In the biblical narrative, the term "wicked" is often used to describe individuals or groups who live in opposition to God's commandments and moral order. The wicked are characterized by their unrighteous actions, deceitful hearts, and rebellion against divine authority. Throughout Scripture, the fate and nature of the wicked are frequently contrasted with the righteous, offering a stark reminder of the transient nature of evil.

One poignant metaphor used to describe the wicked is that of "early dew that passes away." This imagery is found in Hosea 6:4, where God laments the fleeting devotion of His people: "What shall I do with you, O Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah? Your loyalty is like a morning cloud, like the early dew that vanishes." . Here, the early dew symbolizes something that appears substantial and promising but quickly dissipates with the rising sun, leaving no trace behind.

This comparison serves to highlight several key aspects of the wicked:

1. Transience: Just as the early dew is temporary, so too is the apparent success and prosperity of the wicked. Their triumphs are short-lived, and their influence fades away. Psalm 37:2 echoes this sentiment: "For they will wither quickly like grass and fade like the green herb." . The wicked may flourish for a time, but their end is inevitable and swift.

2. Lack of Substance: The early dew, though it may appear to nourish the earth, lacks the lasting impact of a steady rain. Similarly, the wicked may seem to offer solutions or prosperity, but their contributions are ultimately hollow and devoid of true value. Proverbs 10:27 states, "The fear of the LORD prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be shortened." . Their lives, lacking the foundation of righteousness, fail to leave a meaningful legacy.

3. Divine Judgment: The metaphor also underscores the certainty of divine judgment. Just as the sun inevitably causes the dew to evaporate, so will God's justice prevail over the wicked. Malachi 4:1 warns, "For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace, when all the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble; the day that is coming will set them ablaze, says the LORD of Hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch." . The wicked cannot escape the righteous judgment of God.

4. Call to Repentance: The fleeting nature of the wicked serves as a call to repentance and a reminder of the need for steadfastness in faith. Hosea's lament is not merely an observation but an invitation for God's people to return to Him with genuine and enduring devotion. The temporary nature of the wicked's ways contrasts with the eternal promises offered to those who seek righteousness.

In conclusion, the comparison of the wicked to early dew that passes away serves as a powerful reminder of the impermanence and futility of a life lived in opposition to God. It calls believers to pursue righteousness and to trust in the enduring promises of the Lord, whose justice and mercy are everlasting.Hosea 13:3
Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud and as the early dew that passes away, as the chaff that is driven with the whirlwind out of the floor, and as the smoke out of the chimney.
Nave's Topical Index

The Dew and the Plants
... was all inadequate to set forth the divine gift which is compared to it ... ye are the
branches." The union of Christ and His people is closer ... The wicked are not so ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture a/the dew and the plants.htm

The Apocalypse of Baruch.
... "Messiah," he says, "shall protect the people who are ... With regard to the punishment
of the wicked, the seer holds this ... 176] The two works are compared by Langen ...
//christianbookshelf.org/deane/pseudepigrapha/the apocalypse of baruch.htm

The Book of Enoch
... and the punishment of the wicked, composed, as he ... they continue to oppress the chosen
people till overcome ... which show marked development when compared with the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/deane/pseudepigrapha/the book of enoch.htm

The Creation of Luminous Bodies.
... of its heat will be the torture of the wicked. ... size by appearing to be face to face
with all people. ... However, compared with their Author, the sun and moon are ...
/.../basil/basil letters and select works/homily vi the creation of.htm

Book Twelve the Mode of Creation and the Truth of Scripture. ...
... of all form, but only as it compared with more ... sea he finds the division between
the people of God and ... the night passes"that mother of the wicked; until the ...
/.../augustine/confessions and enchiridion/book twelve the mode of.htm

The Quotation in Matt. Ii. 6.
... From this holy communion, the wicked"the souls which, according to ... 3."2 Samuel
7:9 cannot here be compared, as there ... of the world and of the people of God ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/the quotation in matt ii.htm

And ii.
... people in short, because they are all wicked and ungodly ... in this steep height is,
by him, compared with that ... shape the lighthouse as seen by people sailing up ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/chap i and ii.htm

The Desire of the Righteous Granted;
... So, again, speaking of the wicked, he saith, 'Ye have said it ... performed, there God
appeared, and there his people were to ... to them (Hebrews 9:1-5 compared with 9 ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the desire of the righteous.htm

The Christ of the Gospels. By Rev. Professor Schaff.
... with which no other suffering can be compared for a ... face of the strongest prejudices
of his people and age ... induced them to engage in such a wicked scheme, when ...
/.../the christ of the gospels.htm

part ii
... of God, was sanctified from Her early childhood, from ... and well-principled children,
forgive their wicked, capricious, and ... at the prayer for the people of His ...
//christianbookshelf.org/calvin/my life in christ/part ii.htm

What is ultimate reconciliation? | GotQuestions.org

What is wisdom literature? | GotQuestions.org

Is annihilationism biblical? | GotQuestions.org

Wicked: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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