Hosea 1:4-9

 SCRIPTURE

Hosea 1:4-9

And the Lord said to him, “Call his name Jezreel, for in just a little while I will punish the house of Jehu for the blood of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. And on that day I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel.”
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. But I will have mercy on the house of Judah, and I will save them by the Lord their God. I will not save them by bow or by sword or by war or by horses or by horsemen.”
When she had weaned No Mercy, she conceived and bore a son. And the Lord said, “Call his name Not My People, for you are not my people, and I am not your God.”

COMMENT

Imagine, with all of the political correctness going on today, that someone were to name their children such names. Think of the damage to their psyche. 

Jezreel means, "God will sow." Not bad as far as names go. But let's think about the meaning. We hear so much about Karma, and people defend it using the words, "A man reaps what he sows." And this is true, but not in the karma way that most want to use it. If you sow bad actions, expect bad results. That won't keep you from winning the lottery, but it will have consequences. Here, it states that God will sow. It is not man's actions that determine his fate, it is God's. And sow He will as He promises to put an end to the house of Israel.

The daughter's name is No Mercy. Interesting for a God of mercy to say that He will have no mercy on Israel, but will have mercy on Judah. But isn't that how mercy works? Isn't mercy up to the giver? The receiver can beg and plead, but cannot force mercy out of another. If he could, would it be mercy? We know that God is merciful, but being merciful does not mean mercy in every instance. That is what we want. But that is not how mercy works.

The third child, a son, is called Not My People. Maybe those are typical names for the children of prophets, but this seems harsh as well. All along, Israel was the chosen people. Now they have lost that status? Or perhaps is it just transferred to Judah alone? I must say, this is a powerful and confusing turn of events for the people of Israel.