"Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces
but he will heal us;
he has injured us
but he will bind up our wounds....
...Let us acknowledge the LORD;
let us press on to acknowledge him.
As surely as the sun rises, he will appear;
he will come to us like the winter rains,
like the spring rains that water the earth." - Hosea 6:1-3 NIV
'Come', Hosea calls to Israel, 'Come and return to the Lord. There is still time. He can heal our wounds.'
But, Hosea's pleas fall on deaf ears. The people of Israel no longer think of the Lord God first. They still offer sacrifices and offerings, but they no longer come from the heart. Their hearts belong to the gods of wood and stone that they worship, and they trust more in the strength of their neighbors than they do in God. And all the time, they think they have it made.
Israel's arrogance testifies against him,
but despite all this
he does not return to the LORD his God
or search for him. - Hosea 7:10 NIV
What was so obvious to Hosea and all of the prophets during this time, was hidden from the kings, rulers, priests, and average citizens of Israel.
"They sow the wind
and reap the whirlwind.
The stalk has no head;
it will produce no flour
Were it to yield grain,
foreigners would swallow it up. - Hosea 8:7 NIV
'You don't know what you're doing,' Hosea tell them. 'You're counting on your palaces and fortresses to protect you. You run to Assyria or Egypt for refuge. Your efforts are puny, they will come to nothing. Even worse, the result of your efforts will bring destruction greater than what you fear.' 'You're sowing the wind, but you will reap the whirlwind.'
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