Creator, Father, King #150

I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

IN THE LATE EIGHTH century BC, Israel was in total chaos.

Within about thirty years, six kings ruled the northern kingdom as failed international treaties, court intrigue, and assassinations threw the nation into utter disarray. One king (Zechariah) was assassinated only six months after assuming the throne in 753 BC. His killer, Shallum, was murdered a month later. On and on it went.

Spiritually speaking, things were no better. God’s people had completely abandoned the Lord. They had assimilated into the pagan Canaanite culture around them, worshiping false gods and practicing all sorts of wickedness. Yet they still tried to appease God through ceremonial adherence to the Mosaic law and animal sacrifice. It was shallow, heartless religion.

Finally, in 722 BC, the dreaded Assyrian Empire overwhelmed Israel, captured the capital city of Samaria, and deported most of the nation’s inhabitants.

Sadly, the people of Judah were also heading down the same path of immorality. The southern kingdom would be overthrown by the Babylonians by 586 BC.

Into the midst of this political and spiritual anarchy, God graciously sent the prophet Hosea to speak his words to his rebellious people. One of the powerful messages he gave was the words of today’s verse.

What’s It Mean?

You might be thinking to yourself, Wait, didn’t God give Israel the Mosaic law, which included the sacrificial system? Yes, he did! But the Old Testament covenant was always meant to point to something far greater.

The old covenant ultimately points to God’s holiness, humanity’s sin, and our need for a Savior. That Savior, of course, is Jesus Christ, who most gloriously reveals the steadfast love of God that today’s verse mentions. Through faith in Christ—not animal sacrifice—our sins are forever atoned for. Jesus called this the new covenant in his blood (Luke 22:20).

Even in the Old Testament, God never wanted the end result to simply be thousands of slaughtered sacrificial bulls and goats. That’s shallow, heartless religion. He wanted his people to look forward to the redemption that the sacrifices pointed toward.

God wants our hearts, not religious conformity. He wants us to truly know him and seek him, not just mindlessly follow a bunch of liturgical rules and regulations. He wants us to experience his steadfast love through the incredible, redemptive work of Christ!

Now What?

Prayerfully assess your daily spiritual practices to make sure they are being done out of love for God, not ritual.

Did You Know?

Jesus quoted today’s verse on several occasions to condemn the hypocritical religious leaders of his day (Matthew 9:13; 12:7; Mark 12:33).