Hosea 6
Let us return to the Lord, He will heal. 1
We shall know ... as the morning  3
O Ephriam, O Judah  4
Mercy, not sacrifice  6
Text
Comments
.1 ¶ Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.
.2  After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.
  1 - He hath torn As a lion ho0514. How does He heal? is5305.
  2 - First, notice by continuing to read through verse 5, that the expected fulfillment of this prophecy takes us to the end of time and the coming of Christ.
  Two days ... third day Not intended as definite time. The stages apparently refer to the actions of the early and latter rains of the next verse. Jesus was raised on the third day ac1038 but being "raised up" on the second day does not fit at all, so the promise seems not to be related to the resurrection of Christ.
  Live in his sight In righteousness.
.3  Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.   Know In contrast to wickedness, not knowing the Lord ho0406.
  Going forth as the morning Compare mal-0402. The Lord will go forth as king on the white horse re1911 and as the one on the cloud coming in glory re1415. But two other going forth's are pictured here. When He comes on the cloud it is to reap the harvest. Here it is as the rain to prepare the harvest. See explanation at jl0223.
  Rain ho1012, zc1001
.4 ¶ O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away.
.5  Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments are as the light that goeth forth.
  4 - Goodness A test for our own characters. Do we do the Christian "thing" only as it is convenient and we have no great sacrifice to make?
  5 - Hewed or chopped up. The prophets pointed out their sins. Sometimes the cutting was literal 1ki1840.
  5 - Slain ... words re1915.
.6  For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
 7  But they like men have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me.
 8  Gilead is a city of them that work iniquity, and is polluted with blood.
 9  And as troops of robbers wait for a man, so the company of priests murder in the way by consent: for they commit lewdness.
 10  I have seen an horrible thing in the house of Israel: there is the whoredom of Ephraim, Israel is defiled.
.11  Also, O Judah, he hath set an harvest for thee, when I returned the captivity of my people.
  6 - Desired ... not sacrifice Performance of or abstinence from religious duties without it being an expression of a sincere heart is righteousness by works.
   The sacrifices were never intended to appease God 1Sam 15:22. Think what these verses mean in our world today.
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