Written by Bridge Church Elder Bill Erickson
In my journey reading through the Bible, I am in currently reading the book of Jeremiah. You’ll remember that God had appointed Jeremiah – before he was even born it says in 1:5 – to be His prophet to the nations.
Before I shaped you in the womb, I knew all about you. Before you saw the light of day, I had holy plans for you: A prophet to the nations – that’s what I had in mind for you.”
Jeremiah protested, “Hold it, Master God! Look at me. I don’t know anything, I’m only a boy!”
God told me, “Don’t say, I’m only a boy! I’ll tell you where to go and you’ll go there. I’ll tell you what to say and you’ll say it. Don’t be afraid of a soul. I’ll be right there, looking after you.” (1:5-8, The Message)
“And, by the way, Jeremiah,” God added, “the people aren’t going to listen to you.”
“Tell them all this, but don’t expect them to listen. Call out to them, but don’t expect an answer.“ (7:27, The Message)
It’s no wonder that Jeremiah is called the weeping prophet. He had a message from God to deliver to a people that would not listen. Have you ever tried to reason with someone that won’t listen to you?
At the end of chapter 8 we find Jeremiah drowning in his lament.
My grief is beyond healing; my heart is broken. Listen to the weeping of my people; it can be heard all across the land. (8:19 NLT)
The people struggled needlessly because they refused to repent. They continued to walk in their hypocrisy and false religion. Pastor Chuck Swindoll states this: “Few experiences are more tragic than those in which someone suffers needlessly. Why struggle if the remedy is close by?”
Jeremiah asks, “Is there no medicine in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why is there no healing for the wounds of my people? (8:22)
Gilead was right next door to Judah east of the Jordan River. It was inhabited by the tribes of Gad and Manasseh. Part of the hill country, it was famous for a resin, or gum, that was harvested from a certain tree and used for medicinal purposes. According to Strong’s Concordance, the healing resin was extracted by means of piercing the leaves of the plant so it would leak through the open pores or wounds.
The obvious answer to Jeremiah’s question, “Is there no medicine in Gilead?” is Yes, there is! The remedy for the people of Judah – and us today – was to repent and turn to God who is nearby – as close as Gilead was to Judah. Still, the people refused. The Lord sent prophets many times to the Israelite people to get them to repent. The medicine was there, the Great Physician was ready, but their unrepentance kept the healing away from them.
The Balm of Gilead is a wonderful picture of Christ. He was pierced like the tender root of the balsam plant. In the same way that the leaves of the plant were thrust through to extract the healing resin, Jesus was broken that we might benefit from His wounds. We received new life through the one tree — the old rugged cross.
Reminds me of an old African American spiritual…
There is a balm in Gilead,
To make the wounded whole.
There is a balm in Gilead,
To heal the sin-sick soul.
Sometimes I feel discouraged,
And think my work's in vain;
But, then the Holy Spirit
Revives my soul again.
If you cannot preach like Peter;
If you cannot pray like Paul;
You can tell the love of Jesus
And say, "He died for all."
Refrain:
There is a balm in Gilead,
To make the wounded whole.
There is a balm in Gilead,
To heal the sin-sick soul.
Bill Erickson
