Hosea 12 (Contemporary English Version)
- All day long Israel chases wind from the desert; deceit and violence are found everywhere. Treaties are made with Assyria; olive oil is taken to Egypt.
- The LORD also brings charges against the people of Judah, the descendants of Jacob. He will punish them for what they have done.
- Even before Jacob was born, he cheated his brother, and when he grew up, he fought against God.
- At Bethel, Jacob wrestled with an angel and won; then with tears in his eyes, he asked for a blessing, and God spoke to us there.
- God's name is the LORD, the LORD God All-Powerful.
- So return to your God. Patiently trust him, and show love and justice.
- Israel, you enjoy cheating and taking advantage of others.
- You say to yourself, "I'm rich! I earned it all on my own, without committing a sin."
- Israel, I, the LORD, am still your God, just as I have been since the time you were in Egypt. Now I will force you to live in tents once again, as you did in the desert.
- I spoke to the prophets-- often I spoke in visions. And so, I will send my prophets with messages of doom.
- Gilead is terribly sinful and will end up ruined. Bulls are sacrificed in Gilgal on altars made of stones, but those stones will be scattered in every field.
- Jacob escaped to Syria where he tended sheep to earn himself a wife.
- I sent the prophet Moses to lead Israel from Egypt and to keep them safe.
- Israel, I will make you pay for your terrible sins and for insulting me.
Hosea takes Israel back to her forefather, Jacob, who was a born deceiver. But Jacob was changed. He had deceived all his life until years later he was to face the brother he had deceived out of his birthright as a youth. Fearing what he would encounter with his brother, he wrestled with an Angel of the Lord, and the Angel prevailed. Jacob was changed and turned from his deceptive ways. Israel now needs to do the same. She needs to "return to your God. Maintain love and justice, and always put your hope in God."
But as it stands at the time of Hosea's words, Israel is caught in her own pride, patting herself on the back for the riches she has acquired all on her own. At least this is what she tells herself. Claiming also that she has gained these riches in totally honest ways. "no one can find any crime in me that I can be punished for!" she says. The key word in this boast of no one finding any crime in her is the word 'find.' The fact that no one can 'find' any crime in her does not mean she is not guilty. But the Lord is not fooled by her deceit. He knows she is using dishonest scales and probably other dishonest practices to extort her riches. So now she is going to return to the life she had in Egypt before the Lord freed her and brought her to this land of promise. She will again live in tents. It was the Lord who gave her what she had, though she gave Him no credit, and it will be the Lord who takes it away. She may not have credited God with giving her these blessings, but she will credit Him for taking them away. This is a characteristic we all share. We are slow to give God the credit, but swift to blame Him.
God has not been quiet through the years of Israel's drifting away from Him and has now suddenly spoken up just before inflicting punishment. In verse 10 He says, "I spoke through the prophets and granted many visions; I gave parables through the prophets." He has continually been trying to get Israel to change her ways, but she killed the prophets and ignored their messages. Now, she "has provoked bitter anger, so his Lord will leave his bloodguilt on him and repay him for his contempt." Deceiving herself that she was doing nothing wrong and shutting the mouths of the prophets could not keep away the day of punishment for her actions.
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