Come, let us return to the Lord.
He has torn us to pieces;
now he will heal us.
He has injured us;
now he will bandage our wounds.
In just a short time he will restore us,
so that we may live in his presence.
Oh, that we might know the Lord!
Let us press on to know him.
He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn
or the coming of rains in early spring.
Hosea 6:1-3
The Lord has torn us to pieces? Why does the Bible say things like this? How is this a comfort?
It’s not a comfort if you are Israel before its fall—riding high and trusting alliances, military and wealth, thinking God owes you blessing and prosperity. If things have been going well for you and you’re tempted to believe you have everything under control, this passage may be uncomfortable. The prophets are known for that.
But if you’ve experienced a fall or been torn to pieces because of hardship, grief, or loss, or if brokenness and sin have marred your life, it can actually be comforting to read words like these. Not glossing over your pain, Hosea provides a genuine reflection of the hurt you have experienced.
Only those who have been torn to pieces can really appreciate the promise. He will heal us … he will bandage our wounds … he will restore us … we may live in his presence.
Why do we require this torturous process? So that we might know him (Hosea 6:3).
This kind of knowing (יָדַע – yāḏaʿ ) is more than acquainted. It is very deep and personal. It refers to knowledge and instruction, but also to intimacy. God knows us this way.
Only when we have been torn to pieces and lovingly reassembled are we humble enough, tender enough, vulnerable enough to actually know God for who God is. It’s not something most of us recognize when it’s happening. It’s what we know when we reach the other side and look back—that God is the one. The restorer, the healer.
Hardship may make us doubt, but God is a certainty. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring (Hosea 6:3).
Once you’ve been through it, you’ll always know.
Questions for Reflection
1. Have you experienced being torn to pieces? What is the impact on your faith while going through hardship?
2. Have you experienced healing or restoration yet? What did it reveal about God, as you look back? If you’re still waiting, what gives you hope?
3. Hosea 6:2 is translated to “in just a short time.” In Hebrew, it is: “He will revive us in two days, he will raise us up on the third day.” God loved us so much, he allowed Jesus to be torn apart for us and raised on the third day. How does what happened to Jesus impact what you know about God?