What does it mean God sent His Word and healed them? He sent His Word and healed them is often quoted and used for the healing of sickness. But does Psalm 107:20 only refers to physical healing or does it refer to more than that?
The fools, who were afflicted because of their transgression and iniquities
Fools because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted. Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat; and they draw near unto the gates of death. Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses. He sent His word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. Oh that men would praise the Lordfor his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing (Zaburi 107:17-22)
Zaburi 107:17-22 is about fools, who are afflicted because of their transgression (dhambi) and their iniquities. Who are fools? Fools are those, who don’t have a fear for God and turn against God and His Word and keep walking in sins and iniquities and therefore are sinners, au kwa maneno mengine, wicked. The wicked have the ability to repent and turn from their wicked ways, but they don’t want to because they love doing the works of the flesh (dhambi).
For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him: I hid Me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart.
I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners. I create the fruit of the lips; Amani, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, asema Bwana; and I will heal him.
But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked (Isaya 57:17-21)
The fools aka the wicked live under the authority of the devil in the oppression of the death and are tormented in their soul. They have no peace in their heart, but live in fear and are on their way to eternal death.
They are always looking for ways and methods to get rid of the torment in their souls and their fears and experience rest and peace in their lives
But this peace, which is obtained with the use of (natural) technics and methods is only temporary and shall not be able to redeem man from their fears and deliver them from death.
God sent His word through His prophets
And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, Kusema, Go unto this people, na kusema, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear It (Matendo 28:25-28, see also Isaiah 6:9-10, Mathayo 13:13-15, Yohana 12:39-41)
Katika Agano la Kale, God sent His word many times by His prophets, to turn the fools aka the wicked from their wicked ways and restore them (heal them) with God.
Mara nyingi, God called His people to repent from their vain walk that caused apostasy and led to oppression, Utumwa, and captivity. But the people were rebellious and stubborn and didn’t listen to the words of God and didn’t obey His words, but rejected the words of God and trusted their own insight.
God healed His people and the land, when the people repented
Njoo, 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. After two days will He revive us: in the third day He will raise us up, and we shall live in His sight. Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord (Hosea 6:1-3)
But every time the people called on God in their trouble and repented and turned to God, God heard the cry of His people and sent His word and healed them.
God sent His saviours to deliver His people from the hand of their enemies and to save them from their trouble, affliction, and/or captivity and restore (ponya) the land or deliver the people and led them back to their land. And so God healed His people and the land (Oh. 2 Mambo ya Nyakati 15, Nehemia 9:26-31).
What does the word ‘râphâ’ maana?
The word ‘‘râphâ’ (H7495) means a.o., uponyaji, recover, make whole, repair, waganga.
The word ‘healing’ refers to many more things than just the sickness of the human body.
God healed (and still heals) watu wengi, who were sick, but God healed (and still heals) so much more by His word. God healed through His word that was spoken by His prophets, the water, the land, the soul, Watu wake (Mkusanyiko), the wicked sinful state (uchafu) of His people, na kadhalika. (Oh. 2 Wafalme 2:21-22, 2 Mambo ya Nyakati 7:14; 30:170-20, Zaburi 41:4, Isaya 6:9-10;19:22; 57:18-19, Yeremia 3:22, Ezekieli 47:8, Hosea 6:1; 7:1.
God sent His Word and healed them
Mimin the beginning was the Word, Neno alikuwa pamoja na Mungu, Neno alikuwa Mungu. Ndivyo ilivyokuwa mwanzoni mwa Mungu. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; Maisha yalikuwa nuru ya wanadamu. Na nuru huangaza katika giza; na giza halikuelewa kuwa.
Kulikuwa na mtu aliyetumwa kutoka kwa Mungu, ambaye jina lake lilikuwa Yohana. Vile vile vilikuja kwa shahidi, kushuhudia Nuru, ili watu wote wapate kuamini kwa yeye. Hakuwa Nuru hiyo, bali alitumwa kushuhudia ile nuru.
That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. Alikuwa katika ulimwengu, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, Aliwapa uwezo wa kuwa wana wa Mungu, even to them that believe on his name: ambao walizaliwa, Sio kwa damu, wala kwa mapenzi ya mwili, wala mapenzi ya mwanadamu, Lakini kwa Mungu.
Neno alifanyika mwili, na kukaa miongoni mwetu, (Nasi tukauona utukufu wake, Utukufu kama wa mzaliwa pekee wa Baba,) Neema na ukweli (Yohana 1:1-14)
Hatimaye, God sent His Word to heal (restore) the separation between God and man and the position of fallen man, whereby the promise of God was fulfilled to restore (ponya) mankind and make them whole, and return the dominion that God originally had given to man when He created them, to the (new) mtu (Oh. Mwanzo 3:15, Ezekieli 11:19-20; 36:25-29 (Soma pia: ‘Amani ambayo Yesu alirudisha kati ya mwanadamu aliyeanguka na Mungu‘ na ‘Yesu arudisha nafasi ya mtu aliyeanguka‘).
Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on Me, believeth not on Me, but on Him that sent Me. And he that seeth Me seeth Him that sent Me. I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on Me should not abide in darkness. Mtu yeyote akisikia maneno yangu, na usiamini, Mimi kuhukumu yake si: Kwa maana sikuja kuhukumu ulimwengu, Lakini ili kuokoa ulimwengu. He that rejecteth Me, and receiveth not My words, hath one that judgeth him: neno ambalo nimesema, hao ndio watakaomhukumu siku ya mwisho. Kwa maana sikunena kwa nafsi yangu; but the Father which sent Me, Alinipa amri, niseme nini, na kile ninachopaswa kuzungumza. Nami najua ya kuwa amri yake ni uzima wa milele: basi chochote nisemacho, kama vile Baba alivyoniambia, so I speak (Yohana 12:44-50)
God sent His Son Jesus Christ, the Living Word of God and Saviour of mankind, to the earth to deliver mankind from destruction.
Jesus came to deliver mankind from the power of the devil (oppressor, afflicter) dhambi, Uovu, and death and save mankind from hell (hades), and heal fallen man, au kwa maneno mengine, to restore the righteous state and position of fallen man and reconcile man back to God.
A person can only be saved from eternal destruction and escape hell (hades) if a person believes the Word and repent and is delivered by Jesus Christ; the Word and is restored (kuponywa) from his fallen state and be made whole , and by the blood of Jesus Christ and the resurrection of the spirit from the dead, is reconciled with God.
Jesus preached the Kingdom of God and called the people to repentance. Jesus came first for the lost sheep of the house of Israel and healed all, who were oppressed by the devil, by preaching the Kingdom of God, Wito kwa watu kutubu, forgiving their sins, healing the sick, Kutupa nje ya mapepo, na kadhalika. (Oh. Mathayo 9:12-13; 15:24, Luka 4:18-19; 5:32, Matendo 10:38-39)
Kwa njia ya Yesu Kristo, the Word and Saviour, and His redemptive work man is healed
And finally, Jesus finished the perfect work of redemption for mankind, by taking the place of fallen man on the cross.
Jesus carried the sins of the world, which the Father had laid upon Him, and because of that Jesus entered hell (hades), where Jesus conquered the death and rose as a Victor from the dead with the keys of hell and death (Soma pia ‘Kusulubishwa kwa roho‘, ‘Kusulubiwa kwa mwili‘ na ‘Maana halisi ya msalaba‘).
Jesus had finished the redemptive work and gave, na bado inatoa, to everyone the ability to be delivered from the power of the devil and sin and death, by faith and regeneration in Him; the death of the flesh and the resurrection of the spirit from the dead and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus restored man, au kwa maneno mengine, Jesus healed man completely; Roho, nafsi, na mwili. God restored His breath of life in the new man through His Holy Spirit.
The new man is born of God and is healed (made whole) in Jesus Christ and is delivered from the power of the devil and sin and death and saved from eternal destruction!
And so God sent His Word and healed them.
‘Kuweni chumvi ya dunia’
