THE ONE WITH NO INFIRMITY
Thursday – December 21, 2017
Can you imagine the thoughts of this racoon? Some four feet over his/her head is a 55-gallon drum with corn and a dispenser that goes off twice a day, but he wants corn now. Perhaps you or I are in a place where patience is required but we want it now, and we may be doing or contemplating unwise things to get this thing we want. God has a timing and generally speaking we play a huge role in that timing. Sometimes the problem is us. We are out of step with the Lord. Perhaps we have unconfessed sin, or a wrong confession, or a wrong motive. Perhaps the answer to our prayer or the thing God wants to bring to pass requires the cooperation of other people. God does not make people do things so we are talking about a willing cooperation with God. I heard a testimony from a well-known ministry head some years ago. This ministry head was in a meeting and the meeting had ended. The Lord called this ministers attention to a man across the room and said: “I have asked this man to buy you an airplane”. About that time the man looked across the room at the minister, then turned about and left the room and did not buy the aircraft. A few weeks later that man was dead. No doubt the Lord wanted to bring the blessing of an extended life to that man but the man choose disobedience over obedience, perhaps a love of money, and the consequence was death. Some months later God brought the needed aircraft by another source. Now let’s pickup with this wonderful Bible Study from the Book of Hebrews.
Hebrews 7:26-28 (KJV)
26 For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
27 Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.
28 For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.
Today I will focus mostly on Hebrews 7:28. God through the human author of Hebrews starts this passage telling us that the priests under the law were men with infirmities. On the other hand, this final, eternal High Priest, was and is free of all infirmity. Let’s take a few minutes here and take a look at this word “infirmity”. As we look at it I will present two New Testament verses that will help with our understanding. First let’s look at the definition according to Strong’s Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary. The word “infirmity” from our text is Strong’s Greek number 769 and the root word is number 772. First Strong’s number 769 which means feebleness (mind or body), moral frailty, disease, sickness, or weakness. The root word or the word from which it derives is Strong’s number 772 which means without strength, weak, feeble, impotent, sick, or sickly. The use of the word infirmity can refer to naturally acquired disease or spiritually (evil) aquired impairment.
Luke 8:2 (KJV)
2 And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils,
We see in the preceding verse that this particular woman had evil spirits as well as infirmities (disease, sickness). Now let’s compare this to the following verse.
Luke 13:11 (KJV)
11 And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.
In the case of this woman the evil spirit was the source of the infirmity. Notice how Jesus approached her.
Luke 13:12 (KJV)
12 And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.
I don’t know about you but I see in my mind like a man (evil spirit) on this woman’s back and when Jesus spoke, responding to her faith, that man (evil spirit) fell off and had no grip on her. With that spiritual weight gone she could again stand tall. Notice how the English Standard Version translates this episode.
Luke 13:10-12 (ESV)
10 Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.
11 And behold, there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself.
12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your disability.”
In some way this “disabling spirit” got a foothold in this woman’s’ life causing her to be severely disabled. Jesus had been teaching, she had heard the teaching and His Words caused her to build faith in the Word and in Him and she was healed, the spirit was loosed from her. In the example from Luke 8 there were natural forces at work (the curse unsubdued) and unnatural (spiritual) forces at work. The men who came before Jesus were subject to and in fact suffered from infirmities, both natural and unnatural. Sin accelerates the natural infirmities (hypertension, cancer, and so on) and unnatural are allowed by sin. One might say that they are not in sin yet have infirmities. God is NEVER the problem when we have infirmities in our lives. Also, we are not under the control of the evil one. So, who does that leave? Perhaps we are ignorant and don’t know we can subdue the natural forces at work in the earth (the curse) with the Word of God. Perhaps there is unconfessed sin. Or, perhaps our words are alloyed. I will pick up here tomorrow.
Until our next publication, I speak blessing into your life right now, receive it in the name of Jesus, confess it, and walk it out with thanksgiving.
Numbers 6:24-26 (GW)
24 The LORD will bless you and watch over you.
25 The LORD will smile on you and be kind to you.
26 The LORD will look on you with favor and give you peace.’
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
PARTNERSHIP AND GIVING – Those of you who are not Partners of this Ministry and you find this ministry to be of value to you and perhaps others with whom you share it, we ask you to consider becoming Partners. A Partner is one who prays for the Ministry on a regular basis and contributes to the Ministry on a regular basis (monthly, quarterly, annually). Thank you and may the Lord be pleased with your decision.
CONTACT E-MAIL: pastordavidwood@gmail.com
BLOG: https://awakeariseandtriumphministries.org
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/awakearisetriumphministries
MAILING ADDRESS: 10 Village Green Circle, Oakland, Maine 04963
MY BOOKS: https://awakeariseandtriumphministries.org/shop/
