MONDAY, DECEMBER 26
Scripture: Hosea 1:2-9

Hosea 1:2-9 says, “When the Lord began to speak by Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea: ‘Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry And children of harlotry, For the land has committed great harlotry By departing from the Lord.’ So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son. Then the Lord said to him: ‘Call his name Jezreel, For in a little while I will avenge the bloodshed of Jezreel on the house of Jehu, And bring an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. It shall come to pass in that day That I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel.’ And she conceived again and bore a daughter. Then God said to him: ‘Call her name Lo-Ruhamah, For I will no longer have mercy on the house of Israel, But I will utterly take them away. Yet I will have mercy on the house of Judah, Will save them by the Lord their God, And will not save them by bow, Nor by sword or battle, By horses or horsemen.’ Now when she had weaned Lo-Ruhamah, she conceived and bore a son. Then God said: ‘Call his name Lo-Ammi, For you are not My people, And I will not be your God.’” When Hosea was called to be a prophet, the Lord said to take a wife and children of harlotry from a land that had committed harlotry. All of a sudden, Hosea had to get a wife he would have never chosen and her name was Gomer. All his children were all named after the major sins of the land. The last one’s name meant “For you are not My people, And I will not be your God.” That is an incredible assignment and one that it’s hard to imagine having to walk out.