“For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.” (Hosea 6:6, NKJV)

Israel had been a disloyal wife. She had been as faithful to the LORD as a morning cloud. God had sent her His prophets to pierce her heart with His words, but she had become even more hardened in her rebellion.

Nevertheless, the LORD was still reaching out to her because He wanted mercy and not sacrifice. He is a merciful God who delights in mercy. But if God’s mercy is to be bestowed on human misery and guilt, then there must be knowledge of God and acknowledgment of sin.

Many people throughout all time have misunderstood God and His requirements. They thought God demanded animal sacrifices as the means to appease Him. This degenerated into the hyper-legalism of which the Pharisees were guilty. That is why Jesus quoted Hosea 6:6 to them on two occasions.

The first was when they condemned Jesus for eating with tax collectors and sinners.

“When Jesus heard that, He said to them, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.’” (Matthew 9:12–13, NKJV)

The second was when they condemned Christ’s disciples for plucking grain to eat on the Sabbath.

“But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” (Matthew 12:7–8, NKJV)

In their legalism they misunderstood God. They did not really know Him or else they would have known that mercy is one of His attributes.

In his classic book “The Knowledge of the Holy”, A.W. Tozer writes:

“Mercy is an attribute of God, an infinite and inexhaustible energy within the divine nature which disposes God to be actively compassionate.”

This mercy of God is the sinner’s greatest hope. It is never in our own insufficient merit but in God’s infinite compassion demonstrated at the cross that we can receive forgiveness and healing through faith in Jesus Christ.