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What does Hosea chapter 6 verse 6 mean?
Lou Newton, former Steel Mill Crane Designer and Physics Teacher
Hosea 6 NIV
6 For I desire mercy, not sacrifice,
and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.
I attended a church in my area some time ago and the Pastor preached the whole sermon telling the people they should obey him. He said he had to obey his Bishop and they should obey their pastor. First of all Jesus is our Pastor and no man is to come between Jesus and us. That pastor should not be obeying his Bishop, Jesus is to be His Bishop and no other. So he was not even correct according to the law of the Holy Scriptures.
BUT it was NOT a message of mercy but instead telling the people they should follow the law. Jesus does not desire for us to sacrifice and follow the law. Sacrifice was of the law. Jesus desires us to have mercy for others and proclaim mercy for others.
We are to be preaching that God came down from heaven and was born of a woman to become one of us so that He could die for our sin. This was not plan B after Adam sinned, but Jesus planned to do it this way before He created the world:
Ephesians 1 TLB
4 Long ago, even before he made the world, God chose us to be his very own through what Christ would do for us; he decided then to make us holy in his eyes, without a single fault—we who stand before him covered with his love.
5 His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by sending Jesus Christ to die for us. And he did this because he wanted to!
This was the mercy of God and we are to proclaim His mercy, NOT that we must obey His law. No man can be saved by obeying any law, like the law of being dipped in water etc. If we proclaim His mercy that is us having mercy on others, instead of judgement. It is God’s mercy that leads people to true repentance, not fear of judgement.
Romans 2 NIV
2 You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. 2 Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3 So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? 4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?
I read a reply from man who pronounced judgement on everyone that did not obey the law he preached . He said anyone not dipped in water would spend eternity in hell. That is NOT mercy but he was pronouncing judgement on everyone. He himself does not obey all of God’s laws and needs mercy. Instead I preach mercy for everyone because I need mercy. If I extend mercy to others, Jesus will extend mercy to me.
and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.
God does not desire us to offer burnt offerings to Him. That law was a shadow of the reality that someone had to die for us to be saved. That law was to lead them to have mercy for the poor innocent lamb that had to die for their sin. The lamb did not sin, the people did. The sacrifice of the lamb was to lead the people to feel compassion and MERCY for the lamb. God would then extend mercy to them and reveal their true sin to them and how He forgives them simply because they ask for Him to forgive them.
This was all to lead them to seek God and humble themselves before Him and ask Him to reveal Himself to them. Once we truly see God and who He is, we can not help but love Him and acknowledge Him in all of our ways.
God wants to be acknowledged for who He truly is, NOT what we want Him to be, or think Him to be. When we acknowledge, what we think God to be, instead of what He truly is, that is Idol worship., NOT acknowledging God. God wants us to KNOW who He truly is and acknowledge Him in all of our ways.
Lou Newton, former Steel Mill Crane Designer and Physics Teacher
Hosea 6 NIV
6 For I desire mercy, not sacrifice,
and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.
I attended a church in my area some time ago and the Pastor preached the whole sermon telling the people they should obey him. He said he had to obey his Bishop and they should obey their pastor. First of all Jesus is our Pastor and no man is to come between Jesus and us. That pastor should not be obeying his Bishop, Jesus is to be His Bishop and no other. So he was not even correct according to the law of the Holy Scriptures.
BUT it was NOT a message of mercy but instead telling the people they should follow the law. Jesus does not desire for us to sacrifice and follow the law. Sacrifice was of the law. Jesus desires us to have mercy for others and proclaim mercy for others.
We are to be preaching that God came down from heaven and was born of a woman to become one of us so that He could die for our sin. This was not plan B after Adam sinned, but Jesus planned to do it this way before He created the world:
Ephesians 1 TLB
4 Long ago, even before he made the world, God chose us to be his very own through what Christ would do for us; he decided then to make us holy in his eyes, without a single fault—we who stand before him covered with his love.
5 His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by sending Jesus Christ to die for us. And he did this because he wanted to!
This was the mercy of God and we are to proclaim His mercy, NOT that we must obey His law. No man can be saved by obeying any law, like the law of being dipped in water etc. If we proclaim His mercy that is us having mercy on others, instead of judgement. It is God’s mercy that leads people to true repentance, not fear of judgement.
Romans 2 NIV
2 You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. 2 Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3 So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? 4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?
I read a reply from man who pronounced judgement on everyone that did not obey the law he preached . He said anyone not dipped in water would spend eternity in hell. That is NOT mercy but he was pronouncing judgement on everyone. He himself does not obey all of God’s laws and needs mercy. Instead I preach mercy for everyone because I need mercy. If I extend mercy to others, Jesus will extend mercy to me.
and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.
God does not desire us to offer burnt offerings to Him. That law was a shadow of the reality that someone had to die for us to be saved. That law was to lead them to have mercy for the poor innocent lamb that had to die for their sin. The lamb did not sin, the people did. The sacrifice of the lamb was to lead the people to feel compassion and MERCY for the lamb. God would then extend mercy to them and reveal their true sin to them and how He forgives them simply because they ask for Him to forgive them.
This was all to lead them to seek God and humble themselves before Him and ask Him to reveal Himself to them. Once we truly see God and who He is, we can not help but love Him and acknowledge Him in all of our ways.
God wants to be acknowledged for who He truly is, NOT what we want Him to be, or think Him to be. When we acknowledge, what we think God to be, instead of what He truly is, that is Idol worship., NOT acknowledging God. God wants us to KNOW who He truly is and acknowledge Him in all of our ways.