Hosea 6:1-6 – What ever will I do with you? CATCHING UP ON THE STORY: SPECIFIC DISCUSSION Hosea has just finished critiquing Israel’s QUESTIONS: blending of worship of God with worship of Baal. In chasing after things and gods that Read the text aloud. Then, read the text to promise to protect and provide for her, she has yourself quietly. Read it slowly, as if you were forgotten all about God even though she very unfamiliar with the story. continues to offer sacrifices to God. This blending of worship has caused Israel to 1. What is the tone of the call to become blind to the ways in which she is repentance found in the first three unfaithful to the covenant. She is unable or verses? Who is speaking these words? unwilling to see past her own wrongdoings and it moves her farther and farther away from 2. Verse two states that “after two days he God. On her own Israel will not be able to will revive us; on the third day he will return to full relationship with the God who raise us up.” It doesn’t appear that brought her up out of Egypt. Hosea reminds us, Israel believed that their trouble would all through the book that bears his name, that last very long. Why do you think they God has not and will not completely abandon thought that? What kind of state do Israel. He is working to draw her back to they believe they will be returned to? himself through grace, love and forgiveness. 3. Verse three calls Israel to “press on to THE TEXT: know the Lord.” Why would it be important for Israel to know the Lord? 6 “Come, let us return to the LORD; What does it mean to know the Lord? for it is he who has torn, and he will heal us; 4. How does this word picture attempt he has struck down, and he will bind us depict who Israel believed God to be? up. What is God’s nature according to the 2 After two days he will revive us; song? on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him. 5. The tone of the passage changes in verse 3 Let us know, let us press on to know the 4. Who is speaking now? Why would LORD; the question that is posed there be his appearing is as sure as the dawn; asked? he will come to us like the showers, like the spring rains that water the earth.” 6. Compare and contrast how God is Impenitence of Israel and Judah described in verse four with how Israel 4 What shall I do with you, O Ephraim? is described in verse four. Are they What shall I do with you, O Judah? similar or different? Your love is like a morning cloud, like the dew that goes away early. 7. Israel had a problem with failing to live 5 Therefore I have hewn them by the properly but still thinking that her prophets, engagement in worship of God through I have killed them by the words of my sacrifices and burnt offerings was mouth, enough. This leads God to proclaim, in and my judgment goes forth as the light. verse 6, that he would rather have 6 For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, steadfast love (love that it is eternally the knowledge of God rather than burnt faithful and committed) and growth in offerings. 1 knowledge of God rather than sacrifice. acceptable. What does it look like to live in steadfast love toward God and our neighbor? 8. Are we ever guilty of participating in all of our routine acts of worship but not living properly? If this is true for you, how might you move toward living in steadfast love toward God and your neighbor? SO WHAT? There are a couple of temptations that this passage can help us avoid. The first temptation this passage helps us defend against is the temptation to only seek God’s provision and help when we find ourselves in trouble. It doesn’t need to be life-threatening trouble, but how many times have you turned toward God when things have not gone your way, only to abandon your efforts at consistent relationship with God and covenantal faithfulness when things return to normal? To some extent this was Israel’s tactic. God shows his frustration with this move and we find that, in the long run, it does not keep us from experiencing God’s judgment. The second temptation we can avoid is the temptation to think that our consistent and ritualistic engagement in religion is enough. We get caught in the trap of thinking that if we attend worship services regularly, if we read the bible and pray regularly, we are doing what we need to do. These things are vital to our growth as Christians, but if we engage in those things without a corresponding engagement in practicing steadfast love and faithfulness toward God and our neighbors, then those religious activities won’t matter much. A few weeks ago we talked about God’s promise to renew his covenant with Israel. The bride price he was going to pay was that he would live with them in righteousness, justice, steadfast love, mercy and faithfulness. Our response is to live letting those characteristics permeate our lifestyle. Only then will our engagement in the ritual side of religion be 2 .