Today’s passage is Hosea 6. Israel says they will return to the Lord and he will heal them and revive them after three days. The Lord says their love is like the morning mist. He says he desires mercy not sacrifices. He compares them to unfaithful Adam. They are murderers, robbers, cheats and defiled with prostitution.
(6:3) Why do your good intentions to do QT every day, go to Wednesday and Sunday worship and go to mokjang fail?
(6:6) Why do you judge others instead of being merciful?
(6:9) Why do the temptations of the world keep you from turning to God?
(6:6) I judge others instead of being merciful by being lovingly accepting for a few reasons.
The main one is pride.
I want to feel superior and the easiest way to do that is to stand in God’s place and judge others using different standards.
I can use God’s standards as shown in the Bible.
I can use society’s standards.
I can use my own selfish standards.
The standard doesn’t really matter, it’s the judging that does.
When I judge others it’s usually a one way street because I rarely apply my standard to myself.
Jesus has a lot to say about this in Matthew 5 and 7. “Love your enemies,” he says. “Do not judge or you will be judged, and with the same measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
In Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice one of the main characters says that mercy is not filtered or different for different people.
She says it’s a twofold blessing, one for the merciful and one for those who receive mercy. I struggle with all of this.
In the world there has to be standards for quality control.
There has to be rules.
God also gives us rules, which do have social consequences but mostly the rules are for us to measure ourselves and our relationship with him.
God’s rules show me how far I am from him, how great a sinner I am.
And when I see that it he shows me mercy through Jesus’ death and resurrection.
The Israelites recognize this in the first part of today’s passage when they they say that after two days of divine punishment he will raise them up on the third day to live in his sight (2).
That’s God’s promise to us through Jesus.
So, I have God’s model of mercy, love and forgiveness but I persist in judgment.
Why? Aside from pride, it is a sense of sinful inferiority and a general sense of insecurity, of not being equal to others who seem to be better than me and have more.
I want to be special.
And even though I am special because of my salvation, because of being a remnant through my faith in God’s grace, I want to be special in the world.
That’s what gets me in trouble.
When I look at all I have in this world--a loving wife, loving family, supportive church, good job, good health, lots to eat and wear, a nice place to live--what is it that I want? Why isn’t it enough? Why do I have to imagine a better environment? Why do I judge my circumstances? This is huge because in judging them I am judging God.
When I see that my complaints, my judgments of others, of events, of my circumstances, and I see that behind it all I’m judging God, then I know that I’m a complete and absolute sinner.
Only a sinner would judge his Lord, his Creator and his Savior.
Today’s passage shows me that the way of repentance for me is to have mercy on others and strive harder for a better knowledge of my God.
Application: to greet others today with a smile and a welcome, not a frown or narrowed eyes of judgment.
Lord, let me have mercy on others, on myself and let me give you praise and thanksgiving for the circumstances you graciously give me.
