Weekly Meditations: Hosea 1:3-2:1; What's in a Name

I like sports movies.  One of my favorites is Gridiron Gang.  Now I know it has its moments of cheesiness and can be at times cliche, but I love the redemptive story it tells.  Juvenile delinquents from different backgrounds and gangs team up to achieve a common goal on the football field and in the bigger field of life.  Today's passage is a brief history of God redeeming Israel.  

You see, last week we saw Hosea marry Gomer who either was or would become an adulterous wife.  Nonetheless, over time, Hosea and Gomer had kids and the names by which God himself would name the children would tell the story of the next several years of Israel.  First, Jezreel to represent the massacre at Jezreel and Israel's punishment in the Valley of Jezreel.  Next, Lo-Ruhamah to represent God turning his back on Israel but not Judah.  Lastly, Lo-Ammi, God saying literally, "you have broken my covenant and now you will face judgement, I am not your God any longer".  

However, eventually God would redeem Israel, he would forgive them of their sins when they turn back to him.  This generation had forgotten about God, but someday the people would return to him, and God in his love would redeem them.  

The story of Christ is the same.  Christ was sent to earth to redeem us.  To die in our place, for our sin, so that we could have right standing with God and thus a relationship throughout eternity with him.  Christianity is not just a pray you say or simply attending church once a week, it is a relationship, one that was broken but was fixed by the blood of Jesus Christ.  If you have yet to put your full faith in the saving work of Christ, I would ask you to contact a Christian friend close to you, and make that step of faith.