“So let us know, let us press on to know the LORD. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; And He will come to us like the rain, Like the spring rain watering the earth.” — Hosea 6:3
In the sixth chapter of the prophet Hosea’s prophecy to the northern kingdom — towards the end of its days, before it would fall to Assyria in 722 BC — we find these sobering words of appeal, calling the nation to return to the Lord.
In verse 1, the appeal is simple and direct: let us return to the Lord. But by verse 3, the appeal has deepened. It moves beyond merely returning and changing their ways — it now urges the people to press on to know the Lord.
The Background to This Appeal
From the very beginning of his prophecy, God had instructed Hosea to marry a wife of harlotry — using the prophet’s own marriage as a living illustration of what Israel had done to God. The relationship between God and His people had been deeply strained because they had played the harlot spiritually, going after other gods and pursuing other nations. They had committed spiritual adultery against the God who had called them and loved them.
And so, following numerous warnings about how the people had abandoned Him, we arrive at this appeal — a call to turn back, and in turning back, to press on to truly know God.
Pressing On to Know the LORD
The phrase press on speaks of effort, intentionality, and deliberate movement toward a goal. This is not a passive suggestion. It is an urgent call to pursue the knowledge of God with vigour and diligence.
And the word know here goes far beyond the accumulation of theological facts. It speaks of genuine, intimate relationship. This same word is used in Genesis 4:1, where we are told that Adam knew his wife and she conceived. The knowing being described is not merely intellectual — it is relational and personal.
The exhortation, then, is not simply to gather information about God or to study theology in the abstract. It is a call to seek God Himself and enter into a living relationship with Him.
The Certainty of God as the Basis for Seeking Him
The ground upon which this exhortation rests is the certainty and faithfulness of God. His going forth is as certain as the dawn. There are no shifting shadows in Him. He is a God of substance, utterly faithful and true to His word. This is precisely why seeking after Him is always a sure and worthwhile pursuit — because He will not disappoint those who come to Him.
Jesus Himself declares: whoever comes to Me I will never cast out. This is the confidence on which the children of Israel were being urged to seek God — the assurance that He is not a God who turns away those who genuinely press toward Him.
The author of Hebrews puts it plainly:
And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. — Hebrews 11:6
The Abundance of His Response
And then comes the assurance of God’s response. He will come to them like the spring rain watering the earth — a picture of refreshment, abundance, and life-giving blessing upon all who diligently seek after Him.
James reminds us that God is the Father of lights who rewards those who love Him. And Paul writes to the Corinthians:
Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him. — 1 Corinthians 2:9
Heeding the Call
The exhortation to the northern kingdom was clear — abandon all other gods, abandon all other ways, abandon all other allegiances, and diligently seek after God alone. Tragically, they did not heed the call, and they faced the judgment of God at the hand of Assyria in 722 BC.
May our response be different. May we be a people who heeds this same call — to seek after God, to abandon all other gods, and to place our faith and trust fully in the person and finished work of Jesus Christ for our full salvation, our full sanctification, and ultimately our full glorification.
Amen.
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