11:12Ephraim has surrounded me with lies,
the house of Israel with deceit.
And Judah is unruly against God,
even against the faithful Holy One.
12:1Ephraim feeds on the wind;
he pursues the east wind all day
and multiplies lies and violence.
He makes a treaty with Assyria
and sends olive oil to Egypt.
2The LORD has a charge to bring against Judah;
he will punish Jacob according to his ways
and repay him according to his deeds.
3In the womb he grasped his brother’s heel;
as a man he struggled with God.
4He struggled with the angel and overcame him;
he wept and begged for his favor.
He found him at Bethel
and talked with him there—
5the LORD God Almighty,
the LORD is his name of renown!
6But you must return to your God;
maintain love and justice,
and wait for your God always.
7The merchant uses dishonest scales;
he loves to defraud.
8Ephraim boasts,
“I am very rich; I have become wealthy.
With all my wealth they will not find in me
any iniquity or sin.”
9“I am the LORD your God,
˻who brought you˼ out of Egypt;
I will make you live in tents again,
as in the days of your appointed feasts.
10I spoke to the prophets,
gave them many visions
and told parables through them.”
Its people are worthless!
Do they sacrifice bulls in Gilgal?
Their altars will be like piles of stones
on a plowed field.
12Jacob fled to the country of Aram;
Israel served to get a wife,
and to pay for her he tended sheep.
13The LORD used a prophet to bring Israel up from Egypt,
by a prophet he cared for him.
14But Ephraim has bitterly provoked him to anger;
his Lord will leave upon him the guilt of his bloodshed
and will repay him for his contempt.
13:1When Ephraim spoke, men trembled;
he was exalted in Israel.
But he became guilty of Baal worship and died.
2Now they sin more and more;
they make idols for themselves from their silver,
cleverly fashioned images,
all of them the work of craftsmen.
It is said of these people,
“They offer human sacrifice
and kiss the calf-idols.”
3Therefore they will be like the morning mist,
like the early dew that disappears,
like chaff swirling from a threshing floor,
like smoke escaping through a window.
Original Meaning
THE FINAL SECTION of God’s covenant lawsuit against his people (11:12–14:9) is centered around the charge that Israel is deceitful about her relationship with God. She lies (11:12–12:1), following the deceptive ways of Jacob (12:2). Merchants defraud people in business deals (12:7) instead of dealing honestly. God led the people and cared for their needs, but they have become proud and lack integrity with God (13:6). There is no truthfulness in their commitments to the covenant, for many worship Baal and other images (13:1).
Consequently, God again announces that he is bringing a covenant lawsuit against his people, both Judah and Israel (12:2). As earlier, this should not be seen as a literal court case but the creation of an analogy with a human lawsuit. Courtroom terminology and the broad use of accusations and punishments create the atmosphere of accountability for law-breaking as found in the courtroom (see Mic. 6 for another example of a lawsuit).
The threefold pattern of accusations (Hos. 11:12–13:3), threats of punishment (13:4–16), and blessings for repentance (14:1–9) matches the structure of each major section of Hosea (4:1–6:6; 6:7–11:11; 11:12–14:9). Through these messages Hosea is persuading his audience that God will deal seriously with the problem of sin among his people. In the present section (11:12–14:9), the prophet attempts to convince the people that their behavior is sinful, that deceitfulness undermines their relationship with God, and that their only hope is to repent.
Hosea 11:12 in the English Bible is 12:1 in the Hebrew Bible. The common theme throughout 11:12–13:3 is the deceitfulness of Israel. Like an untruthful spouse who lies about her loyalty to her husband, Israel has been deceitful with God. To emphasize this deceit, Hosea contrasts the many gracious things that God has done for his people with their repeated unfaithfulness to him. These are marked by sudden changes, such as “but you” (12:6), “[but] I” (12:9), “but Ephraim” (12:14), and the “therefore” clauses in 13:3.
There is no clear evidence to suggest a date for this message, but it was likely spoken a few years before the fall of Israel in 721 B.C., during Hoshea’s reign.1 The fact that the nation is making alliances with various nations (12:1) fits Hoshea’s final desperate attempts to save the nation from annihilation (2 Kings 17:1–4).
The structure of this unit follows the historical development of deception from Jacob to Hosea’s time. It involves God’s bringing a lawsuit for deceit (Hos. 11:12–12:2); warnings to the Israelites not to follow Jacob, their deceitful forefather (12:3–6); forgetfulness on the part of Israel’s deceitful merchants about what God has given them (12:7–10); Israel’s choice of deception instead of God (12:11–14); and Israel’s deceptive worship (13:1–3). This review demonstrates how God has graciously cared for his people in spite of their repeated deceptions. These accusations legitimate his decision to punish his people if they do not repent and deal honestly as a faithful covenant partner.
God’s Charge of Deceit (11:12–12:2)
GOD BEGINS THIS new message by focusing on Israel’s “lies . . . deceit” (11:12). When God says that he is “surrounded” by this kind of people, he is suggesting that untruthfulness characterizes their behavior; the Israelites do not fraudulently deceive God just once or twice. The prophet goes on to give illustrations of how the people have surrounded God2 with lies. Judah is also condemned (not “approved,” as in the RSV),3 for God announces his case against both nations in 12:2. Their “unruly” behavior refers to the wandering and roaming of Judah “against the faithful Holy One” (NIV). Andersen and Freedman suggest that Israel “wanders with the gods, is faithful with the holy ones.”4 That is, Israel is trying to find meaning, support, and help in her present situation from gods who cannot fulfill her desires.
Israel is pursuing the wind (12:1). By going after something that is illusive and without substance, she shows her stupidity and the uselessness of her quest. Her devotion to futile hopes is strong (she does it “all day”), but in the process she only “multiplies lies.” Another example of this futile action is Israel’s pursuit of treaties with Assyria and at the same time giving expensive gifts to Egypt to confirm a political relationship with her (12:1b).5 These nations will not give Israel protection and security; trusting them makes about as much sense as chasing the wind.
Because of these deceptive actions, God is bringing another charge in his lawsuit (12:2). Although it may seem odd to refer to Judah, since the rest of the chapter relates to Israel and is preached before an Israelite audience, God knows that Judah is involved in similar deceptions.6 He intends to present legitimate arguments against his people that will demonstrate their guilt if they were tried in a courtroom. He wants the Israelites to understand why they are being punished; it is a direct consequence of their deceptive covenant relationship with God. What they have done will come back to haunt them; people reap what they sow.
Warning to Israel Not to Be Like Deceptive Jacob (12:3–6)
HOSEA BEGINS HIS case by going back in history to the story of Jacob, the founder of the nation of Israel. Using traditions from Genesis 25:21–26, Hosea describes Jacob’s birth when he grasped his brother Esau’s heel. The actual name “Jacob” (yaʾaqob) means the heel “grasper,” a play on the word “deceive” (ʾaqab). Later Jacob became known as a deceiver because of the deceptive way he stole Esau’s blessing (Gen. 27:35–36). Jacob is pictured as one who spent his life using deceptive means to get ahead instead of trusting God—the same thing the people of Israel in Hosea’s audience are doing.7
A second example from Jacob’s life comes from his adult experience of wrestling with the angel of God by the river Jabbok (Gen. 32).8 When Jacob was returning to Palestine from Laban’s house, he was fearful about meeting his brother, Esau. He prayed for God’s help but then deceptively sent a large gift to bribe Esau. That night God appeared to the patriarch “Israel” (yśrʾl), who “struggled” (yśr, from the verb śrh) with the angel of God. Jacob “overcame” or prevailed over the angel—not in the sense of defeating him9 but in getting the blessing he wanted as he “wept and begged for his favor” (Hos. 12:4).10
Hosea does not draw a lesson from this incident, but he apparently wants to show how the Israelites struggle for their own way against God just like their forefather, and they will only prevail if they obtain God’s blessing.11 They should stop fighting God and start begging for his compassion. Maybe they can be transformed into a new nation, just as Jacob became a different man through these events.
The third incident draws from Jacob’s meeting God at Bethel (see Gen. 28:10–22; 35:6–15). There is little for which to criticize Jacob when he met God on his journey to and from Laban’s house. Garrett suggests this text implicitly criticizes what is going on at Bethel in Hosea’s day.12 That is, the prophet is criticizing the temple worship that mixes the golden calf with Baalism. Hosea’s example is also a challenge for the people to go back to their roots to follow Jacob and meet Yahweh, the God of hosts (Hos. 12:5), and to truly listen to what he said at Bethel. At that time God promised to be their God, to care for them, and to give them the blessings of Abraham. This is Israel’s promise and hope too, if they do not act like the younger Jacob, who tried to get everything through deception.
Hosea concludes this paragraph with an application to his listeners: “But you” or “But as for you.” He tries to persuade his audience to “return to your God” as Jacob finally did, to have steadfast covenantal love for the God who made such great promises to Jacob, to follow the just practices outlined in the covenant stipulations in the Torah, and to earnestly wait for God in difficult times (12:6). Hope is possible if God’s people follow his way, but not if they continue to follow the path of their ancestor Jacob. They cannot determine their own destiny through more manipulation and duplicity; they must listen to what God has said and learn from how he dealt with Jacob.
Forgetfulness by Israel’s Merchants About God’s Gifts to Them (12:7–10)
HOSEA NOW ANALYZES the contemporary economic situation where deceit rules instead of justice. The Israelite merchants are acting like their Canaanite neighbors13 by using dishonest scales in their business dealings. By rigging two sets of weights for the scale, they can use one that is too heavy or too light. The merchant “defrauds” people by requiring that they put 110 percent of a shekel to balance his heavy weight. Or when the merchant sells, he weighs his product using a light weight so that he gives his customers only 90 percent of what they deserve.
This reminds one of Jacob’s attempts to get ahead financially by taking advantage of Esau and Laban (Gen. 25:27–34; 30:30–43) as well as his attempt to bribe Esau with his wealth in order to escape responsibility for past mistreatment of his brother (Gen. 32). The people in Hosea’s day continue this tradition. Those in the upper class boast about their illegally gained wealth (Hos. 12:8) and boldly flaunt their affluence with great houses that are richly decorated (cf. Amos 3:15). To make things worse, these same people think they are above the law, claiming that no one can ever make any charges stick against them (Hos. 12:8b).14 They are trusting in their wealth to protect them, not the legal system or God. Like Mafia generals, they fix any court case so that they will never be held accountable for their deceptive financial dealings. They think they are above both the laws of God and the nation’s legal system.
Now comes a strong contrast. They claim “I am very rich” (12:8), but in 12:9 God claims, “I am the LORD your God.” He is the one who miraculously delivered them from Egyptian slavery. They owe their national freedom, existence, and identity to his gracious work on their behalf. They cannot determine their destiny through their wealth. Now God is going to bring an anti-exodus event and return them to the desert existence, where they will live in tents rather than rich homes. They already know something about this event because every year the Israelites celebrated the joy of the Exodus by living a few days in tents (on the Feast of Tabernacles; Ex. 23:16; Lev. 23:33–44; Deut. 16:13–17). But this time they will experience God’s judgment. This refers to the uncomfortable life they will have after the nation is destroyed. Their wealth will not protect them from God’s conclusion that they are guilty.
A second basis for determining guilt is the repeated warnings by the prophets God sent to deliver his words (Hos. 12:10). The people are not totally ignorant of what God wants. They have some idea that God does not approve of what they are doing. The prophecies, visions, and parables of Elijah, Elisha, and Amos taught the people God’s will and warned of punishment if they did not repent (see cf. 6:5). They are therefore without excuse since they have stubbornly rejected God’s will and refused to turn from their deceptive ways.
Israel’s Choice of Deception Instead of God (12:11–14)
ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF deceit points to events that took place in Gilead and Gilgal. In this case Hosea mentions the sins of the present day first (12:11) and then draws on the history of Jacob (12:12). The syntax of 12:11 is not clear (the NIV makes two questions), but more likely the verse has two accusations and two punishment statements. The accusation against Gilead is that the people are guilty of wickedness and deceit at this location. This is a broad statement not supported by a description of any specific act or event. The sin at Gilgal is also ambiguous, for Hosea only charges that the people sacrificed there. Apparently the deceitful wickedness of Gilead was infamous (see 6:8) and Gilgal was a well-known place where people worshiped other gods (see 4:15; 9:15). The audience does not need explanation of all the details. It is like mentioning Las Vegas without describing what goes on there.
As punishment Gilead will be reduced to nothing, a “worthless” thing. Moreover, the stones on the altars at Gilgal will look like unorganized piles of rocks on a plowed field rather than a sacred altar for worship. Both images project a picture of destruction so severe that nothing of value is left. This once proud and prosperous people will end up having nothing and becoming nothing because of their deceptive ways.
A second illustration reminds Hosea’s audience of Jacob’s action of fleeing for his life to Laban in Aram and his work of tending Laban’s sheep to pay the bride price for his wives (Hos. 12:12; see Gen. 27–29). The purpose of bringing up this history is unclear. Hosea does not seem to condemn Jacob for going to Laban to find a wife and doing the demeaning work of tending sheep, nor does Hosea suggest Jacob should not have married Laban’s daughters. Andersen and Freedman believe Hosea is contrasting Jacob’s enslavement of “keeping/tending” sheep for a wife with the prophet Moses’ “keeping/caring” for the Israelites (Hos. 12:13) when they came up from Egypt to freedom.15 Garrett finds other parallels between Jacob in Aram and Israel in Egypt: Both were in foreign lands; both worked in slavery for a time; both were delivered by God from enslavement; both had great wealth when they left.16
The similarity of “keeping/caring/tending” draws the experiences together, but the contrast between Jacob’s experiences and those of Israel in Egypt is greater than the similarities. Through Jacob’s own efforts he managed to survive Esau’s hatred and worked for a wife, but the nation of Israel was freed from working as slaves by God’s grace through Moses. The implication is that Hosea’s audience should not follow the patterns of Jacob (self-effort and deception) but should allow God to care for them and bring them freedom through another prophet (Hosea).
Unfortunately, Israel has rejected God’s grace and does not listen to God’s prophets; consequently, they “provoke him to anger” (12:14). Therefore God, the Lord and master of Israel, will hold the nation accountable for its deeds. The verdict is guilty; they will have to pay the penalty for their sins.
Israel’s Deceptive Worship (13:1–3)
THE CONTRASTS BETWEEN Israel’s past (13:1), present (13:2), and future (13:3) continue to provide additional evidence of the nation’s guilt and deception. The positive past depicts a time when Israel was a powerful nation and other nations feared when she threatened. This probably refers to the time of Jeroboam II, when Israel was prosperous and Assyria much weaker. Israel had a large army to defend itself and was one of the more important nations in the ancient Near East (see Amos 6:1–2). Although Israel had many things going for her at the time of Jeroboam II, the people turned away from God and deceptively synthesized the worship of Baal into their religious beliefs and practices. This led to the death of the nation rather than to fertility and life as Baalism promised. Mays connects this death with the state of the nation after their defeat by the Assyrians in the Syro-Ephraimite war (733 B.C.).17 Many were killed, its army was decimated, some of its territory was taken away, and its viability as a military power ended.
As if things are not bad enough, the Israelites are continuing to build more and more idols (Hos. 13:2). Some make their own idols, while others go to great expense to have skilled craftsmen fashion elaborate and beautiful idols of silver. Strangely, the people do not seem to realize that these idols of fertility that are supposed to bring life are actually the cause of their death. Making these idols is a direct rejection of God’s commandment not to worship other gods or to make images of any gods (Ex. 20:3–4).
The last line of verse 2 is problematic, with all kinds of different translations. Although any translation is questionable,18 what is clear is that some Israelites are encouraging others (“they say,” not “it is said,” in the NIV) to sacrifice and kiss the golden calf. 1 Kings 19:18 indicates that kissing the idol was a part of Baal worship, but this practice is now introduced into the worship of the golden calves at Bethel and Dan. Israel has become paganized by gradually joining the worship of Baal and God into one religious system.
The consequence (Hos. 13:3) of this deceptive idolatry is stated in another verdict: Israel will disappear! Hosea expresses this fate with three common metaphors from everyday life. (1) The mist or dew in the morning evaporates and disappears when the sun comes out. (2) The chaff in the grain disappears with the wind when the farmer throws the grain up in the air. (3) The thick smoke from a burning fire in the house suddenly disappears when it goes out the window. These images picture the great nation of Israel evaporating into thin air, quickly disappearing from sight. Hosea does not say here how this will happen or who will make Israel disappear. He simply makes the ominous statement: In a short time you will no longer exist. The exalted nation of 12:8 and 13:1 will be nothing.
Bridging Contexts
DECEPTION. The main theme in this section is the deceitfulness of God’s people. From the very beginning Jacob tried to get ahead through his own cleverness and by manipulating his family and even God himself (12:3–4). The Israelites are still using deceit in Hosea’s time to manage their political relationships with stronger nations (12:1). Hosea sees deception in the way merchants cheat their customers (12:7) and in how the people deceitfully mix the pure worship of God with Baalism and idols (13:1–2). Although God is the One who gave them the land of Israel, these people deceptively take the credit for themselves (12:8a). They also deceive themselves into thinking that no one will be able to hold them accountable for their sins (12:8b).
When people use these kind of tactics, it is a sign they do not trust God to care for their needs and question whether he will accomplish what he has promised. To compensate for God’s weakness and their own inability to deal with reality, these people lie, double-cross, pretend, and twist the truth so that they can get what they want. Honesty and integrity are not a part of their lifestyle. When people embrace this approach to life, they end up deceiving themselves into thinking they are not doing anything wrong.
Nor do the Israelites deal with God honestly and according to their covenant agreement. God has revealed himself to them as holy and faithful (11:12) and made known what he expects of his people. He exhorts them to return to him, maintain their covenant relationship of love with him, practice justice in their dealings with others, and put their hope and trust in God (12:6). The Lord does not deceive his people by telling them one thing in the law and the prophetic revelations and then doing another. His dealings are characterized by grace, faithfulness, and love. The contrast between God’s action and Israel’s response dramatically unfolds the full extent and true nature of Israel’s deceptive dealings. They do not even worship him but honor man-made idols of silver (13:2).
Memory. Hosea links this idea of deception to that of forgetting God’s grace (12:9–10, 13; see also Mic. 6:3–5). God’s people should remember what he has graciously done for them so that they will have an appropriate response to him. God’s grace is also evident in the many prophetic visions, parables, and prophecies that provide instructions on what to do and correct false ideas (Hos. 12:10). God’s past blessing of greatness should not be taken for granted and his desire for justice and truth should not be forgotten.
It is dangerous to forget who God is, what he has said, and what he has done for us. As early as the giving of the law at Sinai, God called on the nation to remember “what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself” (Ex. 19:4) so that they would commit themselves to keeping the covenant stipulations. Childs concludes that memory indicates an active relationship to some object or person that exceeds a simple thought process.19 It is a persistent and reflective examination of the implied meaning of an act so that its value is not lost to the people involved. Thus, a major function of worship ceremonies is to help people remember God’s gracious deeds in the past.
In the covenant renewal ceremony in Joshua 24, the initial covenant deeds of God are traced back to his calling of Abraham out of Ur, guiding the lives of Isaac and Jacob, bringing the people up from Egypt, defeating King Sihon, frustrating Balaam’s curses, crossing the Jordan, defeating the Canaanites, and finally receiving the land (Josh. 24:2–13). One of the key sources of Joshua’s courage in entering the Promised Land was his remembering what God had done in the past and promised for the future.
When God’s grace is ignored or forgotten, people soon lose any sense of connection with the past or responsibility to carry on the values of past generations. When people forget their history or take for granted all the wonderful things they have, they lose an essential ingredient of their identity and become something different from the ideals of their founders.
Contemporary Significance
REMEMBER THE PAST grace of God. One way church members can ensure a proper relationship with God and avoid his condemnation is never to forget what God has done for them. The Psalms are rich with words of praise for what God has done for his people (see Ps. 103–106). Paul encourages the church at Corinth and us today to celebrate the Lord’s Supper, based on the memory of what Jesus did at his Last Supper: “Do this in remembrance of me” (1 Cor. 11:24). He knew if believers forget that Jesus died for them, they will not live like people who are alive in Christ and dead to sin.
Of course, just remembering is not enough, for a dull hearer will not receive God’s blessing, but only the active doer of what God has said (James 1:25). Although repeated remembering can turn into deadly boring repetition, values and beliefs are cemented in the minds of people by repeatedly reemphasizing them. Transformation comes when people’s hearts are so touched by the past work of Christ that they are willing to take up their cross and follow him (Matt. 16:24).
The author of Hebrews reminds his audience not to forget the admonitions in the Old Testament books “that address you” (Heb. 12:5), for by this means God’s people endure in faithfulness through the discipline of remembering the past. Peter also maintains that people who lose sight of the importance of moral discipline, self-control, the need for perseverance, and Christian love and godliness, do so because they do not remember the greatness of their purification from their past sins (2 Peter 1:5–9). Jesus called his audiences to “remember Lot’s wife” (Luke 17:32) and not make the same mistake she did. In the Upper Room, Jesus also called his followers to remember his words (John 15:20; 16:4).
The apostle Paul asked the church at Ephesus to “remember that . . . you who are Gentiles . . . were separate from Christ . . . without hope and without God in the world” (Eph. 2:11–12). The angel of God called on the church of Sardis to “remember . . . what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent” (Rev. 3:3), lest judgment come on them like a thief in the night. Remembering the grace of God is not a useless attachment to old-fashioned ways; it is a central means of understanding and appreciating one’s heritage and identity.
The educational function of the church is heavily related to edifying people about God’s past dealings with his people. Through preaching and Bible study, people are reminded again and again what God has done for them. If we do not teach our children about the great deeds of God in the past, describe the teachings of Jesus, and drill into their minds the admonitions of Paul, how will they learn how to act in a Christian manner? A solid Christian education program is necessary if the church expects its members to maintain the integrity of the faith.
In the secular realm, every ethnic and national group knows that they must remind their young people about the history of that group to create identity and a connection with the ideals and struggles of the group. When any group, especially the church, forgets the suffering of the past and the many mistakes made, it is doomed to a loss of significance for the next generation and is in danger of extinction. If we as believers do not remember what God has done for us and said to us, how can we ever expect to maintain the church as a powerful force in society? As Hosea knows, a group that forgets what God has done for it will not act to please God.
What does God think of lies and deception? Hosea affirms that God holds everyone accountable for his or her acts of deception. If people forget what God has done or said, they are still accountable. Ignorance is not bliss. No one can really deceive a holy and just God. He sees all lies as lies and knows when our hearts are full of deceit. He is as much against deceitfulness today as he was in the time of Hosea. He will judge those who do not conduct their business dealings with others honestly and without deception or lies (see Amos 8:4–6; Mic. 6:9–12).
The Bible is full of admonitions about the importance of honest and ethical behavior in business (Deut. 25:13). Although many people today live outside the agricultural setting of selling grain that Hosea has in mind in this section, the trusting relationship between sellers and buyers is commonly experienced at farmers’ markets as well as most other places of business or trade. All business and employment arrangements include written and unwritten expectations of both parties. The boss promises to provide certain benefits and rewards and the worker to perform certain required tasks. People can choose to keep their part of the agreement (to pay a full wage or to work a full eight hours) or to deceive their business partner and refuse to do faithfully what is expected of them.
One cannot be spiritual and have a close relationship to God while cheating another person out of his or her money. There is a direct relationship between people’s acts and their heart. Those who consistently lie with their tongues and cheat others with their hands are people who do not love God. Those who claim to love God but worship something other than the holy God of revelation deceive themselves. If God is less important than financial gain, then there is not much question about what such a person is worshiping. He or she is not doing justice, returning to God, worshiping God, or hoping in God always (Hos. 12:6).
This theme of lies and deception is a troubling issue in every person’s life. It is always easier to say something to please people when you really do not mean it. Just take care of a young child for a day and you will find that child not telling the truth about what he or she did.20 Teenagers frequently lie about their homework, what they did with their friends, and when they will get home. Boys lie about their romantic conquests and their athletic skills, while girls lie about their boyfriends. Anyone involved with committing crime tries to cover his or her tracks with lies. Investigative TV programs repeatedly catch people doing something they should not be doing on a video camera, but such people usually lie about it when initially confronted. Even husbands and wives deceptively cheat on their partners.
The pervasiveness of lies and half-truths in interpersonal relationships was powerfully brought home to me some years back when I read about how the psychiatrist M. S. Peck tried to break through the massive web of deceit that people weave.21 It seemed like a torturous task to uncover and understand what was actually happening because everyone was giving his or her own spin to the facts to cover self-interests and save face. Parents lied to a young boy named Roger and to his psychiatrist, and the young boy lied to protect himself. The parents wanted to keep what the doctor recommended and what they said to the doctor hidden from their son. How could they twist the truth if everyone knew what the other person really felt and said?22
Peck states that the parents told him “between one and two dozen lies. . . . Roger’s parents lied to me repeatedly. . . . The process was very perverse.” 23 Through all this Roger’s parents were pretending that they were helping Roger, but actually they were more interested in preserving their own self-image. Most of us do not think our neighbors or friends are that kind of people; we think deceptions and lies are the tricks of criminals, lawyers on TV, and a few bad used-car salesmen. The fact is, even “good religious” people who go to church and sing beautiful songs of commitment and love to God sometimes use deceit in what they say. They lie to God and deceive other church members.
The problem of deception is not limited to what people say. It can also relate to the difference between what people say and what they do or what they believe. If one says that God is the sovereign ruler over the political affairs of the nations, one must trust in God to help solve political problems and not depend on underhanded political tricks (12:1). If people say they follow God’s work in their business, it is deceptive to use shady practices to make an extra buck (12:7). If one claims to worship God as Savior and Lord, it is deceitful not to follow his revelation or listen to what his prophets have said (12:10). Why do so many unbelievers complain so much about hypocrisy in the church? For some it may be a lame excuse, but others know that deception is still a major problem among God’s people in the church.