It is late at night again. I really don’t like putting off my scheduled devotions so late, and having five classes today shouldn’t be an excuse, but that seems to be where I’m at again this week. Today’s title comes almost completely from my devotionals today, which started in the 6th chapter of the book of Hosea.
“Come let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces; now he will heal us. He has injured us; now he will bandage our wounds. In just a short time he will restore us, so that we may live in his presence. Oh that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.” – Hosea 6:1-3
Hosea says, “Come let us return to the Lord.” The major theme of Hosea, if you’ve never read it or didn’t pay attention to earlier posts of mine, is people turning to idols instead of to God, which is compared to prostitution throughout Hosea. The beginning of this idea is to come and return to the Lord, turning away from our idols. If we do this, we have assurance that he will respond to us, and in just a short time, he’ll bandage our wounds, heal us, and restore us, so that we can live in his presence. And then, we can respond to God responding to us, by pressing on after him. (As as side note, I was under the impression that Paul was the first man to make “pressing on for the prize that lies ahead” a popular idea, but it turns out, Hosea’s already talking about that here, way back 800 years earlier.)
When we return to the Lord, what does he want from us? According to Hosea 6:6, He says: “I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know Me more that I want burnt offerings.” We are atoned for, and cannot offer any sacrifice that covers beyond the blood of Christ, so the step is not to earn your forgiveness in works (offerings), but to accept the mercy of God, and in turn show the mercy of God. The Hebrew word for “love” here is actually חסד, chêsêd, which is best translated to mean mercy, referring to kindness, and doing good deeds out of loving-kindness. While we’re nose-deep in Hebrew, I’m going to argue that “want” is a translation leaving a lot to be desired, because the word in question, חפץ, châphêts, means, to desire, take pleasure in, or delight in (and is also a fancy name for Palestine, oddly enough). So, God wants, desires, takes pleasure in our actions of love, not our atonements. He’s got that covered, we’ve got to do what He’s called us to today, which is to love (see 1 John).
God also says in Hosea 7:9, “Worshiping foreign gods has sapped their strength, but they don’t even know it.” If we are exhausted, especially spiritually, it is quite possibly because we have worshiped and found our worth in status symbols, achievement, objects, people, or events, all of which are not our God but are foreign gods and idols.
Hosea 8:6 reads “This calf you worship, O Israel, was crafted by your own hands! It is not God! Therefore, it must be smashed to bits.” A bit harsh, but for God to reign in our lives, the other gods must be completely removed and destroyed.
May I lift you up with a praise from Psalm 126, a song Jews would sing on their holy journeys to Jerusalem (comparable maybe to singing hymns on the way to church?): “We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy. And the other nations said, ‘What amazing things the Lord has done for them.’ Yes, the Lord has done amazing things for us! What joy!” (Psalm 126:2-3). The Lord has done amazing things for us, what joy is ours!
Follow only what is good, (3 John 1:11)
-Zachariah
I am constantly encouraged by what you write, I know all the demands at the arbor, but still you put so much power into what you write.. Thanks for the words man!!