Contradiction with Isaiah 1:11
Isaiah 1:11 states that God is not pleased with burnt offerings, contradicting Hosea 8:13 where God rejects sacrifices due to their insincerity.
Isaiah 1:11: To what purpose [is] the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. [he goats: Heb. great he goats]
Contradiction with Micah 6:6-7
Micah 6:6-7 questions the value of sacrifices, emphasizing justice and humility instead, contrasting with Hosea 8:13 as it criticizes vain offerings.
Micah 6:6-7: Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, [and] bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? [of a...: Heb. sons of a year?]
Contradiction with Psalm 40:6
Psalm 40:6 highlights God's desire for obedience over sacrifices, which contradicts the focus on ritual offerings in Hosea 8:13.
Psalm 40:6: Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. [opened: Heb. digged]
Contradiction with Amos 5:21-22
Amos 5:21-22 articulates God's disdain for Israel's sacrifices despite their frequency, which contrasts with Hosea 8:13 criticizing insincere sacrificial practices.
Amos 5:21-22: I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. [in...: or, your holy days]
Contradiction with Jeremiah 7:22
Jeremiah 7:22 points out that God did not originally command sacrifices but obedience, challenging the sacrificial practices addressed in Hosea 8:13.
Jeremiah 7:22: For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices: [concerning: Heb. concerning the matter of]
Contradiction with 1 Samuel 15:22
1 Samuel 15:22 emphasizes obedience over sacrifice, in opposition to the reliance on sacrifices mentioned in Hosea 8:13.
1 Samuel 15:22: And Samuel said, Hath the LORD [as great] delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey [is] better than sacrifice, [and] to hearken than the fat of rams.
Paradox #1
Hosea 8:13 highlights God's dissatisfaction with the Israelites' sacrifices because they lack genuine devotion. This could seem inconsistent with earlier parts of the Bible that emphasize the importance of sacrifices. The contradiction lies in performing rituals without true commitment, suggesting that God values sincerity more than mere rituals.
Paradox #2
The moral conflict in Hosea 8:13 could arise from the tension between the importance of religious rituals and the sincerity of faith. The verse criticizes people for performing sacrifices without genuine faith or obedience. This presents a contradiction where actions (sacrifices) are done for God, yet they are not accepted because the underlying faith and intentions are not sincere. This highlights the potential inconsistency between external religious practices and internal beliefs or morality.