What Does God Desire?

Minister:
Date: AM
Text: Hosea 6:6
Psalters: 320, 290, 291, 291
Sacrament of Baptism
  1. The sad setting.
    1. Hosea is a contemporary of Isaiah and Micah from the northern kingdom declaring that apostasy is spiritual adultery.
    2. Gomer was called to walk in the way of repentance that she might find reconciliation and forgiveness (5:15).
    3. God’s purpose of all His chastisement is so His people “live in His sight,” i.e., before His face.
      1. This is to know Him accurately, loving and enjoying His fellowship, and wanting to know Him better and better (3).
      2. But Israel/the church is not yet where she has to be, for repentance is shallow and brief, vanishes like the morning dew (4).
      3. The seriousness of their shallow spirituality is seen when God says it is like Adam (7).
  2. Though He warned of judgments He keeps presenting the fact that His mercy and love demands their hearts filled with mercy and love (6). “Mercy,” i.e., goodness, kindness, faithfulness.
    1. “Mercy” is love to one’s neighbor, love which has its roots in the knowledge of God (cf. 4:1).
    2. We are helped to understand this when we consider how Jesus quoted this passage twice.
      1. In Matthew 9:13 He used it to condemn the Pharisees who were critical of His eating with publicans and sinners.
      2. In Matt. 12:7 Jesus condemns the Pharisees for condemning Jesus’ disciples for harvesting grain on the Sabbath day.
    3. God does not desire sacrifice.
    4. God desires mercy; true mercy flows from a heart which knows God and His mercy to me the sinner.
      1. Faith in God and love of neighbor always go together.
      2. When I am not merciful, then I am not thinking of God’s heart toward me.
      3. God desires a steadfast love, an intimate communion and fellowship; He wants their heart, a gospel-driven love.