The Balm of Gilead
Posted: Saturday, April 17, 2010 by Allen King inThere is a balm in Gilead
To make the wounded whole;
There is a balm inGilead
To heal the sin sicksoul.
To make the wounded whole;
There is a balm in
To heal the sin sicksoul.
In Jeremiah 8:22, the prophet asked the question, “Is there no balm in Gilead ? Is there no physician there? Why then is there no recovery for the health of the daughter of my people?”
What is this balm of Gilead?
Most often, we have interpreted Jeremiah’s words Christologically, assuming that Christ is the Balm of Gilead that can “heal the sin sicksoul.” That is definitely one way to interpret this.
However, I am not so sure whether that interpretation reflects the true intent of Jeremiah’s message to the people of Judah
Before a proper identification of the balm of Gilead and the physicians there can be made, it is necessary to identify the illness that caused the incurable wound mentioned by Jeremiah. In order to do this, it is necessary to look at the call of another prophet.
When God called Isaiah to the prophetic ministry, he gave Isaiah a near impossible mission. God told Isaiah, "Go, and tell this people: 'Keep on hearing, but do not understand; Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.' Make the heart of this people dull, And their ears heavy, And shut their eyes; Lest they see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And return and be healed." (Isaiah 6:9-10).
God was telling Isaiah that his preaching would harden the hearts of the people and they would not listen. The people’s unbelief, their stubborn heart, and their resistance to the prophet’s words were caused by their rebellion against Jehovah.
God told Isaiah that if the people would hear the message the prophet was to proclaim, if they would turn or repent, then they would be healed (v. 10). Thus, it is God Himself compares the rebellion of the people with spiritual illness. The rebellion of the people was worse than physical illness and only the message preached by Isaiah could bring the people to repentance and to the healing of its wound.
So, the balm of Gilead is a metaphor used by Jeremiah to explain how the people could find a cure for their spiritual illness. And, though the balm could be interpreted as a type of Christ, the message here is not Christological.
Before a proper identification of the balm of Gilead and the physicians there can be made, it is necessary to identify the illness that caused the incurable wound mentioned by Jeremiah. In order to do this, it is necessary to look at the call of another prophet.
When God called Isaiah to the prophetic ministry, he gave Isaiah a near impossible mission. God told Isaiah, "Go, and tell this people: 'Keep on hearing, but do not understand; Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.' Make the heart of this people dull, And their ears heavy, And shut their eyes; Lest they see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And return and be healed." (Isaiah 6:9-10).
God was telling Isaiah that his preaching would harden the hearts of the people and they would not listen. The people’s unbelief, their stubborn heart, and their resistance to the prophet’s words were caused by their rebellion against Jehovah.
God told Isaiah that if the people would hear the message the prophet was to proclaim, if they would turn or repent, then they would be healed (v. 10). Thus, it is God Himself compares the rebellion of the people with spiritual illness. The rebellion of the people was worse than physical illness and only the message preached by Isaiah could bring the people to repentance and to the healing of its wound.
So, the balm of Gilead is a metaphor used by Jeremiah to explain how the people could find a cure for their spiritual illness. And, though the balm could be interpreted as a type of Christ, the message here is not Christological.
Several times in the Old Testament, the prophets speak about
Isaiah said: “Why should you be stricken again? You will revolt more and more. The whole head is sick, And the whole heart faints. From the sole of the foot even to the head, There is no soundness in it, But wounds and bruises and putrefying sores; They have not been closed or bound up, Or soothed with ointment.” (Isaiah 1:5-6).
In the book of Jeremiah, God spoke of
“Her sickness and wounds are ever before me” (Jeremiah 6:7).
“For the hurt of the daughter of my people I am hurt.” (Jeremiah 8:21).
Why was not the wound of God’s people healed? Because the preaching of the false prophets did not provide the healing the people needed. God Himself accused the prophets of not providing healing to the people--of preaching a watered-down message that made the people feel good about themselves while refusing to deal with their sin.
God spoke these words about the prophets:
“Because from the least of them even to the greatest of them, Everyone is given to covetousness; And from the prophet even to the priest, Everyone deals falsely. They have also healed the hurt of My people slightly, Saying, 'Peace, peace!' When there is no peace.” (Jeremiah 6:13-14). The same words are repeated again in Jeremiah 8:10-11. God is saying that the prophets have healed the wound of the people only lightly because they were preaching the wrong message.
“Is there no balm inGilead , Is there no physician there? Why then is there no recovery For the health of the daughter of my people?” (Jeremiah 8:22). Jeremiah is proclaiming that Judah
Thus, in Jeremiah 8:22, the prophet is saying that there were plenty of physicians in Gilead who could heal the spiritual sickness of the people ofJudah Gilead --the balm of Gilead in the mouth of Jeremiah is a metaphor for the word of God being preached by the prophets to a rebellious people. But there was no healing because the prophets were preaching a message that did not bring healing.
Jehovah God is the great healer ofIsrael
The words of Jeremiah have a message for those who preach God’s words. We preach through the power of the Holy Spirit that people’s attitude may be altered, lives may change, and transformation may occur. Those who preach are heralds of God’s truth, proclaiming a message of hope to hungry souls and lonely hearts.
“Because from the least of them even to the greatest of them, Everyone is given to covetousness; And from the prophet even to the priest, Everyone deals falsely. They have also healed the hurt of My people slightly, Saying, 'Peace, peace!' When there is no peace.” (Jeremiah 6:13-14). The same words are repeated again in Jeremiah 8:10-11. God is saying that the prophets have healed the wound of the people only lightly because they were preaching the wrong message.
“Is there no balm in
Thus, in Jeremiah 8:22, the prophet is saying that there were plenty of physicians in Gilead who could heal the spiritual sickness of the people of
Jehovah God is the great healer of
The words of Jeremiah have a message for those who preach God’s words. We preach through the power of the Holy Spirit that people’s attitude may be altered, lives may change, and transformation may occur. Those who preach are heralds of God’s truth, proclaiming a message of hope to hungry souls and lonely hearts.
Everyone who preaches must remember the words of the prophet Micah: “But truly I am full of power by the Spirit of the LORD, And of justice and might, To declare to Jacob his transgression And to Israel
Awesome word Pastor. I remember my mom telling me: Regina this is going to burn a little but it will heal your wound. Lord, may we be faithful stewards of you word.