VoyForums
[ Show ]
Support VoyForums
[ Shrink ]
VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

[ Login ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, 3, [4] ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: 05:24:04 08/18/05 Thu
Author: Pastor Eric Aschendorf
Author Host/IP: 12.222.42.11
Subject: The Balm of Gilead

Shalom,

Jer 8:20 The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.
Jer 8:21 For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt; I am black; astonishment hath taken hold on me.
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?

Before I direct our attention at our text I want to direct our thoughts to another group of scriptures earlier in this chapter.
Jer 8:8 How do ye say, We [are] wise, and the law of the LORD [is] with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he [it]; the pen of the scribes [is] in vain.
Jer 8:9 The wise [men] are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the LORD; and what wisdom [is] in them?
Jer 8:10 Therefore will I give their wives unto others, [and] their fields to them that shall inherit [them]: for every one from the least even unto the greatest is given to covetousness, from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.
Consider the wise men in this set of scriptures as any man today. As anyone in today's society! We think of our selves more highly than we ought, as being more intelligent, more progressive or enlightened and the results are clearly predicted here!
Do these strike you as they did me, as the results of a divorce? As things that are “normal” in society or at least relatively acceptable in today's circles?
1) Jer 8:10 Therefore will I give their wives unto others Divorce and remarriage
2) [and] their fields to them that shall inherit [them] Splitting of the estate
3) for every one from the least even unto the greatest is given to covetousness The former US President with a woman who was not his wife. Same for a basketball star and of course this list could easily go on. The CEO of AIG using illegal practices to increase his revenues. Martha Stewart illegally trading stocks for greater profit. Pete Rose gambling on baseball. Etc.....
4) from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely. The same list as above.

This was the state of affairs of Israel in the times of Jeremiah. History repeats itself!

The primary purpose though in this writing is toward the Priest, Prophets and leaders of Israel. Jeremiah notes that the Priest and Prophets were assigned by YHVH to bring spiritual healing to the nation. He uses the metaphor that Israel was like a dying man who had a remedy (The Balm of Gilead) but that there was no one to apply it. That there exists a solution but no one will offer it to another; that no one will give it to the people.

Recently we have heard of a "Pastor" who has just opened the doors to a new super-mega church who also refuses to tell people that Y'SHUA is the only way to acquire eternal life! He refuses to tell people that divorce is wrong! He is nothing more than a "Feel-good god preacher" That tells the people what they want to hear.
2Ti 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

Others preach the "god of money" can be manipulated to their benefit of the people by the people giving more and more money. Still others preach things like, how to draw greater success into your life or essencially how to have the rewards of the kingdom of GOD in your life on the earth. What they generally fail to teach are the more important issues of YHVH!

The real issue behind why Y'SHUA came to the earth as HE did and to die for the forgiveness of your sins is that YHVH wanted to have communion with you! HE wanted to re-establish the covenant that HE had made with mankind from the beginning.
Gen 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
HE wants us to have the original dominion that we once had but we only get it when we have the same relationship that mankind had with YHVH at that time. When we are in direct communion with YHVH then those things which we desire will be those things which HE knows we can be trusted with to use for the building of HIS kingdom and the saving of souls. When we are in direct communion with HIM then our desires will be fulfilled by being the ones HE sends to apply the Balm of Gilead to others.
Psa 37:4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart..

If we do not have a relationship with YHVH that is based and sustained in prayer then we have nothing to offer those in need!
2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
We know how to do the "religious" things such as to attend church but we do not have real communion with YHVH.
2Ti 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
We pray but without eternal authority and/or results!
Jam 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume [it] upon your lusts.

The Disciples had witnessed the power and authority of Y'SHUA! They had traveled full time in the ministry and had wrought great miracles in their travels curing diseases and taking authority over devils (Luke 9:1) and yet they asked Y'SHUA to teach them how to pray (Luke 11:1). They were asking HIM how to do the will of The FATHER rather than how to be impressive to the world! They weren't interested in having an impressive ministry within the world but how to have an eternal ministry; one based in the will of YHVH!

Today we see it very poignantly where someone will receive healing through another person's faith or through the prayers or ministry of another person and yet they will not have the relationship needed to walk in that healing. Or they will not have the knowledge of how to retain that healing through a relationship with The HEALER! Therefore when satan returns with a "familiar spirit", the same infirmity, they have nothing to resist him with because they do no know how to submit their lives to YHVH; to the SUSTAINER and PROVIDER of their life.
Jam 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

In our text;
Jer 8:20 The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.
Jer 8:21 For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt; I am black; astonishment hath taken hold on me.
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?
The time or season of Harvest is drawing to a close and as we have seen many times before this writing YHVH is watching your works after you have said that you have surrendered your life to HIM. HE is watching to see if you are submitting yourself to HIM or if your are actually unchanged; one just wanted to provide for yourself without real concern as to what HE would have you to do.

In verse 21 we have one of those words where the KJV is in error. It was a local colloquialism but it simply is a misinterpretation. The word rendered "black" is qadar {kaw-dar'} and it means;
1) to mourn, be dark
a) (Qal) to be dark
b) (Hiphil)
1) to darken
2) to cause to mourn
c) (Hithpael) to grow dark
The NASB as most always provides a much more accurate rendering of the verse when it reads;
Jer 8:21 For the brokenness of the daughter of my people I am broken; I mourn, dismay has taken hold of me.

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?
What did YHVH say in 2 Chrn 7:14? When HIS people, When those who are in communion with HIM; when those who are called by HIS name, will humble themselves, pray, seek HIS face and turn from their wicked ways, then will HE hear and heal HIS people (pp). When we call ourselves CHRISTians we are telling the world that we are CHRIST-like. We claim the name of CHRIST upon our lives! What did Y'SHUA say of HIS relationship to The FATHER?
Jhn 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
Are you in relationship with The FATHER or do you claim HIS name in vain?
Are you doing your will or The FATHER's?
Have you humbled your self this morning?
Do you REALLY know how to pray?
Do you have the Balm of Gilead?

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Replies:

Forum timezone: GMT-6
VF Version: 3.00b, ConfDB:
Before posting please read our privacy policy.
VoyForums(tm) is a Free Service from Voyager Info-Systems.
Copyright © 1998-2019 Voyager Info-Systems. All Rights Reserved.