BALM OF GILEAD
- 6 minutes read - 1226 wordsBALSEM VAN GÍLEAD
Balsem:
STRONG’S H 6875 - “tseri/zeri” - “balm”, sekresie/afskeiding van ‘n boom, mastiek (hars), gewoonlik verkry uit die die bas van ‘n boom.
NAVE’S TOPICAL BIBLE REFERENCE - Balsem: medisinale balsem
BDB LEXICON: Balsem, salf, dit was medisyne en ‘n produk waarmee handel gedryf is.
Ek neem aan dit is wat ons boomgom noem en dit is as medisyne gebruik.
Gílead:
STRONG’S H1568 - monument van klippe
BDB LEXICON: klipperige area
Dit was ‘n area wes van die Eufraatrivier (Génesis 31:21) en oos van die Jordaanrivier (Josua 17:5-6). Gílead was in die area wat vandag Jordanië is. Dit was ‘n bergagtige area, maar ook ‘n area geskik om met vee te boer. Moses het die land Gílead aan die stamme van Manasse, Gad en Reuben as erfdeel gegee - Josua 13:31, 22:9, Númeri 32:1,29,40, Deuteronómium 3:13-16, 2 Konings 10:33.
Salomo vergelyk sy beminde se hare met ‘n kudde bokke wat afloop by die heuwels van Gílead - Hooglied 1:4, 6:5.
Die profeet Elía was van Gílead - 1 Konings 17:1.
Die mense van Juda was so waardevol soos Gílead vir God, maar ongelukkig was die mense sondaars.
“Want so sê die Here aangaande die huis van die koning van Juda: 'n Gílead is jy vir My, die top van die Líbanon. Waarlik, Ek sal jou 'n woestyn maak, stede wat nie bewoon word nie!”
JEREMIA 22:6 AFR53
Jeremiah 22:6 AMPC
For thus says the Lord concerning the house of the king of Judah: [If you will not listen to Me, though] you are [as valuable] to Me as [the fat pastures of] Gilead [east of the Jordan] or as the [plentiful] summit of Lebanon [west of the Jordan], yet surely I will make you a wilderness and uninhabited cities.
“Gílead is 'n stad van kwaaddoeners, vol bloedspore.”
HOSÉA 6:8 AFR53
“Was Gílead goddeloosheid — hulle het louter nietigheid geword. In Gilgal het hulle beeste geoffer; so sal dan hulle altare wees soos kliphope op die vore van die landerye.”
HOSÉA 12:12 AFR53
Juda het hulle rug op God gedraai en afgode aanbid. Hulle het steeds na die tempel gegaan, maar dit was net leë rituele. Hulle harte was nie reg met God nie. Jeremia het die mense gewaarsku teen die naderende onheil. Daar was “geen balsem in Gílead nie”; daar was “geen geneesheer nie”. Die mense van Juda het hulle God verlaat en sonder Hom kon hulle nie genesing vind nie. Die balsem van Gílead was ‘n metafoor vir God.
“Is daar geen balsem in Gílead nie? Of is daar geen geneesheer nie? Want waarom het die genesing van die dogter van my volk nie tot stand gekom nie?”
JEREMIA 8:22 AFR53
Josef se broers wou hom doodmaak, maar op daardie oomblik het God ingegryp. ‘n Groep Ismaelitiese handelaars het verbygekom. Hulle het o.a. balsem in Gílead gekry wat hulle in Egipte sou gaan verkoop. Die balsem uit Gílead het Josef se lewe gered. Die broers het Josef nie doodgemaak nie, maar aan die handelaars verkoop.
“Daarna het hulle gaan sit om brood te eet; en toe hulle hul oë opslaan, sien hulle meteens 'n reisgeselskap Ismaeliete wat uit Gílead kom — hulle kamele gelaai met speserye en balsem en gom — op pad om dit na Egipte af te bring. Toe sê Juda aan sy broers: Watter voordeel is dit dat ons ons broer doodmaak en sy bloed verberg? Kom, laat ons hom aan die Ismaeliete verkoop, maar laat ons hand nie teen hom wees nie, want hy is ons broer, ons vlees. En sy broers het na hom geluister.”
GÉNESIS 37:25-27 AFR53
Ons benodig steeds die “balsem uit Gílead”. Sonder die Vader, Seun en Heilige Gees is ons lewens betekenisloos.
“Ek is die wynstok, julle die lote. Wie in My bly, en Ek in hom, hy dra veel vrug; want sonder My kan julle niks doen nie.”
JOHANNES 15:5 AFR53
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BALM OF GILEAD
Balm:
STRONG’S H 6875 - “tseri/zeri” - balm, secretion from a tree, mastic (resin), usually obtain from processing the bark of te tree.
NAVE’S TOPICAL BIBLE REFERENCE - Balm: medicinal balm
BDB LEXICON: Balm, salve, it was used as medicine and a trade product
I assume it was the gum from a tree and used as a medicine.
Gilead:
STRONG’S H1568 - monument of stones
BDB LEXICON: rocky region
It was the area west of the Euphrates river (Genesis 31:21) and east of the Jordan river (Joshua 17:5-6). Gilead was in the area that’s called Jordan today. It was a mountainous area, but also a good area for cattle. Moses gave Gilead to the tribes of Manasseh, Gad and Reuben as their inheritance - Joshua 13:31, 22:9, Numbers 32:1,29,40, Deuteronomy 3:13-16, 2 Kings 10:33.
Solomon compared his beloved’s hair with a flock of goats streaming down the hills of Gilead - Song of Songs 4:1, 6:5.
The prophet Elijah was from Gilead - 1 Kings 17:1.
The people of Judah were as valuable as Gilead to God, but unfortunately the people loved sinning more than what they loved God.
Jeremiah 22:6 AMPC
For thus says the Lord concerning the house of the king of Judah: [If you will not listen to Me, though] you are [as valuable] to Me as [the fat pastures of] Gilead [east of the Jordan] or as the [plentiful] summit of Lebanon [west of the Jordan], yet surely I will make you a wilderness and uninhabited cities.
Hosea 6:8 MEV
Gilead is a city of evildoers, polluted with blood.
Hosea 12:11 MEV
In Gilead there is iniquity; surely they will come to nothing. In Gilgal they sacrifice bulls, so their altars will be like stone heaps in the furrows of the fields.
Judah worshipped idols and forsook their God. They still went to the temple, but just followed the rituals. Their hearts weren’t right with God. Jeremiah warned them of the consequences of worshipping idols. There was “no balm in Gilead”; “there was no physician” there to heal them. Without the balm of Gilead the nation couldn’t recover. The balm of Gilead was a metaphor for God.
Jeremiah 8:22 MEV
Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then has not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?
Joseph’s brothers wanted to kill him, but at that moment there was a divine intervention. A group of Ishmaelite traders arrived with balm from Gilead. They were on their way to Egypt. The balm of Gilead saved Joseph’s life. The brothers didn’t kill Joseph, but instead sold him to the traders.
Genesis 37:25-27 MEV
Then they sat down to eat. And looking up, they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing spices, balm, and myrrh, carrying it down to Egypt. [26] Then Judah said to his brothers, "What profit is it if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? [27] Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let us not lay our hand on him, for he is our brother and our own flesh." So his brothers agreed.
We still need the “balm of Gilead”. Without the Father, Son and Holy Spirit our lives are meaningless.
John 15:5 MEV
"I am the vine, you are the branches. He who remains in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit. For without Me you can do nothing.