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He Healeth TheeBy: Joseph H. Murray2–5–62 “If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in His sight, and wilt give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee” (Exod. 15:26). This is the promise God made with His people under the Old Covenant. Should not we expect to be healed if we keep the commandments of the Lord under the New Covenant, which is, as Paul said, “a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second” (Heb. 8:6–7). “In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the angel of His presence saved them: in His love and in His pity, He redeemed them; and He bare them, and carried them all the days of old” (Isa. 63:9). These same promises are ours today, for “Jesus Christ” is “the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever” (Heb. 13:8), if we have not rebelled, and vexed the Holy Spirit as did the children of Israel. “But they rebelled, and vexed His holy Spirit: therefore He was turned to be their enemy, and He fought against them” (Isa. 63:10). Some have been sick for many, many years, and seemingly, they can’t recover. It could be that they have rebelled against God’s commandments and vexed His Holy Spirit. “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Rom. 8:31). But if God be against us, who then can be for us? If so, there will have to be a rededication of one’s will and life to God before this curse can be lifted. Maybe we should look around instead of looking up. We might find that we have been mistreating some of the little ones. Gossiping about a neighbor, withholding tithes and offerings from a man of God who is struggling under the burden of carrying on the Lord’s work, being unequally yoked to unbelievers, and so many things could hinder one’s healing. No matter how the curse comes upon a person, it must be lifted before healing comes. Repentance is the best means by which man has ever found to gain favor with God. “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matt. 25:40). “Will a man rob God?” (Mal. 3:8). “Now therefore give not your daughters unto their sons, neither take their daughters unto your sons, nor seek their peace or their wealth for ever: that ye may be strong, and eat the good of the land” (Ezra 9:12). “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers” (2Cor. 6:14). There is yet a better scripture than those used in our text. This one should cause our enemies to tremble in their boots. “And the LORD will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee” (Deut. 7:15). This one thing is evident, that we are too near like the Egyptians when we receive of their diseases. The best thing to do in a case such as this, is to pack up and flee for your lives. Hide yourself under one of the feathers of His wings (Psalm 91). Say, as David did, “When my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy” (Ps. 61:2–3). The error that is worse than all others is to have done wrong and to have too much pride to admit it. This one error is prevailing in the Church today, especially among the goody, goody Pentecostal. They say I have never cut my hair, worn shorts, or painted my face. O, I am so good but yet I can’t be healed. Holiness and righteousness are not contained in the way we adorn our hair or wear our apparel but a little human decency is helpful. Nevertheless, there are so many things that are worse than what shows on the outside. Gossiping about a neighbor, and overestimation of self–importance, self–righteousness and many other things, any of these could hinder your healing. Cast aside those garments of filthy rags and let God clothe you with His righteousness (Rom. 1:16–17). Be not like the Pharisee of Luke 18:10–14, but confess your faults as did the publican, and God will justify you from all your sins. Great men like Hezekiah, Job, David and many others admitted their faults and failures even though some of them were perfect and upright men. Hezekiah said, “Remember now, O LORD, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight” (Isa. 38:3). But he said after he was healed, “Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back” (Isa. 38:17). Evidently, he must have had some sin; otherwise, God could not have cast them behind His back. Of Job, also, it is written, “And that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil” (Job 1:1). But it is written again, “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor [or hate] myself, and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:5–6). What was Job repenting of? Sins that he had accumulated by grumbling and complaining during his afflictions or of sins that were in his life already, and he was ignorant of them. Thus it may be today with those whose healing is being delayed. David, the king of Israel, was not too big to acknowledge his sins. None of us is greater than he. David said, “Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me” (Ps. 51:2–3). You may say, I have never committed the sin that David committed. Maybe you have condemned or judged others who have committed this sin. If you have, and continually think about this thing, you are as guilty as they are, for they may have already prayed through and forgotten about it, while you are still harboring this thing in your mind. “Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?” (Matt. 9:4). “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Prov. 23:7). Consider this fact: you are guilty of the things you think of others that you cannot forgive them of, for you yourselves are not cleansed of this sin. “For thou that judgest doest the same things” (Rom. 2:1). Again, the reason some are not healed is because they falsely accuse God of putting sickness and diseases upon them when it is in reality they themselves who cause these things to come upon them by turning back into Egypt in their hearts. This the children of Israel did in lusting for the things of Egypt: “We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick” (Num. 11:5). No disease can touch us as long as God has the hedge around us, but as soon as the hedge is taken away, we are open targets for the fiery darts of Satan. So, it’s God who lets Satan afflict us. “Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him” (James 5:14–15). Doesn’t that sound like the same God that cast all of Hezekiah’s sins behind His back? “They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover” (Mark 16:18) is a commission to present day believers. “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:14–16). Does not that sound like the one who was afflicted with them in their afflictions in the wilderness (Isa. 63:9) and the angel of His presence which saved them also? The angel of His presence was in the world before Jesus was born in the stable in Bethlehem of Judaea. His Spirit is in each person who has been baptized with the Holy Ghost, according to Acts 2:4. To say that the angel of His presence is with us today to save us does not mean that He (Jesus) has come again, as some false teachers are teaching, but that He has sent another comforter, even the Spirit of God, to save us from the snares of Satan. He also gives us power to be overcomers and to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, helping them to prepare for His personal return to earth again. God, however, is not going to impose mercy upon any one by crossing the boundary line of unbelief and sins. Jesus, Himself, could do no mighty work in His own country because of unbelief. If the requirements of repentance and obedience are met, the blessings of God will come upon you and overtake you. “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you” (James 4:7–8). “Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; there shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling” (Ps. 91:9–10). If you are disobedient, “The LORD shall smite thee in the knees, and in the legs, with a sore botch that cannot be healed, from the sole of thy foot unto the top of thy head” (Deut. 28:35). But if you are willing to obey His commandments, “The LORD thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies, and on them that hate thee, which persecuted thee” (Deut. 30:7). “Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them” (2Kings 6:16). |
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