Oxford Bible Church - Living in the Last Days (audio)

The Bible gives us a number of Pictures of Salvation that prove healing is the Atonement. In this teaching we look at the healing of a leper (Luke 5:12-15). This is the first of 4 Messianic Miracles, which were specific signs of the Messiah. The others are casting out a dumb spirit, healing of a man born blind, and (4) resurrection after 3 days - the sign of Jonah. The special significance and symbolism of Leprosy in the Bible explains why it was a Messianic Miracle. God uses leprosy to teach us about sin. That’s why it was treated differently from all other sicknesses. Leprosy is a picture of sin (Isaiah 1:18), which is why the Bible only talks about the cleansing of a leper. Derek shares all the ways in which leprosy is a picture of sin. The healing of a leper is a picture of Messiah saving us from sin, for we were all spiritual lepers. Since only Messiah can save us from our sin, it was appropriate that only Messiah can cleanse lepers, which is why it was a Messianic Miracle, so when Jesus healed lepers it was a special sign proving He was the Messiah. Derek shows how the healing of the leper in Mark 1:40-44 is a picture of how a sinner receives salvation from the Lord, who is full of compassion for us. 2 chapters are devoted to what the priests should do with lepers. Leviticus 13 told them how to diagnose leprosy. Leviticus 14 told them what to do when a leper was healed. While the priests constantly practiced Leviticus 13, they never practiced Leviticus 14, for no leper was ever healed in Israel! They came to conclude that only Messiah will heal lepers. There was a prescribed Ceremony for leprosy that was ordained in the Leviticus 14, that the priests had to fulfil whenever a leper was healed. When Jesus sent the leper to go to the priests to verify his healing and perform the Ceremony, that was a testimony to them that the Messiah was on the scene. Derek describes this Ceremony which involved 2 BIRDS. It revealed the basis upon which leper was healed (Leviticus 14:1-7). This Ceremony gives us a wonderful picture of the Atonement of Christ. God is declaring that the cleansing and healing of the leper was accomplished through the Atonement. Since leprosy represents both (1) sin and (2) sickness, this Ceremony shows both (1) that we are CLEANSED from SIN, and (2) that we are HEALED from SICKNESS through the ATONEMENT of Christ. This confirms that Healing is in the Atonement. Healing from sickness and cleansing from sin is only possible through Christ's Atonement - that is what the ceremonial Law of the Leper proclaimed.

God dealt with SIN and SICKNESS in the same way, because they are connected together. Likewise, FORGIVENESS and HEALING often go together in the Bible, which is consistent in declaring that Jesus bore our sins and our sicknesses on the Cross (Psalm 103:1-3, Isaiah 53:3-5,10-12, 1Peter 2:24). Sin and sickness belong together, because sickness is part of the curse of sin, so Jesus had to deal with them together. Jesus was (1) made sin with our sinfulness, so that we might be made the righteousness of God, and also (2) He was made sick with our sicknesses, so that we might live in Divine Health. Jesus came to give us a full salvation of abundant and eternal life, so on the Cross He did not just pay for our forgiveness, He also paid for our abundant life (which includes health). He had to overcome our sin, and its curse (sickness), if He was to accomplish a perfect work of Atonement on the Cross (Galatians 3:13-14). Sin and sickness are connected together by their very nature, and so there is no remedy for either sin or sickness except for the Cross. When Jesus said on the Cross: “It is finished!” = “Paid in Full” (John 19:30), He declared that He has paid for our forgiveness and our healing. Both Forgiveness and Healing come to us on the same basis - the Atonement of Christ. One application of this is that our ability to receive healing depends on how close we walk with the Lord, which requires us receiving His forgiveness and cleansing (James 5:14-16). To understand the dynamics of how this works, Derek explains the difference between Positional or Relationship Truth, which is unconditional, and Experiential or Fellowship Truth, which is conditional, and operates according to the principle of reciprocity. Derek shares examples in the Bible of forgiveness and healing going together (Luke 5:22-25, Mark 5:34, John 5:14). Finally, he shows that there is one sin above all others that will prevent you from receiving from God - unforgiveness (Mark 11:24-26, Matthew 6:12, 18:34-35). Forgive them from the heart (from your will), that is, make it your quality decision to forgive them (Matthew 18:35). Pull all bitterness out of your heart by its roots!

The foundation for our faith to receive our healing is the very same foundation as for receiving our forgiveness – the Atonement of Christ. Because Jesus died for all of our sins, therefore forgiveness is available to all of us. In the same way, Jesus died for all our sicknesses, so healing is available for all of us (Psalm 103:1-3, Isaiah 53:4-6, Matthew 8:16-17, 1Peter 2:24). Jesus took the CURSE of SICKNESS for us on the Cross, so that the BLESSING of HEALING might be released to us in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:13-14). Healing is a covenant benefit that belongs to us in Christ. Knowing that healing is in the Atonement settles the issue of God’s will to heal, and so provides a firm foundation of faith for you to receive your healing, as faith begins when the will of God is known. One of the greatest proofs that Healing is in the Atonement is in Exodus 15:22-26, when God revealed His Covenant Name, His unchanging nature: Jehovah Rophe (the Lord is our Healer), at the Waters of Marah. Exodus 15 gives one of the great pictures of healing in the Atonement: (1) God reveals WHO He is – He is our Healer, (2) He also reveals HOW He heals us – through a TREE (a picture of the Cross). "Himself bore our SINS in His own body on the TREE - by whose stripes you were HEALED" (1Peter 2:24). God demonstrated He is our Healer, by healing all of Israel from sickness through a TREE. The bitter waters of Marah represent the bitter waters of humanity because of sin. The waters of the human heart and body have been made bitter (SICK) and need healing. God’s remedy for this sickness was a divinely ordained TREE (a picture of Christ on the Cross), which was cast into the bitter waters (Christ was sent into the waters of humanity), and it made those waters sweet. The TREE soaked up all the bitterness in the waters and released sweetness. Likewise JESUS on the Cross took on Himself all the bitterness (sins and sicknesses) of humanity, and released the sweetness of healing to us. When you receive the atoning work of the Cross by faith into the bitter waters of your heart and body, then your bitterness and sickness is taken away by the Cross, and it releases to you the sweetness of healing. SEE Jesus and RECEIVE your healing. Receive the TREE (Christ’s atoning work) into the bitter waters of your heart and body. Let Jesus soak up your sickness of soul and body and let Him release His sweet healing power into you. Receive His words, as He says to you: "I am the LORD your HEALER."

Healing (along with forgiveness) is God's will for His people (Psalm 103:3). This is made clear from the fact that healing is in the Atonement. The book of Isaiah is the Mount Everest of Bible Prophecy and Isaiah 53 is the peak - being the greatest prophetic proclamation of the Atonement of Christ, which makes it abundantly clear that physical healing is in the Atonement, as well as forgiveness of sins. Both forgiveness and healing are purchased for us through the Blood of Christ, and made freely available for us to receive by faith. We study Isaiah 53 to demonstrate this truth, as well as its confirmation in the New Testament, when it quotes from Isaiah 53 in reference to healing (Matthew 8:16-17, 1Peter 2:24). In the same way that Jesus bore all our sins on the Cross, He also bore our sicknesses. He paid the price for us to be both fully forgiven and fully healed. Just as forgiveness has been purchased for us and is now freely offered to us by God on the basis of the Atonement (Blood) of Christ, for us to receive by faith, so likewise, healing has been purchased for us and is now freely offered to us by God through His atoning Blood, for us to receive by faith. Therefore, physical and emotional healing and health is God’s will for all His children. He wants us all to believe that, and to come to Him in faith to receive our forgiveness and healing.

In Nahum 3, God spells out the righteous reasons for His total judgement of Nineveh, including her constant cruelty, harlotry, sorcery, deception, robbery and slavery. We explain her sin of harlotry as leading nations into greater idolatry and worship of false gods, and how it relates to the harlot sitting on the beast in Revelation 17. God describes His judgement on Assyria in terms of the Babylonian custom of the time of humiliating and disgracing a harlot by uncovering her in public, so that men would no longer be captivated and seduced by her. Likewise, God declared that He would remove His covering of protection over Assyria, so that her apparently strong defences will quickly evaporate before His invading armies, in order that her harlot religion would be exposed to all as corrupt and empty, and all her gods, goddesses, and occultism as powerless before God, so that they would turn from the Assyrian gods and idols, and instead worship and serve the living God.

Nahum's vivid description of his vision of the fall of Nineveh gives a blow by blow account of the sequence of events, including the flood of water, which breached her walls and made her destruction inevitable. We explore the execution of a just war, and why it is right for God to judge evil. We see how the proclamation of Good News that the Divine Warrior has triumphed, resulting in peace for His people (1:15), is a picture of the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Isaiah 52:7), that through His death and resurrection, He has judged and defeated our enemies (sin, satan, and death), so that we can live in peace forever.

Nahum gave detailed description of how Nineveh would be completely destroyed, including the special role of a flood of water and a consuming fire. We see how the historical records and archaeology confirm that Nahum's prophecy was fulfilled exactly. We also see that one major reason for God's judgement upon Assyria was that her kings set themselves and conspired against the Lord and His people, and that, in this and other ways, Assyria represents the rising satanic end-time world-empire, which the antichrist will ultimately control.

God reveals Himself as the Divine Warrior, the Lord of nature, moving in irresistible judgement against Nineveh, through a vivid poetic description. Although He is slow to anger, He will by no means acquit the guilty, and when His anger is aroused and released there is no escape. But He is always reaching out to save those who put their trust in Him. He knows who belongs to Him, and He will be their stronghold in the day of trouble. He will protect them and His wrath will not fall upon them.

An overview of the Book of Nahum and its relevance to our time. Nahum is the sequel to Jonah. Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, had repented when Jonah warned them that the Lord would destroy their city. As a result God had mercy on Assyria. But after a time, Assyria returned to her evil ways, and in 655 BC God's patience finally ran out. Through His prophet Nahum, the Lord declared that He would bring the Assyrian Empire to a final end, through the total destruction of its great capital city. Even though the Assyrian Empire was still at the height of her power, Nahum described the total destruction of Nineveh in great detail. About 40 years later in 612 BC, the prophecy was perfectly fulfilled when Nineveh was destroyed by the Medes and Babylonians.

We see how God used a plant as a covering to show Jonah the contrast between being covered and uncovered, so that he could develop a heart of compassion for the people of Nineveh. We consider the evidence that shows God was successful in this, and that Jonah wrote his book for Israel to learn from his experiences. We then see how the whole story of Jonah is a wonderful type of Christ, in His death, burial and resurrection, followed by the Gospel going forth to the Gentiles. Also we discuss how Jonah helps us to reconcile the chronologies of Assyria and the Biblical Scriptures.