Gilgal – What’s in a name 4

The Separation of Gilgal (Hosea 9:15 and Hosea 12:11)

This shows the consequences of what happens if we abuse the freedom God has given us. We become worthless and our altars (memorials) become just a heap of rubble with no meaning. 

Paul writes to the Galatian church (Galatians 5:13) and advises them not to use their new found liberty in Christ as an excuse for self gain or selfish ends. 

As we saw in the last post Saul abused the freedom that is found in Gilgal (found because God gives freedom to those He calls and to those who choose to follow) and forfeited all of God’s blessing for Him. 

We read in Hosea that God was so abhorred at their (the Jews) behaviour, their lack of trust and failure to seek Him, that in Hosea 9:15 He says that “all their wickedness is in Gilgal” and “I will drive them from my house”. This is a sorry state of affairs that a people who were rescued by God’s grace and subsequently kept by His mercy were still able to reject and drive Him to distraction. In Hosea 12:11 God says that the very memorials that have been placed in Gilgal will be heaps of rubble, just turned over and forgotten. Oh that we learn not to forsake the Lord our God but that we learn to continue in the freedom of Gilgal, not abusing that freedom which leads to the separation and destruction of the very memorial we first set up and talked about. 

Is this the end or is there security to be found in Gilgal?

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