For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgement of
God rather than burnt offerings.
Hosea 6:6
Why are Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, and Daniel
called Major Prophets and the other twelve prophets referred to as Minor
Prophets? I ask this question every year as we begin fourth-grade Sunday
school. Invariably the answer will be, “Because the major ones are the most
important.”
As the year passes, the children come to understand that the
minors are minor only because they are shorter. They range from fourteen
chapters in both Hosea and Zechariah to little Obadiah with only one chapter.We could say, “Good things come in small packages,” when referring to these twelve books. I decided about two years ago to add scriptures from these books to my memorization file. This week we are going to focus on major lessons from five of these verses.
God’s chosen people worshiped other gods and even offered
their crops as sacrifices to them. They were unfaithful to God. They were
murdering , stealing, lying, and committing other atrocities. Hosea was sent to
warn them of God’s impending judgment.
Even though the Israelites were under the sacrificial
system, God wanted them to know that the lambs and other burnt offerings were
not as important as the mercy they showed others. Their relationship to Him and
other people should take priority even over burnt sacrifices.
The lesson for us is that no matter what happens in our
lives, God needs to come first. Our relationship with Almighty God is His
desire and it should be ours. In the Ten Commandments He tells us that He is a
jealous God. If we want to please Him we must put Him first.
Get up with God in the morning. Take Him to work or keep Him
with you at home. Find joy in talking with Him. Put Him in your conversations
with others. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires
of your heart (Psalm 37:4).
Dear Father, May we keep You close and give You the honor
and glory You deserve.
Janice Yandell
No comments:
Post a Comment