It isn’t my fault! It was him or it was that. It wasn’t me!
“Is Gilead wicked? Its people are worthless! Do they sacrifice bulls in Gilgal? Their altars will be like piles of stones on a ploughed field. Jacob fled to the country of Aram; Israel served to get a wife, and to pay for her he tended sheep. The Lord used a prophet to bring Israel up from Egypt, by a prophet he cared for him. But Ephraim has aroused his bitter anger, his Lord will leave on him the guilt of his bloodshed and will repay him for his contempt.” (Hosea 12 v 11-14)
God asks the rhetorical questions and the answer to both is YES.
Gilead whose name means ‘stones of testimony’ was the place where Jacob fled to from Laban. Jacob the deceiver discovered and acknowledged in Gilead that God was indeed the one who cared for him, see Genesis 31. God says this historical place (the stones of testimony) which was a declaration altar of His care has now been laid to waste, a pile of stones. Why? His people were to blame.
Gilgal was the first place the Israelites set up camp on crossing into Canaan and an altar/pillar was set up in honour of God’s leading. But in Hosea’s day there was no leading hand, God had stopped making a way. Gilead had become a worthless site full of idolatry. Why? His people were to blame.
Why had they not learned from Jacob?
Jacob had worked for a wife for 7 years and then he and his family moved to Egypt because of a severe famine. Egypt was tough. The next generation of Jacob/Israel was brought out of Egypt by the prophet Moses. God used his prophet to lead out and also to keep the people through the Wilderness.
Why is God reminding them/us of this story?
It is because whenever we are in trouble then the way out of it is through listening to God and being obedient. The opposite is also true. If you want it to get worse then don’t listen and don’t obey. If that be the case then there is no one to blame but ourselves if destruction comes to our door. If ruin comes because you haven’t kept an altar then the consequence is on you.
These are important lessons for us all.
Missions Paul 