Hosea 1:8-9 – Being God’s possession.

Hosea 1:8 says that Gomer, Hosea’s wife, gave birth to a third child, a boy. This child, named ‘Lo-ammi,’ was not just any child but a symbol of God’s rejection of His people. The name ‘Lo-ammi’ means ‘not my people or no longer my people,’ carries a serious and weighty message. This child signifies a temporary separation between God and His chosen people.  

When a father declares over his children, saying, ‘not mine children,’ he is virtually saying that his children are not his legitimate children.  This is what Lo-ammi was to the people of Israel.    

In Exodus 6:7, we witness a pivotal moment in the relationship between God and the people of Israel. God, through Moses, declares His intention to rescue the Israelites from bondage, promising, “I will take you for My people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God….” This declaration is not a mere statement but the establishment of a covenant, a sacred agreement between God and His chosen people.   

In ‘Lo-ammi,’ God suspends the covenant statement, a moment of deep sadness. Israel’s unique status has been put on hold, and the one covenant people could no longer claim God to be their Lord.

Thankfully, in Christ, the declaration of 'Lo-ammi' is not the final word. As we see in 2 Peter 1:9-10, God's ultimate declaration is not just a return to the previous state but a profound transformation and redemption. “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” This ultimate declaration is not just a reversal of ‘Lo-ammi’ but a witness of the unfailing love of God.  

Let us live in the light of God’s love by embracing the great transformation and redemption offered through Christ.