Articles
Knowing The Lord
“So, let’s learn, let’s press on to know the Lord. His appearance is as sure as the dawn; And He will come to us like the rain, as the spring rain waters the earth” (Hosea 6:3 NASV). Many people are afraid of the dark. Sadly, sleep alludes them; noises, real or imagined, stir anxiousness; fears, night sweats, and consuming dread of each closing day engulfs and stimies a person’s existence. Yet, when dawn arrives, all the fears and anxieties of life seem to disappear. A new day has arisen; the always reliable sun peers over the horizon; now the troubled soul finds refreshment in the new day.
The dark shadows of sin lingered over God’s people. They continued to walk in darkness and continued to stumble. They needed to know the Lord; knowing in this case, suggests an intimate relationship, such as that between husband and wife. “For as a young man marries a virgin, so your sons will marry you; And as the groom rejoices over the bride, so your God will rejoice over you” (Isaiah 62:5). The immutability of God is reflected in His care and concern for His creation. The sun rises; rains come; mankind is blessed because God is constant. Sadly, we give little thought of these blessings. We know the sun will rise and we count on each new day and give little thought about the power behind the sun.
That is what happens when we lose ourselves in rebellion against God. We trudge out on our own, seeking our own way, and forget that our sins will tear our lives apart, even as the lion ravages his prey. Yet, when the wounds are deep enough and we finally realize that we cannot heal ourselves, we then (hopefully) return to seek the Lord once again. And guess what? He is ready to welcome us back! Forgetting the Lord is dangerous. Yet, God is patient and holds open the door or return. The spring rain of salvation returns. Our steadfastness is often like the morning dew; it quickly disappears. We might try to act as if we want to serve the Lord. We offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. What does God want from us? “For I desire loyalty rather than sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings” (6:6). Jesus reminded His audiences of this same desire from the Lord, as did many other faithful Old Testament prophets (Matthew 9:13; 12:7; Isaiah 1:12-17; Amos 5:21-24; Micah 6:6-8).
