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“O Ephraim, what shall I do to you? O Judah, what shall I do to you? For your faithfulness is like a morning cloud, And like the early dew it goes away. Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets, I have slain them by the words of My mouth; And your judgments are like light that goes forth. For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. But like men they transgressed the covenant; There they dealt treacherously with Me.” (Hosea 6.4-7; emphasis mine, jb)

We are looking at this passage because: 1) It is a text that deals with mercy, and 2) Jesus twice cited verse 6 (the bold portion, above) of this passage while emphasizing the fact that God desires mercy and not sacrifice. That being the case, surely it warrants our attention. We will explore what Hosea meant when he wrote it and what Jesus meant when he applied it to the Pharisees in Matthew 9.13 and Matthew 12.7.

Cold formalism was the rule in both the northern (Ephraim) and southern (Judah) kingdoms of Israel at the time of Hosea’s ministry. He worked as a contemporary of Isaiah, Micah, and Amos; as a foursome they launched verbal attacks against formalism that border on scathing rebukes. However, there was good reason for the ferocity of their decrees! Formalism had infected every nook and cranny of Israel and God’s people. Beginning with the priests and extending to the most insignificant of citizens, the inhabitants of God’s Promised Land seemed to think that form was more important than substance, and that sacrifice was more important than mercy.

They were dead wrong. Sacrifice apart from mercy had no chance of being pleasing to God; worship without the genuine and heartfelt involvement of one’s very core being is but so much wasted motion. For that reason, Isaiah would speak for God concerning such formalism and say, “‘To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?’ Says the LORD. ‘I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fed cattle. I do not delight in the blood of bulls, Or of lambs or goats. When you come to appear before Me, Who has required this from your hand, To trample My courts? Bring no more futile sacrifices; Incense is an abomination to Me. The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies—I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting.’” (Isaiah 1.11-13). Such hypocrisy was nauseating to God, and to think it was all done in the name of religion and righteousness!

Jesus merely echoed that sentiment when He spoke as He did to the Pharisees. They were also noted for their adherence to the law in form, but with little or no attention to substance. What good is a sacrifice if it comes from a heart that is blackened by sinful attitudes and intentions? Will it avail something in the eyes of God? Absolutely not! In fact, such service before Him is but an affront to His power and position! Do we think He won’t notice that our giving is begrudging, that our worship is without feeling, our form is merely habit, and our hearts actually show more allegiance to self than to Him! God desires mercy (attitude of heart) and not sacrifice (outward form)! What was true when Jesus spoke is still true today; in fact, it has always been true!

Questions:

1. What is cold formalism, or ritualism?

2. When did God start disliking cold formalism/ritualism?

3. How does hypocrisy tie in to ritualism? Are they related sins, and if so, how?

4. When did God start demanding that worship emanate from the heart and that it come from pure motives and overflowing gratitude?

"Inspiration For You" from Randy Mitchell

Watching Your Dollars Fly Away