The three children that are born to Hosea are given suggestive names in

chapter 1, they are Jezreel, Lo -ruhamah and Lo -ammi.  The name Israel and

the name Jezreel look much alike, and indeed we may have here a paronomasia

or a play on the sound of the two names.  Jezreel has a double significance,

(1) May God scatter (Jer. 31:10) and (2) May God sow (Zech. 10:9).  There is

also a reference to history.  The field of Jezreel had been the scene of

bloodshed in the days of Jehu.  The second name, Lo -ruhamah, means 'not

having received mercy', 'For,' said the Lord,

'I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly

take them away' (Hos. 1:6).

The third name, Lo -ammi, means, 'not My people'.

'For', said God, 'Ye are

not My people, and I will not be your God'.

This terrible condition will be reversed in the day of Israel's

'And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, saith the Lord, I

will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth; and the earth

shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil; and they shall hear

Jezreel (the seed of God, which He will sow).  And I will sow her unto

Me in the earth; and I will have mercy (i.e. I will call her Ruhamah)

upon her that had not obtained mercy (Lo -ruhamah); and I will say to

them which were not My people (Lo -ammi), Thou art My people (Ammi);

and they shall say, Thou art my God' (Hos. 2:21 -23).

We should face up to this prophecy.  If at Acts 28 Israel became lo -

ammi then God ceased for the time being to be 'The God of Abraham, Isaac and

Jacob', the covenant name of the God of the 'Fathers'.  This gives point to

the title in Ephesians 1:17, 'The God of our Lord Jesus Christ'.  For us far

-off Gentiles He stands for us, where the Fathers stood for Israel, and how

much greater is He than all the Fathers put together!

In chapter 3, the wife taken by Hosea is addressed by him with the

'Thou shalt abide for Me many days; thou shalt not play the harlot, and

thou shalt not be for another man: so will I also be for thee' (Hos.

It should be noted here, that whatever defection may be laid to the

charge of Israel, God, in the language of Hosea, declares that He will abide

by the covenant He has made.  It is untrue to teach that since Israel's

separation from the Lord, the Church has usurped or taken possession of

Israel's place and blessings.  This is not so, the blessings of Israel and

the blessings of the Church are not to be confused.  God waits for the

repentance of His people, and when that takes place He will have nothing to

confess to His returning people, for He abides faithful.

The prophetic significance of the attitude of the prophet is explained

in the verse that follows:

'For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king (of

their own), and without a prince (an outside ruler), and without a

sacrifice (as given by the law), and without an image (i.e. without