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Summary

Hosea 6:1–3 – A call to return

What happens: The people say, “Come, let us return to the Lord.” They hope He who has torn will heal and revive them, and they expect to know Him as surely as the dawn and the rain.

What it means: Real hope is found in God’s power to restore. He is compassionate and faithful like morning light and life-giving rain.

Hosea 6:4–6 – God desires loyal love

What happens: God grieves that their love is like morning mist that quickly fades. He says He desires steadfast love and the knowledge of God rather than sacrifice and burnt offerings.

What it means: God wants hearts, not mere ceremonies. True worship joins love for God with obedience, reflecting His holy and merciful character.

Hosea 6:7–11 – Covenant breakers and coming harvest

What happens: Like Adam, they break the covenant. Gilead is full of blood, and priests are like bandits near Shechem. God sees a horrible thing in Israel’s whoredom. For Judah, a harvest is appointed when God deals with His people.

What it means: Violence and betrayal show a deep covenant breach. God’s justice is certain, yet His purpose includes setting things right in His time.

Application

  • Return to God with specific repentance, not vague words.
  • Make love for God visible in mercy and obedience.
  • Reject spiritual shortcuts that hide violence or dishonesty.
  • Prepare for God’s searching judgment and His renewal.

Bible

1Come, 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.

2After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.

3Then 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.

4O 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.

5Therefore 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.

6For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

7But they like men have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me.

8Gilead is a city of them that work iniquity, and is polluted with blood.

9And as troops of robbers wait for a man, so the company of priests murder in the way by consent: for they commit lewdness.

10I have seen an horrible thing in the house of Israel: there is the whoredom of Ephraim, Israel is defiled.

11Also, O Judah, he hath set an harvest for thee, when I returned the captivity of my people.

← Hosea 5Hosea 7 →

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