What should we do?
Hosea 6:6
„For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.”
God defined several types of sacrifices that man could offer to God. In the verse of Hosea quoted, God clearly spoke of an animal sacrifice, not a fruit or pasta sacrifice.
So it narrows the possibilities for what God asks for love and knowledge instead. The burnt offering was an animal sacrifice for sins, and the sacrifice could be, for example, a peace sacrifice, a voluntary animal sacrifice, or an oath sacrifice (animal sacrifice).
These sacrifices had their own roles and benefits, but they were useless and inferior to the love and knowledge of God.
If we love God enough (which is not only manifested in our emotions) and know Him, then there is no need for a sacrifice and a burnt offering because they lost their importance and meaning.
But as we know, the animal sacrificial order has been impossible for nearly 2,000 years due to the lack of the Temple, but even if the Temple were still standing and the animal sacrificial order continued, it would not matter to us because we believe in Jesus' perfect sacrifice to become the only intercessor with the Father.
So what message does Hosea 6:6 hold for us?
It is also completely relevant today, we just have to replace with the sacrifices offered to God. For example, in the case of sacrifice, today's believers turn to Jesus with oaths, vows, promises, services that God did not ask for, and in the case of a burnt offering, they tiring God with their sins.
What does God say about this? He asks for love rather than sacrifice! It is more about knowing Him than constantly harassing Him over our sins. Let’s see then why God prefers love and knowledge from us.
Love
No, I will not quote from 1 Corinthians 13! Rather, the words of Jesus, which we already know very well:
John 14:15
„If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”
So if we keep all that Jesus asks of us, then the sacrifice is meaningless, so in the present day (attention): Any effort to make up for our lack of love is meaningless. Jesus is asking us to keep the commandments, not to replace them with something else!
Every person needs love. If we have lived and experienced enough, we know very well that it is not the words from which we feel love, but the deeds. Why would we think it would be any different with God?
John 14:21
„Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”
Wow, we read that whoever loves Jesus is loved by the Father! So Jesus loves not everyone but those who love Him. Here is what Proverbs 8 says:
Proverbs 8:10-36
„Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold, for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her. "I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion. The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate. I have counsel and sound wisdom; I have insight; I have strength. By me kings reign, and rulers decree what is just; by me princes rule, and nobles, all who govern justly. I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me. Riches and honor are with me, enduring wealth and righteousness. My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold, and my yield than choice silver. I walk in the way of righteousness, in the paths of justice, granting an inheritance to those who love me, and filling their treasuries. "The LORD possessed me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of old. Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth. When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water. Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth, before he had made the earth with its fields, or the first of the dust of the world. When he established the heavens, I was there; when he drew a circle on the face of the deep, when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep, when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth, then I was beside him, like a master workman, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always, rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the children of man. "And now, O sons, listen to me: blessed are those who keep my ways. Hear instruction and be wise, and do not neglect it. Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors. For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the LORD, but he who fails to find me injures himself; all who hate me love death."”
God is also good to the wicked, for they also partake of God's blessings (Matthew 5:45). It is the riches of His patience, but the time will come when patience will end and judgment will come.
Let's read John 14:21 again:
John 14:21
„Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”
Knowledge
At the end of the verse, Jesus mentions the knowledge with which we will continue right away. Here's how to read:
„and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”
So if we love God in deed, He reveals Himself to us and it would be basic in the life of every believer to get to know God. But if they love God only with their mouths, the process gets stuck at the very beginning, they are unable to come to the knowledge of God, so with their own hearts and thoughts they form the person of God which can be nothing but an idol (in vain they are called Jesus).
Then how would the verse of Hosea sound to us today?
God wants us to know Him, not to keep bothering God with apologies. For if we know Him, we do not sin, so there is no reason to apologize. How can we reconcile the knowledge of God with not committing sin? Read the following verse:
2Corinthians 3:18
„And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”
Knowledge of God is not just intellectual knowledge when we know something about someone, but we have nothing to do with it. Biblical knowledge is what those close to God can experience. We know well that God is holy, and those who want to come close to Him must be holy in deeds.
Isaiah 33:14-16
„The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling has seized the godless: "Who among us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings?" He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, who despises the gain of oppressions, who shakes his hands, lest they hold a bribe, who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed and shuts his eyes from looking on evil, he will dwell on the heights; his place of defense will be the fortresses of rocks; his bread will be given him; his water will be sure.”
If we truly (in deeds) love God, we can know Him. We do not change immediately at repentance, but through knowing God. Repentance is just the beginning of the journey, you have to go through it, you have to go through the door.
Antal Farkas
(March 12, 2022)
