Hosea 6 – WE know our duties and responsibilities, even if we sometimes neglect them. It would be surprising if, in times of stress and difficulty, we had not sometimes attempted to solve our problems using human aids rather than calling on the Lord for help. There are times, however, when we know that our problems are beyond human resources to solve, and we turn to God. It would be less than human if, in such circumstances, we did not look on our lives and see ways in which we have failed in our duties and neglected our opportunities to serve our Master. Our natural reaction is then to resolve to do better in the future, to make more sacrifices of our time and our means in the service of our Lord’s work. If we reason like this, then we too may need to “Go and learn what that meaneth”. Even for us it may be that mercy, truth, and the knowledge of God, are what we really lack.

The Testimony, 1979, page 398.

Hosea

6Come, 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. After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. 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. 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. 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. For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. But they like men have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me. Gilead is a city of them that work iniquity, and is polluted with blood. And as troops of robbers wait for a man, so the company of priests murder in the way by consent: for they commit lewdness. I have seen an horrible thing in the house of Israel: there is the whoredom of Ephraim, Israel is defiled. Also, O Judah, he hath set an harvest for thee, when I returned the captivity of my people.