Hosea 12:5

Even the Lord God of hosts; the Lord is his memorial.

The name Jehovah as a memorial

To stir them up to present duty, Hosea describes God, who did all this, and spake to Jacob, as the true God and God of armies. It teaches--

1. Christ is, without all controversy true God, the same in essence and equal in power and glory with the Father; for this Angel (verse 4) is even Jehovah, the God of hosts.

2. Great is their advantage and their dignity who have converse and keep communion with God, who hath being of Himself, and who hath all creatures ready as hosts at His command, as there is need. For this sets out Jacob’s advantage, that in his wrestlings and other intercourse he had to do with the Lord God of hosts.

3. God is unchangeably still the same, as kind, able, and exorable to His people as ever He was at any time, if they would come and make use of Him; for He did all that to Jacob, not only for present use, but that, proving Himself to be Jehovah, this might be His memorial for the use of His Church in all generations; and upon this ground it is that in the next verse they are exhorted to turn to Him. See Exodus 3:15.

4. The Lord needs no images to keep up a memorial of Him; but His name and nature are manifested in His word and works sufficiently to keep them who converse with these in remembrance of Him; for Jehovah, and His manifesting Himself to be so, is His memorial. (George Hutcheson.)