“Even the LORD God of hosts; the LORD is his memorial.”
(Hosea 12:5)
The prophet Hosea calls our hearts to reflect on the majesty and faithfulness of our God by referencing His eternal nature and identity as the Lord of Hosts and Jehovah. These names speak to God’s character and being, inviting us to consider how His attributes, His works, and His promises shape our lives and call us to deeper worship and trust as we enter the new year.
Lord of hosts is used over 280 times in Scripture, primarily in the Old Testament. It is a title and name for God that signifies His power and sovereign rule as the commander over all the angelic armies. This same Lord of hosts that appeared to Jacob in a dream continues to provide His presence and protection for His people today. And as the prophet Hosea urges the Israelites, we must also return to this Lord of hosts by recognizing His ongoing sovereignty in our lives.
Jehovah, the second name highlighted in our text, reveals God’s essence as self-existent, eternal, and unchanging. Derived from “I am that I am” (Exodus 3:14), this name points to God’s absolute being and independence. He is the source of all life and the sustainer of creation. Every time we encounter the name Jehovah in Scripture, we are reminded that He is faithful to His promises. Whether we reflect on His deliverance of Israel from Egypt or His covenantal provision of Christ in grace and salvation in our own lives, Jehovah assures us that His purposes will prevail.
The New Year provides a natural time to establish a memorial of God’s faithfulness. Just as Jacob built altars and the people of Israel remembered their deliverance through festivals and psalms, we are called to recount God’s works in our own lives. Reflect on the ways He has revealed Himself as Jehovah and the Lord of Hosts to you in the past year. Did He sustain you through trials? Did He answer prayers, even if in unexpected ways?
This annual remembrance is not just about looking back; it also prepares us to move forward. When we acknowledge God’s majesty and faithfulness, we are better equipped to trust Him with the unknowns of the year ahead. If God has been the Lord of Hosts in our past battles, will He not remain so? If Christ kept His promises in ages past, will He not fulfill them in the future? “My Brethren, Oh! that we had hearts to do this, Oh! that we could make this God his Memorial, that we could lay up what God hath manifested of himself in this Age for the benefit of another Age.”[1]
So let this new year be a time of holy recommitment to the Lord. As Hosea warns, forsaking God and turning to idols—whether material possessions, ambitions, or distractions—leads to destruction. Instead, returning to the Lord of Hosts ensures His guidance and blessing. Resolve, therefore, to honor His name as your memorial in the coming year, letting His sovereignty over your life shape your decisions, prayers, and worship.
Contemplations:
- The Name Above All Names: Hosea 12:5 reminds me that the name Jehovah signifies God’s eternal and self-existent nature. “I am that I am” declares that God needs nothing outside Himself to exist. This reassures me when I feel insufficient or dependent on others. God’s perfect and complete self-sufficiency reminds me of His reliability. I can trust that He will remain unchanging, even as the seasons of my life shift.
- God’s Faithfulness Across Generations: When I read of God as the Lord of Hosts, I see His works in Jacob’s life mirrored in my own. Jacob wrestled with God and found blessing. This tells me that I can also approach Him with my struggles. Reflecting on this past year, I see victories that only God could have achieved. And as I prepare for the year ahead, I am comforted knowing that His faithfulness continues to the next generation.
- Memorials in My Life: As the New Year approaches, I am moved to establish memorials of God’s faithfulness through written testimonies, prayers of gratitude, or shared stories. What has the Lord of Hosts done for me this year? Did He fight battles I could not win alone? I am inspired to glorify Him not only in my private worship but also in how I share His deeds with others.
- A New Year of Trust in Jehovah: As I move into this New Year, I want to be found trusting Jehovah, the God who fulfills His promises. His being is infinite, unbounded, and absolute. As I think about the uncertainties of the new year, I remember His power and dependability. If I just remember that My God—Jehovah—is the same yesterday, today, and forever, then I can enter this new year with confidence. My resolution is therefore simple: to glorify Christ and love God in all things, knowing that His promises will never fail. By keeping the memorial of His name close, I am assured of His presence and power in every season.
Further References for Hosea 12:5:
Exod. 3:15; Psalm 135:13; Joshua 4:7; Mark 14:9
[1] Jeremiah Burroughs, An Exposition with Practical Observations Continued upon the Eleventh, Twelfth, & Thirteenth Chapters of the Prophesy of Hosea (London: Peter Cole, 1651), 288.
