The word ″sorry″ is one of the hardest words to say. Imagine someone deserting his or her spouse for someone else, then returning home. The marriage will never recover unless the errant spouse learns to say ″sorry″ genuinely from the heart. Hosea knew what it was like to wait for his wife Gomer's apology, and God knew it too as He waited to hear that word from the lips of His bride Israel.

Chapter 5 is all about a God who will exercise astonishing patience as He waits for that moment (Hosea 5:15). In verses 1-7 we see God taking the first step to get His people to that point.

Verse 6 tells us how God will deliberately withdraw himself from Israel. He knows that sometimes, the best way to deal with stubborn sinners is to let them feel the emptiness and loneliness of a world without Him. They may beseech Him with their sacrifices, but they won't find Him.

Why? Look at verse 1: ″Hear this, you priests! Pay attention, you Israelites! Listen, royal house! This judgment is against you.″ God is saying: ″It's no good for you priests to blame the kings, and the kings to blame the people. You are all to be blamed!″

The shrines at Mizpah and Tabor had become traps to get everyone to worship Baal. Israel wasn't fooling God, for He could read her like a book (v. 3). Their dabbling in sin now meant that they were unable to repent of their own will-the nature of sin did not permit them to even consider doing so (v. 4). It had paralysed them so that they couldn't return to God; it had perverted and captured their hearts (v. 4); and it had puffed them up (v. 5) with the illusion of being in control.

So, God will withdraw from them (v. 6).

Is that your experience? Does God seem distant? He might just be waiting for you to say ″I'm sorry″ from the heart.

Heavenly Father, give to me today a contrite heart that grieves over my sin and which seeks your forgiveness, genuinely. In the name of Christ, amen.