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RETURN TO SYLLABUS
PSALM 30
LESSON #22
A SCRIPTURAL VIEW OF HEALING
MEMORY VERSE: PSALM 30:2
PSALM 30 IS A SONG OF DEDICATION. DAVID SANG THIS SONG WHEN GOD PROMISED TO GIVE HIM APALACE. ALSO IT WAS SUNG AT THE DEDICATION OF THAT PALACE.
READ 2SAM 7:11
THIS PSALM IS USED IN MODERN JUDAISM FOR THE CELEBRATION OF HANUKKAH, THE FEAST OFDEDICATION.
HANUKKAH IS NOT A BIBLICAL FEAST INITIATED BY GOD, BUT CAME ABOUT DURING THE PERIOD OFTIME AFTER THE BOOK OF MALACHI IN THE OLD TESTAMENT AND BEFORE THE BOOK OF MATTHEW IN THENEW TESTAMENT.
IN 167 BC A SYRIAN OFFICER FORCED A JEWISH MAN TO MAKE AN OFFERING TO ZEUS IN THETEMPLE. A JEWISH PRIEST NAMED MATTATHIAS SAW IT AND KILLED THEM BOTH. THIS BEGAN AJEWISH UPRISING LED BY MATTATHIAS FAMILY, THE MACCABEES. THEY DEFEATED THE SYRIANARMY AND CONQUERED THE CITY OF JERUSALEM. THE TEMPLE WAS CLEANSED AND DEDICATED TO GOD.THIS WAS THE FIRST HANUKKAH. JESUS CELEBRATED THIS FEAST NEAR THE END OF HISEARTHLY MINISTRY. (JOH 10:22)
THIS EVENT WAS CONSIDERED A HEALING OF THE NATION.
THE PRIMARY INTERPRETATION:
READ PSA 30:1-12 DAVIDS HEALING
DAVID EVIDENTLY HAD SOME VERY SERIOUS ILLNESS TO THE POINT OF DEATH. THE BIBLE DOES NOTTELL US WHAT IT WAS. HOWEVER, PERIODICALLY DAVID MENTIONS IT IN THE PSALMS. GODMARVELOUSLY HEALED HIM AND SPARED HIS LIFE. (2-3)
PSALM 30 TELLS US ABOUT THIS MIRACULOUS HEALING.
THE PURPOSE FOR GODS HEALING MINISTRY:
VERSE 4 SAYS TO GIVE THANKS FOR THIS HEALING “AT THE REMEMBRANCE OF HISHOLINESS”
GOD DOESNT HEAL US BECAUSE WE ARE WORTHY. HE DOESNT HEAL US BECAUSE WE AREUNCOMFORTABLE WHEN WE ARE SICK. THERE IS A HIGHER PURPOSE TO GODS HEALINGS. THEY AREDONE TO GLORIFY GOD.
HEALING CALLS ATTENTION TO GODS HOLY POWER AND LOVE. THEY ARE AN ADVERTISEMENT FORTHE GOSPEL. JESUS PERFORMED HEALINGS TO DEMONSTRATE THE HOLY COMPASSION OF GOD.
THE END RESULT OF HEALING IS NOT THE HEALING IN ITSELF. IF THE HEALING ITSELF WAS THE MOSTIMPORTANT THING, JESUS WOULD HAVE HEALED EVERYONE AND EMPTIED THE HOSPITALS OF HIS DAY.BECAUSE THE HEALING IS NOT WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT IS WHY JESUS WAS UPSET WHEN HE HEALEDTHE TEN LEPERS AND ONLY ONE RETURN ED TO GIVE GLORY TO GOD. (LUK 17:12-19)
WHY IS THE PHYSICAL HEALING NOT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING?
BECAUSE IT IS TEMPORARY. AS LONG AS WE LIVE IN A PHYSICAL BODY, THIS FLESH WILLPERIODICALLY GET SICK. WE LIVE IN A FALLEN WORLD PLAGUED BY SIN AND SATAN. GOD IS MOSTINTERESTED IN THE ETERNAL ASPECTS. THAT IS WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO GLORIFY GOD WHEN HEHEALS YOU. TELL OTHERS WHAT GOD HAS DONE. USE THE MIRACLE TO ADVERTISE THE GOSPEL AND LIFTTHE FAITH OF OTHERS. THATS WHY JESUS OFTEN SAID TO THOSE WHO WERE HEALED, “YOURFAITH HAS MADE YOU WHOLE.”
“IN HIS FAVOR IS LIFE” (5)
HEALING ADVERTISES GODS SPECIAL LOVE RELATIONSHIP WITH THOSE WHO BELONG TO HIM.
“WEEPING MAY ENDURE FOR A NIGHT, BUT JOY COMES IN THE MORNING.” (5)
NOTICE HOW THIS VERSE SPEAKS OF THE TEMPORARY NATURE OF ILLNESS AND THIS PHYSICAL BODY.
EVEN IF THIS PHYSICAL BODY GOES THROUGH LIFE SICK AND IN PAIN WITHOUT A MIRACULOUSHEALING, THERE IS JOY IN THE MORNING. THE MORNING OF GODS ETERNITY WILL BRING US NEWBODIES WITH NO PAIN, SICKNESS, OR DEFORMITY.
THE REASON FOR DAVIDS ILLNESS: (6-7)
DAVID TELLS US WHY HE BECAME ILL AND WHAT GOD TAUGHT HIM THROUGH IT.
EVERYTHING IN LIFE WAS GOING WELL FOR DAVID. HE WAS PROSPERING. HOWEVER, PRIDE GOT THEBEST OF HIM. (6)
IT WAS GOD WHO PROSPERED DAVID, BUT DAVID FORGOT GOD. THEN DAVID SUDDENLY REALIZED THATHIS CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD WAS NOT SO CLOSE ANYMORE. (7)
THE ILLNESS GAINED DAVIDS ATTENTION, AND HE TURNED BACK TO GOD. (8)
THEREFORE, THE ILLNESS HAD A HIGHER PURPOSE.
DOES THAT MEAN GOD PURPOSELY SENDS ILLNESS. NO, BUT LIKE WITH JOB, GOD ALLOWED IT FOR AHIGHER PURPOSE.
“SHALL THE DUST PRAISE THEE” (9)
DAVID UNDERSTOOD THE PURPOSE FOR GODS MIRACULOUS HEALINGS. HE WOULD PRAISE GOD FORIT, TALK ABOUT IT TO OTHERS, ADVERTISE HIS MERCIFUL GOD HOPING TO DRAW OTHERS TO THEMESSIAH.
THE PROPHETIC INTERPRETATION:
THIS PSALM REFERS TO HEALING FOR THE NATION OF ISRAEL. THROUGH THE BOOKS IN THE BIBLEWRITTEN BY THE PROPHETS, GOD TELLS THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL THAT THEY WILL ENDURE TROUBLE,PERSECUTION, AND CAPTIVITY BECAUSE OF PRIDE. THEY CONTINUALLY TURNED AWAY FROM GOD,WORSHIPED OTHER GODS, AND REJECTED THE ONE TRUE GOD. HOWEVER, JEHOVAH ALWAYS ENCOURAGESTHEM THAT ONE DAY THEY WILL COME TO TRUST IN THE MESSIAH. THEN THE MOURNING OF THE NIGHTWILL END AND THERE WILL BE NATIONAL HEALING IN THE MORNING. THAT IS THE PROPHETIC THEME OFTHIS PSALM.
PERSONAL APPLICATION:
CAUSES FOR ILLNESS IN THE LIFE A BELIEVER:
THERE ARE MANY CAUSES FOR PHYSICAL ILLNESS IN A BELIEVERS LIFE OF WHICH AS FELLOWBELIEVERS WE ARE NOT TO JUDGE THE CAUSES IN ANOTHER BELIEVERS LIFE.. SOME OF THESECAUSES MAY BE:
1. CONSEQUENCES OF SIN
2. PERSISTENT ILLNESS BECAUSE OF A LACK OF FAITH (JAM 4:2)
3. TOTALLY FOR THE GLORY OF GOD AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE THAT WILL CALL ATTENTION TOGODS MERCY AND LOVE. (JOH 9:1-3)
4. BECAUSE WE LIVE IN A SINFUL WORLD ENVIRONMENT. (MAT 5:45)
5. TO TEACH A BELIEVER TO TRUST GOD (2COR 12:7-9)
6. TO ADVERTISE THE GOSPEL AND DRAW OTHERS TO CHRIST.
A SCRIPTURAL BALANCE REGARDING HEALING AND HEALTH:
1. SOMETIMES GOD HEALS.
2. SOMETIMES GOD DOES NOT HEAL.
3. WHICHEVER OCCURS, DETERMINE THAT GOD WILL BE GLORIFIED IN YOUR LIFE.
4. WHICHEVER OCCURS, KNOW THAT GOD LOVES YOU AND WILL WORK OUT THE VERY BEST FOR YOURLIFE.
5. MAINTAIN AN ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE KNOWING THAT THIS PHYSICAL BODY IS NOT THE MOSTIMPORTANT THING.
6. THE ULTIMATE HEALING IS WHEN YOU DIE AND GO TO BE WITH THE LORD.
DISCUSSION:
WHAT ENCOURAGEMENT DO YOU SEE IN THIS PSALM FOR SOMEONE WHO IS GOING THROUGH SEVEREILLNESS?
HOMEWORK
PSALMS 31
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.
APPLICATION OF PSA 30
WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT HEALING THAT WILL HELP YOU MINISTER TO OTHERS THAT ARE ILL?
WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT HEALING THAT WILL HELP YOU TO HAVE AN ETERNAL PERSPECTIVEREGARDING THE HUMAN BODY?
PREPARATION FOR PSA 31
READ PSA 31:1-24
THIS IS A GOOD PSALM FOR A PERSON MAKING LIFES MAJOR MISTAKES. WHAT ENCOURAGEMENT DOYOU FIND IN THIS PSALM FOR THIS PERSON?
WHAT VERSES DO YOU THINK REFER TO JESUS AND THE CRUCIFIXION?
MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 31:24
