HOSEA 6–7
Like the rain (6:1–3). When we come back to God, He brings the dawning of a new day with the refreshing showers. The God who chastens us also heals and revives us. Why do we delay? Because of what we are like!
Like a morning cloud and the dew (6:4–11). Israel’s loyalty did not last but vanished like a cloud and evaporated like the dew. They brought sacrifices and engaged in religious services, but those activities made no difference in the way they lived. Their sacrifices were substitutes for obedience (
Like an oven (7:1–7). The desire for sin can smolder like a fire in an oven and then blaze forth when the opportunity comes. If you have “burning desires,” be sure that they are under God’s control or they may destroy you.
Like a cake not turned (7:8–10). If the fire is not watched, it can burn the cake, and then the cake must be thrown away. The people were “half-baked”: there was no depth to their religious experience. The nation was aging and did not realize it, and national death would come much sooner than the people realized.
Like a silly dove (7:11–12). In their foreign policy, the officials flitted between Egypt and Assyria, playing one against the other; eventually the nation was trapped. Instead of trusting the Lord and obeying His Word, they depended on politics and failed.
Like a deceitful bow (7:13–16). God could not depend on His people. They sinned against Him, lied to Him, and did not profit from His discipline. He tried to straighten them out, but they preferred to be substandard. In the battle against evil, are you a weapon that God can depend on?