“Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein” (Hosea 14:9).

Here are the last words of Hosea to the people.  He appeals to their best thinking to ponder some simple truths.  One who is wise and prudent as the Bible defines it would understand and know.  Consider the three principles found in this simple passage.

1. The Practice of the Lord with Man. Hosea simply states, “the ways of the Lord are right” (Hosea 14:9).  Moses told the generation that was to enter into the promised land about “the name of the Lord” (Deut. 32:3), “He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he” (Deut. 32:4).  Abraham was very familiar with the character of God when he asked in view of the judgment of God, “That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” (Gen. 18:25).  All wise and prudent know that God will always do the right thing when dealing with man even though man may not fully understand all the details.  Secret things belong to God (cf. Deut. 29:29).  God has, however, revealed how he judges and that is according to his righteousness found in divine revelation.  David wrote, “Righteous art thou, O Lord, and upright are thy judgments. Thy testimonies that thou hast commanded are righteous and very faithful” (Ps. 119:137-138).  Again, “Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth” (Ps. 119:142).
2. The Path of the Just. The second affirmation Hosea makes is “the just shall walk in them” (Hosea 14:9).  Habakkuk will later write, “Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith” (Hab. 2:4).  Paul wrote of how faith comes to the individual, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17).  Jesus said, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4).  All of these passages paint a picture that the just know that they do not live by their own thinking (cf. Jer. 10:23) but by every word that comes from God.  The walk of the just is in the revealed way of God that is pure and undefiled (cf. Prov. 30:5).
3. The Problem with the Transgressors. The last affirmation Hosea makes is “the transgressors shall fall therein” (Hosea 14:9).  The word translated “fall” literally means, “to stumble, stagger, totter” (Brown, Driver, and Briggs, p. 505).  God’s word to the transgressor only incites rebellion.  Hosea stated, “Woe unto them! for they have fled from me: destruction unto them! because they have transgressed against me: though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me” (Hosea 7:13).  Hosea stated earlier, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children” (Hosea 4:6).  These do not respect Scripture.  They will do what they want to do in spite of what God has stated.  The wise and prudent consider well what is happening (cf. Prov. 14:15-16) and knowing the ways of the Lord walk in the light.

Jimmy Clark