Devotional - Psalm 103:3b - He Heals

"...Who heals [each one of] all your diseases." Psalm 103:3b

Often times when we think of God's healing, our minds go to the verse in 1 Peter 2:24 which reads "...by whose stripes ye were healed" but we might be surprised to find that the very first healing mentioned in Scripture goes all the way back to the book of Genesis - the first book in the Bible. Seems to me God had healing on His mind 'in the beginning, so to speak. Let's take a look at Genesis 20:17, "So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children." My, my, my, we see in this very first mention of healing it was not given to just one but to a multitude of people.

When I went to look this Scripture up the Holy Spirit impressed upon me that the number "20" was important and He wanted to reveal that the first mention of healing was not placed in chapter 20 randomly but had significant meaning. We must remember that God's Word is alive, speaking to us above and beyond the words on the page if we are open and sensitive to hear what the Spirit of God is saying to us. With the leading of the Holy Spirit I looked up the number "20" in the book "Number In Scripture" by E.W.Bullinger. Here is what it reads:

TWENTY

Is the double of ten, and may in some cases signify its concentrated meaning. But its significance seems rather to be connected with the fact that it is one short of twenty-one, 21 - 1 = 20; that is to say, if 21 is the three-fold 7, and signifies Divine (3), it would signify what Dr. Milo Mahan calls expectancy, and certainly we are not without illustrations in support of it:

Twenty years Jacob waited to get possession of
of his wives and property, Gen.xxi. 38, 41.
Twenty years Israel waited for a deliverer from
Jabins's oppression, Judg. iv.3
Twenty years Israel waited for deliverance through
Samson, Judg. xv. 20; xvi. 31. But his work was never much
more than "begun," Judg. xiii.25
Twenty years the Ark of the Covenant waited at
Kirjathjearim, 1 Sam. vii. 2.
Twenty years Solomon was waiting for the completion
of the houses, 1 Kings ix. 10; 2 Chron. viii.1.
Twenty years Jerusalem waited between its capture
its capture and destruction; and
Twenty years Jeremiah prophesied concerning it.

The Holy Spirit is revealing that the reason the Lord placed the first mention of healing in Scripture in the "beginning book (Genesis) in the 20th chapter because it was a foretelling of the healing that would take place through His Son, made available not just to one but to many as they believe and that there needs to be an "expectancy" to receive it! It was God's Divine plan to bring healing to His people. Pretty cool, huh? God is just so awesome! Some how the enemy has blinded our eyes, our hearts from the truth of God's plan to heal His people. I often wonder why it is so easy for us to receive the salvation that has been given to us through Christ Jesus, to accept the forgiveness of sin but neglect the healing that has been given us "by His stripes! Oh Lord, forgive us for neglecting and not holding fast to all of Your benefits. Forgive us for walking like the down trodden when You have called us to be more than conquerors through Christ Jesus. Open our eyes that we might see Your truth in everything, for Your glory and honor, in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

In the days ahead we will search God's Word to see of His healing powers given to His people. We will remember ALL of His benefits. Those in the Old Testament walked with an expectancy of the things to come. We have been given that which they hoped for through Christ Jesus, our Messiah and King. We will walk in His healing grace, love and forgiveness that others might see that Jesus is alive. Amen? Amen!