It was on this mountain that Laban confronted Jacob, who was fleeing, and according to Genesis, this mountain was called a heap, or hill of testimony, as Jacob and Laban made a covenant by an oath there, gathering stones as a marker of agreement (Genesis 31).
Gilead stands as the crowning point of Lebanon, a towering mountain covered in cedars, which aligns with David's song: “the Lord shall topple the cedars of Lebanon” (Ps. 28:5). Furthermore, it states, “I have seen the wicked exalted as the cedars of Lebanon” (Ps. 36:35), and Zechariah proclaims: “Open, O Lebanon, your gates, that fire may consume your cedars” (Zechariah 11:1). In addressing the royal house, the reference to the temple as the dwelling of Judah implies both its elevated position and the fact that it was the source of healing for sin. Thus, the same prophet whom we examine asks, “Is there no balm in Gilead, is there no physician there? Why is there no recovery for the daughter of my people?” (Jer. 8:22). Here, he warns the royal family, Jerusalem, and the temple—referred to as the apex of Lebanon—that it will become a desolate wilderness, not at the hand of the Babylonian king, but by divine command, declaring, “I will consecrate the one who slays you” (Jeremiah 22:7). Nebuchadnezzar and his forces are considered sanctified because they carry out God's judgment. The finest cedars represent the city’s strong men and rulers, destined to be thrown into the fire for complete destruction.
As everything faces annihilation, many nations will enter through the city and the temple, which had previously been off-limits, and each will inquire, “Why has the Lord inflicted such rapid and profound ruin upon this renowned city?” Their responses will give the reason for the calamity: “It is because they forsook the covenant of the Lord their God and worshipped idols in place of Him.” Let the king's household hear this, along with the nobles and the lofty cedars reaching for the skies, and ask with arrogance, “Who could possibly overlook this?” Yet soon, the flame of the Lord will consume them if they refuse to align themselves with His commandments. The sanctification of the destroyer and his tools is distinct from the sanctification of the priests and servants of the Lord.
THEOSIS