HOSEA 12
7 A merchant, in whose hands are false balances, he loves to oppress.
8 Ephraim has said, “Ah, but I am rich; I have found wealth for myself;
in all my labors they cannot find in me iniquity or sin.”
9 I am the Lord your God from the land of Egypt;
I will again make you dwell in tents, as in the days of the appointed feast.
10 I spoke to the prophets; it was I who multiplied visions,
and through the prophets gave parables– Hosea 12:7-10
HOSEA 12 PRIDE GOES BEFORE SIN
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
Those who boast about their wealth and riches
Are deceived because every good gift comes from God above
The wicked does not acknowledge that there is a God
They manipulate others so they can profit well
The proud thinks that his wealth is his own doing
He doesn’t recognize God’s provision and blessing.
In these following verses, the prophet Hosea presents the manifestations of the wicked and the proud. He describes a merchant who has false scales to trick people into thinking they got a good deal. They actually deceive the buyers so they could earn more profit. During the time this was written, the market was the shopping mall. The vendors could easily do something with the scale to trick the weight of the goods they are buying. Even in our online shopping, we could still find dishonest sellers. They could easily pay someone to write dishonest reviews so they could sell their product and then deliver a much inferior item to their customer. Another way to cheat consumers is to put false promises of the product that it cannot truly deliver.
In verse 8 the self-made man who thinks that it is his own hard work and effort which made him wealthy. They forget that every blessing they have is from God. They become proud and self-reliant and do not thank or acknowledge God’s provision for them. It is foolish to think you can do anything without God’s hand in it. Everything comes from him.
REFLECTION
- How are self-sufficiency and deceitfulness both sins that stem from pride?
