Healing Wounds
Behold, I will pray to Jehovah your God according to your words; and it shall be, all the word Jehovah shall answer, I will declare to you. I will not keep back a thing from you. Jeremiah 42:4
Not Keep Back – Today, medical science searches for non-invasive methods whenever possible. Why? Because each time the surgeon has to cut into the body in order to heal, there are lots of possible side effects. Infection, trauma, delayed recovery, complications – the list is long and dangerous. Cutting is the last resort.
But sometimes it is the only way.
That’s the essential message of Jeremiah. God has no other choice but to cut deeply into the heart of His people if He is going to heal them. He would have preferred a different path, but the disease has infected vital organs. He will have to cut the sickness out. And the instrument He chooses to use is the prophet.
The role of the prophet is clear. Don’t sugarcoat the process. Don’t soft-pedal the consequences. Don’t tell the people what they would like to hear. Tell them the truth. This is going to hurt. Tell them everything that God reveals, not just the good but also the bad. Tell them every word no matter what it means. Jeremiah promises to do just this. He will not be politically correct. He will not tickle their ears. He will tell it like it is – straight from the mouth of God. In Hebrew, Jeremiah promises lo-emna (not to keep back). That is his job; not to make up what he wants or thinks the people need, but to simply be the mouthpiece of a message he receives. He is only the scalpel. God does the cutting.
When the prophet fulfills his role, he is not the author of the message. He is merely the communicator. That means that anyone who wants to take issue with the message can’t raise an objection with the messenger. Any problem is a problem with the author. If you don’t like what you hear, don’t blame the messenger. Take your complaint to God. See how that plays out.
Just like medical science, today’s version of Christianity would prefer non-invasive spiritual correction. In an effort to attract an audience, pulpiteers often tell us what we would like to hear. They edit God’s word in order not to offend our sensibilities. They want us to be comfortable before they pass the plate. Take heed. If church makes you feel good all the time, then you’re probably in the wrong place to meet God. He is interested in open-heart surgery. That means pain in the process of healing. That means slow recovery after the surgical shock. That means loss of blood. Oh, you’ll get a new life in the process, but you’ll have to go under the knife first.
Find a prophet who acts as a sharp blade, who occasionally brings you to your knees, who refuses to edit what God says. His words might wound, but they will certainly heal. Anything else is just habel habalim (Ecclesiastes 1:2).
