The Balm in Gilead
Introduction:
Israel, as a nation, suffered so greatly and paid a great price for its worship of idols and unfaithfulness to God. So many times, God had to bring judgment upon the nation. Time after time they had to be chastised to remind them of their failure to remain faithful. In our scripture portion for today we see Israel is not only in rebellion but is standing at the brink of destruction by the Babylonian Army under King Nebuchadnezzar.
This was the end of their freedom, the end of God’s blessings upon their country, the end of life as they knew it. In a very short time they would be slaves in the land of Babylon. That slavery would soon mean 70 years away from their Promised Land. It would be the last time that most of this generation of people would see their beloved city and the Temple where God met with them.
In just a few months Nebuchadnezzar would take Hananiah, Misheal and Azariah as prisoners and slaves into Babylon. There, in Babylon, their names would be changed to Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego and they would face the fiery furnace where God would walk with them and deliver them from death.
Shortly thereafter, King Belshazzar would see the hand of God as it wrote on the wall of his palace and then fall dead. Babylon would fall to the Medes and the Persians.
Only a few years after that Daniel would face the lion’s den under King Darius the Mede where God would stop the mouths of the lions and give Daniel a great miracle of deliverance. Then King Cyrus of Persia succeeded Darius to the throne. It was during this time, while still a slave in the service of King Cyrus that Daniel had his great visions that were to give us a future picture of world history and the end times of such great tribulations.
70 years later, Nehemiah under orders from King Cyrus went back to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls of the city. He was the first to get permission to rebuild Israel. God would bring Israel back to their Promised Land again because of His great mercy and grace.
Jeremiah 8:19-23, "Behold the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people because of them that dwell in a far country: Is not the LORD in Zion? Is not her king in her? Why have they provoked me to anger with their graven images, and with strange vanities? The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved. For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt; I am black; astonishment hath taken hold on me. Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered? Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!"
These words were penned just before the fall of Israel into Babylonian Captivity.
From the heart of the “weeping prophet”, Jeremiah, we hear these words that are spoken in absolute grief and pain because Jeremiah knew that judgment was coming and could not be stopped.
ISRAEL’S CONDITION SPEAKS TO US OF OUR OWN CONDITION
Israel, God’s chosen people were under attack from enemies from all sides. They were surrounded and no way of escape. The enemy had come from a far country to steal, kill and destroy Israel once and for all.
God created you and I to worship and serve Him.
He desires to bring all of us into a right relationship with Him. So many times, God tries to reach out to us and draw us into his love. Jesus wants to extend mercy and grace to each of us. And yet, we continue to live our lives at times like Jesus is not there at all.
Just as Israel had done, we let anything take the place of worshipping the true God of Heaven. Even when we know that one of the commandments that God has given to us says, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”
Anything that we place in importance above serving God becomes our idol whether it is our job, our home, our land, our possessions or even our family. God must have first place or He will have no place at all.
We live in a world where we are surrounded by temptation, evil on every side, and people who would lead us away from God. Satan is the Prince of this world and his job is to steal, kill and destroy every man, woman and child who walks the face of the earth.
This world is not our final destiny, not for anyone.
Those who live for God will soon be leaving to take possession of their Heavenly home. Those who do not live for Jesus will leave this world to go into the world of the condemned: a world where there is no joy, peace or happiness forever. Where darkness, pain, hatred, and despair will reign forever and where they will never die.
Jeremiah knew that God still loved Israel. His question, “Is not the Lord in Zion? Is not her King in he? It was a question to which there could only be one answer, YES, the Lord is here. GOD IS EVERYWHERE, AT ALL TIMES.
God sees all, knows all, hears all, and is all in all. There is no place, whether in the depths of the seas or the farthest star of the universe that we can escape His presence. Surely, God is here this day to hear our cry, to see our pain, to read our heart and to know what we are even thinking.
Israel, knowing that God was there to see everything they did, had “provoked” God’s anger with their idolatry and self-centered ways.
It was as though they not only ignored that fact that God was there, but they stood with their fists balled up and thrust into the face of God saying, I dare you to stop me from having my own way with my life.
Time and again, God tries to reach out to us in love. He has given us His Word to learn of Him as much as we can, Jesus died on the cross and gave His own blood as payment for our sin because we could not pay enough to wash it from ourselves, and the Holy Spirit is just waiting for the chance to be a part of your life to lead you into all truth.
In addition to that, God has given you preachers, pastors, evangelists, teachers and other people who will do everything in their power to get you to reach out to God while you can.
All through the long hot desert summer of that year, Jeremiah had hoped that Israel would repent of her ways and turn to God but they did not.
Nebuchadnezzar’s army had laid siege to Jerusalem for nearly two years now and surely Israel would see the danger and turn from their sinful ways, but Israel was too caught up its own fun and cares of everyday life to see the danger than loomed ahead.
That’s a picture of our world today.
We are in the last days. We live at the very door of some of the most terrifying prophetic messages of the entire Bible. Just over the horizon, even at our very doorstep, the events of the Great Tribulation are about to begin.
You may feel that right now feels like a time of trouble, a time of feeling like a captive in a foreign land but the time will soon come that will make these days of trouble be remembered as though they were wonderful.
These days are nothing compared to the days to come. And then the terrifying days of future events in the earth will seem as nothing compared to the judgment of an eternal hell that will follow.
We can do the same as Israel. We can walk on in denial that God’s judgments are coming. We can walk on, and just keep doing those things that we want instead of what He wants. God will let us make our own choice, but He will also judge us according to our choice.
God is in the process of reaping a harvest of souls for His kingdom. Jesus died so that the harvest could happen. God doesn’t want anyone to perish. He wants everyone to experience the joys of Heaven. He doesn’t want to send anyone to eternal punishment.
BY OUR OWN CHOICE WE WILL DETERMINE WHERE WE WILL SPEND ETERNITY!
The time of harvest is still here now, but it will soon be over. Don’t wait lest you have to say with Jeremiah, the summer is over, the harvest is past, and I am not saved.
Jeremiah cries out, because Israel is dying before my very eyes, because of my extreme grief over my beloved people, I am in despair (I am black) over their chosen path and soon destruction. He was amazed at their callousness in refusing to see the truth that was so plain.
As a minister and a pastor, I am grieved, and hurting for those in our family, our community, and our world who refuse to see the truth. I can see their end. I can see the judgment that awaits them and I cry for them, Why do you not see? Why do you not repent? Don’t you know this world can’t go on forever?
Jeremiah again asked a question that can only have one answer, “Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there?”
The answer to that question for Israel was YES, THERE IS A WAY TO HEALED. THERE IS A WAY OUT OF THIS TERROR! BUT, WILL YOU TAKE IT, ISRAEL?
There is a Balm in Gilead this day for you.
There is a way for your sin to be forgiven.
There is a way for your life to be changed forever.
There is a way for you to obtain eternal life.
There is a healing for your hurt, your pain and your suffering.
There is an answer to all of your questions.
THAT HEALING BALM IS JESUS CHRIST, WHO DIED FOR YOU!
THE BLOOD OF JESUS CAN WASH AWAY YOUR SIN AND GUILT.
What can wash away my sin – nothing but the Blood of Jesus.
What can make me whole again – nothing but the Blood of Jesus.
The question then, is the same that Jeremiah had for Israel, “Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?
To put it another way, “Why, if there is a healing balm in this land, and there is the Great Physician to administer the healing balm, why then, is Israel not healed?”
I WANT TO ASK YOU THAT SAME QUESTION TODAY.
Since Jesus is here to save and deliver.
Since He is here to wash your sins away.
Since the Lord is here to give you grace and mercy.
And since He has paid the price so that you can be made whole,
Why are we not saved?
What are we waiting for?
Will we allow Satan to keep lying to us and leading us away from God and into eternity without God?
There is a chorus of an old Methodist Hymn that says:
There is a Balm in Gilead
To make the wounded whole;
There is a Balm in Gilead
To heal the sin-sick soul.
In closing let me use the words of Jeremiah again as he speaks in verse 1 of the 9th chapter, “ Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people.”
Jesus, help us this day, as we stand in your presence, to see your heart and to feel your nail scarred hands as you reach out to us. Help us to see the danger that is ahead. Let the Holy Spirit move upon each of us this day to make things right with you.
Don’t let us enter into eternity and into eternal captivity without you. Help us to make all things right.
AMEN.
