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Hosea 5:1-7

As Elton John once put it... sorry seems to be the hardest word.
After the scenes previously have been laid out like a courtroom, now we come to a place of waiting.
Hosea knew what it was like to wait for his wife, Gomer's apology... and God knew it too, as He waited to hear that word from the lips of His wife, Israel...

The whole of chapter 5 is all about describing a God who will exercise astonishing patience.
God waits and waits and waits... until finally, in verse 15 (which we'll look at next time).

In this section, verses 1-7, we find God making the first move and taking the first step to get Israel to that point of saying "sorry"...

Working backwards, what does verse 6 tell us about God?
How does God deliberately withdraw?
Why?

Again, in verse 6, we're told that Israel might try to seek God with their sacrifices, but they won't find Him. Why?
Going back to verse 1, what is the reason given here?
What is God saying in verse 1?

Then God's patience is laid out...
In verse 3, we see Israel unable to 'fool' God. God can read her like a book.
How?

Verses 4-5 reveal something about the nature of their sin and what it's preventing them from doing.
What is it?
Why are the unable to return to God?
How can this happen?

Can you think of times when you have been unable to return to God?
What was happening?
how should we view sin?

[Activity] Look at Proverbs 3:11-12.
How do these 2 verses (along with this section of Hosea 5) help us to understand why God sometimes disciplines us?


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