Hosea 1:4–9 portions (ESV) — 4 And the Lord said to him, “Call his name Jezreel,
for in just a little while … I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of
Israel. …
6 She conceived again and bore a daughter. And the Lord said to him,
“Call her name No Mercy, for I will no more have mercy on the house of Israel,
to forgive them at all. 7…, she conceived and bore a son. 9 And the Lord said, “Call his name Not My People, for you are not my
people, and I am not your God.”
NOTE: Three children
and three negative names to illustrate God's wrath and Israel's future (note:
the passage does not apply to Judah). The three names mean: 1) God scatters, 2)
No mercy, and 3) Not my people. Any one of the three names is devastating. To
cease to be a nation and thrown out of the land of promise is devastating. To
not be given mercy is heart-wrenching. But to lose the relationship with God,
the words are indescribable. God's covenant with his people still stands, but
this temporary judgment is terrifying. The passage illustrates how serious God
takes sin. The warning is also to us. Are we serious about our relationship
with God and our attitude toward sin. I see people who show great piety in some
areas but are totally lacking in love for God. They are religious (very much
so) but they are not saved. They do not have a relationship with Jesus. They
have not experienced in their inner heart the deep changing work of the Holy
Spirit. My heart breaks for them. They do not really understand the salvation
that is theirs in Jesus.
PRAYER: Father, open
the eyes of those who claim to be known by you. Help them to see their
self-deception. Help them to know real life and a real relationship with Jesus.
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