Two of the most frequent comments or questions I receive are:
How do I study the Bible?
How can I have a deeper understanding of God's Word?
This week, I'll attempt to provide you with ideas around how you can study the Bible with God. I’ll give you an inside look at how I study God’s Word, but it’s important that you seek out with God what works best for your relationship. Everyone studies a bit differently, and that’s a wonderful thing! God will meet you there.
Using Hosea 6, we’ll study a single verse or small group of verses, and then respond to the Word through conversation with God. One way I do this in my morning quiet time is by grabbing a pen and my study Bible (or a great study resource like Blue Letter Bible) and reading the verse and jotting down a couple of thoughts in my Bible.
[Btw, I have to intentionally reclaim my morning study time because other distractions like tiny humans, work email, and text messages contend for it. It never gets easier, you just get better at it through God’s strength and consistent obedience]
As I read, there might be another verse that comes to mind or something I pick up in the study notes [Google helps me, too, but you have to be careful that you don’t let the internet suck you in during Bible time. Stick with online Bibles v. chasing down YouTube videos and such to search out additional verses]. Then, I will write in my journal briefly responding to what God is speaking through His Word. Doing 1 or 2 verses this way will open up a whole new understanding of Him! Here’s an example.
Before we dig into this week’s chapter, let's ask God to open our hearts. God gave us His Spirit, and according to Isaiah 11:2, the gift of His Spirit provides us with wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, and fear (awe) of the Lord.
"Father, thank You for sending Your Person, the Holy Spirit, to walk along side us, be in us, and come upon us. I ask that You would grant me the wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, and awe of You (Isaiah 11:2) in my daily walk, and especially at this moment as I study Your life-giving Word. I know when I ask things in alignment with Your nature (John 14:14), You give. I also know when I lack wisdom, I’m to ask of You (James 1:5-6). Please pour out all that You have for me through this study. Amen."
"Come, let us return to the Lord;
for he has torn us, that he may heal us;
he has struck us down, and he will bind us up.
Notice Hosea's words: "Come, let us return to the Lord..." Hosea—like other Old Testament prophets—refused to separate themselves from the plight of the people. That is the mark of a true leader.
God doesn't tear us down so that we can forever be pained. He tears us so that we can be rebuilt properly and fully healed. He strikes us down not out of anger, but because He desires to bandage us up in His holy salve. It is a loving correction, not an angry one.
Lord, I want to return to You. I am torn, and I desire not just my healing, but the healing of my family, the team I lead, the school, and the company I serve each day. "Let us" be our cry together in unity. Teach us deep humility, holiness, and forgiveness. Forgive me. I see the stones I throw are from my own pocket. Familiar and smooth from me wearing them down with my rough and thoughtless actions. I bring those stones to the altar—to surrender to You and pick up Your love instead. Bind my heart to You. Fetter me to You.
2 After two days he will revive us;
on the third day he will raise us up,
that we may live before him.
Let's talk about revival. In churches today, there's usually a "revival" week or two each year. I don't believe they are bad or wrong; however, I would challenge the Christian’s mindset around this topic because to revive something means it is dead. Please don't mishear me: I want the Bride of Christ to be holy and alive, and I do believe we need a revival. But, for corporate revival to take place in the body of Christ, individual revival must happen first.
2 Corinthians 5:15 says, "And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again." I love this tie to the verse above about being raised up and living before Him. Even though these Old Testament believers hadn't experienced the work of Christ, there is a parallel between Israel's resurrection on the third day in this verse and Jesus as the Messiah representing and embodying His people (ESV Study Bible)
Almighty God, revive my own life. Corporate revival begins with my own personal wholeness and reviving me from death into Your new life.
3 Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord;
his going out is sure as the dawn;
he will come to us as the showers,
as the spring rains that water the earth."
Again, here's the "let us" phrase. There is a heart of humility in Hosea that says, "Me too, Lord." I love that even though Hosea was called to proclaim God's judgment on His people, He did not exclude himself.
"Let us press on to know the Lord..." --> If you recall, in Hosea 4, we talked about people perishing for lack of knowledge. When we don't have an understanding of the things of God, we are tossed to and fro. We don't know what real knowledge is because we're so accustomed to counterfeit knowledge. That's why we must be like the Bereans in Acts 17:11, which reads, "Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." Just because you're taught it on Sunday doesn't make it accurate. Be sure you're studying God's Word daily and examining Scriptures every day to see if it aligns with the truth of God.
The word "know" in this verse is yada in Hebrew and has an incredibly deep meaning. A while back, we had one of our favorite pastors come to our church and talk about intimacy in marriage. We learned that the word yada is "to know and be known. To reveal and be received. To be wise, skillful, understanding, instructed, to be found." That's what God wants to provide to you—He fully knows you and desires to bring you wisdom, skill, and understanding. But so often, we short-change His love for cheap substitutes. Food, money, entertainment, careers, sex, romance, or anxiety are all examples of modern-day idols that are battling for our hearts. God knows that if you pursue those, you will perish. He desires to be your complete satisfaction and experience profound closeness with Him.
"Lord, You are consistent like the rising and setting of the sun. You refresh us, God, with Your Word and Spirit. Thank you for fully knowing us, and calling us to know You more. Stir in me that desire daily, and teach me to be obedient even when I don't feel like it."
4 What shall I do with you, O Ephraim?
What shall I do with you, O Judah?
Your love is like a morning cloud,
like the dew that goes early away.
You can hear the grieving of the Lord in this verse as He visually describes what He feels. He feels like the Israelites love is like a morning cloud….like the dew that goes early away.
"Forgiving Savior, I know there is anguish and grieving when I sin. My love for You is inconsistent—like the dew that dries up early. I feel like that. The morning or week starts strong, and then I dwindle. I do not press on to know You as fiercely. Help me to persevere in You and press in to know You more and more each day. May how I feel not override what I know to be true in You."
5 Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets;
I have slain them by the words of my mouth,
and my judgment goes forth as the light.
God reveals our sin through His holy light. Yes, God judges because He is holy, not because He takes pleasure in punishment. The standard is the cross, friends.
Almighty God, I am so thankful for the cross that Jesus bore. The standard is the cross, and no matter what I do or don't do, I will never deserve that grace. Thank you for that free gift that wasn’t free. Your grace changes everything, and I want to live to glorify You.
6 For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,
the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
Psalm 51:16-17 reminds me of this verse, which reads, "For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise."
"Lord, above all, You desire an obedient heart. Create in me a clean heart, oh God, and renew a right spirit within me. Help me to seek Your knowledge and hide it in my heart, so I don't sin against You."
7 But like Adam they transgressed the covenant;
there they dealt faithlessly with me.
Transgression is our heritage. It started with the first Adam (Genesis 3) and ended with the Second Adam (Jesus, 1 Corinthians 15:20-23) through the resurrection.
Praise God for the work of Christ through His death and resurrection!
8 Gilead is a city of evildoers,
tracked with blood.
9 As robbers lie in wait for a man,
so the priests band together;
they murder on the way to Shechem;
they commit villainy.
10 In the house of Israel I have seen a horrible thing;
Ephraim's whoredom is there; Israel is defiled.
Wickedness was in the hearts of the people, and the priests were the ones who led them astray.
Lord, as I lead others in various roles, teach me to be submissive to those You've instructed me to submit to (Ephesians 5). Also, help me to follow You relentlessly and have godly and consistent boundaries to keep me surrendered to You. I do not want to live defiled, but in holiness.
11 For you also, O Judah, a harvest is appointed.
When I restore the fortunes of my people,
This verse continues in chapter 7, but it's a crescendo to end on for the week. God desires to give us a bountiful blessing and a holy harvest. However, He is a righteous God, and He will correct and discipline those He loves to draw them to repentance. As we talked about last week, the goal of God's verdict was not to destroy. So often, we hear that the Old Testament contains too much war and destruction. Friends, that is not God's heart; His grace and mercy are never-ending (Lamentations 3:22-23). However, when people are repeatedly rebellious and do not desire to turn from wickedness, He will give them over to their sin for a season. Sadly, it typically takes an affliction for us to turn to God. It's not His desire to punish, but when our hearts are repeatedly stumbling and not turning toward repentance, how else can He awaken His child?
"God, I desire Your blessings in my life and want to honor the boundaries You have established through Your Word. Teach me to follow Your Word and help me to be obedient to Your Spirit as You instruct me in wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, and fear (awe) of the Lord. Amen and Amen."