The Balm in Gilead

In Jeremiah 8:22 God’s prophet asked a rhetorical question: “Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there?” The question was rhetorical because the answer was obvious. There was plenty of balm in Gilead, and there were plenty of physicians there to apply it.

The balm in Gilead was an ointment used as a perfume, but more often as a cure all. Although this balm does not grow there now, it was once exported all around the world. It began to be used to refer to a metaphorical healing as well. Those who were sick would apply the balm, but those who were in a jam would say they needed the balm in Gilead. If there were no crops and no money, they would say they needed the balm in Gilead. If they were stressed and depressed, they would say they needed the balm in Gilead. No matter what was wrong with the person or the country as a whole, the balm in Gilead could bring the cure.

Jeremiah had just prophesied the coming disaster for the southern kingdom of Judah because they were refusing to live according to God’s law. After giving them a warning about God’s judgment, he asked the question in verse twenty-two. In other words, if the nation would repent of their sins and come back to Christ, they would receive the balm in Gilead because the promised calamity would not come.

Jesus is the Balm in Gilead who, according to the old spiritual, heals the sin-sick soul. Yes, He is the Great Physician, and we call out to Him for physical healing. More importantly, He heals our greatest need, and that is to be brought back into a right relationship with our Creator. Many people look a hundred different directions to find peace, but Jesus offers a peace that passes our understanding. We take the twelve steps, only to find we aren’t any closer to peace. We can change houses or change spouses; we can shop till we drop; we can lose weight or go on a date; we can buy a new car or spend time at the bar, but those things only offer temporary relief at best. They offer a temporary solution to our permanent problem.

Jesus offers a permanent solution to our permanent problem. If we allow Him, He will remove the sin that separates us from God.

The final part of Jeremiah’s question was this: since there is plenty of balm in Gilead, “Why then is there no recovery for the health of the daughter of my people?” The solution is available, but the people are not reaching for it. The doctor has prescribed the remedy, but they are not taking their pills. If you are not at peace with God—if your sin still separates you from Him—then simply take what the doctor has ordered. Jesus is the Balm in Gilead, and He wants to heal your sin-sick soul.   

Gas Gauge

Last week I wrote about the tire issues I had with my truck, and that got me thinking about another problem I have: the gas gauge does not work. When I first got the truck it worked fine, but eventually I noticed that after I filled up the tank the gauge still showed I was on empty. For a while I tried to mentally keep track of how long it had been since I last got gas, until one day I ran out and came to a stop on the side of the road.

After that experience I bought a two-gallon gas can and kept it in my truck, and every time I sputtered to a stop I pulled over and added the gas. I know what you may be thinking since so many people have offered me this advice over the years. Just write down the mileage when you fill up and keep track of how far you go. I choose not to do that because that method involves math, and math is very much a part of the axis of evil. Also, my odometer doesn’t work, so keeping up with my mileage isn’t going to happen. Instead I keep the gas can full and try to remember to top off my tank every so often.

It can be very confusing when the instrument intended to keep me on track leads me astray. When I think there is enough gas to get me where I am going, but then run out before I get there, it really messes with my plans. A broken gauge doesn’t do much good. The Bible gives us several things that can be used like a gauge; these are things we can use to measure ourselves to see if we are where we are supposed to be. The fruit of the Spirit and the works of the flesh in Galatians 5 are a gage. Is the needle closer to the good side or the bad side?

How are you doing with loving your neighbor as yourself? Are you on E or F in that department? What about the Great Commission? Are you being a disciple-maker? Are you a person who bears other people’s burdens? Do you pray for others?  

If we honestly evaluate ourselves by using some of these biblical commands, we can gauge whether or not we are walking with the Spirit and connected to the Vine. We may think we are OK simply because we go to church, or because we have been baptized, but that can be about as reliable as a broken gas gauge. Many people will say to the Lord on judgment day, “Didn’t we do many great things in your name?” His reply will be, “Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness. I never knew you (Matthew 7:23).”

If you are running on empty, pull over for a fill up right now.

Flat Tires

Now that spring has sprung it is time for us to engage in one of our annual traditions. My wife and I enjoy working on the landscaping around the front porch, so each year I take my truck to town and get a load of brown mulch to spread around the yard. This year we decided we wanted to raise the landscaping higher so it can be more visible from the road, so before I got the mulch I got a load of topsoil to add height.

I learned an important lesson: dirt weighs more than mulch. Much more, it turns out. Although I had been getting a “scoop” of mulch from Sanders for almost ten years without a problem, when the Bobcat dropped the scoop of topsoil into my truck the back end dropped much lower than I was expecting. The tires were rubbing against the wheel well, and I was only a couple miles from the store when one of my tires blew out.

I’m grateful that a friend saw me and helped me get the spare on, but the other rear tire was due for a similar fate. I slowly drove home, smelling burning rubber the whole way. As soon as I put the truck in park I heard the air rush out of the tire; it literally melted. At least I was home that time.

One solution to this problem would be to keep changing tires, but that is only a temporary fix. The only way to keep the tires from blowing out or melting is to get the weight off of them. Before I changed another tire I grabbed a shovel and wheelbarrow, and slowly but surely got the dirt out of the truck and into the yard. With the weight of the dirt off of the truck, I was able to get new tires on that will hopefully last a long time.

That thought reminded me of the character Christian from The Pilgrim’s Progress; he was carrying a heavy load on his back until he arrived at the cross, at which point he was able to lay his burden down. Our sin is like a ton of topsoil—it is more than we are meant to carry, and unless we get rid of it, it will continually bring us down. We look for relief from everything from programs to pills, but those are only temporary at best. At the end of the day, the dirt must be removed.

Let Jesus be like that wheelbarrow. Throw all the dirt on Him. Cast all your cares on Him. He is far better at bearing it than we are.

“Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Matthew 11:28

History Books

I have always been a history nerd. When I was in school US History was my favorite subject, and I still love to read biographies and even textbooks. I like to see how some events impact events that come later. For example, the Kennedy assassination affected the war in Vietnam, which affected Nixon and Watergate, which continues to affect the presidency today. We can also see how global events during the Cold War era set the stage for the ongoing War on Terror. Reading history books helps connect these dots for people like me who were not around when those events were current.

History books were much different in the Ancient Near East. Our English Bibles contain a grouping we call the historical books (they are the Former Prophets and the Writings in the Hebrew Bible), which are the books of Joshua-Esther. These books give us a good history of the conquest of Canaan, the days of the judges, the days of the kings, the divided kingdom, captivity, and the return from exile. The books follow the pattern of the history books of their time, which greatly differs from history books in the west.

Western history books are chronological and natural. They present events in the order they occurred, and they provide a natural explanation for everything in history (there are no miracles; God does not intervene). Conversely, ANE history books blame or credit the gods for everything, and their history is cyclical, not chronological. That is why we read things like, “In the third year of Josiah.” Everything was measured in terms of the cycle of seasons, sun/moon, or changing kings. If anything disrupted these cycles it was believed the gods must have been upset; if the rain didn’t fall, the crops didn’t come, or the cattle didn’t reproduce, the gods must have been punishing the people. The problem was, they didn’t know why the gods were angry or what they needed to do in response. The gods were fickle and could change on a whim.

The Old Testament, in contrast, presents Yahweh as being an unchanging God who only operates in accordance with His expressed word. He made covenants with Israel, and they dictate all of His actions. God is faithful, not fickle. Although the Mosaic Covenant does not apply to us, the new covenant cut in Jesus does. We do not have to wonder what God thinks or guess how to please Him. We do not need to hope He will keep His promises of forgiveness, adoption, or a home in heaven. We have a host of history books that demonstrate the unchanging nature of our faithful God, so we can rest assured that He will keep His promises to us.

“I am the Lord. I change not.”

Malachi 3:6