This post is Day 4 in a series of studies about “Babies and Children”. I strongly suggest you begin with the introduction to this study, please click here to read it.

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Babies and Children – Day 4

Another example of a prophet naming his child with a message from The Lord. And what an awful name it is! I imagine this poor child looking constantly miserable! She must have been a sad child. Unless of course she was aware of the love of God for her personally.

Hosea 1:6

Gomer conceived again and gave birth to a daughter. Then the Lord said to Hosea, “Call her Lo-Ruhamah (which means “not loved”), for I will no longer show love to Israel, that I should at all forgive them.”

The Thought

Another example, like yesterday, of a prophet naming his child with a message from The Lord. And what an awful name it is! In my mind’s eye, I imagine this poor child looking constantly miserable! She must have been a sad child, unless of course she was aware of the love of God for her personally.

Hosea is an interesting book to read. This prophet was called to live his life in demonstration of Israel’s relationship with The Lord. God made this clear right from the beginning of the book. Hosea 1:2 tells us: “Go, take to yourself an adulterous wife and children of unfaithfulness, because the land is guilty of the vilest adultery in turning from The Lord.”

Today’s verse tells us about the second child of the prophet’s relationship with Gomer, the first was to be called Jezreel in memory of a massacre (v4)!

Before the end of the first chapter, however there is encouraging news. Yet the Israelites will be like the sand on the seashore, which cannot be counted. In the place where it was said to them “You are not My people,” they will be called “sons of The living God” (Hosea 1:10).

Action

Read Hosea 1 today, and imagine the emotions of The Lord as He used these strange named children as spiritual pictures of His nation Israel.

Think about your own nation, or your local district. What name do you think the Lord would give to it today?

Pray for any children you know of who were “accidents” and not really wanted by loving parents. If you are one of those children, then praise God that He wanted you and loves you deeply.

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