Cursed Children

Those who die without obtaining pardon for their sins, are called "cursed children" in the scriptures (See II Peter 2: 14). Though all are, by physical birth, the natural "offspring of God" (Acts 17: 29), yet all are not so in a spiritual sense.

Because of sin (Romans 5; 12) the entire race, and every man in particular, is born under a curse and are "cursed children."

Every sinner, though God's offspring, by natural birth, and in a physical sense, is not God's child by the new birth (the "second birth" or the "birth of the Spirit").

"And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her, Fear not; for thou hast born a son. But she answered not, neither did she regard it. And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband. And she said, The glory is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is taken." (I Samuel 4: 20-22)

"So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son. And the LORD said unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel." (Hosea 1: 3,4)

"And she conceived again, and bare a daughter. And God said unto him, Call her name Loruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away." (Vs. 6)

"Now when she had weaned Loruhamah, she conceived, and bare a son. Then said God, Call his name Loammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God." (Vs. 8,9)

Four Ignoble Children

Jezreel = "God sows" (Vengeance)
Lo-ammi = "not my people" (bastards)
Lo-ruhamah = "no mercy" (pitiless)
Ichabod = "no glory" ("Goodbye to glory" or "departed glory")

These four children, with such ignoble and inglorious names, have names that may be appropriately applied to every sinner who dies in his sins. Fallen sinners are what are called "strange" and "rebellious children."

"They have dealt treacherously against the LORD: for they have begotten strange children: now shall a month devour them with their portions." (Hosea 5: 7)

"Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin." (Isaiah 30: 1)

"Rid me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children, whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood." (Psalm 144: 11)

Literally, they are illegitimate children, bastards in a spiritual sense.

"But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons." (Hebrews 12: 8)

Every lost soul is an Ichabod and is headed for a destiny where all glory will be gone forever. Every lost sinner is now in a state of alienation from God, and "dead in sins" (Ephesians 2: 1). Thus, sinners do not have the "spirit of glory resting upon them," as do pardoned sinners (I Peter 4: 14).

Glory, because of sin and spiritual death, is totally gone from the sinner. He may still have earthly glory, as wealth or fame, but he will even lose this glory when he comes to receive his everlasting reward.

Lost sinners are "Loammi" and "Loruhamah," children that will not receive mercy, children who are not the Lord's, but who are cursed children, bastards and illegitimate, strange children. Every unforgiven sinner is named "Jezreel," for each will receive wrath and vengeance from the Lord.

Sinners are they who have disowned God, their natural Father and Creator. As they have disowned him, so he has disowned them. They forsook him, as did the Prodigal Son in the parable of the Lord. The father, however, was always willing to receive his son back from his wicked departure from the home and family, and restore him to his place and position.

By sin, we are now members of a cursed family, a family that has Satan as the step-father. So Jesus said to sinners - "you are of your father the devil" (John 8: 44). Thus, we need to be taken out of this wicked family and be placed back into the family of God. We need to be "adopted" then, as well as "reborn." Christians are the children of God by both spiritual birth and adoption.

Do you want to be named "one who does not receive mercy" or "one who receives mercy"? Do you want to be named "inglorious" or "glorious"? Do you want to be called by the Lord "my children" or "not my children"? Do you want to be named "vengeance sown" or "vengeance removed"?