Hosea 1

8–9 Gomer’s third child, a son, was named Lo–Ammi, which means “not my people.” This name signified that the Lord was going to break His covenant relationship with His people because they had broken faith with Him. However, this break too would be temporary, and after a time of punishment Israel would become God’s people again (Hosea 2:1,23). The Israelites would become like sand on the seashore (verse 10), just as God had promised ABRAHAM many centuries before (Genesis 22:17; Hebrews 11:11–12).

10 When God gives words of warning and judgment, He generally follows them with words of comfort and hope. Yet—even though God would disown Israel for a time—He would again take her back and prosper her. Where once He had told the Israelites, “You are not my people,” soon He would be calling them “sons of the living God.”⁴

11 Then God promised that Judah and Israel (the southern and northern kingdoms) would be reunited. This partly occurred when the Jewish exiles returned from Babylon, for there were many Israelites of the northern kingdom among them. But Judah and Israel will be fully reunited only when they are united in Christ, under one leader, the Messiah. In a limited sense, this union is already taking place; it will be completed when Jesus comes again and establishes His kingdom.

God concludes by saying that the Israelites will come up out of the land—as if they had been sown like seed—for great will be the day of Jezreel. The word “Jezreel” not only means “God scatters,” but it can also mean “God sows.” It will be a great day when God “sows”—revives—His people and prospers them in their own land.

In this way, the judgments signified by the names of Gomer’s three children will be reversed. This message of judgment, followed by God’s covenant love, is the central theme of Hosea’s book (see Hosea 2:1,23).