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Hosea 6:7-10 Ritual or relationship - Day 304

Good morning fellow travelers,

We are nearing the end of our travels through the Bible for this year.  This passage reminds us that God's plan of salvation is not merely obeying ritual, even ritual that He has established.

Blessings,

Jeff

Theme of this chapter is that both kingdoms are unrepentant.  Recall that Hosea is last prophet before Israel is dispersed, many years before Judah goes into exile.  We know that all the kings of Israel were bad.  Some were worse than others, but all of them walked in the ways of Jeroboam (first king after the split) who made Israel sin.  Judah on the other hand has some good kings and some bad kings.   So what I find interesting is that from God's perspective both are essentially equally guilty and in need of repentance. 

I think v6 is key.  God desires steadfast love and knowledge of Him.  Both kingdoms failed in this.  Judah maintained sacrifice and burnt offerings, but this was ritual in place of relationship.  Israel did not even maintain ritual.

God graciously gave the sacrificial system to prompt recognition of serious nature of sin.  But ritual by itself cannot cleanse the conscience.  Up until freshman year of college, I was in the camp of ritual, thinking that merely going to church made me acceptable to God.  Then God regenerated me in an ice cream shop in Evanston, Ill and I was enabled to turn to him in faith.

Dear reader, I urge you to take some time and consider if you are growing in steadfast love and knowledge of God or are just using ritual to cover for disobedience.  You have read much to get to this point in the plan.  I pray that Christ is all in all to you.

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