A Life in Exile

I am so glad we have space for one more lesson from the book of Hosea. At such a time in the history of Israel and the Middle East, God’s message to his people speaks volumes. Self-righteousness comes quickly to the surface in times of war, and no matter the side, no matter the religious or national background, self-righteousness is pervasive.

I love the way God speaks to an unrepentant people in this sixth chapter of this prophetic book. After God reveals his judgment on the people of Israel, they respond by declaring they will return to the Lord and acknowledge him. Why are they so quick to confess their devotion? Because they want blessing and healing from their God. Sounds like a tit-for-tat faith to me. It did to God as well.

Superficial words are not faith.

God was quick to see through the rouse.

What am I going to do with you, Ephraim? What am I going to do with you, Judah? Your love is like the morning mist and like the early dew that vanishes. (Hosea 6:4 CSB)

This quick call to return to the Lord was not going to cut it with the Lord Almighty. His prophets had been proclaiming his judgment and call to repentance for ages, and yet, they had not turned to the Lord. His judgment was coming. Why? Because they were missing this point of God’s desire. This is our focus verse for today’s lesson.

For I desire faithful love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. But they, like Adam, have violated the covenant; there they have betrayed me. (Hosea 6:6-7)

This concept of mercy, hesed love over sacrifice was nothing new to the people of God. Even Solomon got it:

Doing what is righteous and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. (Proverbs 21:3)

The prophet Micah would reiterate this in another way:

Mankind, he has told each of you what is good and what it is the Lord requires of you: to act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8)

It was always about man’s relationship and obedience to God over sacrificial laws.

Mercy over Sacrifice.

Legalism is so much easier to follow than living by the law of grace. Living by the letter of the law leaves no room for listening to the Spirit, for showing compassion to a weaker brother, or bending the rules out of love. The Pharisees of the first century were great at the Law at the expense of the people.

Jesus had some harsh words for such people:

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You pay a tenth of mint, dill, and cumin, and yet you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy, and faithfulness. These things should have been done without neglecting the others. Blind guides! You strain out a gnat, but gulp down a camel! (Matthew 23:23-24)

When Jesus had the nerve to call a tax collector as one of his disciples and then eat in his house with other tax collectors and sinners, the Pharisees who passed by were not pleased. They called him out to his own disciples. Jesus heard the accusation and reminded them of God’s word through our dear prophet Hosea.

Now when he heard this, he said, “It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matthew 9:12-13)

No wonder the Jews had failed in their call to be a blessing to the nations—their own teachers would have nothing to do with such “sinners” but preferred to keep their people confined by the Law.

Not only could they not show mercy to those who needed to hear the good news, but they were not allowed to show mercy to their own people when circumstances warranted. Following Jesus did not guarantee his disciples five-star accommodations or great feasts. They were often living in the rough and without food. On one Sabbath day, his followers were simply hungry and began to pick some heads of grain along the way and eat. Well, low and behold, who would see them and call them out? Pharisees.

Thankfully, Jesus wasn’t going to let these religious leaders browbeat his disciples.

He said to them, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and those who were with him were hungry: how he entered the house of God, and they ate the bread of the Presence—which is not lawful for him or for those with him to eat, but only for the priests? Or haven’t you read in the law that on Sabbath days the priests in the temple violate the Sabbath and are innocent? I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. If you had known what this means, I desire mercy and not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” (Matthew 12: 3-8)

Our mercy reflects God’s mercy.

How we live out our faith gives witness to others of the God we serve. God’s judgment on the scribes and Pharisees was heavy because of their failure in reflecting the true nature of the God they claimed to serve. They failed to reveal to the people the faithful love (hesed) of God, that sees us at our point of need. This is the God who saw Hagar in the wilderness, Hannah in her barrenness, Nathaniel under the fig tree. Instead, they showed a heavy-handed God that the people feared or turned against.

How are you living out the true nature of God to those around you? Is your legalism setting you apart from those who need the grace of God the most? Who did Jesus spend time with? Where they worthy of his time and attention and grace? Are you? Oh, how we need to live out the mercy we’ve received from God as we relate to others.

God, may your love and mercy shine through us today, that others will ask why and know that it’s because of Jesus.

Grace and Peace

If you missed the last Learning from the Past post, click HERE, or start the series from the BEGINNING.