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AMMI
Hebrew word meaning “my people.” The expression “people of God” is the most common designation for the nation of Israel in the OT. It originated in God’s promise to Moses before the exodus: “I will make you my own special people (‘ammi), and I will be your God” (Ex 6:7, NLT). For Israel to be called “my people” emphasized the unique personal nature of their religion in contrast with the idolatry of neighboring nations. The word represented God’s love for them and his faithfulness to the promises he had made to their forefathers (Dt 4:37; 7:8). In return for the privileges the name implied, God required faithfulness and obedience from Israel. Yet repeatedly the people of Israel failed, and repeatedly the prophets reminded them of their responsibility to God.
An example of such prophetic warning is found in the writings of Hosea. The prophet saw in his own marriage to an adulterous wife a picture of God’s relationship to his people: God had joined himself to a people who had forsaken him for other gods. The names Hosea gave his children reflected God’s attitude toward his unfaithful people. The first child was named Jezreel (Hos 1:4), a name with a double meaning. As the name of the place where King Ahab murdered Naboth (1 Kgs 21:1-16), it recalled a terrible experience in Israel’s history. But the name also means “God sows,” and expressed Hosea’s hope that the people of Israel, despite all their failures, would soon return to God. A second child was named Lo-ruhamah (“Not pitied,” Hos 1:6). That name expressed God’s hatred for disobedience and his inclination to turn from an unrepentant people. Hosea’s third child was named Lo-ammi (“Not my people,” Hos 1:9). That name represented ultimate tragedy for Israel: dissolution of God’s covenant relationship with them. God was saying to Israel, “Name him Lo-ammi—‘Not my people’—for Israel is not my people, and I am not their God” (Hos 1:9). Although all seemed lost, Hosea’s prophecy did not end on a note of doom. Rather, he foresaw that Israel would repent. In response, God would restore his covenant relationship with them: “And to those I called ‘Not my people,’ I will say, ‘Now you are my people.’ Then they will reply, ‘You are our God!’” (Hos 2:23).