Chapter 6
First verse. A hope? An exhortation? Or a promise?
1 "Come, let us return to the LORD; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up. [Hos 6:1 ESV]
Here is a prophecy of Christ's resurrection in this little book:
2 After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him. [Hos 6:2 ESV] Jesus conquers death, that we may be released from the curse of sin, and raised up to new life in Christ - and in the presence of God.
2024 - Probably best not to read to much into that 2nd day reviving, and third day raising. In fact, this might not be about the resurrection at all. Found this, again from the website above:
"n the third day—i.e., after a short time. This and the above expression are not identical in the designation of time. Some Christian interpreters (Jerome, Luther, Pusey) consider the passage has sole reference to the resurrection of Christ. But with Calvin, Henderson, Schmoller, &c., we consider this to be contradicted by the form of the expression. To bring in the resurrection of Christ with no authority from the New Testament is far-fetched over-refinement, and breaks the consistency of the passage." I agree now that this is not about Christ. If it were, many unnecessary difficulties would be introduced.
This next verse is a glimpse of God's own heart. This is what He desires from us, this is what He wants. He does not crave what we do, He craves our unmitigated love for Him. As we would crave the love of a wife, the loyalty and faithfulness of a wife, the devotion of a wife, the peace of mind a wife can bring. This is what the whole book is about. The love between a man and a woman is our closest parallel to what God craves from us. The church is called the bride of Christ. Because this is the love he wants. Wow. Never saw it before. This is why we were created with this emotion, and with this craving for companionship. Think of this book as a contrast to Song of Solomon! Finally that book makes sense! It describes the right way to love, as Hosea describes the wrong.
6 For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. [Hos 6:6 ESV]
2022 - This verse:
"But like Adam they transgressed the covenant; there they dealt faithlessly with me." [Hos 6:7 ESV]
Without faith. Unsaved. Knowing rebellion, disdaining the consequences. This is not how saved people behave. Was Adam unsaved? He was saved before the transgression, that is certain. There was no sin before the fall. Once he fell, there was need for repentance, for atonement, for sacrifice. He would not have needed salvation until after sin was imputed to him. Different with Israel. That nation was Adam's seed, and each individual a sinner from birth. Like Adam, the nation has decided to reject God, to knowingly worship elsewhere. Saved people don't do this. Saved people sin. Saved people do not worship idols. We know this from the frequent references to whoredom. It is not only that they are not adhering to the Law. They are devoting themselves to other gods. They are not just married people living in the same house and ignoring each other. They are out sleeping with other people while still married. There has been no divorce. But there also no ties - no vs 6 ties, the only ties that matter - back to God.
2020-I had forgotten this, but reading it again I think it is on the right track. We are created in God's image. It is natural, expected, that we would have love. This may be part of the mystery of how two become one in marriage. It is something of God that we have built into us that physics, biology, anthropology and paleontology are just not up to explaining. Because love, devotion, faithfulness...these are "God things", built into our "code" at creation. Inherent within us because we are created, not evolved.