Balm In Gilead

In the hymn Did You Think To Pray? this question is asked, “When your soul was full of sorrow, Balm of Gilead did you borrow at the gates of day?” I only have a vague understanding of what the “Balm of Gilead” is, and so I thought I would explore how that was used in the scriptures.  According to the Bible Dictionary, it was “an aromatic gum or spice used for healing wounds.  A bush producing the resin from which the balm was made grew so plentifully in Gilead in Old Testament times that the balm came to be known as the ‘balm of Gilead.’”  The closest thing to the phrase is used in Jeremiah when the prophet lamented the wickedness of the people, “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 8:22)  He seemed to have been saying that there was indeed plenty of spiritual “balm in Gilead” available to heal the people, but the people had refused to use it and instead were about to see the destruction of Jerusalem because of their wickedness.  Jeremiah used language about the balm of Gilead again in his prophecy against Egypt in which he wrote, “Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt: in vain shalt thou use many medicines; for thou shalt not be cured” (Jeremiah 46:11).  He was telling the Egyptians that it didn’t matter that they could get physical healing in Gilead—they were doomed because of their spiritual wickedness. 

                I think the most interesting reference to the balm at Gilead is in the story of Joseph who was sold into Egypt.  After his brothers had thrown Joseph into a pit, we read that “they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt” (Genesis 37:25).  When they saw this group carrying goods to Egypt, one of which it appears was balm from Gilead, Judah then had the idea to sell Joseph instead of letting him die in the pit.  So Joseph was carried into Egypt as a slave on the caravan with the balm of Gilead, and in some way we can perhaps think of his life as being saved by the balm of Gilead.  If that balm hadn’t passed by his brothers likely would have just left him in the pit.  It’s also interesting that many years later when Jacob and his sons were trying to obtain food from Joseph they offered him “a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh” (Genesis 43:11).  So it was with balm that Joseph was sent into Egypt, and then it was balm that they tried to use to obtain food from him.  And at the end of the day it was really Joseph  himself who was the balm, for he saved the people from the famine. 

                One suggested meaning of the word Gilead in Hebrew is “monument of testimony.”  I really like that and I think it fits the symbolism—our testimony of the gospel can be a great balm to us spiritually and help us to heal from the difficulties of life.  The Lord sends us His own “balm of Gilead” when His Spirit testifies to us, and that personal revelation can help us to overcome the challenges that we face each day.  We never need to ask “Is there no balm in Gilead,” for the Lord is always ready to provide succor and support to those who call upon His name.