For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings

Hosea 6:1-11

Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. 

Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.

What can I do with you, Ephraim? What can I do with you, Judah? Your love is like the morning mist, like the early dew that disappears.

For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.

I have seen a horrible thing in Israel: There Ephraim is given to prostitution, Israel is defiled.

“Also for you, Judah, a harvest is appointed. “Whenever I would restore the fortunes of my people,

Suffering turns the people to God again. But there is no deep or long-term change. Their 'love' evaporates like dew in the hot sun. It is lasting love and real knowledge of him that God looks for.

V 4-6 expresses God's loving perplexity about his people. Jesus picks up the important statement that God wants his people's love, not placatory sacrifices.

Priests have turned butcher. At the heart of the nation's religion, at Shechem, there is intrigue and murder.

Why?

Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. This is our target in our whole life. And we have to pay our effort to make it. Then we will know the Lord as we see the light of the sun rise.

Some people's return to the Lord is not a long-term change, but like mist and dew soon disappear.

The Lord declared, I desire mercy, not sacrifice and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offering. God like our hearts turns to Him and put the Lord on high with all our strength. The sacrifice and offerings are not important. 

The ceremony we can see by eyes, but the Lord can see our hearts by the Spirit.

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我們要刻意安排自己去認識神，早起陽光，天降甘露。這是我們想要認識神的心態。

當我們想多認識神，現在想法是多參加聚會，多參加宗教活動。然而宗教活動可能只是表面禮儀。其實人的行為多偏離神。祭司群表示許多祭司也落入禮儀中，反而失去與神建立關係，即行出憐恤。裝出來的不能持久，如霧散去。神為人預備道路，人卻走不上去。在人不能，在神都能。當神的工作臨到時，神會讓人走上去，是人悔改的時候。

神在何西阿書中一直在說神一直賜下愛的憐憫給人。

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How?

Live out the life of Jesus in my heart and let people know that I have the Spirit of the Lord with me.