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Loammi—Not A People [This
article is taken from the book Who is
Israel? and why you need to know by Batya Wootten.
It provides a good foundation for the understanding of the division and
reconciliation of the Two Houses of Israel.] Before
their division, the two houses of Israel were united under three successive
kings: First there was Saul, a Benjamite. Then from the tribe of Judah came King
David, whom "all Israel and Judah loved" (I Samuel 18:16). Afterward
David's son, Solomon, became king. But Solomon entered into sin, by building
places of idol worship for his foreign wives. This idolatry sounded a death
knell for the unified kingdom of Israel. Thus the Holy One said to Solomon, Because
you have done this... I will surely tear the kingdom from you, and will give it
to your servant. Nevertheless, I will not do it in your days for the sake of
your father David, but I will tear it out of the hand of your son (1 Kings
11:11-12). The
united kingdom of Israel was torn from Solomon's son, Rehoboam, because of
idolatry. However [the Father said], I will not tear away all the
kingdom, but I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of My servant David
and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen (1 Kings 11:13). Judah
remained a kingdom because they were beloved for the sake of their father David,
and because of Yahveh's love for Jerusalem, His chosen city. This remains
unchanged. Romans 11:28 says of the Jew: From the standpoint of God's choice,
they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. Nonetheless,
the greater portion of the kingdom was taken from Judah's sovereignty. As He had
sworn, Yahveh gave ten parts to Solomon's servant, Jeroboam. In essence, He said
to him, I will tear the kingdom out of Solomon's hand and give you ten tribes
(see 1 Kings 11:11-12, 26, 31-35). Ten
tribes were given to Jeroboam. Israel was torn in two. Divided by the Almighty.
Moreover, He said, This thing has come from Me (1 Kings 12:24). The
kingdom of Israel was thus divided: Rehoboam was the King of Judah, and Jeroboam
was the King of Ephraim. David's once united house, his once glorious tent, was
fallen. For even as it is written that a kingdom divided against itself cannot
stand (Matthew 12:25), so David's house fell. After
becoming a separate kingdom, the people of Ephraim began to mingle with the
heathen. Ephraim mixes himself with the nations, Hosea said. And, it
ultimately was written of them: Ephraim
has become a cake not turned (Hosea 7:8). Because
they mixed themselves with the heathen, they became "a cake not
turned". That is, they were "half-baked". Like a pancake
cooked on one side, this metaphor suggests they had only a partial
relationship with the finishing fire of God's spirit, but their other side was
raw, pagan. The
people of Ephraim entertained foreign gods and doctrines, which led to the
sapping of their strength - and to their inability to be the powerful,
prevailing prince Israel was called to be. For Israel was not to be reckoned
among the nations (Numbers 23:9). They were called instead to be a holy
people, set apart and belonging solely to Yahveh.
Foreign
ways. That was Ephraim's problem. It also was the reason the Father allowed the
Assyrians to take the Ephraimites captive. However,
before scattering them among the nations, the Father sent a prophet to His
wayward children. He sent Hosea. Hosea's
family spoke prophetic volumes to Ephraim. It spoke of their spiritual
condition, of their impending punishment, and of the blessing that ultimately
would be poured out upon their repentant descendants. The
Holy One judged Ephraim because of their lust for pagan ways. In His eyes, His
"wife" was being "unfaithful". So when He spoke through
Hosea He said, Go, take to yourself an adulterous wife and [have] children
of unfaithfulness, because the land is guilty of the vilest adultery in
departing from the Lord (Hosea
1:2, NIV). So,
Hosea married Gomer and they had three children. And, Yahveh said the names of
these children depicted the punishment He would soon mete out to the Ephraimites.
But ultimately, through the name and emphasis change, their names would depict
the blessing He would bestow on their scattered descendants. Thus,
when Gomer had her first child, a son, the Father said to Hosea, Name him Jezreel;
for yet a little while, and I will punish... and I will put an end to the
kingdom of the house of Israel (Hosea 1:4). Then
Gomer conceived again and gave birth to a daughter. And Yahveh said to Hosea, Call
her name LoRuhamah; for I will no more have mercy upon the house of
Israel; but I will utterly take them away (Hosea 1:6, KJV). Finally,
when Gomer gave birth to their third child, a son, God said to Hosea, Name
him LoAmmi; for you are not My people and I am not your God (Hosea
1:9). The
Meaning of Their Names The
first child's name was Jezreel, which comes from the two words: zera (seed),
used in the agricultural sense of to sow, to scatter, and El, one of the
names of God. This name speaks of the entire agricultural process: the
scattering of the seed, its being hidden in the ground, its death and rebirth,
its coming forth in a new more beautiful form and, finally, it's harvest. Jezreel:
El will scatter - El will sow. This name indicated Ephraim's
destiny. It foretold their beginning punishment and the blessed end. The
second child was named LoRuhamah; No Compassion, No Mercy. This child was
so named because the Father could no longer have pity on the Ephraimites - to do
so would be to "wink at sin". He had to correct them. LoAmmi:
Not my People. The third child's name
well described their impending penalty. The Father would punish them by
scattering them. For a season, they would be "Not my People". Swallowed
by the Nations Yahveh
would scatter (Jezreel) Ephraim. No longer could He allow them to
remain in His Land (Leviticus 20:22). Since they wanted to be like the Gentiles,
He would allow them to have their fill of this desire. He would allow them to be
scattered among the nations, to even become, for all outward appearances,
Gentiles. Yahveh
could not overlook Ephraim's heathen ways. As a Father, He had to correct errant
behavior. And since they had sown their spiritual zera (seed) in harlotry
in the land of His enemies, He would in turn scatter their physical zera (descendants)
in the land of their enemies. Thus,
Israel is swallowed up; they are now among the nations like a vessel in which
no one delights (Hosea 8:8). Swallowed
is translated from the Hebrew bala, meaning, "to make away with by
swallowing, to devour, to be at an end, to swallow down". Typically a piece
of meat, when swallowed by a person, virtually becomes part of the flesh.
Similarly, Ephraimite identity vanished. Once "swallowed up" they
actually became part of the nations. They became LoAmmi/Not a People.
Their hallmark being that they were not Yahveh's people which is to say
they were like the other Gentile/Nations. I
will shake the house of Israel among all nations as a grain is shaken in a sieve,
says Yahveh, but not a kernel will fall to the ground (Amos 9:9). Ephraim
would be shaken among all nations. Those "Not a People" would
be found everywhere. There
Remains a Promise Yet,
to the seed of these wayward ones, Yahveh made a pledge: The names of
Hosea's children would one day be turned to represent the blessings
Yahveh would bestow on them. Yes, one day, the scattered ones would "respond
to Jezreel" (Hosea 2:22). In
its second meaning, Jezreel speaks of the blossoming forth of those once
hidden like a seed, the emphasis being on their response, on their anah.
One day, they would begin to heed, to pay attention [to the Father and His
Word]. They would begin to speak, to sing together, to shout, to testify, to
announce, they would begin to bear witness for, to and about, the One formerly
called their Husband and Maker. Such
was the destiny of those of the Northern Kingdom - which they were destined to
fulfill in great numbers. For Yahveh swore concerning them, Yet, the number
of the sons of Israel will be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured
or numbered; and in the place where it is said to them, "You are not My
people," it will be said to them, "You are the sons of the living
God" (Hosea 1:10). When
the sons of Ephraim would begin to respond to their diaspora, when they
would begin to hear, and to testify about the Almighty - in that day, they also
would finally do as they were told: Say to your brothers, "Ammi"
and to your sisters, "Ruhamah" (Hosea 2:1). No
Mercy - Vessels of Mercy Yes,
those who once were Not My People, would respond to Yahveh. They once
more would be, My People. Those once called LoRuhamah, or No
Mercy, would become Ruhamah - vessels on which He showed mercy
(Romans 9:23): I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy
upon her that had not obtained mercy, and I will say to them which were not my
people, Thou are my people; and they which were not my people, Thou art my
people, and they shall say, Thou art my God (Hosea 2:23, KJV). Yes, they
would fulfill Hosea's word, they would tell their brothers of the Father's great
"mercy'', they would tell of "His people". [Editor's
footnote: Today we are
witnessing a mighty outpouring of the Ruach haKodesh and as Ephraim is
instructed, he is coming to know himself and his heritage and is returning to
the ways of the Father. Ephraim is
becoming Ammi - My People again! I
have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me, and I
was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall
be turned ; for thou art YHWH my God. Surely after that I was turned, I
repented; and after that I was instructed [In
ALL Scripture, Torah included - see 2 Tim. 3:16], I smote upon my thigh:
I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my
youth. Is Ephraim my dear
son? is he a pleasant child? for since I spake against him, I do
earnestly remember him still: therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will
surely have mercy (ruhamah) upon him, saith the LORD (YHWH) (Jer.
31:18-20).] ,
Angus
& Batya Wootten are founders of the House of David.
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