Hosea 6:1-11, Let Us Return to the Lord

Hosea 6:1

I.

A. Hosea’s Call to Repentance

1. “Come, and let us return unto the Lord”

a. Hosea calls out to the people of Israel.

b. They have wandered far away from the Lord, and he issues a call for them to come back to God.

c. It is a call for both personal and national revival.

d. Israel had forsaken the way of the Lord, and they had turned away from Him to worship the idols and false gods of the Canaanites.

e. This invitation is a call for them to repent of their sins and to turn their hearts back to the one true God.

2. He hath torn, and he will heal us

a. The word “torn” means “to rend, to tear, to be torn in pieces.”

3. He hath smitten, and he will bind us up

a. The word “smitten” means “to strike, to beat, to hit, to slay or kill; to attack and destroy.”

4. These words describe what Israel had been going through at the hand of God.

5. A Call of Hope to a Troubled Nation: The nation was in moral and religious decay

6. Hosea offers healing and help to trouble people

B. Why These People Needed to Return to the Lord

II.

A. They had Departed from the Lord in Their Worship (4:1) Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.

1. Hosea minces no words; speaks bluntly

2. The Lord’s controversy with the people

a. No truth in the land

b. No mercy in the land

c. No knowledge of God in the land

3. Truth grows out of being with God (John 8:32), And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

4. Mercy flows from knowing our merciful God (Psalm 103:17), But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children;

5. God’s people had forsaken Him

a. They had no time for Him

b. Lesser things had all their adoration

6. The Nation was in need of a great revival

a. Worship had become formalistic

b. Worship was not a life-changing experience

c. Their worship lacked faith

7. This is a commentary on our country and churches today!

B. They Had Departed from the Lord in Their Words (4:2), By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.

1. “By swearing and lying”

2. Words measure our spiritual condition

a. They reveal what occupies the mind

3. They reveal the state of the heart (Matthew 12:33-37)

4. The people had made profanity their practice

a. Profanity is one of the marks of decay

b. “But . . . filthy communication out of your mouth” (Colossians 3:8)

5. Lying is not to be taken lightly

a. Satan is a liar (John 8:44)

6. Believers are to put away lying (Ephesians 4:25)

7. A good verse to eliminate swearing and lying (Psalm 19:14)

C. They Had Departed from the Lord in Their Works (4:2), By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.

1. Three marks of decay in Israel at that time

a. Killing (Exodus 20:13), Thou shalt not kill.

b. Stealing (Exodus 20:15), Thou shalt not steal.

c. Committing adultery (Exodus 20:14), Thou shalt not commit adultery.

2. All of these forbidden by the Scriptures

3. These sins are prevalent in America now

a. Killing brings danger to our streets and homes

b. Stealing costs us all

c. Commenting adultery increases disease and ruins marriages

III.

A. Israel was Invited to Return to the Lord

1. Return in spite of their sins

2. Return and be forgiven

B. God Still Calls the Wayward to Return

C. He Will Pardon, Cleanse, and Revive (6:2), After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.