We can activate our faith today by praying for each other and for ourselves. Emphasis is often placed on the “works” of the “old law,” but none of those works were the source of the Israelites’ protection, healing, and salvation. Were they the source of protection and healing? No. Were they required under the Mosaic laws? Yes. There was never any power in the sacrificing of lambs or in the celebration of holy days and festivals. The old sacrificial covenant, the shadow of Jesus, could not save the Israelites it was only by faith that they received these blessings. We can never truly “earn” this protection from God it is a gift given to us freely. With just one word, He can cast diseases out of our bodies, and with a touch, He can take away our pain. God sees the end from the beginning and has control over everything. He tells the Israelites in advance that He will be their Jehovah-Rapha, their “God who heals,” and He is reminding us of the very same thing today. Sickness was not a part of God’s original design, but we are plagued by diseases as a result of sin. They would be entering unknown territory with ungodly practices, and God wanted His people to be set apart from them.Īs God made provision for their food, shelter, and territorial expansion, He promised to also care for their health. I will take away sickness from among you.” Exodus 23:25 NIV.Īs the Israelites prepared to enter Canaan, the land they were promised, God began laying down ground rules for their preservation through Moses. “Worship the Lord your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. God is not just a healer of bodies and broken spirits but a restorer of lives. This sounds like a win for the Israelites, and it is a win for us today. God would put a hedge of protection around them and provide for their needs. They would be returned to their home and given a leader appointed by God. He invites us to return to Him in their hearts and receive not just healing but total restoration. God does not leave us in our pain and suffering, even if it is self-inflicted. To this, God says, “ we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.” (Ephesians 1:7). Poor diet, unhealthy habits such as smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and promiscuity are examples of choices with devastating long-term effects. Some of our illnesses may be a result of our own choices and actions in the past. We are in the same situation as the Israelites today. Still, by verse 17, we see forgiveness and mercy being extended to them. Through their own disobedience and mistrust for God, they fell into the trap of their enemies and were enslaved. In many ways, the suffering of Israel, as detailed in Jeremiah 30, was self-inflicted. God, through Jeremiah, explains to His people the reason for their suffering, but He also shows them the path to their salvation. The entire chapter of Jeremiah 30 covers the prophetic declaration of Israel’s restoration. “But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,’ declares the Lord, ‘because you are called an outcast, Zion for whom no one cares.’ Jeremiah 30:17 NIV This is why we are repeatedly invited to trust in Him and lay our burdens at His feet. It is not His desire that we should live in pain and with heartache. God cares about even the smallest details of our lives. This should encourage us and remind us of just how much love God has for us. Still small and feeble though we are, we still receive the same degree of attention. The vastness of the universe in comparison to our frailty is undeniable. “He determines the number of stars” and “covers the sky with clouds.” This same God who has control over the elements of the universe also “heals and binds up wounds.” The psalmist goes into great detail about the many reasons God is worthy to be praised. Psalm 147 is an exposé about how great and mighty God is. “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Psalm 147:3 NIV
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