Seek Healing Through “The Balm of Gilead”

Jeremiah 46:1-28                    Kevin E. Jesmer

Key Verse: 46:11                     4-8-18

“Go up to Gilead and get balm, Virgin Daughter Egypt. But you try many medicines in vain; there is no healing for you.”

Part 1: Healing Comes Through the Balm of Gilead (1-26)

Verses 1-26, “This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations: 2 Concerning Egypt: This is the message against the army of Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt, which was defeated at Carchemish on the Euphrates River by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah: 3 “Prepare your shields, both large and small, and march out for battle! 4 Harness the horses, mount the steeds! Take your positions with helmets on! Polish your spears, put on your armor! 5 What do I see? They are terrified, they are retreating, their warriors are defeated. They flee in haste without looking back, and there is terror on every side,” declares the Lord. 6 “The swift cannot flee nor the strong escape. In the north by the River Euphrates they stumble and fall. 7 “Who is this that rises like the Nile, like rivers of surging waters? 8 Egypt rises like the Nile, like rivers of surging waters. She says, ‘I will rise and cover the earth; I will destroy cities and their people.’ 9 Charge, you horses! Drive furiously, you charioteers! March on, you warriors—men of Cush and Put who carry shields, men of Lydia who draw the bow. 10 But that day belongs to the Lord, the Lord Almighty— a day of vengeance, for vengeance on his foes. The sword will devour till it is satisfied, till it has quenched its thirst with blood. For the Lord, the Lord Almighty, will offer sacrifice in the land of the north by the River Euphrates. 11 “Go up to Gilead and get balm, Virgin Daughter Egypt. But you try many medicines in vain; there is no healing for you.

12 The nations will hear of your shame; your cries will fill the earth. One warrior will stumble over another; both will fall down together.” 13 This is the message the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the coming of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to attack Egypt: 14 “Announce this in Egypt, and proclaim it in Migdol;  proclaim it also in Memphis and Tahpanhes: ‘Take your positions and get ready, for the sword devours those around you.’ 15 Why will your warriors be laid low? They cannot stand, for the Lord will push them down. 16 They will stumble repeatedly; they will fall over each other. They will say, ‘Get up, let us go back to our own people and our native lands, away from the sword of the oppressor.’ 17 There they will exclaim, ‘Pharaoh king of Egypt is only a loud noise; he has missed his opportunity.’ 18 “As surely as I live,” declares the King, whose name is the Lord Almighty, “one will come who is like Tabor among the mountains, like Carmel by the sea. 19 Pack your belongings for exile, you who live in Egypt, for Memphis will be laid waste and lie in ruins without inhabitant. 20 “Egypt is a beautiful heifer, but a gadfly is coming against her from the north.

21 The mercenaries in her ranks are like fattened calves. They too will turn and flee together, they will not stand their ground, for the day of disaster is coming upon them, the time for them to be punished. 22 Egypt will hiss like a fleeing serpent as the enemy advances in force; they will come against her with axes, like men who cut down trees.23 They will chop down her forest, “declares the Lord, “dense though it be. They are more numerous than locusts, they cannot be counted.24 Daughter Egypt will be put to shame, given into the hands of the people of the north.”

25 The Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “I am about to bring punishment on Amon god of Thebes, on Pharaoh, on Egypt and her gods and her kings, and on those who rely on Pharaoh. 26 I will give them into the hands of those who want to kill them—Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and his officers. Later, however, Egypt will be inhabited as in times past,” declares the Lord.

The people of Judah had hope in Egypt. Many thought that Egypt would defeat the Babylonian Empire and save Judah. But this was not to be. Pharaoh Neco of Egypt suffered a devastating defeat by the Babylonians at Carchemish, and Egypt’s bid for world power evaporated.

Babylon’s conquest of Egypt was God’s hand of judgment on Egypt and her gods and kings, and on those who relied on Pharaoh. Look at verse 25, “The Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “I am about to bring punishment on Amon god of Thebes, on Pharaoh, on Egypt and her gods and her kings, and on those who rely on Pharaoh.” Egypt was allowing people to hope in it’s society, economy and armies. They did not defer people to the God of the Bible. They let people hope in them. If they were a world power then they needed to use their influence to lead people to the God if the Bible (Jesus) and not to themselves.  In that way they were leading the people astray.

Judah could get no help from Egypt for Egypt was a broken reed itself. God told Egypt to come to him for healing. Look at verse 11, “Go up to Gilead and get balm, Virgin Daughter Egypt. But you try many medicines in vain; there is no healing for you.”

“a small evergreen African and Asian tree (Commiphora opobalsamum synonym C. meccanensis of the family Burseraceae) with aromatic leaves; also: a fragrant oleoresin from this tree.” “an agency that soothes, relieves, or heals.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/balm%20of%20Gilead

“In three different places the Old Testament mentions the “balm” or healing ointment that comes from Gilead, the mountainous region east of the Jordan River. When Joseph’s brothers conspired against him in Genesis 37, they sold him to a caravan of Ishmaelites from the region of Gilead carrying a load of gum, balm, and myrrh (v. 25). Jeremiah 46:11 mentions the healing balm of Gilead. Jeremiah 8:22 poses a question to the sinning people of Judah:”

“A well-known African-American spiritual applies the words of the text this way: There is a balm in Gilead To make the wounded whole; There is a balm in Gilead To heal the sin sick soul. Jesus is truly the “balm of Gilead” for all the hurting people of the world.”

http://www.jesus.org/is-jesus-god/names-of-jesus/jesus-is-our-balm-of-gilead.html

     I think that God was telling Egypt in verse 11, to see their sin and look to the people of Judah and their God for healing. They need to come to the balm of Gilead.  If this world super power, Egypt, came to God for healing, then they would be healed. Then they would truly be glorifying God with their position and influence for they would be pointing the known world to the God of the Bible.

God would send his judgement Egypt’s way.  Look at verse 10, “But that day belongs to the Lord, the Lord Almighty— a day of vengeance, for vengeance on his foes. The sword will devour till it is satisfied, till it has quenched its thirst with blood. For the Lord, the Lord Almighty, will offer sacrifice in the land of the north by the River Euphrates.” And now look at verse 15 again, “Why will your warriors be laid low? They cannot stand, for the Lord will push them down.” God could not allow, powerful Egypt to stand in the place of God and lead his people astray. He needed to do something. And he chose to bring judgement.

A modern-day example would be if America, for example, would be touting itself as the world’s savior and the panacea for all of the world’s problems. America would then be a self-proclaimed savior and will have to answer to God for that.

What about a person with some influence over others. There are movie stars that are in the media forefront. They have a lot of influence. They affect the lives of billions of people. Are they pointing them to Christ as the Savior or are they pointing the people to themselves and their philosophies of life, as the savior of the world? What about teachers, politicians, authors, professors and even parents. Everyone with some influence over others will have to answer to God how they use that influence, pointing others to Jesus or not.

God’s judgement is not just for the rebellious people of Judah. The other nations may have though that the people of Judah were really sinful to their God and that is why they are being judged. They never thought they would be held accountable by the God of Israel. But God’s judgment is for the whole world. All nations will be judged for their sin. No nation is exempt. Even the Egyptians and yes, even the Babylonians, whom God was working through at that time, would be also judged.

The truth is, we all must appear before the judgement seat of Christ. 2 Corinthians 5;10 reads, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” All people, of all nations, of all generations must stand before the judgement seat of Christ. The only way to stand in the judgement is to have the right relationship with God. And that is accomplished through Jesus Christ and his Gospel. We need healing by the balm of Gilead. That is the only way I can pass through the judgement.

There is a balm is in Gilead, to make the sinner whole. The balm of Gilead is Jesus. Jesus, through the Gospel makes sinners whole. The balm of Gilead heals the sin sick soul and allows us to pass through the judgment.

Part 2: God Has A Special Relationship With His People (27-28)

Verses 27-28, “27 Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant; do not be dismayed, Israel. I will surely save you out of a distant place, your descendants from the land of their exile. Jacob will again have peace and security, and no one will make him afraid. 28 Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant, for I am with you,” declares the Lord. “Though I completely destroy all the nations among which I scatter you, I will not completely destroy you. I will discipline you but only in due measure; I will not let you go entirely unpunished.”

God promised to be with his people in their exile. He would destroy the unrepentant, idol worshipping nations in which they tried to find refuge, but they would be protected and spared.

These words reveal a special relationship that God has with his people from Judah. Yes, they deserved to be totally judged for their sin. They deserved to be eradicated because of their rebellion to God. But God still loved them. He still had hope in them. He was still with them and planning to bring them together from the land of exile and help them to live in peace and security.  He was still committed to disciplining them and enabling them to live up to their calling as a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.

God was planning to discipline his people for a purpose. His discipline is redemptive. His discipline is to bring his people back to him and into the right relationship with him. They would experience some punishment for their sin but this too had a purpose. They needed to know that God is the sovereign Lord, he is holy and that his word stand, like a solid rock. They needed to come humbly and worship their God. God is love. Even when we experience his punishment we must always know that God is love.

Prayer: Lord, I know that there is only one way to be healed and made whole, it is through the balm of Gilead. This is Jesus. Receiving healing through this balm brings glory to you Oh Lord.”

One Word: Go up to Gilead and get God’s balm