HOSEA LESSON 6
We will begin this lesson in Hosea 6:1 "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."
This is speaking as if their captivity has already taken place.
It is the same God that tore them, who will forgive them and cause
them to begin again. God chastises His people as a loving parent. He,
also, is full of grace and love for the very same people. God is our
Judge, but He is, also, our Redeemer.
Hosea 6:2 "After two days will he revive us: in the third day he
will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight."
The "two days", here, is not speaking of two twenty-four hour
periods. It is speaking of two relatively small periods of time in
God's sight. With God, a day can be as a thousand years. II Peter 3:8
"But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day [is]
with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day."
If these are two one thousand year days, this is speaking of a time
very near the day we live in. "Living in His sight" could mean living
in the presence of the Lord during the 1000 year day of Millennium
reign of Jesus on the earth, or the time in heaven with Him. Notice,
raise us up.
Hosea 6:3 "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."
This is a call to the study of God and His Word. The way to know
the LORD, is to diligently study His Word. Colossians 1:28 "Whom we
preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that
we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:" Colossians 1:9
" For this cause we also, since the day we heard [it], do not cease to
pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge
of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;" Joel 2:23 "Be
glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for
he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to
come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in
the first [month]." The former and the latter rain are speaking of a
time when the Spirit of God falls on the people of the earth like
rain. Acts 2:17 "And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith
God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and
your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams:" The "former rain" was the
day of Pentecost, and the "latter" rain is at the end of the Gentile
age. James 5:7 "Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of
the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of
the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early
and latter rain."
Hosea 6:4 "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."
Ephraim, Judah, and in fact, all of mankind have no goodness of
their very own. We all deserve to die, because of the sins we have
committed. It is only by the free gift of salvation through Jesus
Christ, that any of us are saved. God is merciful. John 3:16 "For God
so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." God
provided the way for us, that we could not provide for ourselves. We
may act good for a moment, but our goodness goes away like the dew.
Our righteousness is in Jesus Christ. He puts us who will believe in
right standing with God.
Hosea 6:5 "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."
These arrogant people of God had tried to stand against the God
that made them. The prophets cut them down with warnings from God, if
they did not repent. God spoke judgement against them, and they were
punished for their sins. The Light does away with darkness. The Light
of God was applied to get rid of sin in their lives.
Hosea 6:6 "For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the
knowledge of God more than burnt offerings."
God desired to be merciful to them. He saw their inability to
live their way into heaven. He provided the perfect sacrifice, in
Jesus Christ, to take away the sin of the world. Jesus became each
individual's substitute on the cross. He paid the price in full for
our sins. The sacrifice that God wants from the believers in Christ,
is praise. Hebrews 13:15 "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice
of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of [our] lips giving
thanks to his name."
Hosea 6:7 "But they like men have transgressed the covenant:
there have they dealt treacherously against me."
These Israelites thought they were better than the rest of the
people of the world. Every person who ever lived, whether Jew or
Gentile, has sinned. Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned, and come short
of the glory of God;" I John 1:10 "If we say that we have not sinned,
we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."
Hosea 6:8 "Gilead [is] a city of them that work iniquity, [and
is] polluted with blood."
Gilead is spoken of,in the New Testament, as beyond Jordan. This
really is speaking of the Israelites in their darker times, when there
was much killing taking place. It could, also, be speaking of their
connection with the crucifixion of Jesus.
Hosea 6:9 And as troops of robbers wait for a man, [so] the
company of priests murder in the way by consent: for they commit
lewdness.
"Troops of robbers" lie in wait hidden from view. Then, it
seems, these priest appear to be godly men, when in fact they are very
ungodly men. Jesus spoke the greatest indictment against priests, such
as these, that was ever spoken against priest. Read the 23rd chapter
of Matthew.
Hosea 6:10 "I have seen an horrible thing in the house of Israel:
there [is] the whoredom of Ephraim, Israel is defiled."
The horrible thing they had done, was the worship of false gods.
The whoredom they had committed was spiritual adultery. As we will see
in the next verse, these are all 12 tribes of Israel, which got caught
up in idolatry, not just Ephraim. Ephraim is mentioned separately,
because he received the right hand {spiritual} blessing.
Hosea 6:11 "Also, O Judah, he hath set an harvest for thee, when
I returned the captivity of my people.'
Judah had sinned like Israel, and they, too, would reap what they
had sown. There is a great harvest at the end of the earth when all
who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ will be carried to heaven to live
for God. Those who reject Jesus, will be the tares which are gathered
and burned.
Hosea 6 Questions
1. Verse 1 is speaking as if their captivity ____ ______ ______
_____.
2. God chastises His people as a __________ _________.
3. God is our Judge, but He is, also, our ______________.
4. What does the author believe the two days, in verse 2, to be?
5. Quote 2nd Peter chapter 3 verse 8.
6. What is verse 3 a call to do?
7. How can we know the LORD?
8. Quote Colossians chapter 1 verse 28.
9. When was the "former rain"?
10. When will the "latter rain" be?
11. What is this rain speaking of?
12. ________, ________, and in fact, all of mankind have no ________-
of their own.
13. Why do we all deserve to die?
14. What saves us?
15. Quote John chapter 3 verse 16.
16. Who makes us right in the sight of God?
17. How had the prophets cut down these arrogant people?
18. The Light of God was applied to get rid of what?
19. God provided the perfect sacrifice, _________ _______.
20. What is the sacrifice God wants from believers?
21. Quote Hebrews chapter 13 verse 15.
22. Who have sinned?
23. Quote 1 John chapter 1 verse 10.
24. Gilead is spoken of, in the New Testament, as __________ ________.
25. What do we learn about these priests as "troops of robbers"?
26. Where do we find the indictment Jesus spoke against priests, such
as these?
27. What was the horrible thing they had done?
28. What happens at the great harvest at the end?
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