Gilgal was where the children of Israel were circumcised, a sign of rededication, after they crossed the Jordan into the promised land. It was a place of worship, where sacrifices were made, and where Saul was publicly crowned king.
Unfortunately, Hosea 9:15 suggests that it had become a place of evil, a place where the people of Israel were engaging in Baal worship. In worshipping Baal, the people of Israel had betrayed their covenant with God. Gilgal mirrored Baal-Peor, where Israel, the covenant people, had also indulged in the worship of Baal.
Because of their rebellion, God would drive them from the land and withdraw His love. The leadership had turned away, and no one could guide them back to God. They would face a desolate existence, marked by barrenness and fruitlessness. Even the few who managed to conceive would suffer the heartbreak of premature death in their mothers’ wombs.
Since they would not listen to God, and just as they have rejected Him, He would reject them. They would be wandering fugitives, homeless and aimless among the nations without hope, devoid of the divine love that had sustained them. Its absence would leave them vulnerable and lost.
Faithfulness to God can never be over-emphasized. It is important to nurture faithfulness in our relationship with God. What had become of Gilgal serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences of turning away from God and engaging in idolatry. We must stay true to God, even in challenging times.
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