Hosea 6

November 16, 2025

FBC Baxley

Pm service

Hosea 6

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.

2 After two days he will revive us;

on the third day he will raise us up,

that we may live before him.

3 Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord;

his going out is sure as the dawn;

he will come to us as the showers,

as the spring rains that water the earth.”

4 What shall I do with you, O Ephraim?

What shall I do with you, O Judah?

Your love is like a morning cloud,

like the dew that goes early away.

5 Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets;

I have slain them by the words of my mouth,

and my judgment goes forth as the light.

6 For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,

the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

7 But like Adam they transgressed the covenant;

there they dealt faithlessly with me.

8 Gilead is a city of evildoers,

tracked with blood.

9 As robbers lie in wait for a man,

so the priests band together;

they murder on the way to Shechem;

they commit villainy.

10 In the house of Israel I have seen a horrible thing;

Ephraim's whoredom is there; Israel is defiled.

11 For you also, O Judah, a harvest is appointed.

When I restore the fortunes of my people,

-Pray

“Returning to the Heart of God”

Main Idea: God desires not shallow repentance but steadfast love and sincere relationship.

Sermon in a Sentence: God’s heart breaks for a people who only return halfway; He wants restoration, not ritual.

Introduction — “The Return that Wasn’t Real”

Years ago, a well-known story was passed around about a husband who had walked out on his family.

After months of bitterness, he came under deep conviction and decided to return home.

As he approached the familiar street, he rehearsed his apology.

He had the words just right.

But when he opened the front door, his wife—who had prayed and wept for months—met him not with anger but with arms wide open.

He froze.

The moment demanded more than words—it demanded sincerity.

He said later, “I realized I could say I was sorry, but what she wanted was my heart.”

That story paints a clear picture of the problem in Hosea 6.

Israel had said all the right words, but their hearts were far from God.

Their return looked impressive—but it was only skin deep.

Vance Havner once said, “Revival is the church falling in love with Jesus all over again.”

That’s the message of Hosea 6: God doesn’t want our hollow repentance; He wants our wholehearted return.

Context and Background

The prophet Hosea ministered in the northern kingdom of Israel during the reign of Jeroboam II (around 755–715 B.C.).

Outwardly, the nation was prospering—but inwardly, it was rotting.

The people mixed the worship of Yahweh with Baal.

They went through the motions of religion while their hearts were captured by idolatry and immorality.

Hosea 5, ends with a painful picture:

“I will return again to my place, until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face, and in their distress earnestly seek me.” (5:15)

Chapter 6 begins with what sounds like a revival. But appearances can be deceiving.

I. The Call to Return (vv. 1–3)

**** “True repentance begins with turning, not just talking.”

“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.” (v. 1)

At first glance, this sounds like spiritual renewal.

But the Hebrew verbs tell another story.

The phrase “let us return” (שׁוּב shuv) means to turn back, but in this context it’s in the cohortative—an invitation, not yet an action.

The people are talking about returning, not actually doing it.

Their tone suggests shallow optimism:

“After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up.”

As if saying, “A few days of repentance, and we’ll be back to business as usual.”

The (NICOT) notes that this is “a formulaic repentance—a pious cliché, lacking the depth of confession seen in true renewal.”

The people acknowledged that God had judged them, but they treated His discipline like a passing storm rather than a serious call to transformation.

Illustration:

It’s like a child who breaks a window, says, “I’m sorry,” but goes right back to throwing the ball in the house again.

True repentance means turning—not merely talking.

II. The Condemnation of Shallowness (vv. 4–6)

**** “God desires devotion, not just a display.”

“What shall I do with you, O Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah? Your love is like a morning cloud, like the dew that goes early away.” (v. 4)

The word for “love” here is חֶסֶד (chesed), often translated “steadfast love” or “covenant loyalty.”

God says, “Your chesed is like morning fog—it looks good for a moment, then disappears when the sun comes up.”

Their devotion was seasonal, not steadfast.

They were like fair-weather friends—faithful when convenient, gone when costly.

God continues:

“For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” (v. 6)

This is the beating heart of Hosea.

Ritual without relationship repulses God.

He is not impressed by ceremonies; He is moved by covenant love.

The Hebrew word yadaʿ (“knowledge”) refers not to head knowledge but relational intimacy.

God doesn’t want us to just know about Him—He wants us to know Him.

Vance Havner once remarked, “We are not in danger of losing our religion; we are in danger of not living it.”

That was Israel’s problem—and sometimes ours too.

We may attend, sing, and serve, but if our hearts are cold, God sees through the motions.

Illustration:

When Michelangelo was painting the Sistine Chapel, a visitor asked why he spent so much time on details no one would see.

He replied, “God will.”

God sees the sincerity—or the shallowness—behind every act of worship.

III. The Consequence of Rebellion (vv. 7–11)

**** “When repentance is fake, restoration cannot be real.”

“But like Adam they transgressed the covenant; there they dealt faithlessly with me.” (v. 7)

The phrase “like Adam” may refer to humanity’s first covenant-breaking, or to a place called Adam near the Jordan (Joshua 3:16).

Either way, the meaning is clear: Israel repeated the ancient pattern of rebellion.

The NICOT explains: “The prophet catalogs the nation’s crimes with surgical precision—violence, betrayal, and moral decay—all cloaked in religiosity.”

God names the cities:

Gilead was full of bloodshed (v. 8).

Priests ambushed travelers like bandits (v. 9).

Ephraim was defiled by sin (v. 10).

And Judah, though outwardly better, was following close behind (v. 11).

The result? God would bring judgment—not out of vengeance, but to awaken His people to real repentance.

Illustration:

When a doctor performs surgery, he must first cut before he can heal.

God sometimes wounds us, not to harm us, but to heal us.

Hosea 6:1–11 shows that God will not heal what we will not confess.

Conclusion — “Returning for Real”

Israel’s story calls us to examine our own hearts.

Do we want restoration, or just relief?

Are we seeking God’s presence, or merely His protection?

The gospel echoes Hosea’s message. Jesus, the true Bridegroom, came to restore the unfaithful.

On the third day—not figuratively but literally—He did rise, bringing genuine healing to those who truly return.

Vance Havner said, “The tragedy of our time is that the situation is desperate, but the saints are not.”

Hosea calls us to get desperate for God again—to stop pretending and start returning.

Life Applications

Repent Deeply, Not Quickly. Don’t rush past conviction.

Let the Spirit search your heart. True repentance is not about speed—it’s about sincerity.

2. Worship Personally, Not Formally. Don’t settle for religious routine.

Cultivate intimacy with God daily. Read His Word not as duty but as dialogue.

3. Live Faithfully, Not Fad-Driven. Let your love for God outlast the morning dew.

Build habits of holiness that endure through trials and temptations.

Final Thought

Hosea 6 reminds us: God’s desire is not for temporary tears but for transformed hearts.

When we return—not with words but with our whole selves—we find that the God who wounds also welcomes.

He still says to His people, “Come, let us return to the Lord.”

-Pray