A Glimpse – The Gambia

Is anyone among you sick Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.

Healing, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual, is something everyone seeks at some point in life. In times of suffering, pain, or brokenness, the Bible offers comfort, hope, and promises of restoration. God is described as the Great Healer who mends our wounds and brings wholeness to every aspect of our lives. Scripture reminds us of God’s ability to restore not just the body, but also the heart, soul, and mind.

Here are seven Bible verses that speak to God’s healing power and offer encouragement for those in need of restoration.

1. Jeremiah 30:17
“But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds, declares the Lord.”

God’s promise in this verse is one of restoration. No matter how deep the wound or how severe the brokenness, God assures His people that He will bring healing. This verse serves as a reminder that nothing is too far gone for God to repair. His desire is to bring health and wholeness to His children, both physically and spiritually.

2. Psalm 147:3
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”

While physical healing is important, God also tends to the brokenness in our hearts. When we feel crushed by life’s circumstances or overwhelmed by grief, He is near, offering comfort and healing. He binds up the wounds that no one else can see, restoring our inner peace.

3. James 5:14-15
“Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up.”

God invites His people to seek healing through prayer and the support of the community of believers. The act of calling on others to pray in faith demonstrates a trust in God’s ability to heal. This scripture reassures us that God hears and responds to prayers offered in faith.

4. Isaiah 53:5
“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.”

Through Christ’s suffering and death, spiritual healing is made possible for all. His wounds bring us salvation, and in that salvation, we find the ultimate healing for our souls. This verse serves as a reminder of the eternal healing that comes through Christ’s sacrifice.

5. Exodus 15:26
“He said, ‘If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.'”

God reveals Himself as “Jehovah Rapha,” meaning “the Lord who heals.” This verse underscores God’s power and desire to bring healing to His people. It is a reminder that God not only heals, but He also protects and preserves His people when they walk in obedience to His word.

6. Matthew 11:28-30
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

True healing is found in coming to Him. When life’s burdens become overwhelming, Jesus offers rest and restoration for the soul. His gentleness and compassion bring peace and relief to those who are weary, making Him the source of ultimate healing for our emotional and spiritual struggles.

7. 1 Peter 2:24
“He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.”

Through Jesus’s death and resurrection, we are offered new life, free from the bondage of sin. The healing referred to here is both spiritual and physical, pointing to the completeness of the restoration that Jesus offers.

Conclusion

Healing is a multifaceted process that touches every aspect of our being—our bodies, minds, hearts, and spirits. These verses remind us of God’s deep care and His promise to heal us in every way. Whether we are seeking relief from physical illness, emotional pain, or spiritual brokenness, the Bible assures us that God is the Great Healer, and His power is available to those who seek Him.

The Altar for Burning Incense

(Exodus 37.25-28)

1 “Make an altar out of acacia wood, for burning incense. 2 It is to be square, 18 inches long and 18 inches wide, and it is to be 36 inches high. Its projections at the four corners are to form one piece with it. 3 Cover its top, all four sides, and its projections with pure gold, and put a gold border around it. 4 Make two gold carrying rings for it and attach them below the border on two sides to hold the poles with which it is to be carried. 5 Make these poles of acacia wood and cover them with gold. 6 Put this altar outside the curtain which hangs in front of the Covenant Box. That is the place where I will meet you. 7 Every morning when Aaron comes to take care of the lamps, he is to burn sweet-smelling incense on it. 8 He must do the same when he lights the lamps in the evening. This offering of incense is to continue without interruption for all time to come. 9 Do not offer on this altar any forbidden incense, any animal offering, or any grain offering, and do not pour out any wine offering on it. 10 Once a year Aaron is to perform the ritual for purifying the altar by putting on its four projections the blood of the animal sacrificed for sin. This is to be done every year for all time to come. This altar is to be completely holy, dedicated to me, the Lord.”

The Tax for the Tent of the Lord's Presence

11 The Lord said to Moses, 12 “When you take a census of the people of Israel, each man is to pay me a price for his life, so that no disaster will come on him while the census is being taken. 13 Everyone included in the census must pay the required amount of money, weighed according to the official standard. Everyone must pay this as an offering to me. 14 Everyone being counted in the census, that is, every man twenty years old or older, is to pay me this amount. 15 The rich man is not to pay more, nor the poor man less, when they pay this amount for their lives. 16 Collect this money from the people of Israel and spend it for the upkeep of the Tent of my presence. This tax will be the payment for their lives, and I will remember to protect them.”

The Bronze Basin

17 The Lord said to Moses, 18 “Make a bronze basin with a bronze base. Place it between the Tent and the altar, and put water in it. 19 Aaron and his sons are to use the water to wash their hands and feet 20 before they go into the Tent or approach the altar to offer the food offering. Then they will not be killed. 21 They must wash their hands and feet, so that they will not die. This is a rule which they and their descendants are to observe forever.”

The Anointing Oil

22 The Lord said to Moses, 23 “Take the finest spices—12 pounds of liquid myrrh, 6 pounds of sweet-smelling cinnamon, 6 pounds of sweet-smelling cane, 24 and 12 pounds of cassia (all weighed according to the official standard). Add one gallon of olive oil, 25 and make a sacred anointing oil, mixed like perfume. 26 Use it to anoint the Tent of my presence, the Covenant Box, 27 the table and all its equipment, the lampstand and its equipment, the altar for burning incense, 28 the altar for burning offerings, together with all its equipment, and the washbasin with its base. 29 Dedicate these things in this way, and they will be completely holy, and anyone or anything that touches them will be harmed by the power of its holiness. 30 Then anoint Aaron and his sons, and ordain them as priests in my service. 31 Say to the people of Israel, ‘This holy anointing oil is to be used in my service for all time to come. 32 It must not be poured on ordinary men, and you must not use the same formula to make any mixture like it. It is holy, and you must treat it as holy. 33 Whoever makes any like it or uses any of it on anyone who is not a priest will no longer be considered one of my people.’”

The Incense

34 The Lord said to Moses, “Take an equal part of each of the following sweet spices—stacte, onycha, galbanum, and pure frankincense. 35 Use them to make incense, mixed like perfume. Add salt to keep it pure and holy. 36 Beat part of it into a fine powder, take it into the Tent of my presence, and sprinkle it in front of the Covenant Box. Treat this incense as completely holy. 37 Do not use the same formula to make any incense like it for yourselves. Treat it as a holy thing dedicated to me. 38 If anyone makes any like it for use as perfume, he will no longer be considered one of my people.”

Description de l’autel des parfums et de la cuve d’airain

V. 1-10: cf. Ex 37:25-28. Ap 8:3, Ap 4.

1 Tu feras un autel pour brûler des parfums, tu le feras de bois d’acacia; 2 sa longueur sera d’une coudée, et sa largeur d’une coudée; il sera carré, et sa hauteur sera de deux coudées. Tu feras des cornes qui sortiront de l’autel. 3 Tu le couvriras d’or pur, le dessus, les côtés tout autour et les cornes, et tu y feras une bordure d’or tout autour. 4 Tu feras au-dessous de la bordure deux anneaux d’or aux deux côtés; tu en mettras aux deux côtés, pour recevoir les barres qui serviront à le porter. 5 Tu feras les barres de bois d’acacia, et tu les couvriras d’or. 6 Tu placeras l’autel en face du voile qui est devant l’arche du témoignage, en face du propitiatoire qui est sur le témoignage, et où je me rencontrerai avec toi. 7 Aaron y fera brûler du parfum odoriférant; il en fera brûler chaque matin, lorsqu’il préparera les lampes; 8 il en fera brûler aussi entre les deux soirs, lorsqu’il arrangera les lampes. C’est ainsi que l’on brûlera à perpétuité du parfum devant l’Éternel parmi vos descendants. 9 Vous n’offrirez sur l’autel ni parfum étranger, ni holocauste, ni offrande, et vous n’y répandrez aucune libation. 10 Une fois chaque année, Aaron fera des expiations sur les cornes de l’autel; avec le sang de la victime expiatoire, il y sera fait des expiations une fois chaque année parmi vos descendants. Ce sera une chose très sainte devant l’Éternel.

V. 11-16: cf. (Ex 38:25-28. 2 Ch 24:5-14.) 1 Pi 1:18, 19.

11 L’Éternel parla à Moïse, et dit: 12 Lorsque tu compteras les enfants d’Israël pour en faire le dénombrement, chacun d’eux paiera à l’Éternel le rachat de sa personne, afin qu’ils ne soient frappés d’aucune plaie lors de ce dénombrement. 13 Voici ce que donneront tous ceux qui seront compris dans le dénombrement: un demi-sicle, selon le sicle du sanctuaire, qui est de vingt guéras; un demi-sicle sera le don prélevé pour l’Éternel. 14 Tout homme compris dans le dénombrement, depuis l’âge de vingt ans et au-dessus, paiera le don prélevé pour l’Éternel. 15 Le riche ne paiera pas plus, et le pauvre ne paiera pas moins d’un demi-sicle, comme don prélevé pour l’Éternel, afin de racheter leurs personnes. 16 Tu recevras des enfants d’Israël l’argent du rachat, et tu l’appliqueras au travail de la tente d’assignation; ce sera pour les enfants d’Israël un souvenir devant l’Éternel pour le rachat de leurs personnes.

V. 17-21: cf. (Ex 38:8; 40:30-32.) (Ps 26:6. 1 Ti 2:8. Hé 10:22.)

17 L’Éternel parla à Moïse, et dit: 18 Tu feras une cuve d’airain, avec sa base d’airain, pour les ablutions; tu la placeras entre la tente d’assignation et l’autel, et tu y mettras de l’eau, 19 avec laquelle Aaron et ses fils se laveront les mains et les pieds. 20 Lorsqu’ils entreront dans la tente d’assignation, ils se laveront avec cette eau, afin qu’ils ne meurent point; et aussi lorsqu’ils s’approcheront de l’autel, pour faire le service et pour offrir des sacrifices à l’Éternel. 21 Ils se laveront les mains et les pieds, afin qu’ils ne meurent point. Ce sera une loi perpétuelle pour Aaron, pour ses fils et pour leurs descendants.

Composition de l’huile sainte et du parfum

V. 22-38: cf. Ex 37:29Ex 40:9-16.

22 L’Éternel parla à Moïse, et dit: 23 Prends des meilleurs aromates, cinq cents sicles de myrrhe, de celle qui coule d’elle-même; la moitié, soit deux cent cinquante sicles, de cinnamome aromatique, deux cent cinquante sicles de roseau aromatique, 24 cinq cents sicles de casse, selon le sicle du sanctuaire, et un hin d’huile d’olive. 25 Tu feras avec cela une huile pour l’onction sainte, composition de parfums selon l’art du parfumeur; ce sera l’huile pour l’onction sainte. 26 Tu en oindras la tente d’assignation et l’arche du témoignage, 27 la table et tous ses ustensiles, le chandelier et ses ustensiles, l’autel des parfums, 28 l’autel des holocaustes et tous ses ustensiles, la cuve avec sa base. 29 Tu sanctifieras ces choses, et elles seront très saintes, tout ce qui les touchera sera sanctifié. 30 Tu oindras Aaron et ses fils, et tu les sanctifieras, pour qu’ils soient à mon service dans le sacerdoce. 31 Tu parleras aux enfants d’Israël, et tu diras: Ce sera pour moi l’huile de l’onction sainte, parmi vos descendants. 32 On n’en répandra point sur le corps d’un homme, et vous n’en ferez point de semblable, dans les mêmes proportions; elle est sainte, et vous la regarderez comme sainte. 33 Quiconque en composera de semblable, ou en mettra sur un étranger, sera retranché de son peuple. 34 L’Éternel dit à Moïse: Prends des aromates, du stacté, de l’ongle odorant, du galbanum, et de l’encens pur, en parties égales. 35 Tu feras avec cela un parfum composé selon l’art du parfumeur; il sera salé, pur et saint. 36 Tu le réduiras en poudre, et tu le mettras devant le témoignage, dans la tente d’assignation, où je me rencontrerai avec toi. Ce sera pour vous une chose très sainte. 37 Vous ne ferez point pour vous de parfum semblable, dans les mêmes proportions; vous le regarderez comme saint, et réservé pour l’Éternel. 38 Quiconque en fera de semblable, pour le sentir, sera retranché de son peuple.

Exodus 30