Sermon Tone Analysis

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Anger
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Anger
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Hosea 6-7
Saturday, August 25, 2007
10:47 AM
Structure:
 
1.
Promises of restoration (6:1-3)
2.         God desires mercy and knowledge, rather than sacrifices (6:3-6)
3.         List of Israel's wrongs (6:7-7:16)
 
Exegesis:
 
1.
There is a repeating imagery of the dawn in v.3-5.
What does it mean?
According to v.3, the imagery of the dawn symbolizes certainty of God's restoration.
Yet the mood changes in v.5, where the light of dawn symbolizes judgment.
In other words, even though God restores people with a new day, their love disappears almost immediately with the rising son and hence leads to new judgment.
This is an imagery of Israel never learning from its mistakes.
2.
What new accusations does God bring against Israel (not yet mentioned in ch.1-5)?
Hosea mentions problems within leadership and Israel's desperate attempt in diplomacy in chapter 7.
 
3.
What does verse 6 mean?
The Hebrew word "hesed" translated as "mercy" by NIV has two main meanings : steadfast (loyal) love and kindness (or mercy).
Hebrew has two words for love (ahab and hesed) and one for mercy (raham).
It is important to see the difference between the three.
Ahab is the love between people (husband and wide, parent and child, friends) or of people toward God.
Mercy (raham) is the compassion followed by action.
It is an act of either withdrawing the punishment or helping someone in need.
Hesed is best translated as kindness but not in the modern English sense.
Hesed means acting in the best interests of another person.
While hesed is often translated as love or steadfast love in the OT, kindness per se can appear very unloving, when pain and hurt are in the best interests of the other person.
In the OT, hesed is almost always used to refer to the love of God toward his creation, and less often as kindness (mercy) of people toward each other.
It is never used for love of people toward God (ahab is used in this case).
Hence when God says there is no hesed in the land (Hosea 4:1), that Israel's hesed disappears as the morning myst, that He desires hesed from Israelites rather than sacrifices, he talks about kindness and loyal love of the Jews toward each other, not toward God.
That is also why after God mentions a lack of hesed in Hosea 4:1, he goes on to demonstrate it by quoting violations of several (of the ten) commandments that refer to relationships between people.
The second part of the v. 6 says that God prefers the knowledge of God rather than offerings.
By knowledge Bible usually implies intimate knowledge of something or somebody that results in appropriate action.
For example, to know ones wife is to have sexual relationship with her.
The knowledge of God is best defined as understanding of his deep desires, which would naturally bring our desire to fulfill them.
What are the God's desires?
He has many!
Here are just a few that He mentions in connection with sacrifices (these things are better than sacrifices):
 
1 Sam 15:22 (Obedience)
Psalm 50:7–15; (Confession and praise)
Psalm 51:16 (broken spirit and contrite heart)
Psalm 147:11 (in those who fear him and put their hope in God's unfailing love)
Prov 21:3 (To do what is right and just)
Isaiah 1:17 (do right, seek justice, encourage the oppressed, defend the cause of fatherless and widows)
Jeremiah 9:24 (kindness, justice and righteousness)
Mark 12:33 (Love God and our neighbors)
 
Important aspects of the knowledge of God:
 
a.
Understanding that what pleases God is us treating others with kindness:
 
Jeremiah 22:15-16 (NIV)
15“Does it make you a king
to have more and more cedar?
Did not your father have food and drink?
He did what was right and just,
so all went well with him.
16 He defended the cause of the poor and needy,
and so all went well.
*Is that not what it means to know me*?”
declares the Lord.
b.
Understanding why we need to obey:
 
Proverbs 2:1-6 (NIV)
Moral Benefits of Wisdom
1     My son, if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,
2     turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding,
3     and if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
4     and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
5     then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God.
6     For the Lord gives wisdom,
and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
Just understanding what a command mean is noJews probably understood God's commands too literally and hence often did not know the meaning behind.
For example, Jews probably brought sacrifices to God and thought that now God owes them.
But when God did not provide rain on time or allowed poor harvest, they would immediately abandon him and run to idols that promise better harvest or more rain.
They saw sacrifices as a way to earn God's favor.
Isaiah 58:2-9 (NIV)
 
 
2     For day after day they seek me out;
they seem eager to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that does what is right
and has not forsaken the commands of its God.
They ask me for just decisions
and seem eager for God to come near them.
3     ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say,
‘and you have not seen it?
Why have we humbled ourselves,
and you have not noticed?’
“Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please
and exploit all your workers.
4     Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,
and in striking each other with wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
and expect your voice to be heard on high.
5     Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
only a day for a man to humble himself?
Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed
and for lying on sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast,
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