Hosea 6 – Quickly Return 何西阿书6 – 快来归回
Thursday, 4th May 2023
星期四2023年5月4日
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
潘锡安牧师
Section One V1-3 The Repentance God Desires 神要的是悔改
V1-3 ‘Come, and let us return to the Lord; for He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up. After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His sight. Let us know, let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, like the latter and former rain to the earth.’
V1-3 ‘来吧，我们归向耶和华！他撕裂我们，也必医治；他打伤我们，也必缠裹。 过两天他必使我们苏醒，第三天他必使我们兴起，我们就在他面前得以存活。 我们务要认识耶和华，竭力追求认识他。他出现确如晨光，他必临到我们像甘雨，像滋润田地的春雨。’
We know in the end time, the world will fall, there will be many things happening around us, the plagues, the earthquakes, the tsunamis, the tornados… everyday there is news about the great shaking around the world, and we see the land is failing. When men do not walk in the Way of God, the land will gradually fail. But despite of all the sins conducted by men, God is still waiting, His Heart is never to destroy, but to call people to return.
So we may ask, if God loves us then why did he tore us up and struck us? We only see our pains and hurts, we fail to notice God’s love for us, His healing and His restorations. Everyday we look down to the earth, we focus on our failures, the troubles around us, the broken relationships, and the failing environment. But do we really know why all these things are happening? We destroyed the land with the pollutions, the wars, the greed, and the selfishness; we destroyed our relationships with our fears, our self-centeredness, and our self-righteousness; and we destroyed our own path to eternity because we seek this world instead of seeking God.
The prophet called the people to come and to return to the Lord, we must take our first step, this is a verb, an action word, and this is what we must do. We thought by sitting here and doing nothing, then we will know God. God will appear like the morning sun, but we must first wake up and walk out, then we can welcome this morning sun.
Section Two V4-6 The Worship God Desires 神要的是敬拜
V4-6 ‘O Ephraim, what shall I do to you? O Judah, what shall I do to you? For your faithfulness is like a morning cloud, and like the early dew it goes away. Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets, I have slain them by the words of My mouth; and your judgments are like light that goes forth. For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.’
V4-6 ‘主说：“以法莲哪，我可向你怎样行呢？犹大啊，我可向你怎样做呢？因为你们的良善如同早晨的云雾，又如速散的甘露。 因此，我借先知砍伐他们，以我口中的话杀戮他们，我施行的审判如光发出。我喜爱良善，不喜爱祭祀；喜爱认识神，胜于燔祭。’
Our attitude is not right, we thought we are faithful, but our faithfulness has quickly faded away, like the morning cloud and the early dew, which don’t stay long. God’s Judgement will come, through the words from the prophets, He speaks the Word of righteousness. Then our wickedness will be revealed, we can no longer find excuses for ourselves, when the Light of God comes, nothing can be hidden in the darkness. Do not think that we are doing the right thing, do not think that when we come to church, when we pray, when we worship, then we are pleasing God. God knows our hearts, He desires mercy and not sacrifice, He wants us to love Him wholeheartedly, not because of fear and not because of how much we have done for Him.
God is merciful, He knows our limitation, He knows that we cannot, and He knows that we need His strength. But do we really seek Him, know Him, love Him, and worship Him? God wants us to interact and have relationship with Him wholeheartedly. The young ruler thought he had done everything God wanted him to do, but Jesus said it was not enough, because the young ruler wanted to be blessed and therefore, he did everything he thought he had to do. But Jesus only wanted him to simply follow, let go of everything on he was holding in his hands, and be willing to offer for God.
Section Three V7-11 God Will Judge and Repay 神要审判和报应
V7-11 ‘But like men they transgressed the covenant; there they dealt treacherously with Me. Gilead is a city of evildoers and defiled with blood. As bands of robbers lie in wait for a man, so the company of priests murder on the way to Shechem; surely they commit lewdness. I have seen a horrible thing in the house of Israel: There is the harlotry of Ephraim; Israel is defiled. Also, O Judah, a harvest is appointed for you, when I return the captives of My people.’
V7-11 ‘他们却如亚当背约，在境内向我行事诡诈。基列是作孽之人的城，被血沾染。强盗成群，怎样埋伏杀人，祭司结党，也照样在示剑的路上杀戮，行了邪恶。在以色列家我见了可憎的事，在以法莲那里有淫行，以色列被玷污。犹大啊，我使被掳之民归回的时候，必有为你所命定的收场。’
Do not think that God does not know, He knows everything! His Judgement will soon come, and He will repay! Do not think we are safe, do not think we are still ok, and do not think that the destruction will not come to us. If we don’t return, if we don’t repent, then judgement for us will come sooner or later, we are not in the position to judge others, because only God is the righteous Judge.
If we return, then we will know that God is also merciful, He will return the captives of His people, and appoint us His harvest. It’s time to quickly return, God will judge, and God will repay. Come, and let us walk out of our comfort zone, return to Him, worship Him, and repent before Him!