The Result of an Affair
Lo-Ruhamah is the daughter of Gomer, likely the result of adultery. Her mom, a former prostitute, cheats on her husband, Hosea, and has an affair with someone more appealing.
As directed by God, Hosea names his wife’s illegitimate child. He calls her Lo-Ruhamah, which means no pity or not loved. Yet we understand why he rejects the child, whom someone else fathered.
What a terrible label to have attached to you. What a condemning legacy to carry. Every time someone says her name, it serves as a painful reminder to Lo-Ruhamah of being rejected by the only man in her life.
Eventually Hosea reconciles with his wife and accepts Lo-Ruhamah as his daughter. At last, he offers her love.
We wonder how Lo-Ruhamah responds. Does she rise above the shameful circumstance of her conception, or does she remain forever wounded by what her mother did?
Whether many or few, we all carry wounds from our parents. Yet we are wrong to blame them for our issues. Though we don’t choose our parents, we can choose how we respond to their mistakes in raising us.
What issue in our lives do we blame on others?
How can we trust God to help us move beyond our past and not be held captive by it?
[Read about Lo-Ruhamah in Hosea 1:6 and Hosea 2:23. Discover more in Romans 5:8.]
Learn about 100 more biblical characters in More Old Testament Sinners and Saints, available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover. Get your copy today.
More Old Testament Sinners and Saints is part of the Bible Character Sketches series.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront a status quo faith and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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