Devotions based on Week 1 of The Prophets: Hosea (WATCH HERE)
Hosea 1:8 After she had weaned Lo-Ruhamah, Gomer had another son. 9 Then the Lord said, “Call him Lo-Ammi (which means “not my people”), for you are not my people, and I am not your God.
Few passages in the Bible sound as devastating as this one. God commands Hosea to name his child Lo-Ammi, “Not My People.” In this name, the covenant relationship between God and His chosen nation seems to be broken. Israel’s persistent idolatry, spiritual adultery, and rejection of His Word had led to this chilling declaration: “You are not my people, and I am not your God.”
In a living illustration, Hosea’s son captures the seriousness of unfaithfulness. Israel had exchanged the glory of the living God for the lifeless idols of Baal. They pursued self-reliance, political alliances, and worldly pleasures rather than trusting in the Lord. The covenant, which should have been marked by loyalty and love, was trampled by their rebellion.
God had warned them many times. In Deuteronomy 28:62–64, Moses spoke of the curses that would come if Israel abandoned the Lord: “You who were as numerous as the stars in the sky will be left but few in number… because you did not obey the Lord your God.” Their loss of identity as “God’s people” was not an arbitrary punishment, rather it was the natural consequence of rejecting Him.
It is not hard to see parallels in our own world. We live in a time when loyalty to God is often traded for loyalty to self, career, wealth, or pleasure. Many still say “We are God’s people” but live in ways that contradict His Word. The spirit of Lo-Ammi echoes whenever our lives declare, “We do not need God; we can be our own masters.”
And if we’re honest, this is not just about “the world out there.” Each of us has moments when our lives do not reflect God’s covenant love. We may trust in money more than His promises, in approval more than His grace, or in our own wisdom rather than His Word. If God were to deal with us strictly according to our faithfulness, we too would deserve to be named Lo-Ammi.
But here is the stunning grace of God: even when He declares judgment, He always holds out the hope of restoration. Just a few verses later, Hosea prophesies:
“Yet the Israelites will be like the sand on the seashore, which cannot be measured or counted. In the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ they will be called ‘children of the living God.’” (Hosea 1:10)
God’s faithfulness is stronger than our unfaithfulness. Israel’s sin was great, but God’s mercy was greater. He promised to one day restore the relationship, not because Israel had earned it, but because His covenant love could not be broken.
The Apostle Peter quotes this very passage in 1 Peter 2:10 to describe the church: “Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” Through Christ, God takes the Lo-Ammi of our sin and replaces it with Ammi—“My People.” In Jesus’ blood, we who were outside of God’s people have been made God’s people.
Apply: So how do we live this out? We live as people who belong to Him. That means: Rejecting idols—anything that takes first place in our hearts. Trust God’s promises, even when the world offers easier paths. Living with gratitude that we are “children of the living God.”
Prayer: Gracious Father, we confess that our hearts are prone to wander, like Israel of old. Too often we chase after other loves and forget that we belong to You. Yet we thank You that in Christ, You have made us Your people again. Help us to live in the joy and security of being Your children. Amen.