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Daily Devotions

Hosea

Hosea 
Day 
Day 67

"I desire mercy and not sacrifice"

Text: Hosea 6:6

THE JUDGMENT OF THE TWO NATIONS

The judgment of the two nations were proclaimed by the prophets. The source of their message was from the LORD Himself.

“Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets,
I have slain them by the words of My mouth;
And your judgments are like light that goes forth.
For I desire mercy and not sacrifice,
And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.”
Hosea 6:5-6

1. “Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets”

a) The prophets were special servants chosen by God.
b) The words they delivered carried great authority and power.
c) The words they delivered were capable of doing two things:
i) Bring deliverance
ii) Hewing the nations
d) Much depended on the response of the hearers.
i) If they were to heed, there could be deliverance, even in the last hour.
ii) If they were to reject the Word of the Lord, they would be hewn down and destroyed.

2. “I have slain them by the words of My mouth”

a) The power and authority of the prophets came from God.
b) The words of God had power to do either of two things:
i) To bring revival and life.
ii) To bring death from judgment.
c) If the response is positive and there is repentance, then there would be life.
d) If the response is negative, and there is rejection, then death would be the sentence.

3. “Your judgments are like light that goes forth”

a) The judgments that would come to Israel and Judah are as clear as light that goes forth.
b) If there is rejection of the Lord and His word given by the prophets, they would be slain.

4. “For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings”

a) God does not delight in mere rituals no matter how faithfully they are attended to.
b) God’s delight is in the practice of mercy and in the pursuit of knowledge of the Lord.

These truths had not sunk in for both Israel and Judah, to their great loss!