Hosea Chapter 5

Hosea 5:5, 6b The arrogance of Israel bears witness against him... they shall go to seek the Lord, but they shall not find him.
The KJV has it written, "The pride of Israel testifies to his face." Israel's rebellion was because of their pride. They didn't think they needed God, didn't think what God said mattered, not when their opinions and desires told them differently. And so, when they act like they are seeking God, they will not find him. Their pride is on their face. They are not truthfully sorry and not with all intentions seeking God. They just want to show that they are so others see that on the surface, they are trying to find God.

I've heard this related to someone who "couldn't find God" in a church, so they tried another, and then another, and kept going because they couldn't find God at any of them. Though this could mean bad leadership and representation at the church, if one can't "find God" at several places they have tried, it might mean they really aren't trying. They might instead be running away from God. Just superficially searching, but not really wanting to find the truth.

And what might happen is at the end if verse 6, "[God] has withdrawn himself away." The Israelites were so caught up in their sin and rebellion that God did walk away. The Israelites removed God from their day. The Israelites weren't truly sorry for their sins. They weren't truly trying to seek forgivness, because they were prideful and didn't think what they were doing was wrong. (Funny how I could change Israel to our world today- removing God from schools, losing morals, allowing unethical things to take place, casting our eyes upon idols of sports/Hollywood, not finding time to go to church, etc.) Then all of a sudden when things go really wrong, and they try to find God, He isn't there, this is when they see the result of pushing Him away.

Hosea 5:15 I will go back to my place until they pay for their guilt and seek my presence.
God's goal isn't destruction. That's all on Israel (and on us today). Their pride and stubbornness, their removal of God from their lives lead them on the path they chose. God wants to restore our relationship, but only if we truly want it. He doesn't want an "on again, off again" relationship like we see in TV and Hollywood. He wants a true devotion from an open heart. Unfortunately, it is often only in people's deepest guilt, once they have hit rock bottom, that they sincerely seek God. We need to seek God today, and seek Him with all our hearts. But we can't do that until we are truly sorry. Until we have let go of the idols that have taken room in our hearts, because our God wants to be the only thing living there. We must make the choice, before we fall into total affliction.