Is There Iniquity in Gilead? - Hosea 12:11

In the book of Hosea, Hosea shared how Jehovah God said, “I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets”, and in chapter twelve and verse eleven of Hosea, Hosea shared how Jehovah God asked, “Is there iniquity in Gilead?” where we read,

Is there iniquity in Gilead? Surely they are vanity: they sacrifice bullocks in Gilgal; 

yes, their altars are as heaps in the furrows of the fields.

The verse begins, “Is there iniquity in Gilead? Surely they are vanity: they sacrifice bullocks in Gilgal;” Hosea began with the words, “is there iniquity” or “does there exist vanity, unrighteousness, idolatry and wickedness” “in Gilead” which means “within Gilead whose name means rocky region and was a mountainous region bounded on the west by the Jordan, on the north by Bashan, on the east by the Arabian plateau, and on the south by Moab and Ammon”? “Surely they are vanity” or “indeed, certainly and truly they, the people of Gilead, exist as falsehood, emptiness of speech, lying and worthlessness”: “they sacrifice bullocks in Gilgal” which means “they, the people of Gilead, slaughter for offerings of worship oxen, cows or cattle within Gilgal”. Hosea asked whether vanity, unrighteousness and wickedness within the area of “Gilgal”, and He certified that the people there existed in emptiness and they made offerings of worship within “Gilgal” as well. 

The verse goes on to say, “yes, their altars are as heaps in the furrows of the fields.” Hosea continued with the words, “yes, their altars are as heaps” or “even so, also and indeed, their, the people in Gilgal's, places for slaughter exist as springs, waves and billows of stones” “in the furrows” which means “within the banks, terraces and ridges” “of the fields” or “belonging to the cultivated land and plains”. Hosea shared how the sacrificial places of worship set up by the people within “Gilgal” existed as banks and ridges of stones within the cultivated plains. 

When we consider the words in this verse, we learn how Hosea questioned whether there was wickedness and unrighteousness within area of “Gilead”, and he noted how they offered slaughters of worship on billows of stones on terraces and ridges within the cultivated lands. This was a worthless practice by these people because they did not perform their worship to Jehovah God. God wants people to be in a personal intimate relationship with Him, and He gave His Son Jesus to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind to prove it. When we surrender our lives to Him as our “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and teach us the value of worshiping and honoring Him and Him alone. 

Next time Hosea shares how Jehovah God says, “Jacob fled into the country of Syria”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".