In the last lesson, we made our way through Hosea chapter 5. Through poetry, Hosea described what would happen to the Northern Kingdom if they did not “return to [God’s] place, until they acknowledge their guilt and seek [his] face” (Hosea 5:15).
Today, we hear Israel’s answer.
Read Hosea 6:1-3
– How do these verses properly understand God?
– Although Israel says, “Let us return to Yahweh,” what is specifically lacking that God mentioned in Hosea 5:15?
Read Hosea 6:4-6
Now we hear Yahweh’s response.
– How strong is the love that Israel has for God?
– What does verse 6 tell us about Israel’s repentance?
– Yet, God never abolished His sacrifices or rituals for His Old Covenant people. Are sacrifices and burnt offering bad? Discuss.
NT Tie-in
Read Matthew 9:9-13
– In this instance, how were the Pharisees like the Israelites in Hosea’s day?
– When Jesus said, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners,” what does that tell us about the Pharisees and the Israelites in Hosea’s day?
Read Matthew 12:1-8
– Jesus’ use of Hosea differs from how He used it in Matthew 9. What is His focus now?
– So, in what way were the Pharisees guilty?
– Discuss how Jesus use of Hosea 6:6 would apply to us if we:
- Fixated on liturgy, ritual, or the “business” end of church at the expense of “steadfast love” and “knowledge of God.”
- Only worried about showing love but not following the rituals God instituted in the New Covenant.
- Pitted love and knowledge of God against each other.
We now see how a lack of steadfast love and knowledge of God is lived out.
Read Hosea 6:7-6:10
– What sin did Adam commit? How is Israel acting similarly to how Adam acted?
We cannot say for sure what specific event verse 7 references. It may refer to Pekah’s rebellion in 736 BC. That’s when 50 men from Gilead sided with Pekah to overthrow and kill Pekekiah, then the king of the Ten Northern Tribes, Israel (2 Kings 15:25).
– To makes sense of verse 8, we need to understand that if those who lived in the Northern Kingdom wanted to travel to Jerusalem to worship at the Temple, they had to pass through Shechem. What then were the priests in the Northern Kingdom doing?
– Let’s revisit God’s statement that He desired “steadfast love [“mercy” in the Greek] and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” If God chastised the Northern Kingdom priests for impeding the Israelites from traveling to Jerusalem, what was God saying about the sacrifices that were acceptable to Him?
– How does verse 10 match the overall theme in the book of Hosea?
Read Hosea 6:11
God now speaks to remind the hearers of Hosea what was meant to be.
– What does God want for His people?
– How does “free will” tie into what Israel was experiencing?
– How are we to understand “free will” in the Christian life?
Read Hosea 7:1-7
God now describes how the character of Israel has sullied who they were meant to be. In particular, God metaphorically describes Israel as an oven whose fire is not tended as it should be, using that to describe the havoc in the Northern Kingdom from violent changes in leadership. (Remember last week’s description about conspiracies and assassinations which led from one king to another in a series of short reigns.)
– Besides the violence and discord these passages reveal, how faithful were these kings in their life they were to live within the Old Covenant?
Read Hosea 7:8-10
Still using the cooking metaphor, Israel is now compared to a cake improperly cooked. We remember that Ephraim refers to Israel, the Northern Kingdom.
– Like the ingredients of a cake, what are the people of Israel doing with other peoples? Why is this of concern?
– Israel is like a cake not turned (think of flatbread cooked only on one side). What happens to such a cake? Discuss the implications.
– Getting gray hair but not knowing it describe two things happening at the same time. What are they?
– And yet, what does Israel not do?
Read Hosea 7:11-12
– What metaphor now describes Israel? Discuss.
Read Hosea 7:13-16
– Verse 13 states that God would redeem them but they speak lies against God.
- What’s another way of saying “redeem”?
- What does speaking lie against God show?
In Hebrew, references to the “heart” are fuller than they are in the English idiom. In English, “heart” usually denotes emotion or feelings. In Hebrew, “heart” (lav) is more than feelings and emotions Hoshea, the Northern Kingdom’s last ruler (2 Kings 15:8-30); it also includes the mind and the will, a commitment of one’s being. Instead of crying to God with their entire being, they are busy doing other things.
– How does verse 15 summarize well Israel’s state of faith?
Verse 16 alludes to the policy of King Hoshea, the Northern Kingdom’s last ruler (2 Kings 15:8-30), of allying with Egypt against Assyria (727 BC).
