Hosea 12
1 Ephraim feedeth on wind, and followeth after the east wind: he daily increaseth lies and desolation; and they do make a covenant with the Assyrians, and oil is carried into Egypt.
2 The LORD hath also a controversy with Judah, and will punish Jacob according to his ways; according to his doings will he recompense him.
3 He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and by his strength he had power with God:
4 Yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made supplication unto him: he found him in Bethel, and there he spake with us;
5 Even the LORD God of hosts; the LORD is his memorial.
6 Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and judgment, and wait on thy God continually.
7 He is a merchant, the balances of deceit are in his hand: he loveth to oppress.
8 And Ephraim said, Yet I am become rich, I have found me out substance: in all my labours they shall find none iniquity in me that were sin.
9 And I that am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt will yet make thee to dwell in tabernacles, as in the days of the solemn feast.
10 I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets.
11 Is there iniquity in Gilead? surely they are vanity: they sacrifice bullocks in Gilgal; yea, their altars are as heaps in the furrows of the fields.
12 And Jacob fled into the country of Syria, and Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he kept sheep.
13 And by a prophet the LORD brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet was he preserved.
14 Ephraim provoked him to anger most bitterly: therefore shall he leave his blood upon him, and his reproach shall his Lord return unto him.
Common Questions About Hosea 12
Why does chapter 12 reference the patriarch Jacob?
The chapter recalls Jacob's history, including his deceitful dealings and his wrestling with God, using Jacob's story as both an indictment of Israel's ongoing deceitful character and an example of eventually being transformed through genuine encounter with God.
What accusation does God bring against Israel's commercial practices?
God condemns Israel, likened to a merchant using false balances (dishonest scales), for loving to oppress and practicing deceit in trade, showing that the nation's spiritual unfaithfulness was accompanied by real, tangible dishonesty in everyday dealings.
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Questions to Think About
- Jacob's deceitful tendencies were eventually transformed through his encounter with God. What areas of your own character might need that same kind of transforming encounter?
- Dishonest practices in trade are named alongside spiritual unfaithfulness. How consistent is your integrity in everyday practical matters with your spiritual convictions?
Ask the Bible Chat Bot below if you'd like to talk through any of these.
