Read Hosea 5 at Bible Gateway.
The princes of Judah are like those who remove the landmark; upon them I will pour out My wrath like water. Ephraim is oppressed, broken down in judgment; because he willingly walked by human precept. Hos 5:10-11
The landmark the princes of Judah removed is the ancient landmark or boundary stone set by the men of old (Exo 19:23, Deu 19:14, Pro 22:28), that is, Torah, which marks the way in which God walks, the way we are also to walk (Jer 6:16).
Ephraim substituted human commandments, statutes, and precepts for YHVH’s commandments, statutes, and precepts. A human precept is a man-made ordinance, or political correctness pressure, whatever society approves of at the moment, subject to change.
Why This Matters:
There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. Pro 14:12
Human precepts look wonderful to the fallible human soul, but if they are not measured against the plumb line of the ancient landmark of Torah, they can be a way of death in disguise.
Behold, YHVH stood by a wall made true to plumb, with a plumb line in His hand. And YHVH said to me, “Amos, what do you see?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then YHVH said, “Behold, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of My people Israel; I will not pass by them anymore.” Amo 7:7-8
A plumb line is a simple tool used for thousands of years to ensure walls are perfectly straight. Imagine a heavy weight (like a stone or metal bob) tied to the end of a string. You hold the string up and let the weight hang freely, so that gravity pulls it straight down, creating a perfectly vertical line. That string is called a plumb line (from the Latin word plumbum meaning “lead,” because the weight was often made of lead). When you hold the string next to the wall you’re building, you can test if the wall is true and upright, if it matches the hanging plumb line. If the wall bulges out or leans in, it’s crooked and needs fixing.
The ancient landmark of Torah, being the Law of liberty (Psa 119:45, Jam 1:25) increases freedom. When people control themselves from within, then governmental controls from without are not necessary. Human precept increases oppression. The ancient landmark of Torah, being the beginning of wisdom (Psa 111:10), increases sound judgment among men. Human precept increases folly leading to destruction (Pro 14:12).
Hosea 5:6-15 Chiastic structure
The Hebrew paragraphs for this chapter:
5:1-7 {s} Because Ephraim commits harlotry and does not turn to their God, they and their heritage shall be devoured
5:8-6:11 {p} …
Leave a Reply