6:1 “Come on! Let’s return to the Lord! He himself has torn us to pieces, but he will heal us! He has injured us, but he will bandage our wounds!

In chapter 5, God was the speaker. In chapter 6, Israel was the speaker. During the Great Tribulation, Israel will be living in tents at Petra in order to escape the genocide attempts of the Antichrist. While at Petra, the Antichrist will send a one-world Gentile army to kill all of the Jews so that they cannot cry out for their Messiah. However, this move will cause the opposite effect. It will cause Israel to recognize her hopeless situation. She will recognize that she must turn back to Jehovah. She will recognize that the Great Tribulation was a judgment from God. She will understand that God tore her up, but God will also heal her wounds and bandage them. It will cause Israel to call for her Messiah.

6:2 He will restore us in a very short time; he will heal us in a little while, so that we may live in his presence.

The Hebrew word for short time is זמן קצר meaning three days. During the last three days of the Great Tribulation, Israel will recognize Jesus as her Messiah.

6:3 So let us acknowledge him! Let us seek to acknowledge the Lord! He will come to our rescue as certainly as the appearance of the dawn, as certainly as the winter rain comes, as certainly as the spring rain that waters the land.”

After Israel recognizes that Jesus is her Messiah, all of Israel who survives the Great Tribulation will acknowledge Him as such. They will call out “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” Israel will receive her national salvation. This national salvation of Israel was also predicted in Psalms 79-80, Isaiah 64, and Isaiah 66. Just as sure as the morning follows the night, Jesus will return to rescue the surviving Jews from the Antichrist at Petra. Just as sure as the latter rains follow the spring rains, Jesus will return and save Israel. The latter rains are the rains which bring about abundant fruit.

6:4 What am I going to do with you, O Ephraim? What am I going to do with you, O Judah? For your faithfulness is as fleeting as the morning mist; it disappears as quickly as dawn’s dew!

The Israel of Hosea’s day had broken the Mosaic Covenant. They were insincere. They would promise to keep the covenant, but their promises were like the dew of the morning. The dew does not last very long and neither does Israel’s sincerity.

6:5 Therefore, I will certainly cut you into pieces at the hands of the prophets; I will certainly kill you in fulfillment of my oracles of judgment; for my judgment will come forth like the light of the dawn.

Since Israel’s sincerity is like the quick evaporating dew on the morning ground, God will send prophets to cut Israel into pieces. The prophets will predict the death of Israel.

6:6 For I delight in faithfulness, not simply in sacrifice; I delight in acknowledging God, not simply in whole burnt offerings.

God wants Israel to be faithful to Him. If Israel really loved God, then she would keep the Mosaic Law. She was performing the sacrifice, but she was not keeping the rest of the Law. Her attitude was let’s sin more and then the ritual sacrifice will remove more sin.

6:7 At Adam they broke the covenant; Oh how they were unfaithful to me!

Adam broke the Edenic covenant, just as Israel broke the Mosaic covenant. All throughout history, man simply cannot keep his promises to God.

6:8 Gilead is a city full of evildoers; its streets are stained with bloody footprints!

Gilead became a city of murderers.

6:9 The company of priests is like a gang of robbers, lying in ambush to pounce on a victim. They commit murder on the road to Shechem; they have done heinous crimes! 

Shechem was a Levitical city of refuge which was west of the Jordan. The city was supposed to be a refuge for those who committed accidental manslaughter. Instead, it had become a city for those who committed pre-meditated murder. The Levitical priests of this city became a gang of thieves who attacked people on the Road to Shechem. They pounced on their victim and stole their belongings.

6:10 I have seen a disgusting thing in the temple of Israel: there Ephraim practices temple prostitution and Judah defiles itself.

Ephraim (Israel) was guilty of spiritual prostitution. The disgusting thing in the temple was slang for Baal worship. Israel defiled herself as the wife of Jehovah by sacrificing humans in prostitution temples. Judah defiled herself as well.

6:11 I have appointed a time to reap judgment for you also, O Judah! Whenever I want to restore the fortunes of my people,

Since Judah also worshiped idols, then Jehovah will set an appointed time to judge Judah. This appointed time will be scheduled 120 years later.