In

this frightening passage, the prophet Jeremiah refers to Gilead, a

region in Israel that was known for its medicinal balm, or healing

salve. In the midst of destruction, there was no place of refuge, no

place even for the wounded to find help or healing.

The

prophets Isaiah and Jere­miah lived to see the destruction of

Israel and Jerusalem by the invading powers from the north: Assyria

and Babylon. The people were being punished for worshiping other gods

since the days of Solomon. But they refused to repent. Isaiah says,

“Woe to the sinful nation, a people whose guilt is great. . . .

They have forsaken the Lord; they have spurned the Holy One of

Israel. . . . Why should you be beaten anymore? Why do you

persist in rebellion? Your whole head is injured, your whole heart

afflicted. From the sole of your foot to the top of your head there

is no soundness—only wounds and welts and open sores, not cleansed

or bandaged or soothed with olive oil” (Isaiah 1:4-6). For Israel’s

deep-seated rebellion, God allowed other nations to overtake them.

Later,

when Jesus came, he did not come as the builder of an ark like Noah,

or as a warrior like David. He came as the Great Physician, healing

the lame, the sick, and the blind. Still today, our world persists in

rebellion against God and is full of wounds and welts. Only in Christ

can we be saved, brought back to God, and healed.