Hosea 6

Hosea calls on Israel to return to God. He draws them with promises of healing, binding, restoration, revival, and eternal life. What shall I (God) do with you, Israel and Judah? Their love for God was short-lived. God sent prophets, used His own voice, and He’s used judgement as an example to them. Love over sacrifice. The Israelites are sinners like Adam. Ephraim and Judah have rampant sin and will face judgement.

Hosea lays out God’s ultimate plan—sin and justice, that brings death, wrapped up in healing and new life, both now and forever. This is the gospel. It takes some work to know God, to see Him in the constant of the seasons. God desires love He can trust over the legalism of the sacrifice. He wants people to see Him in the offerings. But, in contrast, Israel and Judah can’t be trusted any longer than the dew lasts on the ground in the morning. God has used multiple channels to reach them-prophets, His spoken Word, and obvious judgements. The region of Gilead (Ramoth) and Shechem are both refuge cities, ordained by God to be places where the innocent can run and be safe. (Joshua 20) But the house of Israel and the priests have become the villains, lying in wait to attack these cities. They have not only broken the covenant with God, they are turning the cities of promised safety into places of bloodshed and murder.

This chapter changes me because in it I see the gospel of Christ Jesus. The sacrifices of the Old Covenant were never meant to be anymore than a reflection of Jesus. His ultimate sacrifice has always been Plan A with God. Jesus bound up our sin and shame, taking them on Himself so that we could be made alive and be made brand new, ready to live before Him now and forever. Jesus is the true and better refuge city; He has taken on the murderous villains who would separate us from Him and He WON! We can run to Him and be safe.