Hosea 6:3

My Notes

What Does Hosea 6:3 Mean?

Hosea describes the pursuit of knowing God with agricultural imagery: if we follow on to know the LORD, his going forth is prepared as the morning. The knowing requires following on — persistent, deliberate, ongoing pursuit.

"Follow on to know" — the Hebrew (radaph) means to chase, to pursue, to run after. Knowing God is not passive. It is pursuit — active, energetic, sustained. You chase the knowing the way a hunter chases prey.

"His going forth is prepared as the morning" — God's appearance is as certain as sunrise. The morning does not fail. The sun does not forget to rise. God's going forth — his self-revelation, his appearing — is as reliable as dawn.

"He shall come unto us as the rain" — God's coming is nourishing. The latter rain (spring) and former rain (autumn) were essential for agriculture in Israel. God comes like rain — life-giving, growth-producing, essential for survival.

The verse promises that the pursuit of knowing God is not futile. If you follow on, God shows up — as reliably as morning and as nourishing as rain.

Reflection Questions

• 1.What does 'follow on to know' add to simply believing — what does active pursuit look like?
• 2.How does God's appearing being 'prepared as the morning' describe its certainty?
• 3.What does God coming 'as the rain' communicate about the nourishing quality of his presence?
• 4.Where have you stopped following on — and what would resuming the pursuit look like?

Devotional

Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD. The knowing requires following. Not waiting passively. Following on — chasing, pursuing, pressing forward into deeper understanding. The knowledge of God is available to those who pursue it.

His going forth is prepared as the morning. As certain as sunrise. You do not wonder whether tomorrow will have a dawn. God's self-revelation is that reliable. If you pursue, he appears. As predictably as morning light.

He shall come unto us as the rain. Rain — nourishing, life-giving, essential. The God who appears like morning arrives like rain — not harsh or destructive but producing growth. The latter and former rain — the full agricultural cycle — means God provides what you need for every season.

The pursuit and the provision are connected. Follow on, and the morning comes. Pursue, and the rain falls. The knowledge of God is not hidden behind an impossible barrier. It is available to anyone willing to chase it.

But the chasing is required. The knowing does not come to those who sit still. It comes to those who follow on — past the initial encounter, through the dry seasons, into the deeper knowledge that persistence produces.

Are you following on? Not just believing. Pursuing. Chasing the knowledge of God with the same energy you apply to everything else you want. The morning is as certain as sunrise. The rain is as nourishing as life itself. But you have to follow on.

Commentary

Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.

Cross References

Related passages throughout Scripture