Devotion 283
“Is There no Balm in Gilead?”
Reference: II Samuel Chapter 16
Jeremiah 8:19-22 “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?”
Because they have rejected the Balm.
God has the Prescription (Balm) but man wants his own prescription. The prescription is simple.
Acts 2:36-38 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. [37] Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? [38] Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
The prescription is to repent and be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and we shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
But man says no. We want our denomination. We don’t want that prescription. We want something else. Some are even afraid to receive the Balm (the Holy Spirit). They are afraid to receive the only Balm that will help them.
David, the chosen of God, is rejected.
Let’s read:
2 Samuel 16:1-4 “And when David was a little past the top of the hill, behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread, and an hundred bunches of raisins, and an hundred of summer fruits, and a bottle of wine. [2] And the king said unto Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And Ziba said, The asses be for the king's household to ride on; and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat; and the wine, that such as be faint in the wilderness may drink. [3] And the king said, And where is thy master's son? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he abideth at Jerusalem: for he said, To day shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father. [4] Then said the king to Ziba, Behold, thine are all that pertained unto Mephibosheth. And Ziba said, I humbly beseech thee that I may find grace in thy sight, my lord, O king.”
We discover later that Ziba lied. The same lying spirit of Satan was in Ziba. Again, a man or woman is known by the fruit of his or her spirit.
We continue our reading:
2 Samuel 16:5-13 “And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, thence came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera: he came forth, and cursed still as he came. [6] And he cast stones at David, and at all the servants of king David: and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left. [7] And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial: [8] The LORD hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and the LORD hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: and, behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art a bloody man. [9] Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head. [10] And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? so let him curse, because the LORD hath said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so? [11] And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, which came forth of my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now may this Benjamite do it? let him alone, and let him curse; for the LORD hath bidden him. [12] It may be that the LORD will look on mine affliction, and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing this day. [13] And as David and his men went by the way, Shimei went along on the hill's side over against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him, and cast dust.”
They are rejecting David (God’s choice to lead His people) for Absalom (man’s choice).
Today, they reject the Holy Spirit Baptism (God’s choice to lead the Church) for Popes, Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops, Pop stars, and intellectuals.
They now wonder why there is no Balm in their lives. They wonder why things are how they are today.
The Balm to comfort and lead all people is rejected.
John 14:26 “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”
No man or woman can take the place of the Balm (the Holy Spirit) in our lives. He is a Person. He is God. The Holy Spirit wants to come teach and lead us. He is the Prescription and the only Prescription that works.
We conclude our reading:
2 Samuel 16:14-23 “And the king, and all the people that were with him, came weary, and refreshed themselves there. [15] And Absalom, and all the people the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him. [16] And it came to pass, when Hushai the Archite, David's friend, was come unto Absalom, that Hushai said unto Absalom, God save the king, God save the king. [17] And Absalom said to Hushai, Is this thy kindness to thy friend? why wentest thou not with thy friend? [18] And Hushai said unto Absalom, Nay; but whom the LORD, and this people, and all the men of Israel, choose, his will I be, and with him will I abide. [19] And again, whom should I serve? should I not serve in the presence of his son? as I have served in thy father's presence, so will I be in thy presence. [20] Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, Give counsel among you what we shall do. [21] And Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Go in unto thy father's concubines, which he hath left to keep the house; and all Israel shall hear that thou art abhorred of thy father: then shall the hands of all that are with thee be strong. [22] So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the house; and Absalom went in unto his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel. [23] And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counselled in those days, was as if a man had enquired at the oracle of God: so was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom.”
They rejected David but those who had the Spirit of God stayed with him.
His sheep will always hear His Voice amidst the noise.
Let the Word of God lead you to the Balm of God. BELIEVE and confess Christ the Word as we’ve revealed Him from the First Adam. Embrace the Holy Spirit, receive the Balm, in Christ!
Reference: II Samuel Chapter 16
Jeremiah 8:19-22 “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?”
Because they have rejected the Balm.
God has the Prescription (Balm) but man wants his own prescription. The prescription is simple.
Acts 2:36-38 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. [37] Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? [38] Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
The prescription is to repent and be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and we shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
But man says no. We want our denomination. We don’t want that prescription. We want something else. Some are even afraid to receive the Balm (the Holy Spirit). They are afraid to receive the only Balm that will help them.
David, the chosen of God, is rejected.
Let’s read:
2 Samuel 16:1-4 “And when David was a little past the top of the hill, behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread, and an hundred bunches of raisins, and an hundred of summer fruits, and a bottle of wine. [2] And the king said unto Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And Ziba said, The asses be for the king's household to ride on; and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat; and the wine, that such as be faint in the wilderness may drink. [3] And the king said, And where is thy master's son? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he abideth at Jerusalem: for he said, To day shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father. [4] Then said the king to Ziba, Behold, thine are all that pertained unto Mephibosheth. And Ziba said, I humbly beseech thee that I may find grace in thy sight, my lord, O king.”
We discover later that Ziba lied. The same lying spirit of Satan was in Ziba. Again, a man or woman is known by the fruit of his or her spirit.
We continue our reading:
2 Samuel 16:5-13 “And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, thence came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera: he came forth, and cursed still as he came. [6] And he cast stones at David, and at all the servants of king David: and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left. [7] And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial: [8] The LORD hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and the LORD hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: and, behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art a bloody man. [9] Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head. [10] And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? so let him curse, because the LORD hath said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so? [11] And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, which came forth of my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now may this Benjamite do it? let him alone, and let him curse; for the LORD hath bidden him. [12] It may be that the LORD will look on mine affliction, and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing this day. [13] And as David and his men went by the way, Shimei went along on the hill's side over against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him, and cast dust.”
They are rejecting David (God’s choice to lead His people) for Absalom (man’s choice).
Today, they reject the Holy Spirit Baptism (God’s choice to lead the Church) for Popes, Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops, Pop stars, and intellectuals.
They now wonder why there is no Balm in their lives. They wonder why things are how they are today.
The Balm to comfort and lead all people is rejected.
John 14:26 “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”
No man or woman can take the place of the Balm (the Holy Spirit) in our lives. He is a Person. He is God. The Holy Spirit wants to come teach and lead us. He is the Prescription and the only Prescription that works.
We conclude our reading:
2 Samuel 16:14-23 “And the king, and all the people that were with him, came weary, and refreshed themselves there. [15] And Absalom, and all the people the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him. [16] And it came to pass, when Hushai the Archite, David's friend, was come unto Absalom, that Hushai said unto Absalom, God save the king, God save the king. [17] And Absalom said to Hushai, Is this thy kindness to thy friend? why wentest thou not with thy friend? [18] And Hushai said unto Absalom, Nay; but whom the LORD, and this people, and all the men of Israel, choose, his will I be, and with him will I abide. [19] And again, whom should I serve? should I not serve in the presence of his son? as I have served in thy father's presence, so will I be in thy presence. [20] Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, Give counsel among you what we shall do. [21] And Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Go in unto thy father's concubines, which he hath left to keep the house; and all Israel shall hear that thou art abhorred of thy father: then shall the hands of all that are with thee be strong. [22] So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the house; and Absalom went in unto his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel. [23] And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counselled in those days, was as if a man had enquired at the oracle of God: so was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom.”
They rejected David but those who had the Spirit of God stayed with him.
His sheep will always hear His Voice amidst the noise.
Let the Word of God lead you to the Balm of God. BELIEVE and confess Christ the Word as we’ve revealed Him from the First Adam. Embrace the Holy Spirit, receive the Balm, in Christ!
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