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The further we dive into the book of Hosea, the uglier the picture of Israel becomes and, though it might be uncomfortable to admit, the more we likely see similar tendencies in ourselves. Here in chapter 6, Pastor drew out for us three ways through which Israel demonstrated their need for repentance: 1) through incomplete repentance 2) through inadequate loyalty and 3) through iniquitous practice. Things are bad in Israel (possibly an all-time understatement) and not merely bad, but the type of bad that says, “I want to excessively indulge my desires for wickedness at the expense of my fidelity to God, avoid meaningful steps of true repentance unto God at all cost, and still maintain the benefits of God’s covenant blessings.”

Do you see tendencies and desires of your own heart in any of that? I would be lying if I said I didn’t…

This view of God reflects a tendency to desire that God be our little magic genie–a god who I summon on my time and is a slave to my every wish and whim. Instead, God is Yahweh of Hosts who both justly and rightfully demands and deserves our repentance, loyalty, and obedience. 

How many times have I allowed paltry, incomplete steps of repentance from my sin so that I can avoid cutting it off completely (Matt. 5:30)? How many times have I been fickle in my love toward the Lord when He deserves completely devoted loyalty? How many times have I indulged pet sins rather than dealing with them as flagrant disobedience against my holy Lord, Savior, and God?

This week, let us consider together how to:

  • Walk in true, full, practical steps of repentance in those areas from which we know we have not fully turned. 
  • Examine ways in which our love toward the Lord has been fickle and how we have actually ended up giving far greater loyalty to infinitely lesser things.
  • View our disobedience for what it truly is (agreeing with what God says it is) and treating it as such.