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"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

iii) The Gileadites seized the fords of Jordan before the Ephramites arrived.

iv) 42,000 Ephraimites were killed when they tried to cross the fords (Judges 12:6).

2. “Gilead is a city of evildoers and defiled with blood”

a) Gilead was a mountainous region.

b) It spanned three tribes (Manasseh, Gad and Reuben).

c) The city of Gilead became as infamous as in the days of Judge Jephthah.

i) There were many evildoers dwelling in this city.

ii) They shed the blood of many.

iii) The nation of Israel was defiled with the bloodshed this city caused.