TEXT: Jeremiah 8:22
“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’s name means “exalted of God”! His call to the prophetic office and consecration was established before his birth by God. Though Jeremiah himself felt he wasn’t qualified, God reassured him that He was with him! (Jeremiah 1:7-9) He was known as the “weeping Prophet” because of the sins of God’s people and the truths he had to proclaim. He spoke of the impending desolation of Judah as though it had already taken place. His prophecies weren’t welcomed and brought him many enemies, but it was not optional. He carried out the task without fear or approval.
Regardless of the situation we may be in, God always provides a way of escape whether we accept it or not. 1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
For God to ask the question concerning His people’s “recovery”, that’s a cue that a “covering” had been removed!
The word “recovery” is defined as the act of “recovering”. To “recover” means to get or obtain (something lost) again; come back to a former or better state. Synonyms for “recovery” are: regain; get back; redeem; retrieve; reclaim; salvage; get well; recuperate; restore; improvement.
We (the church) can and must return to our “former” state (condition; category; estate - status, rank, station, possessions, abode, class); character; position; government (God’s kingdom) by doing what’s stated in 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. Then we will be in a “better” condition, position, status, or rank in the Kingdom of God, according to 1 John 4:17 As he is, so are we in this world.
All hospitals have an area called the “recovery room”. This is where the patient is awakening out of an induced unconscious state. Medically a chemical compound called “ether” is used as the anesthetic to cause this unconscious state. “Unconscious” states are not only brought on by chemical compounds, but they can be brought on by persuasion or influence as well.
There are “spiritual anesthetics” that are being used on the people of God that have induced (caused, influenced, persuaded, affected, impelled) them to fall into a “deep sleep”. Paul speaks of some of these anesthetics that are being used to “induce” sleep upon the church. Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
With the use of the word “BEWARE”, Paul is issuing a warning to the church. “Beware” [meaning to be on guard; avoid; or shun]; “lest any man spoil ” [damage; impair; rob] you of what’s rightfully yours! That’s why Ephesians 5:14 states, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. “Light” being (epiphan’o) meaning illumination - to make known; easily understood; become visible. He doesn’t want to just make Himself known to you but also seen in you! Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. 2 Corinthians 4:11 For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
What is the “church”? God’s “ecclesia”, which is a calling out; an assemblage or congregation of people called out or set apart for a special purpose. That purpose is to be Christ in the earth, to show forth His love, His character, His dominion, authority, and power.
Luke 4:18-19 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Mark 16:15 Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. (Verse 17) And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover (get or obtain again that which was lost: eternal life, divine health, dominion, authority and power)!!
In Genesis the assemblage or congregation is called “Adam”; now we are called “Christians”!
In relation to “RE – COVERING” of the church, there are three stages involved: (1) The covering (2) An uncovering (3) The Recovering.
LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT THE FIRST STAGE: “THE COVERING STAGE”
What was the church’s covering from the beginning? It was the “righteousness” of God! God’s righteousness is His character (quality or trait that distinguishes an individual or group). God’s righteousness is His love, mercy, truth, being just! Righteousness is from the Hebrew word tsedaqah’, meaning rightness, rectitude, justice, moral virtue, prosperity, equity.
Isaiah 11:1-2 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots: and the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
Jeremiah 23:5-6 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a king shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Jeremiah 33:15-16 In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely; and this is the name wherewith “she” shall be called, The LORD our righteousness. This is us, people of God, (the church) that is called God’s “righteousness”!
2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God.
Revelation 19:8 And to her (the church) was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
That’s why in Genesis 2:25, the “man” (aw-dawm’) and his wife (iyshah’) were both naked and were not ashamed! Naked in Hebrew is aruwm’, meaning nude (stripped, bare, unclad, unclothed, or exposed). Stripped of what? They were stripped of the “dust” from which they were taken, which was destruction, misery, ignorance, or everything that pertained to death, and were now covered with the “righteousness” of the living God!!
Genesis 2:25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. “Ashamed” comes from the root word buwsh, meaning to be ashamed, feel ashamed (the feeling of worthlessness). They had no reason to feel worthless now because the LORD God, had covered, cladded, dressed, or clothed them (aw-dawm’ - adam; male and female) with the very righteousness of the Almighty God!! They were innocent, perfect, and made holy by the breath of God that the LORD God had breathed into the “man’s” (aw-dawm’) nostrils (face). He, Adam (aw-dawm’), means to show blood in the face. The very blood of God was breathed into this body of people called Adam (male and female). This was God’s ecclesia or called out ones - His church!
The life of the flesh is in the “blood”! Leviticus 17:14 For it is the life of all flesh; the blood of it is for the life thereof: for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof. How much more the “blood” of Jesus being the life of our flesh?
John 2:7 Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. The word “brim” is from the root word an’o, meaning upward or on the top; in a higher place; above. Through the “BLOOD” of Jesus, God would COVER and cleanse everything from the “beginning to the ending” (covering all six dispensations: innocence; conscience; human government; promise; law; grace; and extending into God’s Kingdom that is now established) and bring all things back unto Himself in a perfect state. That was the purpose of turning the “water” into “wine” in those six waterpots of stone in St. John 2:6! He was connecting the “six waterpots of stone” to the “vine” or better stated, “His VEIN”!!! At the “last supper” (Matthew 26:17-29), as Jesus and His disciples partook of the “cup”, Jesus said in Verse 28 This is my “BLOOD” of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. Verse 29 But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this “fruit of the vine”, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.
Jesus was letting them know that after this (the last supper), they would be drinking of the blood that would flow from “EMMANUEL’S VEIN”!!!! Glory to God!! Isn’t our God awesome!!!
Genesis 1:26-28 God said, Let us make “man” [Adam] in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. (Vs 27) So God created “man” [Adam] in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. (Vs 28) And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
Genesis 2:1-3 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
Now in Genesis 2:4, God is turning the business of being in charge of the creation over to the “LORD God” (male and female) to let them handle His business! (Verse 4) These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens. This “man” (Adam or the LORD God; male and female) were now doing what they saw their Father do, as Jesus said in John 5:19 The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
Now “Adam” was ready to form “aw-dawm” and did! Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God (Adam) formed man (aw-dawm’) of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man (aw-dawm’) became a living soul. The LORD God breathed into him (them) divine inspiration (godly stimulation within the mind of some ideas, feelings, or impulses which led to creative action). That action was the power of God working in them as God’s representatives in the earth. These people (aw-dawm’; male and female) were ruling and reigning over everything that lived and moved and creeped upon the earth, per order of the LORD God.
These people were already here. It’s just that the LORD God breathed the breath of “life” into them and made them alive or living souls!! “Life” is from the root word chay, meaning alive and chayah’, meaning to live, revive, make alive, nourish up, recover, repair, restore (to life); another root word hava’, meaning to be in existence!! They were already in existence, but the LORD God covered them with the righteousness of God to make them God’s legal agents in the earth! They were clothed with God’s mind, wisdom, knowledge, understanding, power, dominion, and authority.
Isaiah 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD... for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. God hasn’t changed. As He was then, so is He now and forever!! No one has to die to put on their long white robe. All we have to do is put on Christ, who is our righteousness!
Galatians 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Jeremiah 23:5-6 & Jeremiah 33:15-16 He is called “THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS”, our “Righteous Branch” and “Branch of Righteousness”! Also in Verse 16, Jerusalem is referred to as “she”, and God said, “she shall be called, The LORD our righteousness”. We are now the “righteousness” of God!
2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
NOW LET’S TALK ABOUT THE SECOND STAGE: “THE UNCOVERING”:
Genesis 3 is where the “fall of man” came to be, or the “uncovering” of the church! This occurred when the “Woman” or ishshah’, meaning adulteress, listened to the serpent (the whisperer, liar, the devil, and Satan). Revelation 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
The “Woman”, or (ishshah’) that was taken out of “man” (iysh), is actually the “man with the womb”, the place reproduction takes place. This was typical of the “church” that was to bring forth sons of God. Not necessarily by natural birth but by begetting or generating sons of God by the seed planting of the Word of God by the “man” (aw-dawm’)! This birthing was the bringing forth of other people into the place of kingdom authority.
Galatians 4:19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again, until Christ be formed in you. God hasn’t changed! What was happening in Paul’s day, happened in Adam’s day, and it’s happening now! Ecclesiastes 1:9 And there is no new thing under the sun.
The “uncovering” came to be when the “Woman” (iyshah’; the church) disobeyed God and listened to the “serpent”, not a “snake” but an opponent or one that opposed God [a deceiver, the devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the world]. She ate the “lie”, not an apple, but the “lie” from the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” and fed it to the “man” (aw-dawm’)!
This “tree” the “woman” ate from was not a physical tree, but a person who had become double-minded, knowing good and evil, and deceived the woman. They (aw-dawm’) had lost their place in dominion, authority, and power and didn’t want anyone else in that place, and the serpent got hold of the “woman”, and she listened to the “lie” of this enemy!
Even though the “Woman” was the one who was in the transgression by eating the fruit, the creation was still intact because the command was not given to the “woman” (iyshah’), but it was given to the “man” (aw-dawm’). At the point the aw-dawm’ (man) ate of the fruit, that was when the creation fell!! These people were stripped of the covering or “righteousness”, dominion, authority, and power of God! They moved from their “divinity” back into their “humanity”!
Genesis 3:6 And when the “woman” (iyshah’) saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
Eating of the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” was them coming into agreement or becoming conscious or aware of both “good” and “evil”, which caused them to become “judgmental”. Instead of appropriating only that which pertained unto “life” to themselves, they chose that which was “evil” which brought on death! So they were robbed of what was rightfully theirs as pertaining to “life” and fell into darkness that led to death! Their “eye” was single before the fall, but the “evil” eye” caused the fall!
Matthew 6:22-23 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness?
James 1:8 A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.
When the “man” (aw-dawm’) fell, the Christ was put to sleep in the earth because aw-dawm’ (male and female) had become God’s legal agent or representatives in the earth! They were God’s authority in the earth! When they fell, they lost the dominion, authority, and power to rule and reign over the earth. The cover of righteousness was removed from them, and they were naked (uncovered of the “righteousness of the living God)!
NOW HERE IS THE THIRD STAGE: “THE RECOVERING STAGE”:
But God had a plan to restore or “RECOVER” his people and bring them back to the place of dominion, authority, and power, or “AWAKE THE SLEEPING CHRIST”! And His plan was to manifest Jesus the Christ to be our “Deliverer”, or shall I say according to Jeremiah 23:5-6 and Jeremiah 33:15-16 to be our “RIGHTEOUS BRANCH OR BRANCH OF RIGHTEOUSNESS”!! Hallelujah!!!
Isaiah 7:14 Behold, a Virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel, meaning, God with us!!!
Isaiah 9:6-7 For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
1 John 4:17 Because as he is, so are we in this world.
2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the “righteousness” of God in him!!!
Romans 8:3-4 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Knowing that Jesus is the “righteousness” of God (Jeremiah 23:5-6 & Jeremiah 33:15-16), we have on the “righteousness” of God when we put Him on.
Galatians 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ!!!
Isaiah 61:1-2 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. (Vs 10) He hath covered me with the robe of “righteousness”.
“GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS IS OUR COVERING”!
Revelation 19:8 And to her [the church] was granted that she should be arrayed [dressed or clothed] in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
The “fine linen that’s “clean and white” is the “righteousness” of God which is contained in the “light”, which God is.
1 John 1:5 God is light. “LIGHT” is phos, meaning, to shine, or make manifest by rays; luminousness; fire
Hebrews 12:29 Our God is a consuming fire. The word “white” in (Revelation 19:8) is the root word leukos’, meaning “light”! This “white light” is God’s “righteousness” out of which comes all that was in “the Righteous Branch” which came out of Jesse who is “CHRIST”!
Isaiah 11:1-2 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.
So back to the question in Jeremiah 8:22, Is there no balm in Gilead? “Balm” was a resin from trees that was used medicinally as a healing salve. Judah was past mercy, and there was no remedy for the apostasy so judgment had to come. But God later was still their deliverer.
Is there any “balm” in your Gilead? Yes, there is “balm” - the healing salve of the “Anointed One and His anointing”!
Is there no physician there? Yes, there is “the” Great Physician, Jesus the Christ Himself!
Gilead in Hebrew is Galed’, meaning heap of testimony; a witness. Mountains in scriptures connotes “high places” and also “kingdoms”. Gilead is where Gideon chose the three hundred to go with him to defeat the Midianites (Judges 7). Gilead is where we must elevate our mind into the heavenlies so that we can “testify” and “witness” to the truth of “who” we really are in God and who God is in us!!
1 John 4:17 For as he is, so are we in this world. Not up beyond the blue but right here.
Those who get and take hold of the revelation of the Christ as Peter did in Matthew 16:16, when he said, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God”, are the ones who are now being “RE-COVERED” with the righteousness of God!! Contained in His “righteousness” is wisdom and understanding, counsel and might, knowledge and fear (reverence) of the LORD, love, power, holiness, perfection, dominion, authority, etc. John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Just as the “church” was “covered” in the beginning but became “uncovered”, God is now “recovering” us! “RE” means to do again! Our God is doing it again, through and for those who accept Him in His fullness right here and right now!!!
LET GOD “RE-COVER” YOU TODAY!!!
~ Apostle Gracie Perry
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