God is looking for a repentance attitude

​“Israel, return to Yahweh your God, for you have stumbled in your sin. Take words of repentance with you and return to the Lord. Say to Him: “Forgive all our sin and accept what is good, so that we may repay You with praise from our lips. Assyria will not save us, we will not ride on horses, and we will no longer proclaim, ‘Our gods! ’ to the work of our hands. For the fatherless receives compassion in You.”

‭‭Hosea‬ ‭14:1-3‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/72/hos.14.3.HCSB

Not too many times are we told what to tell God, but here in Hosea, we are. Let us break down the phrases. 

1. Forgive all our sin

We are to ask God to forgive our sins. Sins are those things that we do or do not do that God commands us to follow. Sins are what separates us from God. 

2. Accept what is good

May our good deeds be remembered. Our good deeds do not pave the way for salvation but they send riches to heaven for our rewards when we get there. 

3. So that we may repay You with praise from our lips

Our paise begins to repay God for what he has done through forgiving our sin. When we think we have nothing to be thankful for we can always point to God’s grace the salvation found in Jesus. 

4. Assyria will not save us

This is the Israelites turning away from trusting in people as their help in times of need. Instead of sending a letter requesting help from the Assyrian kings, they would seek God for his Devine help. 

5. We will not ride on horses

Riding on horses gave them a considerable advantage in battle, but they put confidence in their strength, but God is wanting them to put their trust in God’s strength. Deuteronomy‬ ‭17:16‬ ‬‬

6. We will no longer proclaim, ‘Our gods! ’ to the work of our hands

The idols were made of wood or metal and would be considered “Our gods”, but God is wanting them and us to turn back to Him and make Him “our God”. Where the emphasis is shifting attention away from our ability to His ability. 

7. For the fatherless receives compassion in You

The fatherless are those people who have no inheritance from their Dad’s hard work so then they would have to rely on God for their inheritance. In our terms, we would say they would be trusting God for their retirement and not have millions stored up in 401ks. Israel could see God’s hands of provision on the fatherless and be jealous that they did not have the same provision operating in their lives. Hosea‬ ‭14:8‬

Now all this could be said in different attitudes but the attitude God is looking for is a repentance attitude. This attitude is one of honesty and commitment to turn away from that which is turning us away from God. 

“However, he must not acquire many horses for himself or send the people back to Egypt to acquire many horses, for the Lord has told you, ‘You are never to go back that way again.’”

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭17:16‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/72/deu.17.16.HCSB

“Ephraim, why should I have anything more to do with idols? It is I who answer and watch over him. I am like a flourishing pine tree; your fruit comes from Me.”

‭‭Hosea‬ ‭14:8‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/72/hos.14.8.HCSB

So what might our prayer look like?

(Your name here), return to Yahweh your God, for you have stumbled in your sin. Take words of repentance with you and return to the Lord. Say to Him: “Forgive all my sin and accept what is good, so that I may repay You with praise from my lips. The government will not save me, I will not trust the ability added to me by my possessions, and I will no longer proclaim, ‘My gods! ’ to the work of my hands. For those who trust in you receive compassion in You.