Hosea 6 UNREAL REPENTANCE As Hosea was writing these words he was likely thinking of Gomer and how far she had gone in her lifestyle of whoredom and unfaithfulness. He knew what he thought about his wife, and that in the same way God thought about the nation of Israel. He loved her and was angry with her at the same time. It did not only affect her and him but also the poor children. Hosea's thoughts would be of how to show grace one moment, and how to carry out just judgment the next. He would likely think of Israel's sin and shame, and at the same time about God's compassion and anger.
At one time he would write about the millennium, "Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord," and would write about peace and tranquility and a beautiful morning. Then he would write about what was actually happening then and there that he could see. He knew they had gone too far. He knew they had entered into evil connections without regard for God's laws and His mercy. He knew the consequences that would come upon them for their spiritual adultery.
The words of Israel as they could see danger coming sound like the words of penitent people: 'Come, and let us return unto the Lord," and "O that we might know the Lord," sounded real - but there was not a word of repentance or acknowledging of their sins. They took God's mercy for granted and said in essence to themselves, "In two days, three at the most He will set us on our feet again and will be kind to us." It is true, to those who are unrepentant He is as a lion with its prey [Ho.5:14], and to the repentant He is like a gentle falling rain that brings hope, healing and life. But the problem with those who don't know God but have their own view of God in their imagination, is they presume upon God's mercy without knowing Him and without facing themselves as guilty sinners. Like those in Israel, most people when they call upon God in their desperation, are only concerned with the condition they are in, not the sins they have committed, the idolatry in which they participate, and the willful lifestyle they live - and have no intention of making changes.
The attitude of sinful people is the key to the reality of their words. Words spoken can be right and seem like those who speak have come to an end of themselves, but those words have no value when one's attitude isn't consistent with the words. The profession of returning to the Lord had no more substance than the appearing of dew in the early morning that soon evaporated. The plaintive cry of the Lord is that of one who loves the guilty in spite of their guilt and shame, but can see right through the words to the intention and the heart. Professed loyalty and commitment must be backed up with actions that are consistent with the words people speak.
God wants loyalty and justice, mercy and truth from His people. He has no interest in their ritual sacrifices and religious forms that they devise from their own imaginations. In fact, that is what Hosea was writing about. God looks on such manmade worship in the same way a husband would look on his wife being a whore. It is on those who practice a worship of their own imagination that God will bring His divine justice and judgments. It is when there is reality made in repentance and the practice of truth, not counterfeit religion that God can forgive and restore the errant soul.
God had intended that the little nation of Israel would be a light to the nations of the world and a blessing to all those who would seek Him. When they actually did that, He blessed them and those connected to them. But when they broke the covenant they made with the Lord; they suffered the consequences of breaking the promises inherent in the vow. In spite of God's compassion and love for His people, there were consequences to suffer: physically - they would be taken captive; emotionally - they would be dispersed among the nations around and would not see their homes again; spiritually - they would find that God will not answer when they pray, nor recover them to worship that pleases Him that He expected from a redeemed people.
Instead of being a place set apart for God, Gilead became a corrupt place, notable for wickedness that was there. What should have been a city of refuge where righteousness and justice would have been carried out by judges and priests, had become a center of evil. People passing by on the way to the city were murdered by gangs of priests who wanted their money. The citizens became robbers and those who should have led the way in righteousness, led in the horrible practice of chasing other gods and defiling the people who followed them.
Perhaps the people of Judah thought, "We don't do that," when they heard what was going on in Israel, but they too were guilty. They had desecrated the temple by allowing sinful practices in the place where worship should have been "in spirit and in truth." The people of Judah were warned that there was a harvest of punishment coming to them because they had allowed perverted religion to be done in the place of the name. The Lord wanted to bless them, but instead they too were going their own way. The same things are happening today in the name of the "Christian religion." People choose to do what they want to do and ignore what God says. Money and popularity are becoming the measure of success in churches that are being designed for pleasure. To "make people feel comfortable" is more important to many groups rather than what God desire of His people. The expectations of the people around are the criteria for what is practiced when people come together. Instead of acknowledging divine authority, people vote on what they want to believe and do as a religious organization. God's assemblies are living organisms rather than business-like organizations. Each member has the privilege and responsibility to use his/her gifts for the benefit of all. When all parts are functioning as our Lord intends, the worship and service of God's people is truly unto the Lord.