What other scriptures warn against the sins found in Hosea 4:2? Hosea 4:2 in the Spotlight “ There is only cursing, lying, murder, stealing, and adultery; they employ violence, and bloodshed follows bloodshed.” Unpacking the Six Sins • Cursing (profane oaths, misusing God’s name) • Lying (falsehood, deceit) • Murder (shedding innocent blood) • Stealing (taking what is not ours) • Adultery (sexual unfaithfulness) • Violence / Bloodshed (cruel oppression, brutality) Warnings Echoed in the Law • Exodus 20:7 — “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not leave unpunished anyone who misuses His name.” • Exodus 20:16 — “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” • Exodus 20:13 — “You shall not murder.” • Exodus 20:15 — “You shall not steal.” • Exodus 20:14 — “You shall not commit adultery.” • Leviticus 19:11-12 — “You must not steal; you must not lie or deceive one another. You must not swear falsely by My name and so profane the name of your God.” • Genesis 9:6 — “Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed; for in His own image God has made mankind.” The Prophets Raise Their Voices • Isaiah 59:3 — “Your hands are stained with blood, your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue mutters injustice.” • Ezekiel 22:6 — “See how every prince of Israel within you has used his power to shed blood.” • Micah 6:12 — “The wealthy of the city are full of violence, and its residents speak lies; their tongues are deceitful in their mouths.” Wisdom Literature Drives the Point Home • Proverbs 12:22 — “Lying lips are detestable to the LORD, but those who act faithfully are His delight.” • Proverbs 6:16-19 — “Hands that shed innocent blood… a heart that devises wicked schemes… a lying tongue.” • Proverbs 6:32 — “He who commits adultery lacks sense; whoever does so destroys himself.” • Psalm 11:5 — “The LORD examines the righteous, but the wicked and one who loves violence His soul hates.” Jesus and the Gospels • Matthew 5:21-22 — “‘Do not murder’… But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.” • Matthew 5:27-28 — “‘Do not commit adultery’… But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Apostolic Warnings • Ephesians 4:28 — “He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must labor… so that he may have something to share.” • Colossians 3:9 — “Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old self.” • Hebrews 13:4 — “Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.” • James 3:9-10 — “With the tongue we bless our Lord… and with it we curse men… My brothers, this should not be!” • 1 John 3:15 — “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that eternal life does not reside in a murderer.” • Revelation 21:8 — “The cowardly, unbelieving… murderers, sexually immoral… and all liars—their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur.” Putting It Together Scripture consistently confronts every sin listed in Hosea 4:2—from the Ten Commandments, through the prophets and wisdom writers, all the way to Jesus and the apostles. God’s Word leaves no room for compromise: cursing, lying, murder, stealing, adultery, and violence all provoke His judgment. Yet every passage also points us to the same remedy—repentance, renewed hearts, and obedient lives empowered by God’s grace. |
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