What Did You Call Me?

We start with a question that so many of us have asked…if not out loud, at least in our heads upon hearing someone call us a name. Name calling can be hurtful but naming is something every father does. From ancient times it fell to the father to name their children. One of the most powerful naming stories in scripture comes from the prophet Hosea. God called Hosea to the difficult task of proclaiming judgment on the people of Israel and he used the names of his children to make the point. Here’s how the story goes…

So Hosea married Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, and she became pregnant and gave Hosea a son. 4 And the LORD said, “Name the child Jezreel, for I am about to punish King Jehu’s dynasty to avenge the murders he committed at Jezreel. 5 In fact, I will put an end to Israel’s independence by breaking its military power in the Jezreel Valley.”
6 Soon Gomer became pregnant again and gave birth to a daughter. And the LORD said to Hosea, “Name your daughter Lo-ruhamah—‘Not loved’—for I will no longer show love to the people of Israel or forgive them. 7 But I, the LORD their God, will show love to the people of Judah. I will personally free them from their enemies without any help from weapons or armies.”
8 After Gomer had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she again became pregnant and gave birth to a second son. 9 And the LORD said, “Name him Lo-ammi—‘Not my people’—for Israel is not my people, and I am not their God. 10 Yet the time will come when Israel will prosper and become a great nation. In that day its people will be like the sands of the seashore—too many to count! Then, at the place where they were told, ‘You are not my people,’ it will be said, ‘You are children of the living God.’ 11 Then the people of Judah and Israel will unite under one leader, and they will return from exile together. What a day that will be—the day of Jezreel*—when God will again plant his people in his land.
1 In that day you will call your brothers Ammi—‘My people.’ And you will call your sisters Ruhamah—‘The ones I love.’

In just a few verses God tells the whole story of condemnation and salvation for his people Israel in the names of three children. I’ve always thought it was particularly tragic for Lo-ruhamah. Imagine being named “not loved” at birth. On the other hand you could consider it helpful to get that name at birth. How many people have sorted through all the names they’ve been called by fathers in their lives before coming to the painful conclusion that they were not loved? Maybe it’s better to know up front!