What We Can Learn About Healing From the Hebrew Scriptures

Presented by Rev. Robert B. Boutwell at the Vermont UCC Healing Retreat 1/22/2000

We usually think of healing ministry in connection with Jesus but the Hebrew Bible also provides us with an understanding that healing is part of God's nature and intention, and gives examples of God's power to heal the human body and mind. Religious healing is sometimes referred to as faith healing and certainly the Bible shows us that faith in God and an understanding of God's nature are essential parts of the healing process.

Throughout the Hebrew Bible there are references to God's steadfast love, mercy, kindness, compassion and healing. The more primitive belief that illness was sent by God as a punishment, was gradually replaced with an understanding that suffering can be a natural result of sin, or just a consequence of living in this kind of a world. The book of Job teaches us that illness is not a punishment for our sins. Because Job suffered both physical pain and mental anguish, his friends were sure he was guilty of some terrible sin. Job maintained that he was not guilty of any sin. Finally when Job was willing to accept whatever God chose to send, he received complete healing and restoration. Psalm 34 tells us: "Good people suffer many afflictions, But God delivers them out of all their troubles." Sometimes it is our separation from God that prevent us from receiving God's healing love. God does not deny us healing but we may not be able to receive it because we have closed our minds or hardened our hearts and God's healing love is blocked.

We may lack a close relation with God because of our ignorance. We may have never learned about God, or we may have misplaced faith in false gods. Our idolatry may take different forms. Some people may believe that with enough money they could buy the needed drugs and medical treatments and would have no need for God. Some people may have a distorted image of God which leads them to believe that God is capricious or judgmental, sending pain and illness or withholding healing, wholeness and peace. The Linn's have written a wonderful book, entitled Good Goats; Healing our image of God which can help correct these misconception which interfere with our receptivity toward God's love and healing. In their book they lead us to ponder how we picture God. Dennis tells the story of Uncle George and how his idea of God was shaped by his feelings about Uncle George. Although we cannot see God, we can form a picture of God in our mind. That picture may be influenced by some great artist such as Michelangelo. I have a painting of Jesus laughing that informs me of one aspect of God's character. This picture helps me see a laughing God. This is not the derisive laughter of a capricious god, but the laughter of God who delights in us and shares in our joy.

My image of God has also been shaped by many of George MacDonald's books and stories such as At The Back of the North Wind and particularly The Lost Princess. In that story his central character is the wise old woman who firmly but lovingly brings about the transformation and redemption of the little princess. She reminds me of the female aspect of God, the spirit "Wisdom" who describes herself in Proverbs 8: "God created me at the beginning of his work; the first of God's acts of creation. I existed before the beginning of Earth. . . When God established the heavens I was there. When God set the limits of the seas and marked out the foundations of Earth I was beside God as a skilled helper. Every day I was God's playmate, rejoicing in creation and delighting in all the people God made." This offers me an alternative to the traditional view. How have you pictured God? What has changed about your conception of God?

I have prepared a meditative exercise to help shape or heal our image of God. I invite you to close your eyes, breathe deeply and begin to focus your mind on God.

1. Picture yourself having committed some sin, standing before God the judge expecting to be condemned. The judge recognizes your remorse, accepts your repentance, drops the charges against you, forgives the harm you have done, releases you from your punishment, and sets you free! (Psalm 103:10 -12) "God does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. As the heavens are high above Earth, that's how great God's steadfast love is toward us who respect God. As far as the East is from the West, that's how far God removes our transgressions from us."
2. Picture God as a loving mother/father holding you in his/her arms. (Hosea 11: 3,4) It was I who taught you to walk, I took you up in my arms; but you did not know that I healed you. I led you with the cords of human kindness, with the bands of love. I was the one who lifted you as an infant to my cheek and bent down to feed you.
3. Can you picture God as the anguished parent of a rebellious teenager? (Isaiah 1) "Why must you persist in your rebellion until your head is injured, your heart is afflicted, and you are covered with wounds. I am so weary of bearing the burdens you place on me. If only you were willing, I would take your blood red sins and make them pure as snow."
4. Can you picture God as a shepherd who lovingly cares for you? (Isaiah 40:11) "God is like a shepherd feeding his flock, gathering the lambs in his arms, holding them against his breast and gently leading the mother ewes." Can you picture yourself as a lamb being held against God's breast, or a mother ewe being gently led.
5. Think of God as a wise woman, a teacher speaking to us to set us right (Proverbs 8) "Listen, I have something important to tell you. What I say is right; nothing false, nothing misleading. What I tell you is the plain truth. I will give you good advice. If you listen to me you will be blessed day after day. Whoever finds me finds life."
6. Can you picture God as your lover? (Song of Songs 7) "How beautiful you are, how charming, my love, my delight! Come my love, let us walk together through the fields, then we will spend the night together in the village. In the morning we will go into the vineyard and among the blossoms of the orchard. There I will give you the gift of my love." Have you read Morton Kelsey's book "Sacrament of Sexuality"?
7. Or perhaps you can picture God as a glorious light. (Psalm 119:105) "Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path." Can you picture your soul being flooded with God's glorious light? Once, while attending a Quaker Meeting, I was meditating on how to visualize the presence of God when a glorious deep blue light filled my consciousness. (Isaiah 60:1-2) "Arise, shine out, for your light has come, and the glory of God has risen on you. Look! though night still covers Earth and the people are in darkness, on you God is rising and over you God's glory can be seen."
8. Finally let's consider God simply as the spirit or reign of love. ( Zephaniah 3:14 -18 ) "Shout for joy, daughter of Zion, Shout aloud! Rejoice and exult with all your heart. . . Have no fear, nor let your hands fall limp. God is in the midst of you as your savior. God will rejoice over you with gladness, and will renew you with love." Perhaps you can feel or imagine your whole being filling to overflowing and being renewed with the spirit of Love. Breathe it in with your breath. Let it flow to your heart. Let it be carried to every part of your body, mind, and soul. Can you feel God's love as emotionally renewing?

Now while continuing to hold the light of God in your soul and the love of God in your heart, center your focus on your breathing again, and gradually become aware of the people around you. When you are ready, open your eyes and rejoin the group. Stretch!

Share with the group your thoughts about some of these images.

Rabbi Simkha Y. Weintraub, of the Jewish Healing Center, has put together a study by Jewish spiritual leaders of the 10 Psalms which are considered to be the complete remedy. This study has been published by Jewish Lights Publishing of Woodstock, Vt. in a book, Healing of Soul, Healing of Body. It begins with Psalm 16 which urges us to trust in God who watches over us, who turns our pain into gladness, who provides security and rest for the body and who will not abandon the soul. Then Psalm 41 reminds us that God sustains us on our sick bed and, in our illness, heals all our infirmities. These psalms can lead us finally to Shalom! Shalom is not only "Peace"; the cessation of fighting, it is blessing, healing and complete wholeness.

I have always found the psalms to be a source of comfort, strength and healing. When I was in Sunday School we were expected to memorize certain passages of scripture. In Second Grade I learned the 23rd psalm. One phrase always bothered me. "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies." Then I tried putting it into my own words, "You welcome me at your table where everyone can see how much you love me." That made more sense to me. Since then I have worked at paraphrasing all of the Psalms; putting them into my own words and it has been a great blessing to me. I highly recommend this to you as a wonderful spiritual discipline and a means of bringing you deep inner healing.

One of my favorites is Psalm 103 describing God's compassion and healing.

Praise God, my soul, and from the depth of my being praise the Holy One. Praise God, my soul, and never forget all the benefits of God's kindness. God forgives all our offenses, cures all our diseases. God redeems our lives from the pit of worthlessness, and places a crown of faithful love upon our heads with tenderness; God intends our years to be filled with goodness and our youthful strength to be continuously renewed so that we may soar like the eagles.

We have talked about the healing that is needed to fit us to be receptive to God's healing activity. Now I want to move on to look at some healing experiences described in the Hebrew Bible and the persons God empowered to perform them. Frank Darling in his book Biblical Healing; Hebrew and Christian Roots, emphasized that these healing activities were carried out by persons with a special relationship with God. Isaiah 61 describes the healing mission of God's servant in this way: "The Spirit of God is upon me, because GOD has anointed me; and has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners. . . to comfort all who mourn and give them flowers instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning." Some people are anointed by God to be healers.

One of the earliest references to healing in the Bible involves Abraham. He was seen as a healer because he had a special covenant relationship with God. When Abimelech and his whole household were afflicted with barrenness (Genesis 20:17) "Then Abraham prayed to God and God healed Abimeleck and his wife and female slaves so they could bear children."

Moses was another person with a special relationship with God. After receiving God's call at the burning bush Moses protested that he needed proof to show God's people in Egypt. (Exodus 4:6-7) Then Moses discovered that his hand had become infected with leprosy but he was given a sign of God's healing power by the cleansing his leprous hand. After God's people had escaped from Egypt and had crossed the sea,

( Exodus 20:26 ) God assured them through Moses that they would be protected from the diseases which had afflicted the Egyptians "For I am the God who heals you." When Miriam was afflicted with leprosy Moses prayed to God to heal her (Numbers 12) and after 7 days outside the camp she was cleansed and able to rejoin them.

In Numbers 21, we are told that Moses made a bronze serpent on a rod to heal the people who had been bitten by poisonous snakes and save them from the fear of death. People really do die of fear. Even today the serpent on the rod is a sign of healing.

In 2 Kings 5 we read about the prophet Elisha healing Naaman's leprosy by sending him to wash in the Jordan river. Naaman at first protested, but when he humbled himself and obeyed, he was healed.

These examples tell us that healing came as a result of prayer, faith, and humble acceptance. The healings were all performed by people who had a special relationship with God and who were given special gifts of the Holy Spirit. It is interesting to read that the special gifts of the Spirit were passed on from Elijah to Elisha. Elisha asked for a double share of Elijah's spirit. (2 Kings 2) This was the customary request of an eldest son to receive a double share of the inheritance from his father. This was granted to Elisha when Elijah was taken to heaven. The spirit of Moses was passed on to Joshua, by the laying on of hands. (Deuteronomy 34:9) "Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, because Moses had laid his hands on him." In the Bible the hand represented power and blessing. When Isaac laid his hands on his sons to bless them, something was transferred to them that was irrevocable. The Bible often speaks of the Hand of God as representing God's power. We set aside and empower ministers by ordination with prayer and the laying on of hands. At confirmation we pass God's blessing on to the confirmands and empower them to be disciples by prayer and the laying on of hands. In healing ministry one of the ways we can convey God's love and healing power to the sick is by laying hands on them and praying for their healing. Often touch is important in the healing process.

The first time I laid hands on someone in prayer was early in my ministry. I was visiting parishioners in the hospital when a nurse who knew me came to me and asked me to come a pray for a man who saw suffering terribly. When I entered his room the man was very agitated, tossing and turning in his bed and crying out in pain in spite of the drugs he had been given. I went over to his bed, laid my hand on his head and began to pray out loud that God would be merciful to him, forgive his sins, relieve his pain and suffering, and grant him peace. Immediately the man became quiet and seemed to be sleeping peacefully. When I returned to his room a few minutes later the nurse told me that the man had died shortly after my prayer, but on his face I could see a wonderful expression of relief and peace. Wow! What an answer to prayer! Through our hands we express many things, our strength, our own faith and confidence, the love God has given us, and sometimes God's power to comfort and heal. If we lay hands on other people without a firm connection with the love and power of God they can draw the love and energy all out of us and leave us totally drained.

In healing ministry our hands can also communicate in both directions. Not only can we communicate God's healing love to someone, we can also receive things from them. One time when I visited another parishioner who was in pain, I took his hand in mine and told him to give me his pain. He looked at me in surprise and said he wouldn't wish that pain on anyone. I told him that it wouldn't hurt me because I would pass it on the God. Then as I reached up as if to take the hand of God with my left hand, my parishioner gritted his teeth and squeezed my right hand as hard as he could. I felt something pass through my body like a great sigh and he released his grip with a surprised expression of relief on his face and exclaimed: "Wow! it worked!" Other people can transmit their curses, their pain, their fears and anxieties to us and without a firm connection with God we can be sorely afflicted.

There is also something else we can receive through the laying on of hands and prayer. Remember that God's prophets were often called seers because they could perceive things not obvious to others. Our hands may be sensitive to the special needs of the person for whom we are praying. This can be helpful in the discernment of problems of which the person for whom we are praying may be unaware. As we move our hands over the person's body, while seeking any discernment God's Holy Spirit may give us, distress or disorder may be communicated to our sensitized hands in ways that might otherwise be indiscernible. Once when I was working with a person who was experiencing back pain, I prayed for discernment concerning the cause. As my hands passed over the back of the neck I sensed a pinched nerve. More exploration revealed tension in the neck muscles. With my hands laid on the neck muscles and my prayer to relieve stress, God relieved the pain in the back.

Another time I had been experiencing severe pain running down my right leg from my hip. My prayer partner sought the discernment of the Holy Spirit as I stood before him and he gently ran his hands down my body. Suddenly he stopped and told me, "If you get that fat wallet out of your hip pocket it might help." When I took it from my pocket the pain ceased immediately and it has never returned. I was healed!

Exercise - Decide if you want to try laying on hands, receive laying on hands or to be an observer. If you want to try some laying on of hands, pair up with someone next to you who is interested in receiving this ministry and invite someone else to join you as an observer. Lay your hands on that person's shoulders, and pray the Holy Spirit for discernment of anything that may be causing that person discomfort. You may feel various sensations with your hands such as warmth, tingling, tension. As the Holy Spirit leads you share what you are sensing and seek confirmation. You might say: "I am sensing some pain, sorrow, distress, anxiety etc. in you. Is that right? I sense that God wants to offer you assurance, strength, comfort, healing, etc. Would you like me to pray for that with you? Offer prayer as the Holy Spirit leads you. If you don't feel or sense anything after a few moments consider if your own hurts or feelings may be getting in the way and perhaps you should shift roles with your prayer partner. If you both wish to shift roles you may do so.

If something gets opened up for healing in this exercise and you feel the need for it to continue be sure to seek out a prayer partner here later today or someone of your home congregation to continue the process.

The Hebrew Bible can also teach us about what we call soaking prayer. When the son of the widow of Zarephath was stricken, (1 Kings 17:17-23) Elijah cried out to God, then stretched himself over the child three times praying, "My God, let this child's life come into him again." and the child was revived. Similarly, when a Shunammite woman's son was stricken Elisha prayed for his recovery (2 Kings 4:32-36). Elisha lay upon the child, putting his mouth to the child's mouth, and his hands on the child's hands, until the child's flesh was warmed. A second time he repeated the procedure and this time the child sneezed and opened his eyes.

We learn from this that it may take repeated applications of prayer and laying on of hands for complete healing to take place. Sometimes one needs to work with a prayer partner for several sessions as healing gradually progresses. Sometimes it is helpful to immerse a person in the prayers of a prayer group. One person may begin by laying hands on the person's head and beginning to pray. Several other persons then join in and with the permission of the person for whom the prayers are to be offered they may lay their hands on other parts of the body and add their prayers. Several of these soaking prayer sessions may be needed before healing may be completed, but the results can be spectacular. Some years ago Jim contracted polio and lost the use of his legs. I was in a prayer group with his wife, Doris, and every time we met we would soak Jim in this kind of healing prayer. There was gradual strengthening of Jim's legs over several years, until at last he was able to stand upright, discard his crutches, and walk again.

While making hospital calls I discovered a woman who had passed out on the road and wrecked her car. Tests showed that she had suffered severe brain damage. Her husband asked me to pray for her because the doctors felt there was little hope of recovery. For three months our church and others continued to pray for her and to soak her in our prayers as she lay in a coma in the hospital. A few weeks ago when I visited her she sat up, opened her eyes, and smiled when she recognized me. She had come out of the coma, had regained her memory, and she thanked me for the prayers which she believed had been so helpful. Persistence in prayer often gets remarkable results. Praise be to God! Amen.

Questions? Comments?