Hosea 6:1-3 is often quoted and used, as we pray for revival and renewal in the Church.
“In their affliction they will rise early to me: Come, and let us return to the Lord:
For He hath taken us, and He will heal us: He will strike, and He will cure us.
He will revive us after two days: on the third day He will raise us up, and we shall live in His sight. We shall know, and we shall follow on, that we may know the Lord. His going forth is prepared as the morning light, and He will come to us as the early and the latter rain to the earth.”
The reference to Jesus’ resurrection power here is clear, and it’s relationship to the revival of the Church- “on the third day He will raise us up.” He raises us up to true following after Him- walking in righteousness and holiness, in the power of the Holy Spirit (the prophesied “latter rain” from here, as well as Zech. 10:1; Joel 2:23, fulfilled in the Pentecost).
Yet, what is usually not mentioned is the previous two chapters, which explain why God’s people have come under an “affliction.”
It is the usual offences against God that have gotten His people into trouble- “cursing, and lying, and killing, and theft, and adultery have overflowed...therefore shall the land mourn.” (Hos. 3:2-3a)
Yet, the Word of the Lord from the prophet goes on to specify something that is so applicable to our generation, our situation in the Church today.
It says that the people had no knowledge, that the priests “rejected knowledge.” (6) Because of this, God does not allow the priesthood to function in His service- “thou shalt not do the service of priesthood to me.”
It goes on to explain how God turns His back on the priests.
The consequences of this:
“And there shall be like people like priest: and I will visit their ways upon them, and I will repay their devices...they have committed fornication, and have not ceased: because they have forsaken the Lord in not observing His law. Fornication, and wine, and drunkenness take away the understanding.” (Hos. 4:9-11)
People follow their leaders. Unfortunately, the sins of the fathers are transferred to the children, unless there be repentance and God intervenes.
The spirit of fornication came upon God’s people through the corruption of the priests. Because the priests did not uphold and cry out for holiness, because they were slack and unfaithful in their right living and union with God, these sins (especially sexual sins, denoted by “fornication”) were transferred to the people. Recall how Phineas the priest, grandson of Aaron, turned away the wrath of God from the Israelites by killing the Israelite who had blatantly brought in a Midianite woman into the camp “right before the eyes of Moses and the whole assembly of Israel.” (Num. 25:6)
Something radical had to be done, to make a statement to the people, and to show God that Phineas meant business- how serious he was about bringing the people back to God’s holiness. Moses and the elders were crying out, but Phinehas got up and did something- and he was honoured by the Lord for this.
The implications of these passages are very clear, linked as they are with the current state of the Church.
Who will rise up and declare the holiness of God? “Holiness unto the Lord” (Zech. 14:20)? It’s easy to cry out to God, to pray; it’s just as easy to point the finger, to notice and expose the sins of the priests and the people. But this does not produce change- revival of God’s life and Spirit in the Church.
True revival comes about through a radical change of life- when someone takes the Gospel personally, says “I don’t care if all the priests and the people are corrupt! I’m gonna follow Jesus with all my heart no matter the cost.” It’s easy to get discouraged and say, “what is the point? If the priests aren’t even holy, why should I be?”
Let the Phinehas anointing arise in our generation, the Hosea 6 moment of repentance! It’s one thing to cry out and pray for the Church...it’s more important to God that we ourselves change and become on fire with the holiness of God.
He spits out the lukewarm. (Rev. 3:16)
They won’t make it to Heaven, only those who do the will of the Father. (Matt. 7:21)
Pornography, sexual perversion, etc. (fornication) has been a problem in the priesthood and the people of God since the time of Hosea, the time even of Numbers. God was always getting upset with the people having sex with the women of the nations, because of sexual sin, and that He knew they would fall into idolatry. It’s the same way today- “there’s nothing new under the sun.” (Eccl. 1:9)
Who will grab ahold of this Scripture and truly be revived by the “knowledge of the Lord?” In the Old Testament, “to know” of course has a connotation of sexual intimacy. We should not be getting our intimacy from people, pornography, illicit sex. It should be deep in the heart of man, where only God can touch and bless.
Who will arise like Phineas and choose to be set apart from this generation, to seek to live the way of the Lord? To love Jesus and do nothing to hurt or dishonour Him? To be holy by the Spirit’s power dwelling in us who believe?
It is your decision.
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