What's in a name?
Here Hosea contrasts the two names given Jacob with name of God. Jacob literally means "he grabs the heel" meaning a propensity for trickery. During birth, Jacob, the younger twin, grabbed his brother Esau's heel and struggled with him throughout his life. Jacob was also known as Israel which means "he struggles with God" which is a name he received after wrestling with an angel from God. Israel, the man and the nation of his decendants, lived up to their names by constantly deceiving themselves and wrestling with God. Hosea contrast this with the name of God. In verse 5 he says, "The Lord God Almighty, the Lord is his name of renown!" No messing around here. God is Lord, He is almighty, He is known thoughout the earth. After the contrast, Hosea then pleads with Israel to return to their God. What is in our name? Do we act as "children of God?" (1 John 3:1) or are we like Israel?
Created almost 4 years ago
