Today’s Thoughts – 26 August 2021
By T. S. Candee on August 26, 2021 in Hosea Thoughts
And she conceived again, and bare a daughter. And God said unto him, Call her name Loruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away. But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the Lord their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen. Now when she had weaned Loruhamah, she conceived, and bare a son. Then said God, Call his name Loammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God. Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God… Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ruhamah.
A name is so very important! When naming our children, my wife and I put a lot of time and thought into picking a unique name. Our desire is that the name we choose for our children is a name that no one else around us has as their name
It may not be a very popular name, but it is unique to my son or daughter. For instance, my son’s name was used for 12 births the year he was born – or 0.0009% of babies. That’s what I call unique!
Names in the Bible hold meaning. More than being unique, there are fulfillments to these names and purposes for the names chosen and defined. These names were important to the prophecy for Israel, and they are important for us today on a personal level. Let us continue our study of the names of Hosea’s children
Second Child, Lo-ruhamah
Hosea’s second child, a daughter, was named Lo-ruhamah which means “not pitied, not loved.” God was saying that because Israel broke their covenant with Him, He would not show them love or pity anymore. He would no longer show them mercy and allow the Assyrians to swallow them up
We must be careful that we give the Lord the highest place in our lives. If we let something else creep up there and take the place of God, we begin to be treacherous toward God. And although it may not seem as though it is a big deal, it’s a big deal to God
He may remove his mercy and blessings from our lives if we don’t turn back to Him. This is true for our personal lives, our families, our churches, and even our nation. We must show God the honor and reverence He deserves and not worship the other “idols” of this world
The expression of God’s love is certainly unconditional, but our enjoyment of that love is conditional and depends on our faith and obedience
The other side of this prophecy was that the Southern Kingdom of Judah was going to be spared during this time. But God made sure to state that they would not be spared “by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen” (Hosea 1:7). Instead, God would save them by His mighty power and grace!
For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me. But thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us
Remember, Christian, that our God is greater than our trial, challenge, or circumstance! He can overcome anything and everything. And because you are His child, you too can overcome (John 16:33)
Third Child, Lo-ammi
The third and last child of Hosea was named Lo-ammi, a son, which means “not my people.” This holds the thought of a father rejecting his own son. It’s a sad thought for sure. God was not withdrawing Himself from His covenant with Abraham so long ago, for God keeps His promises.
Instead, He was rejecting them spiritually because they broke the covenant. This nation may have been related to Abraham physically, but they were not related to him or his God spiritually
It doesn’t matter who you are related to in this life. What matters is your personal relationship with God. Be careful to think you are something just because you have a certain last name, or your family is “known” in the church. That’s not what makes you close to God
What brings you close to God is your personal walk with Him each and every day. When you submit to Him and to His leading for your life, He can take your life and make it and mold it into what He would have it to be
But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand
Grace Fulfilled
Through all of this darkness held in the names of these children, there is a graceful light that we can see. The names will one day be changed!
Lo-ruhamah would be changed to Ruhamam, going from “not loved” to “my loved one.” And Lo-ammi would be changed to Ammi, going from “not my people” to “my people”
It is faith’s anticipation of the time when the “Lo” (not) shall be removed, and they shall again be owned as His people, who have obtained mercy
Israel and Judah will one day unite and submit to God reflecting a new relationship with Him. We must remember that God is not through with Israel!
Just the same, God is not through with you and me. Even though we have led treacherous lives against God and live in the filth of this world, God’s grace is greater and it reaches farther than our sin
Take this comfort today, that God won’t give up on you. He will always be there, and He will never change. All we have to do is recognize that He is in charge and give our lives over to Him to take control. He can then do great things with us and shower His love, mercy, grace, and blessings upon us
2 comments
Preacher (Pastor Brad Weniger) -
Our spiritual relationship with God as His Blood-bought born-again children is never to be trifled with. It’s serious, non-negotiable, and our fellowship can be restored and maintained by 1 John 1:9. Great study!
T. S. Candee -
Yes, sir! True words… The spiritual relationship outweighs the physical!