The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.
For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt; I am black; astonishment hath taken hold on me.
Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered? Jeremiah 8:20-22
INTRODUCTION
The prophet Jeremiah (c. 650-570 BCE) was was born into a priestly family in Anathoth, a village near Jerusalem, during the reign of King Manasseh of Judah. He lived during, and beyond, the reigns of the last six kings of Judah – Manasseh (c. 686 to 642 BCE), Amon (642-640), Josiah (c. 640–609 BCE), Jehoahaz (609 BCE), Jehoiakim (609-598 BCE), Jehoiachin (598-597 BCE) and Zedekiah (597-586 BCE). According to Jer 1:2 his ministry as a prophet commenced during the thirteenth year of King Josiah, i.e. 626 BCE.
He prophesied at a traumatic time in history. Three superpowers; Egypt, Assyria and the emerging Babylonian empire were jockeying for supremacy. After the death of Ashurbanipal c.630 BCE the Assyrian empire went into decline and Nineveh eventually fell to Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians in 612 BCE. Nebuchadnezzar defeated Egypt at the battle of Carchemish in 605 BCE (Jer 46:2), achieving Babylonian control of the Near East.
Judah sought alliances with neighbouring states at this time, which led to tolerance of foreign religious cults and an increase in idolatrous worship. Jeremiah in Judah, like Ezekiel in Babylon, faithfully proclaimed a message of warning about judgement coming on Jerusalem because of the people’s sin. He was badly treated by the ruling authorities in Jerusalem – put in stocks, imprisoned and branded a traitor.
Jeremiah was a sensitive man who, saddened by the enormity of the pain, suffering and horror that the people of Judah would experience during the Babylonian siege and devastation of Jerusalem, wept over their spiritual state and their obstinacy in spite of repeated warnings. He is known as ‘the weeping prophet’ because his ministry was marked not only by proclamation but by deep lamentation. His heart broke for the people as he saw them wallowing in sin and rebellion against the Lord. In these verses Jeremiah voices three great realities: a missed opportunity, a shared sorrow, and a required remedy.
1. A Missed Opportunity (v. 20)
The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.
This is the season when many churches celebrate Harvest. It is a time of thankfulness for God’s grace and blessing – a joyful occasion. But happiness was not in Jeremiah’s mind here. In that agricultural society, harvest and summer represented opportunity and provision. The people laboured through the growing season with the expectation of gathering crops to sustain them throughout the year ahead. A failed harvest spelt disaster – no food, no income and utter ruin. They were season dependent, certain things had to be done at certain times. Summer was the time to be busy, some things couldn’t be put off. Autumn would soon come, the leaves would fall and growth would end.
Jeremiah applies this imagery spiritually. God had given the people time to repent. He had sent prophets with warnings. Yet they hardened their hearts. Now, the time of opportunity is slipping away. Jeremiah anticipates the lament of a nation that had missed the opportunity to repent, for whom time had passed by so quickly and who had made no preparation for the coming judgement.
How many today are living as if there will always be another chance? One day, however, the harvest will be past, the summer ended, and all opportunities gone. Have you let your opportunities to get right with God slip by? Day after day, season after season, year after year, perhaps decade after decade? How many times has the gospel been preached to you? How many opportunities have you spurned? Now the time to plant or grow – the time to prepare – has almost gone! The apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 6:2: Now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. Do not let the words in Jeremiah 8:20 be wailed by you in the day of despair: The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.
2. A Shared Sorrow (v. 21)
For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt; I am black; astonishment hath taken hold on me.
Jeremiah, as I have indicated, was a sensitive preacher. He wasn’t cold or detached. He wasn’t casually pronouncing judgment; his heart was broken over the sin and suffering of his people. ‘I am black’ refers to a mourning garment – he carried their sorrow as his own. Do we feel the weight of the lost? Do we ache for our families, friends, and associates who do not know Jesus Christ? Too often we are indifferent. Have we grown numb? If Jeremiah could weep for his nation, surely we can grieve for the lost around us.
3. A Required Remedy (v.22)
Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?
In v.22 Jeremiah asks three rhetorical questions: beginning with Is?…Is?….Why? (Notice the same technique in v.19). The first question asks about medicine, the second about doctors, and the third about health. Health is something that interests and concerns us all. There seems to be so much illness about. Sometimes we wonder about the ability of our heath providers to cope with demand, and about how we will be treated when we are sick or old. The health in our text, however, is not physical but spiritual.
I wish to consider the questions in v.22 under three headings:
I. When The Balm Was Required
II. Where the Balm was Received
III. Why The Balm Was Refused?
I. When The Balm Was Required
The balm of Gilead was a popular substance celebrated for its medicinal qualities. The word ‘balm’ denotes the gum or resin of a tree that grew in the mountainous region of Gilead. It was a valuable commodity sold by Arab and Phoenician merchants. There are two other references to it in the Bible: Gen 37:23-25; Jer 46:11. In the story of Joseph being sold by his brothers to a caravan of Ishmaelites that passed by on the way to Egypt one of the valuable products they were carrying to Egypt was balm from Gilead (Genesis 37:25).
When the question was asked about this medicinal product, ‘Is there no balm in Gilead?’ the thought behind the metaphor was the spiritual health of the people of Judah. What does this balm represent? In the context of Jeremiah’s message, it symbolises the spiritual healing needed for a sinful heart. The people of Israel had turned away from God, worshipping false idols and engaging in practices that provoked his anger. In v.19 Jeremiah describes their idolatry as ‘strange vanities,’ highlighting the emptiness that sin brings.
Sin is like a sickness that affects us all. Just as physical ailments manifest in visible symptoms, our sins reveal themselves in various ways – pride, anger, greed, and gossip. While some people may have more obvious symptoms, the truth is that we all suffer from the same chronic illness: sin. This condition requires the healing balm of Gilead.
When is the balm required? It is needed when there is a sinful heart. We must recognise our need for healing and acknowledge that we cannot cure ourselves.
II. Where the Balm Was Received
The balm was available in Gilead. It was famous for its balm. When the question was asked, ‘Is there no balm in Gilead?’ everyone knew that the answer was ‘Yes!’ There is a balm in Gilead. There is a medicine for the sinful heart. There is provision in Gilead. The people of Judah knew this, and so should we. Spiritually, this balm represents the blood of Jesus Christ, which cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7). His sacrificial death is sufficient for every sin – past, present, and future.
Jeremiah also asked, ‘Is there no physician there?’ Again the answer is a resounding ‘yes!’ In Gilead, there were many physicians. Is there a doctor available to treat a sinful heart? Certainly there is! Spiritually, we have the Great Physician; Jesus Christ. If you have a spiritual need today, remember that there is a balm in Gilead and a Physician ready to heal your sin-sick soul. The prophet Malachi (4:2) speaks of the Lord Jesus as the ‘Sun of righteousness’ who brings healing. Jesus is the friend of sinners, ready to apply the healing balm to those who confess their sins and seek him as their Saviour.
III. Why The Balm Was Refused?
This is the crux of Jeremiah’s message: ‘Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?’ If there is a plentiful supply of balm and physicians, why do the people remain sick? The answer lies in their refusal to take advantage of the treatment that is available to them. The problem lies with the patients!
Are you burdened by sin and its effects? If so, why continue to carry that weight when healing is within reach? Maybe you believe you are just fine, but in the same way that a doctor cannot help those who think they are well, Jesus cannot help those who claim to be righteous. He came to save sinners (Matthew 9:12; Luke 5:31). The tragedy is not that there is no cure, but that many will not apply it.
To find healing for your heart, you must:
A. Go to the Right Place
The balm was found in Gilead. For us, healing is found at the cross of Christ. We must come to the place where help and healing can be found.
B. See the Right Person
You must come to the Lord Jesus. He is the only one who can heal a sinful heart.
C. Take the Right Prescription
It’s not enough to see the doctor; you must follow the prescription. We must believe in Jesus Christ for salvation (Acts 16:30). His prescription requires repentance; turning from sin and placing faith in him alone for salvation.
Conclusion
Jeremiah’s cry still echoes today: The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved. The time of opportunity is passing quickly but the good news is that, in Jesus Christ, there is still balm in Gilead. There is still a Physician who heals the sin-sick soul.
- Missed opportunity → don’t delay, today is the day of salvation (2 Cor 6:2).
- Shared sorrow → feel the burden of the lost and let compassion move you to prayer and witness.
- Required remedy → Apply the remedy, get to Jesus Christ, the Balm of Gilead, who alone can save, heal and restore.
Written Exposition 