The Bible Study Podcast, episode 735.

Today, the Bible Study podcast continues with the study of Hosea with chapters 6 and 7.

Welcome to the Bible Study podcast.

I'm your host, Chris Christensen. We're going to do two chapters today, in part because it's one of those weird places where the chapter markers got put in and it's all one thought. Israel unrepentant. 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. After two days he will

revive us, on the third day he will restore us that we may live in his presence. 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.

What can I do with you, Ephraim? What can I do with you, Judah? Your love is like the morning

mist, like the early dew that disappears. Therefore I cut you in pieces with my prophets. I killed you

with the words of my mouth. Then my judgments go forth like the sun,

for I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgement of God rather than burnt offerings.

As at Adam, they have broken the covenant. They were unfaithful to me. Gilead is a city of

evildoers, stained with footprints of blood. As marauders lie and ambush

for a victim, so do bands of priests. They murder on the road to Shachem, carrying out their wicked

schemes. I have seen a horrible thing in Israel. Then Ifrahim is given to prostitution,

Israel is defiled. Also for you, Judah, a harvest is appointed whenever I would restore the fortunes of my people.

I'm going to take a break there because that's the end of chapter six.

So let's talk about what this says before we go on.

One thing I forgot to mention last week, as we were talking about the sin of Israel, one of the things that I

skipped over is Israel's leaders are like those who move boundary stones.

It's an interesting phrase, and I don't know if everybody caught what that means, but basically

you're changing where the boundary is between you and your neighbor.

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