Daily Devotions
Hosea
"Gilead is a city of evildoers"
Text: Hosea 6:8
A CITY OF ISRAEL
What were the cities of Israel really like? Hosea picks Gilead as an example.
“Gilead is a city of evildoers
And defiled with blood.”
Hosea 6:8
1. Gilead
a) The first mention of this place is found in Genesis 31:45-49.
i) The original name for this place was Jegar Sahadutha.
ii) It was called “Galeed” because Jacob had set up a pillar of stones as a testimony.
iii) Thus, Gilead came to mean “A hill of testimony”.
b) This region was fertile.
i) Reuben and Gad asked Moses to be given this land for their vast herds and flocks.
ii) They promised to help their brethren to conquer Canaan before they settle in this region (Numbers 32)
c) Gilead was also the hometown of two Judges.
i) Judge Jair who judged Israel for 22 years (Judges 10:3-5).
ii) Judge Jephthah judged Israel for 6 years (Judges 12:7).
d) In the judgeship of Jephthah there was a conflict with Ephraim.
i) Ephraim was a tribe that bullied smaller tribes.
ii) It was belligerent towards Jephthah and taunted the Gileadites.
“You Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim
among the Ephraimites and among the Manassites.”
Judges 12:4