Recently, another tried to sell me the "Truth," with promises that suggested by implication that if I purchased this truth, I could get closer to God. This greatly disturbs me. My problem is not with having buy the truth, but with those individuals who would sell it in the first place. The fact that they claim it is "truth" to which they are selling brings into question the very nature and legitimacy of their product.
More than one text has recently suggested a thing, the following notion:
The book of Hosea, mentions a time when The Lord would be a Merchant with the "scales of deceit" in his hands. I OPPOSE THIS Assertion! Don’t get me wrong…I have an open mind, I considered the proposal when it was made, but it did not set right with me, and so I studied the matter out more fully to be sure…and I found my instinct to be true, and we take a further look at this notion in this study, to place it in proper perspective with the actual truth. The notion mentioned rests on two verses of Scripture:
Hosea 12
6 Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and judgment and wait on thy God continually.
7 He is a merchant, the balances of deceit are in his hand: he loveth to oppress.
The doctrine presented is that Lord will according to this passage at some time, be a merchant, but it does not list what his product is. Or does it? You see those who embrace this passage in such a light, present from the same other doctrine, which then verses away from this passage and looks to other passages to support thier positions. Now maybe there will be a time when the Lord is a Merchant, I am certainly not saying he wont.
But what I am doing is calling into question 3 things.
One....What of those who seek the truth...upon finding it, must they then buy it? Perhaps. We are told to buy the truth and sell it not. I do think it is very prudent however to consider the wares of one who professes to sell the truth, as somewhat suspect.
Two, would the Lord as a merchant be selling Truth as his Product? Again perhaps. At one place in scripture we are commanded "Buy of me Gold tried in the fire,” …what? Wait a second...what product is this...is it truth? I mean Proverbs dictates a word fitly spoken is like "apples of gold in pictures of Silver" so maybe, but then maybe the Lord will be a Gold Merchant. I mean we place so much value on it, and he paves his streets with it, so why not? If I could go out to my mailbox and pick up a chunk of asphalt and then go trade it as gold two neighborhoods down…why not? Right?
More importantly than all the aforementioned speculation, and the third avenue of consideration here, is to view the passage of Hosea a little more closely, to examine exactly what is being said. If the passage ends and begins with verses 6 and 7, if the passage of verses 6 and 7 of chapter 12 are all inclusive, then fine, the logic prevails...but what about verse 8, or verses 1 thru 5, shouldn't they have some bearing upon the context and meaning we are derive from these two verses?
After, Judas hung himself, and the book does say "likewise go ye and do also," right? I mean, that's it, game over, no point left, ...you still here? what's the matter, why aren't you getting rope of your shed, grabbing stationary to write your final goodbye, you opus to the world? I mean Judas led the way right, we have arrived at the truth right?
Yeah...right...the notion is just silly, and borderlines the demonic by any who would promote such in seriousness or embrace the same. My point is, that just because the passages which cite "then Judas went out and hung himself" and elsewhere "likewise go ye and do also" are obviously taken out of context to promote the absurd idea used above for sake of illustration, two passages taken at random from scripture, from the same location, can seemingly promote an idea, which simply was not the intent of the very verses being used. One has to do some investigation into the matter to find...hey there’s an interesting word!!! ...To find the truth!
Seek the truth, and ye shall find it...hmmm now that, in this moment, looks apples of Gold in pictures of silver.
So let's look at Hosea chapter 12 a little closer and see just what verse 6 and 7 are saying, and to whom verse 7 in particular is referencing. It would seem on the surface that verse 7 references The Lord as being a merchant...look again
Hosea 12
6 Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and judgment and wait on thy God continually.
7 He is a merchant, the balances of deceit are in his hand: he loveth to oppress.
But what of verse 8, if verse 7 is speaking of the Lord, what of verse 8, does it add to the list of things this merchant is capable of...?
8 And Ephraim said, Yet
Ok Wait a second...what is the first word out of Ephraim’s mouth here...? He starts by saying "Yet" well...yet what? The syntax of his statement implies that it is directly related to something else does it not? Verse 7 speaks of a deceitful merchant WHO LOVES TO OPPRESS...some easily believe this of the Lord, who is referenced in verse 6, and in the same reference promotes the keeping of MERCY and JUDGEMENT as opposed to DECEIT and OPPRESSION in verse 7, so could it be that verse 7 is Speaking of Ephraim who in verse 8 starts off his statement by saying "YET"? Well, perhaps...let's look a little closer at what Ephraim has to say...
8 And Ephraim said, Yet I am become rich, I have found me out substance: in all my labours they shall find none iniquity in me that were sin.
Is it possible that what is actually being said here is not that there will be a time when The Lord will be a deceitful merchant, but rather that an assessment of Ephraim is made in verse 7 by the Spirit? To which then is it also likely that what we really witness here is Ephraim after having been found to be a Merchant with scales of Deceit in his hand, who loves to oppress, is indeed defending his position by acknowledging the assessment made of him and deferring to say..."yeah, I am a deceitful oppressive merchant...Yet look at me…I am rich! Hmm, deceitful, maybe, but I am a man of substance, and Oppression, sure, I am oppressive, but in all my labors they can't prove I committed any sin, all of my acts, all of my labors which brought my riches are righteous."...this assessment, is it likely the case for our witness here? Rather than build a context here for a case citing the Lord to be a deceitful Oppressive Merchant, let's build a context for CONTEXT, and taking things accordingly.
I have no trouble with those who cite a case for rightly dividing the word of truth, so long as their division is true, and 6 divided by three plainly equals 2, and not two hundred plus 6 algebraic equations hidden by circumstance and arising from convenience. If we are working algebra, let's cite plainly that we are working algebra. But if we are dividing the word of truth, well then, let's divide.
A couple weeks ago, at a college party held on campus (in class...soda and doughnuts mind you, not beer and broads), I was asked to participate in a game. It was obvious that the others around me had already done so. I consented. I was asked a list of questions to which my answers were written down. Then a statement was read applying those same answers to other arenas of life, it was meant to seem like philosophical insight about a person. It was entertaining, and mildly humorous, but asking a person what they had for breakfast hardly means that they truly view death as scrambled eggs and orange juice.
My point here is CONTEXT. It a case for truth is made, then at some point, even if Perception is truly being challenged, Context must again be considered, and must hail as a standard for the truth. A house built upon a poor foundation, shall not stand, Christ is recorded in the new testament as emphasizing this same truth in his parables, in referencing one who builds his house upon a rock as opposed to others building in less appropriate places. They are all indeed houses, and they will all shelter from the rain, at least for a moment, but only one built on a solid foundation will stand the test of time. The logic of this argument is not to suggest the houses of false doctrine, are not indeed houses, sure, I acknowledge in fact that they are, but I also point out, they are poorly constructed houses, and I do not wish to be in them when the rains come. For that matter, I do not wish to entertain any false hopes of security by dwelling in them while the sun is shining, knowing full well they are poorly constructed.
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