ONCE MORE: PUPPET-KINGS AND PUPPET-GODS
seek the LORD, ... Three things to do in seeking God:
1. Sow to yourselves... This means to stop sinning and start doing what is right in all things—to consecrate to do that which is good and right. Sowing and reaping always stand out against each other, as labor and reward (2Co. 9:6; Gal. 6:7-9).
2. reap in mercy; ... This means to accept and appropriate the mercy of God extended to us. If we do not accept mercy from God it will not be ours, for both sowing in righteousness and reaping in mercy are our responsibility. Righteousness is here to do, and mercy is here to receive, but neither will be a man’s experience until he does what is right and accepts the mercy provided. See Mat. 5:7; Mar. 11:25-26.
3. break up your... This also is the work of man. Each must break up the ground of his own life. Fallow ground is that which has been plowed but not sown; ground not in use; idle ground crusted over and hardened until it needs to be broken up again to receive the seed. Our hearts and wills must be broken and yielded to God. We must make ourselves willing to receive the Word of God and to obey it or seeking Him will not avail us anything. See Mat. 13:3-12, 13:18-23; Jas. 1:18, 1:21; 1Pet. 1:23.
till he come... This gives the answer to the question of how long one would seek the Lord—till He comes and rains righteousness upon the seeker.
Seven Ways to Seek the Lord:
1. With all the heart (Deut.4:29)
2. Continually (1Ch. 16:11)
3. By humbling self (2Ch. 7:14)
4. By prayer
5. By turning from sin
6. By preparing the heart (2Ch. 19:3)
7. Diligently (Heb. 11:6)
Ten Blessings of Seeking the Lord:
1. He will be found (1Ch. 28:9).
2. He will hear and answer (2Ch. 7:14).
3. They will not want any good thing (Psm. 34:9-10).
4. Life (Psm. 69:22; Amos 5:4-6)
5. Righteousness (Hos. 10:12)
6. Glory (Rom. 2:7)
7. Honor
8. Immortality
9. Eternal life
10. Rewards (Heb. 11:6)
Hosea urged Israel to seek the Lord by sowing righteousness (or justice), and reaping God’s mercy (6:6). God’s future gift of righteousness (2:19), would be so abundant that it would be as rain (6:3).
This is one more call for them to repent, before it is too late. Even now, God would rain righteousness upon them, if they would turn from their false gods, and spread the true righteousness of God. Whatever you sow, you reap. They must be spreading righteousness and mercy, if God is to hear and forgive them.
Sow for yourselves righteousness; then shall ye reap the fruit of God’s leal (loyal and honest) love. Break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek Jehovah, till He come and shower salvation upon you.
A brief call to covenant loyalty is included here. Even in the midst of a message of condemnation and judgment God held out the possibility of repentance and blessing (cf. Isa. 1:18-20). Using agricultural imagery, He urged Israel to seek the Lord by cultivating righteousness (or justice) and reaping His unfailing love (ḥeseḏ, loyalty). The words showers righteousness compares God’s future gift of righteousness (or just treatment in the form of deliverance, cf. Hos. 2:19) to abundant rain (cf. Hos. 6:3).
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