What is the meaning of Hosea 8:12? Though I wrote for them • God Himself is the Author: “He gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone written by the finger of God” (Exodus 31:18). • The verb “wrote” underscores permanence; His Word is not a passing opinion but an enduring covenant (Deuteronomy 31:24-26). • Writing “for them” reveals personal care—Scripture is tailored to bless, guide, and protect His covenant people (Psalm 147:19-20). • The verse reminds us that divine revelation is a gracious act; no nation earns it (Romans 3:2). the great things of My law • “Great” signals both grandeur and scope—every precept reflects God’s holy character (Psalm 19:7-11). • The law unpacks who He is (Leviticus 11:45); it is not mere ritual but a revelation of righteousness (Psalm 119:18, 97-104). • “My law” stresses ownership; to dismiss it is to dismiss the Lawgiver (James 4:12). • The word “things” hints at many facets—moral, civil, ceremonial—each pointing to Christ, the fulfillment of the law (Matthew 5:17). they regarded them • Israel’s response moves from hearing to weighing; they had enough knowledge to form an opinion (Deuteronomy 30:14-19). • Sadly, their assessment was negative—echoing earlier patterns of stiff-necked resistance (2 Kings 17:13-15). • God calls this attitude rebellion, not misunderstanding (Jeremiah 6:19). • The verse exposes the danger of familiarity without faith; outward religion can coexist with inward rejection (Isaiah 29:13). as something strange • “Strange” implies foreign, irrelevant, even offensive—exactly how pagans view God’s standards (1 Peter 4:4). • For covenant people to label His law “strange” shows profound spiritual drift (Hosea 4:6). • This estrangement sprouts from idolatry; when hearts chase other gods, God’s Word feels alien (Exodus 32:1, 8). • The tragic irony: the very commands meant to knit them to God now seem unwelcome, fulfilling the warning of Deuteronomy 28:15, 37. summary Hosea 8:12 paints a heartbreaking contrast: the Lord lovingly inscribed magnificent, life-giving commandments, yet His own people brushed them off as foreign oddities. The verse warns that when hearts cool, even clear, gracious revelation feels strange. Treasuring Scripture as God’s personal, authoritative gift guards us from that drift and keeps us anchored to the One who wrote it for us. |
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