As Isaiah went on to describe the condition of Judah and Jerusalem, he asked, “Why should ye be stricken any more?” (See Isaiah 1:5) These were God’s children. He loved them, and therefore He chastened them. But they did not repent. Jeremiah 2:30a says, “In vain have I smitten your children; they received no correction.”
Instead of repenting, God’s people revolted. They resisted God’s chastening, and God allowed them to suffer the consequences of their own actions. Jeremiah 2:30 finishes thus, “your own sword hath devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion.” Isaiah goes on to describe the state of God’s people, “…the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.” (Isaiah 1:5b,6) The body and the mind and the heart were all sick. There was no soundness in them. They were full of bruises, wounds, and putrefying sores. There was gangrenous decay, morally and spiritually, and it stank in God’s sight.
Judah and Jerusalem were not in this condition because there was no remedy. The remedy was available. Jeremiah said, “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) Their health was not recovered because no one had applied the remedy. The wounds had not been cleaned and closed up. No one had poured in the oil and wine. No one had applied the healing ointment or bound up the wounds. Therefore, there was no healing. Because they did not look for help to the One who had smitten them in chastisement, there was no healing. The wounds and decay became worse and worse. God was ready to help them, but they were not willing to accept. The people and the country suffered the consequences of their rebellion.
The remedy could have easily been applied. Hosea pleaded, “Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.” (Hosea 6:1) Jeremiah describes this remedy more fully in Lamentations 3:31-36, “31) For the Lord will not cast off for ever: 32) But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies. 33) For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men. 34) To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth, 35) To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the most High, 36) To subvert a man in his cause, the Lord approveth not.” If a people suffer in their rebellion, it is not because the remedy is unavailable. God has compassion according to the multitude of His mercies. He is able to heal them and bind them up. There is a balm in Gilead and it is freely available to be applied to all who seek the Great Physician there.
Look at the USA, our own land. Do we see soundness - soundness of mind? soundness of heart? soundness of spirit? soundness of body? Why not? Could it be because we have failed to apply the remedy. There is, even for our nation, a balm in Gilead, and we can seek to the Great Physician, Almighty God, to clean up our wounds and apply the healing ointment and bind them up. We can turn again to the LORD and look to Him for healing. Therein is our help found.