TEXT [Commentary]

black diamond   Subscription (14:9)

9 Let those who are wise understand these things.

Let those with discernment listen carefully.

The paths of the LORD are true and right,

and righteous people live by walking in them.

But in those paths sinners stumble and fall.

NOTES

14:9 [10] Let those who are wise understand these things. Let those with discernment listen carefully. The skillful and discerning use of wisdom will bring true knowledge. The grouping of these three words often associated with knowledge (khakam [TH2450, ZH2682], “wise”; bin [TH995, ZH1067], “understand”; yada‘ [TH3045, ZH3359], “know”) points to Hosea’s acquaintance with the wisdom genre (cf. Macintosh 1995:124-132).

true and right. The NLT rendering provides two of the qualities of character that the Hebrew root yashar [TH3474/3477, ZH3837/3838] (straight, upright) connotes. The declaration is based on Deut 32:4.

righteous people live by walking in them. But in those paths sinners stumble. Uprightness (i.e., integrity) and righteousness are natural corollaries of each other (see note and commentary on Hab 2:4). Hosea had spoken of Israel’s stumbling previously (4:5; 5:5; see the note on 14:1). Here stumbling characterizes any person who chooses to violate God’s revealed standards rather than live by them.

COMMENTARY [Text]

Hosea brings his prophetic collection to a close by adding a personal note. He intended to encourage those hearers who had been attentive listeners. Having been given a great deal of information, they were to be those who perceived the issues involved so as to draw proper conclusions. They were to employ them skillfully in their spiritual lives. Above all, Hosea had repeatedly confronted them with the clear distinction between proper and improper courses of action. Accordingly, people are wise if they make the right decision to follow God’s straight path to righteous living (Ps 1:1-3). In so doing, they will experience God’s blessings and protection, while the rebellious will fall by the way and perish (cf. Ps 1:6).

The theme of the two ways is a familiar one in the Old Testament. Moses warned the Israelites about departing from the right way after his death (Deut 30:19-20; 31:29). Joshua admonished his people not to stray from the Lord to serve other gods (Josh 24:14-15). One psalmist pronounced his blessing upon the one who disdained the paths of the wicked so as to walk according to the way of the law of the Lord (Ps 1), while another prayed that he might be delivered from deceitful ways, for he resolved to follow the way prescribed in God’s law (Ps 119:29-32). The author of Proverbs urged his children to heed his wise instructions in order that they might choose the straight path he laid out before them and so avoid the evil way (Prov 4:10-19). Choosing one’s own way rather than God’s can only lead to death (Prov 16:25). The need to follow the way of the righteous and shun the way of evil also became a frequent theme in the prophets (e.g., Isa 26:7-11; Jer 5:4-5; Ezek 18:5-9, 21-32; 33:12-20; Hab 2:4; Mal 2:7-9).

The theme of the two ways is also attested in the intertestamental apocryphal and pseudepigraphical books (e.g., 2 Esdr 7:6-14; Sir 21:11-14; The Testament of Asher 1:3, 5), as well as the Dead Sea Scrolls (e.g., 1QS 3:18–4:26). Jesus later spoke of the two ways (Matt 7:13-14) in delineating the way of true discipleship. Although it is a narrow road, the true way leads to life, unlike the broad way, which leads to destruction. Those who take the former will enter God’s final Kingdom; those who choose the latter will perish.

To forsake God and his revealed standards is to invite disaster. Those who arrogantly make their own way apart from God will ultimately miss the rich blessings that God has for those who love him and obey his Word. The truly wise person, unlike the wicked hearer (Isa 42:18-25; Jer 5:21; Ezek 12:2), will have an ear attuned to God’s truth (Matt 13:9; Luke 14:25-35; cf. Rev 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22) and will be sensitive to walk in his ways (Ps 119:1-5). Fausset (1948:510) wisely observes, “‘The ways of the Lord are right,’ not because we see the reason of them all, but simply because they are the Lord’s ways.”

If we have listened well to Hosea’s prophecies, we perceive that what he wished for his fellow countrymen can be for us and for believers of all ages. We do wisely (1) to let God be God of our lives and (2) to abandon whatever idols we may have erected that cloud the sense of his love for us. Indeed, we demonstrate our love for Christ by walking in the way he commanded (John 14:15). As those who are truly wise, may we let the message of Hosea direct us on our way. For “the paths of the LORD are true and right, and righteous people live by walking in them” (14:9).