For I desire loyalty and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. - Hosea 6:6
What does the Lord require? “A faithful heart” is the answer than generally comes to mind, and I never knew why until I ran across this verse in Hosea. What does the Lord require? God has simply asked us to be loyal, to trust, to listen to God’s commands.
The reason for this, is because God wants us to reciprocate a love that is poured out to us, that we might become one with him, in everything, and realize that everything we have or desire is founded on God’s words for eternal life. Even in the time of the Old Testament, when sacrifice was still common place, the LORD spoke through the prophet Hosea to tell the people that their loyalty to him is far more important than their ritual sacrifices.
However, God’s teaching and call for loyalty in scripture does not stop there. In Matthew 9, Jesus calls Matthew the Levite, to leave his tax collection and follow him. When Jesus and his disciples went to Matthew’s house to eat the Pharisees saw this and began to ask “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus response to this however, was “Those who are well don’t need a doctor, but the sick do. Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Matt 9:9-13).
God was teaching even the professionals, the Pharisees, of his own Hebrew people what God has said through the prophets. God echoes this teaching from Jesus down to us today. These same things that he taught long ago; to love God completely, with all our heart, minds, strengths, to seek to be in, and recognize God’s presence in our lives, and to live in loyalty and mercy.
How often do we still want to “do things for God,” that God might look on us with favor? God does not desire work that one might boast, but that you love God humbly and obediently, and seek to be in His presence, loyally, as a loving sacrifice. God desires for us to desire the divine love, more than sacrifice. The desire of our heart is granted by God (Psalm 20:4), but may our one desire be always for God’s love, God’s mercy, grace, peace and presence in our lives.
Grace & Peace,
Sam