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THE LAST DAY MESSENGER
By Pastor Ona Bogart
IS THERE NO BALM IN GILEAD?
December 10, 2006
Study # 15
In the 73rd Chapter of Psalms, David is writing and complaining to God that even though God
is good to Israel, He, David, was having some problems understanding why it seemed to Him,
that everything was going better for others than it was for Him. Psalms 73: 2 “But as for me,
my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped,
3. For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.”
David was in a similar state that we as Christians find ourselves in at different times in our
lives. When we first come to Salvation and realize that the only way to obtain Salvation is
through the blood of Jesus Christ, we are given a space of time that we are free from most
severe trials and problems. The trials that the Lord allows the Devil to afflict a new Christian
with, are usually not as severe as we are tried with as we grow older in the Lord, and when we
have gained more understanding in the Word of God.
I hear Ministers say frequently, that when we make a commitment to the Lord (or are saved),
we just have to hold on, until we are taken up, in what they refer to as the Rapture, and all of
the terrible things that are referred to in the Scriptures, will not affect us. But according to
many different Authors of the Bible, We are given instructions on how to overcome these trials.
Most of the Patriots of the Bible suffered agonies untold. Paul writes in 2 nd Timothy 2:12 “If we
suffer, we shall also reign with him:” Romans 8:18 “If so be that we suffer with him, that we
may be also glorified together.” Jesus speaking in John 16: 1-2 “These things have I spoken
unto you, that ye should not be offended.
2. They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you
will think that he doeth God service.”
Why should we think that trials will not come our way and cause us to suffer for the Lord? All
of the Old Patriots had much harder trials than we have in this hour of time. Paul speaks of all
the hard times that He endured for the sake of the Gospel, Read from 2nd Corinthians 11: 1930.
So David was having some anxious moments because he was envious of those that He considered wicked.
In Psalms 73:13 David begins speaking of his own trials. “Verily, I have cleansed my heart in
vain, and washed my hands in innocency.
14. For all the daylong have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.
15. If I say, I will speak thus: behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children.
16. When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me;
17. UNTIL I went into the sanctuary of God; THEN understood I their end.”
David was afraid to speak of things that might offend some. Many of us today that minister the
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Gospel, have the same fears when we speak on things that we may feel that our congregation
needs to know. Through years of teaching, and reading some of the hard exhortations that are
in the Bible, we find that when we minister on things that may be hard for our people to
accept, they become offended. But should we neglect to preach and teach on these things.
The Apostle Paul writing in Hebrews 5, was explaining the office of the High Priest. He spoke
of Mel-chis ed ec, which we know was in reference to Jesus, and explaining in verse 7, and I
quote, “Who In the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with
strong CRYING and TEARS unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in
that he feared;
8. THOUGH HE WERE A SON, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
9. And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey
him’
10. Called of God an high priest after the order of Mel chis ed ec.
11. Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.
12. For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which
be the
first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of
strong meat.
13. For every one that useth mild is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
14. But STRONG meat belongeth to them that are of FULL AGE, even those who by reason of
USE have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”
This is exactly what David was fearful of, when he made the statement, “If I say, I will speak
thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children.” Most of this generation
that is living in the world today, are not used to the hardships of days gone by. Some become
offended at almost anything and they don’t feel convicted at all.
Jeremiah had some of the same trials that David had and was troubled by them. In Jeremiah
8:18 he says, “When I would comfort myself against sorrow, my heart is faint in me.”
19. 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?
20. The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.
21. For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt; I am black; astonishment hath taken
hold on me.
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?”
Jeremiah was prophesying of a time when Judah would be taken captive by the king of
Babylon. He had knowledge of the captivity of the other 10 tribes, which were called Israel,
and they had been taken captive by the king of Assyria, and were carried away to Assyria, 2
Kings 17: 6. In almost all of the Chapters of the Book of Jeremiah, he is warning the Jews that
they too are going to be taken captive by the king of Babylon. He is trying to make them
understand the consequences of their captivity if they didn’t return to their old Paths,
Jeremiah 6:16, “But they said, We will not walk therein.”
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If we are not well read in the Bible, this instruction to Judah by the prophet Jeremiah, may not
make much sense to us. Gilead was a land of beauty, lush forests, and all kinds of balm, and
medicines, that is why Jeremiah is asking, Is there no healing help in Gilead. He was not
speaking of a natural balm or medicine, but He was asking God why there was no help for the
People of Judah. Yet Jeremiah knew that they were rebellious. Later Jeremiah says in 46: 11
“Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt: in vain shalt thou use
many medicines; for thou shalt not be cured.
12. The nations have heard of thy shame, and thy cry hath filled the land: for the mighty man
hath stumbled against the mighty, and they are fallen both together.”
There is no natural help for the Christians that are refusing to return to the Old Paths that
God has laid out before us in His Word. When we observe worldly conditions in this day, we
can see the warnings of God for His People coming to pass before our eyes. The prophesy of
Jesus is being fulfilled in the world today. Jesus said that the time would come when those that
killed us would think that they did God service. If we have not heard this remark today made
by the Nations that are Muslim, then we certainly have our eyes closed and do not believe the
words of Jesus Himself.
Sometimes we find ourselves in a strait with God, and we just can’t understand why we are not
being relieved of our afflictions, but God has set forth conditions that we must meet. The 10
Commandments are only a part of the laws that God has laid down for us, and sometimes we
feel that this Way is too STRAIT FOR us. The Sons of the Prophets felt the same way when
they were following Elisha.
In 2nd Kings 6: 1, we read, “The sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place
where we dwell with thee is too STRAIT for us.
2. Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let make us a
place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye.
3.And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servant. And he said, I will go.”
Elisha went with them and almost immediately when the work began trouble came. The place
where they dwelt had been too STRAIT for them. Elisha lived a holy life before the Lord and
the way was too narrow for them, Jesus said in Matthew 7:13 “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for
wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go
in thereat:
14. BECAUSE STRAIT is the gate, and NARROW is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few
there be that find it.”
This word STRAIT does not mean straight. The definition of Strait is NARROW. This WAY
that God had laid out for the Christians is certainly a NARROW Way. Through the years that
I have lived and served the Lord, there have been many changes in the way that the Full
Gospel People worship the Lord. It has been many years since I have witnessed any one
tarrying to be filled with the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Have we forgotten the admonition of
Jesus when He departed this world? He said, “tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be
endued with power from on high.” Luke 24: 49.
When we are really pressed for the BALM of Gilead, We can find the Way to Gilead, and the
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CURE for our afflictions.
In Joel we will find the answer to the Balm of Gilead. In chapter 2: 15 we read, “Blow the
trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly:
16. Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and
those that suck the breasts: (EVERYBODY) let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and
the bride out of her closet.
17 Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, WEEP between the porch and the altar, and let
them say, SPARE THY PEOPLE, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the
heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, WHERE IS
THEIR GOD?”
This Scripture says, Spare thy people O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that
the heathen should rule over them. Have we not already heard the boasting of the Nations in
the Middle East, and hear them say that the Muslims will rule the whole world, and sit in our
White House. We certainly need the Christian World to rise up out of our stagnation and begin
the FIGHT for our lives.
The Apostle Paul says in 1st Timothy 6:12 “FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH, LAY
HOLD ON ETERNAL LIFE;”
This is the only way that we Christians will survive in the near future. We must fight with
every thing that is within us!