Focus: A Balm In Gilead

Text: Jer.8:22

"Is there no BALM IN GILEAD; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered."

Read few verses before and after our text, and you will find that God is lamenting through Jeremiah concerning the sickening situation of His erring people. God is saying, 'I am your King and I dwell in Zion, but instead of focusing on Me, you have multiplied gods and idols. You don't think that I am enough for you. Your health is deteriorating, but you have consistently ignored or lightly esteemed Me as the source of your healing. You have all the answers you need in Me, but you are not coming to Me for them. You are right where you can be healed, but you are dying. For lack of knowledge you are being destroyed. You have a rare and valuable treasure, but you are neglecting it. You have something that you are not making use of. In your hands lies the answer you are seeking. You are sick, but failing to take advantage of God's provision for your healing.' Through Jeremiah God is wondering why you should be sick at all with the Great Physician in your life. Jesus Christ says to His church, "I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see" (Rev.3:18).

God is saying, 'You have the Balm and the great Physician in your midst. You have no reason to be sick and wounded if indeed you are looking My way, appreciating what you have, and applying your medication timely, correctly and consistently as required.'

Let us consider what you have. You have the balm of Gilead. This balm possesses medicinal qualities. The properties that make up the balm are not known, but some say it was from a particular shrub of unknown origin. What is sure about this balm is that it was rare and medicinally valuable. It was an aromatic resin. It was therapeutic, and served as an unguent and sedative. It was famous for its medicinal properties and value. It was used for medicine and surgery. It was a kind of gum, a very precious perfume, and had a sweet scent. The balm took care of external wounds. It was a cosmetic for beautifying the complexion. Interestingly, it was one of the best fruits of Palestine and the product of Israel alone. It is called 'tsoriy' in Hebrew, and it stems from a verb that means 'to split, to crack, or to leak.' The word 'health' in our text is 'arukah' in Hebrew, from 'arak,' which means 'to be long, to lengthen, or lengthening out, going up, drawing out or extending.' God wants us healthy, but in our rebellion and unbelief we are resisting change.

Now let us consider some scriptures.

The balm from Gilead is recorded first in Gen.37:25. It says, "And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and BALM and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt." Here we see that the balm is from Gilead, a territory of Jacob, and the Ishmaelites who bought Joseph from the hands of his brothers also traded on the balm. They were carrying it to Egypt for sale. Egypt needs a balm from Gilead, a territory of Israel. Of Egypt, God says, "Go up into GILEAD, and take BALM, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt: in vain shalt thou use many medicines; for thou shalt not be cured" (Jer.46:11). Babylon needs a balm from Gilead. Of Babylon, God says, "Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed: howl for her; take BALM for her pain, if so be she may be healed" (Jer.51:8).

It's time for the church to take her healing balm to the world's markets and sell it without a price. Freely we have received, and freely we must give. Let us bring healing to the hurting people of the world.

The next scripture is Gen.43:11, and it says, "And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a LITTLE BALM, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds." There is a balm in Jacob's land. You need not go far in finding a cure for your health issues. It was part of the presents that Joseph's brothers carried to Egypt.

The question is: why seek for answers in all the wrong places. Concerning the woman of issue of blood, Luke says, "And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had SPENT ALL HER LIVING UPON PHYSICIANS, NEITHER COULD BE HEALED OF ANY" (Lk.8:46). Her lifetime wealth gone, yet her physical condition never improved. It rather worsened. Even the best of doctors have limited knowledge and capacity. God alone does the cure, but doctors collect the medical fees. Things have remained the same because remedies are sought in the wrong places.

We read of Ahaziah, Israel's king, who sought for healing in the wrong places, especially from the gods of Ekron. God's angel spoke to Elijah to tell Ahaziah, "Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast sent messengers to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron, is it not because there is no God in Israel to enquire of his word? therefore thou shalt not come down off that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die" (2Kgs.1:16). Why go to the god of Ekron when you have the Almighty God of Israel? There is a balm in Gilead and a physician in Israel.

Outsiders come to our meetings and get healed, but God's people fail to appreciate and appropriate what they have in Christ. A leper from Samaria came to Jesus by faith and went home healed and cleansed. (Lk.17:18). He was a stranger - an outsider. We read of a woman who was "a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation." She came and "besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter" (Mk.7:26). That is another outsider who got what she wanted from the physician of Israel.

The church is failing to lay hold of what belongs to her. Jesus Christ said to the woman, "It is not meet to take the CHILDREN'S BREAD, and to cast it to DOGS" (Mt.15:26). Outsiders were regarded as dogs by the Jews, and here we see such a dog coming to collect the food belonging to the children of the family. What was the bread that she took away? It was deliverance and healing for her sick child at home. There is healing balm for all of God's people.

Upon hearing the words of another outsider, Mark writes that Jesus "marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel" (Mt.8:10). He came by faith and collected his miracle from Christ. The same goes for Naaman, another outsider. Jesus says, "And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian" (Lk.4:27). Pause and ponder! What is going on? See the attitude of the king of Israel when a royal letter of request arrives from the king of Syria, "And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me" (2Kgs.5:7). He did not for a moment consider of the greatness of his God. But see also the attitude of Prophet Elisha, "And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel" (2Kgs.5:8). God is still looking for the Elishas. May the Lord help us! He says in Ezekiel, "Judah, and the land of Israel, they were thy merchants: they traded in thy market wheat of Minnith, and Pannag, and honey, and oil, and BALM" (Ezk.27:17). 

Let us do our job. Let us get healed and move on to becoming healers by the anointing of Jesus Christ.

The woman of issue of blood came to Physician Jesus Christ to obtain the balm. He anoints our head with oil, making the cup of our lives to run over.

The BALM speaks of:

*The word

The psalmist says that "He sent forth his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions" (Ps.107:20). Again, He says, "O LORD my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me" (Ps.30:2). Read these scriptures: Mt.8:8,16; Lk.5:15,17.

*The blood

We are saved by His blood. Isaiah says, "And with his stripes we are healed" (Isa.53:5).

*The mercy of God

His mercy and compassion are our therapy.

*The anointing

Jesus heals us by His anointing. It is said of His disciples that "they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them" (Mk.6:13). Read these scriptures:  "Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord" (Jam.5:14); Lk.6:19. The healing balm still flows from His side.

*The love

His love is our healing balm. Lost souls are recovered by His love.

The church has a balm and a physician - Jesus Christ, the Lord. Be healed, and become a healer!

by Bishop Moses E. Peter