, I guess you could say, or saying what they've said, is, is that, hey, let's return to God because he's punished it, punished us.  If he's punished us, he'll bring us back, right?

So, let, let's go back to God because this is what he'll do.  There isn't really any real sorrow for sin here. There's sorrow that they've been punished.  Big difference, right? I mean, I think about this and I think about that statement. Are you sorry? Because you're sorry for what you've done. Are you sorry because you got caught, right?

If you're punishing a child, real sorrow over what they've done, means a whole lot more to you than if they're just upset that they're being punished. And as we get down to further on here, verse six, probably the most famous verse from Hosea. Jesus quotes it in the New Testament. You get this basic idea.

What does God really want from them? When God is punishing his children, what is he, what is he after? Them being upset that they're being punished and, and trying to get back in line so they won't be punished anymore? Or is he concerned about their hearts? Well, we know the answer to that. Verse 6, For I desire steadfast love, and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

In other words, what God wants for them is not, Hey, you haven't been, uh, doing the offerings and the sacrifices like you're supposed to, so I'm punishing you. No, he is concerned about the fact that they have left the Lord their God, right? He is upset.  That they have not been loving their neighbor that they are that they've been involved in pagan worship, right?

That is the issue chances are they have a root issue here of Not loving God and not loving others more so than the sacrifices. I'm guessing they were probably still sacrificing For a while, as they were, their hearts were moving away from God, right?  And so that is what God wants. God wants their hearts, he wants, he wants that back.

And that's, that's why Jesus is quoting this passage. It's, it's powerful. What do you rather want? What would you rather have?  Would you rather have someone who loves you because their heart is desiring you? Or would you rather have someone loving you because it's what they need to do to get what they want. God wants steadfast love from his people. Not just going through the motions. God, God wants us to know him and have a heart for him rather than doing the rituals that we think we need to do and notice here in verse 7. I haven't highlighted it but it says like Adam they transgressed the covenant there.

They dealt faithlessly with me This all goes back to this rebellion against God and notice what it says about Adam here What did he do? He transgressed a covenant with God and that goes deep into our reformed understanding of a scripture We believe that that scripture is covenantal at its core that there was a covenant of works in the garden and Adam transgressed that that he did not keep the laws.

He was commanded and so it plunged us into sin and this is Now the people of God doing the same thing that Adam has done transgressing the covenant. They, they desire what they desire. They, they do not desire God.  And we see this basic theme as we finish up here. We're going down to verse 14. They do not cry to me from the heart.

They were upon their beds. They’re, they’re upset because they're hungry. They're upset because, uh, they've been taken from the land. They're not, they're not crying from the heart saying, God, I have sinned against you. I, I have done what is, uh, wrong and evil in your sight. Instead, they're upset because things aren't going their way, and it says, for grain and wine, they gash themselves.

They were bent against me. In other words, boy, we wish we had something to drink. We wish we had something to eat. Oh God, I'm sorry. Not, I have transgressed your covenant. Not, I have broken your law. That is the fundamental issue of what we see going on here in Hosea. And so, this is an important thing for you and I to think about, is it not?

What is our heart?  Where are we at?  Are we just going through the motions or are we truly sorry for our sin? Are we asking God for forgiveness because it's what we're supposed to do? Or because we realize that we have transgressed the covenant that we have broken God's law and he desires our hearts not just the things that we do, but he desires us He desires us to have steadfast love for him a love that doesn't fail.

So, may we think about this? What is the sorrow for our sin?  How are we doing, and we need to we need to check our hearts and think about what does this mean for us?  And of course, the good news is that when we turn to God when we Acknowledge our sinfulness and our desperate need for him His holy spirit is at work in us, right?

That's who convicts us of sin And so we can trust that when we repent of our sin We're feeling conviction because the spirit's at work And we can also have a confidence that the holy spirit and the word are doing good work in us To build us up that we might have steadfast love that we might not be in rebellion that we would be crying to God from our hearts. So, may we continue to go to God's word hoping that it will convict us of our sin, that we might rightfully turn towards Him in repentance and in faith.