Exegesis on Hosea 6

Hosea, like all the minor prophets, speaks of Christ. It is our duty to search through the holy writings of Hosea to find Christ. Verse 2 seems like a gimme.

on the third day he will raise us up.

Indeed, God the Father woke God the Son from his sleeping chamber on the third day. May He have us all repent in time for us to be raised from our sojourning in this world.

I have never seriously doubted that the Sun would rise on the morrow, though its failure to rise is a logical possibility. Verse three tells us that this certitude is analogous to the Lord God's coming. This truly shows the generosity of God. It is nonsense on a pogo stick to say that God's coming is as certain as the dawn, but it is the language that we can understand. This is the condescension of the Lord. He brings his truths from above and expresses them in our lowly tongue, because He is the lover of mankind.

Verse four reminds us that we are all adulterers. The worst imaginable sin, in our eyes. Of the weightier matters of the law, we neglect faithfulness. We should be committed to our marriage with God, but our incessant pride causes us to prioritize ourselves before God Almighty.

In the Nicene creed we call God the true light of true light. Verse five of Hosea 6 tells us that His judgment is light. Whether we are sinners or righteous people, we should pray to God that He sends His judgment toward us. His judgment is right, and it is just.

For the old Israel to burn animals and incense before God without committing night and day to bowing down in worship to God is hypocrisy. It is the work of a whitewashed tomb. It may outwardly appear beautiful, but on the inside it is a dead deed. For us, the new Israel, our netteloch (white shawls), taking our shoes off, fasting more than not throughout the year, bestowal of umbrellas, vestments and candles to our community may appear beautiful. But, if these gifts are not coupled with pure and undefiled worship of God, then these gifts are worthless, and only expose us as whitewashed tombs before the living God. God's will is for us to be charitable to the poor. To show them our steadfast love. If we neglect the outcasts in society, or worse, make people into outcasts, nothing we give to God will be accepted. For us to have worthy sacrifices, like Abel's, we must prepare to nourish the poor in advance of our gifts to the Lord.

Verse nine tells us that even the ordained servants of God can be guilty of sin. Their sin can be multiplied if they are cooperative with each other in plotting to create poor people through theft. If God's will is for us to love the poor, and priests collaboratively steal from them as highwaymen, then the light of God's judgment will burst them asunder. But, let us be careful and understand that the holy writings are not limited to one historical context. They are God's way of speaking to us today. Since a priest is a servant, this principle can be applied to distributers of holy water, preparers of food for churches, choir members and even board members of a church.

Verse 11 ends on a good note. Since we are God's children, He will give us a second chance. We must repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand. If we repent, maybe, He will give us eternal life.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us sinners.