By Robin Sam
THE book of Hosea chapter 6 can be divided into 4 parts: 1. The purpose of a redeemed life. 2. The problem of sin. 3. The plight of the sinful people. 4. The plan of God for Israel in the last days.
I want to briefly touch upon the 1st part – the purpose of a redeemed life. What does God expect from a redeemed person? Hosea 6:6 gives us the answer: ‘For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.’
The first time God used a somewhat similar phrase was when prophet Samuel spoke to Saul, who did not do to the Amalekites as the Lord had commanded him to do. The prophet chided Saul in 1 Samuel 15:22 when he said: ‘Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.’
Micah 6:8 puts it beautifully. ‘He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
To sum up the above verses, there are 5 things God expects in a life touched by the saving grace of God: He expects mercy, the knowledge of God, obedience, justice and humility.
God-willing, I will elaborate on these five things in an article in the magazine on a later day. But, for now I want to leave you with these things to ponder on. Do our lives display mercy? Do we yearn for the knowledge of God? Are we obedient to His voice? Do we conduct our affairs justly? And above all, are we clothed in humility? My prayer for you and me this month is that God will help us fulfil His expectations! Amen.
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Robin Sam is a preacher, Bible teacher and missions worker. He works in Messenger Missions, a Gospel proclaiming ministry and edits The Christian Messenger magazines in English and Tamil.
