We are going to finish up our study on Jesus and healing today. We have discussed how Jesus is our example when it comes to healing, and the truth that Jesus actually wants you to be healed.
Today, we will finish up with a look at the contrast of healing in the Old Testament. I will also tell you a personal testimony of healing in my life.
Contrast in the Old Testament
So, Jesus was showing a new paradigm was in place when He showed up. Until then, people viewed sickness and disease as a result of sin, poor decisions, and iniquity. This is mostly a correct view, although there are different implications in our day versus in their day.
Now, when God’s Presence shows up, if there are evil seeds planted in the heart or evil intentions, those things get accelerated majorly. This is why revivals are really messy; the stuff in people’s hearts gets exposed just like Jesus said it would (reference is Mark chapter 4). Now, in the Old Testament, these things were processed through the priesthood, through the very real sacrifices of animals, at least for Jews. The Gentiles or pagan nations surrounding them didn’t have any such protection. So when God’s Presence showed up in their midst, all of the evil deeds and idol worship and junk in their hearts manifested physically.
Let’s read a bit about this, when the Ark of the Covenant was stolen by the Philistines, from 1 Samuel chapter 5.
“When the Philistines captured the ark of God, they brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the house of Dagon and set it up beside Dagon. And when the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the LORD.
So they took Dagon and put him back in his place. But when they rose early on the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the LORD, and the head of Dagon and both his hands were lying cut off on the threshold. Only the trunk of Dagon was left to him. This is why the priests of Dagon and all who enter the house of Dagon do not tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.
The hand of the LORD was heavy against the people of Ashdod, and he terrified and afflicted them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territory. And when the men of Ashdod saw how things were, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for his hand is hard against us and against Dagon our god.”
So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” They answered, “Let the ark of the God of Israel be brought around to Gath.” So they brought the ark of the God of Israel there. But after they had brought it around, the hand of the LORD was against the city, causing a very great panic, and he afflicted the men of the city, both young and old, so that tumors broke out on them.
So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. But as soon as the ark of God came to Ekron, the people of Ekron cried out, “They have brought around to us the ark of the God of Israel to kill us and our people.” They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines and said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it return to its own place, that it may not kill us and our people.”
For there was a deathly panic throughout the whole city. The hand of God was very heavy there. The men who did not die were struck with tumors, and the cry of the city went up to heaven.” 1 Samuel 5:1-12 (ESV)
What is Really Going On
What a fascinating story, right? And I’m not gonna lie; this is one of my favorite stories about how the enemies of God get what’s coming to them.
But the reality is that when God’s Presence, represented by the Ark of the Covenant, over which the Glory of God rested in the tabernacle – when God showed up in a land where they worshipped false gods in their hearts, then the ugliness of that evil manifested quickly on the outside. It’s like God’s Presence was a mirror that reflected the evil spiritual state of people onto themselves as physical ailments. And not everyone was affected the same way. Some died; some had tumors; some were barely affected.
And this was an issue of their hearts. We get this clue by the Philistine’s own priests and diviners in the next chapter. They said:
“The ark of the LORD was in the country of the Philistines seven months. And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the LORD? Tell us with what we shall send it to its place.” They said, “If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty, but by all means return him a guilt offering.
Then you will be healed, and it will be known to you why his hand does not turn away from you.” And they said, “What is the guilt offering that we shall return to him?” They answered, “Five golden tumors and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines, for the same plague was on all of you and on your lords. So you must make images of your tumors and images of your mice that ravage the land, and give glory to the God of Israel.
Perhaps he will lighten his hand from off you and your gods and your land. Why should you harden your heartsas the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? After he had dealt severely with them, did they not send the people away, and they departed?” 1 Samuel 6:1-6 E(SV)
The diviners and priests rightly discerned that these issues were issues of the heart and that glory must be given to God Most High. They prescribed something that God in His grace allowed, and the ark was sent back to the land of Israel.
When it arrived into the land, everyone was happy! But some folks inappropriately looked upon and handled the Ark, and they were put to death, because they were under a high standard, and the rules and regulations regarding the Ark of the Covenant were still in effect. But eventually the Ark rested at the homes of two guys: Abinidab and his son Eleazer, and then Obed-edom. When the Ark landed at Obed-edom’s house, he and everything he had were blessed tremendously, which I believe was a manifestation of the Godly heart inside of Obed-edom.
The Difference Today
Now, how is this different today? If we lived before the cross of Christ, we would likely experience the same things they did. But at the cross, everything changed.
You see, they were under a covenant that had very clear blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. When they sinned and disobeyed, they would receive the physical manifestation of their wrongdoing. But when they performed righteously and obeyed, they would receive the blessing and physical manifestation of their righteousness.
Now, through the cross, all the curses of sin and disobedience have been paid for by Jesus Christ Himself. This includes diseases, as indicated by Matthew 8:17:
“This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.”” Matthew 8:17 (ESV)
So, in our time, we get the benefits of the cross of Christ. All our sickness and diseases were taken and borne by Jesus Christ on the cross, and all the sickness and disease died. And all the things we did wrong; all our sins, transgressions, and iniquities were paid for by Jesus. This includes any poor decisions or unholy agreements our spirits made in times past. All of that gets reconciled through Jesus Christ.
My Testimony
Probably all of you know by now the miraculous healing that I experienced a few months ago while Gary was praying for me. My femur grew back out from a break that happened when I was four years old.
Since then, I have learned that this event was connected to my human spirit. Since my spirit was created, he’s been involved in training Heaven’s military forces as well as fighting against dragons and other evil spiritual beings.
Well, my spirit made an ungodly alliance at some point in the past with a group of spiritual beings in order to destroy the forces of darkness. Except he was double-crossed by this group and ambushed by a dragon, which broke his leg as well as his jaw and also created a spirit-part. He was greatly ashamed at the outcome of his decisions and self-exiled for a time, choosing not to ask for help or bring in reinforcements. This pattern is something I’ve struggled with my whole life, not asking for help or knowing when to ask for help, trying to deal with my own issues by myself.
Just in the past 2 weeks, my spirit and soul both received major healing from this way of thinking and ministry from Jesus Himself. I’m excited to see where this leads and what’s next, because healing always brings breakthrough. And vice versa is true as well: breakthrough with God always brings healing.
The Conclusion of the Matter… or is it?
So, I’ll conclude here. It really feels like an introduction. This is an introduction to healing with Jesus. As we are healed up, we will help other people get their healing too. It’s happened with me as well as many of you. This is the pattern of the life of Jesus; this is His life and ministry of healing being overlaid on top of your life.
Healing is available to you. It is God’s will for you to be healed. He already paid dearly for it.
So, instead of praying in unbelief, saying, “Lord if it be Your will, please please please heal me,” why not ask a better question preceded by the truth?
“Lord, I believe healing is available to me through the blood of Jesus. But I’m experiencing emotional pain. What is blocking my healing right now? I’m ready for You to lead me on a healing journey. I’m ready for healing, in body, soul, and spirit.”
Perhaps a blocker in your life is unforgiveness. Choose to forgive. Perhaps one of the blockers was believing the lie that God wanted you to have this disease or emotional or spiritual problem.
Or perhaps you might have to forgive your great-grandfather for selling your family to the devil with vows and rituals as part of being in freemasonry. I had to do that.
Perhaps it’s something else. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal it to you. Be courageous enough to go on the healing journey with the Lord. There’s breakthrough and physical healing along the way. There’s healing for your soul and your spirit along the way. And there’s overflowing, abundant power of the Holy Spirit along that path as well. Seek after it. Seek Him on it. Press into God with your whole heart. He will not leave you disappointed, that’s for sure!
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