A trader, in whose hands are false balances, he loves to oppress. Ephraim has said, ‘Ah, I am rich, I have gained wealth for myself; in all of my gain no offence has been found in me that would be sin.’ I am the Lord your God from the land of Egypt; I will make you live in tents again, as on the days of the appointed festival. (Hosea 12: 7-9)

Successful, self-confident, and more than a bit smug Ephraim is separated from God. When we make ourselves the center of the universe we are wrong. As long as we persist in this unrealistic and inaccurate stance we will fail to understand the real and true.

"I will make you live in tents again," positions God as the agent of punishment. The Hebrew can also be read as, "You will live in tents again." The effect is the same. The cause may be different.

In my experience God does not punish. Pain has its origin in separation from God. Those who reap the whirlwind harvest pain for themselves and others because they are lost in error, confusion, and delusion.

Hosea perceives a cause and effect relationship. He sees his people separated from God and drifting toward disaster. Hosea perceives the disaster as God's purposeful - ultimately redemptive - punishment.

I perceive the same evidence and effect, but see a different cause. God loves us enough to respect our freedom of choice. If we reject, God will not impose. God will allow us the illusion of self-sufficiency and the reality of its effect.

Above is a weight used to ensure accuracy in trade. It is inscribed with the name of King Shalamanser, the Assyrian conqueror of Israel. Without a true weight the actual value could easily be confused.