SOZO - Why Doesn't God Always Heal
March 30, 2025Pastor Patrick presented today's message, "SOZO - Why Doesn't God Always Heal." A video of today's message is here on YouTube.
First, here are some related notes from March 20, 2022.
"Sufficient grace" (2 Corinthians 12:9) is usually stated with the word "favor" in the Torah. For example, Genesis 6:8, "Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord" and Exodus 33:17 (God to Moses), "I will do this very thing you have asked, for you have found favor in My sight, and I know you by name."
The Hebrew word used for favor/grace is khane (חֵן). From Strong's Lexicon: "The Hebrew word "khane" primarily denotes grace or favor. It is often used to describe the unmerited favor or kindness that one receives from another, particularly from God. In the Old Testament, "khane" is frequently associated with God's graciousness towards humanity, as well as the favor that individuals find in the eyes of others. In ancient Hebrew culture, "khane" was a significant concept that underscored the relational aspect of God's covenant with His people. It was understood as a divine attribute that was not earned but given freely. The idea of grace was central to the Israelites' understanding of their relationship with God, who chose them as His people not because of their merit but because of His gracious love."
At the end of the service, Patrick noted that some of the Prayer Partners available during the last song and through to the end of the service would have Anointing Oil available. Well that's intersting! I don't remember the last time anointing oil was used in a Protestant service I attended. It's more common in Catholic services and, interestingly, Mormon services. The recipe for anointing oil is given in Exodus 30:22-25, "Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Take the following fine spices: 500 shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much (that is, 250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels of fragrant calamus, 500 shekels of cassia — all according to the sanctuary shekel and a hin of olive oil. Make these into a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer. It will be the sacred anointing oil.'" This translates to about:
12.5 pounds of myrrh (a gum-resin)
6.25 pounds of cinnamon
6.25 pounds of calamus (grass-like plant with medicinal properties)
12.5 pounds of cassia (a stronger/thicker cinnamon)
1 gallon of olive oil
This amount was intended to anoint the Tabernacle and Aaron and his sons (the priesthood) to follow "for generations to come." In other words, it should last a very long time.
The Old Testament makes it quite clear that God's ways are often not understandable:
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9)
"He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted." (Job 5:9)
"Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit." (Psalm 147:5)
As one writer put it, "understanding God's ways is impossible for finite minds." Another way to put it is "God's ways are inscrutable (unsearchable; incapable of being searched into and understood by inquiry or study; impossible or difficult to be explained or accounted for satisfactorily; obscure; incomprehensible).
Bonus
Apologetics (Update)
This is an update to last week's Bonus3: Apologetics.
At our Family Dinner last Saturday, I introduced the term and field of Apologetics. The activity for tonight was to list all the criticisms of Christianity that the kids (and adults) could think of and/or had experienced. Pictured below is what we came up with. We'll start dealing with these issues next week.
- If "God is Love," why is there a Hell?
- Why do bad things happen to good people?
- There are bad Christians.
- Science and religion conflict, e.g. Creation
- How can one believe in something not real?
- Bible morality: abuse? stoning? wars? conquer Promised Land? Killing first born?
- Why no 2nd coming yet?
- Why send Jesus to die?
- Morals conflict with today's society.
- Patriarchal?
- Approved of slavery.
- Wiped out mankind (The Flood).
- Destroyed everyone in Sodom and Gomorrah.
Bonus2
Passover Seder is Coming Up
"The oldest and greatest of all holidays," Dennis Prager.
We asked the kids last week if they wanted to do a Passover (Pesach, פֶסַח) Seder again this year. This'll be the 4th, I think. We got a rousing YES! The only concern was "Do we have to wait as long for dinner again?" Yes, is the answer, but we'll do our best to keep it moving...
This year, the Jewish Passover Seder date is April 12 (and 13, if outside Israel). We generally have our Seder on a reasonable Saturday close to the Jewish day. This year April 12 is a Saturday, so done! Maundy Thursday would also be an appropriate day as the Upper Room event was most likely a Passover celebration. For Christians, any time one is studying the Exodus would be a good time, too.
While the event may seem daunting at first (prepare an entire meal with all kinds of parts! and go through an entire book of material! and it lasts how long! and some of the food is bitter on purpose!), there are plenty of materials out there that will guide you right through it. Just search up "Passover Seder instructions" or the like. Passover Seders have become popular enough for Christians that there are such guides as well, such as A Very Basic Christian Passover Seder Guide.
What follows are excerpts from previous Bonuses about the Passover Seder:
Perhaps you've been invited to a Jewish Passover Seder! Congrats, you'll love it. If you know very little about a Seder event, you may want to read up on a few etiquette issues. See these two articles: Seder Etiquette and Seder for Non-Jews. One thing I didn't find covered in the Seder-etiquette articles I reviewed, though I do remember reading it somewhere... Don't wear jewelry or clothes symbolic of other religions to a Jewish-hosted Seder. For example, Christians, leave your cross jewelry at home. It's an etiquette thing, you're not denouncing your Christianity; your host probably knows full well you're a Christian. You're simply not needlessly being provocative toward your host. Of course, for our Seder with all Christians present, this need not apply.
We were recently reminded of a fun movie about a dysfunctional family having a Passover Seder. It's called When Do We Eat and is a pretty funny little romp through a crazy Seder experience. The Torah, as you know, is replete with dysfunctional families. Here's a chance to have a little fun, don't take it too seriously, and pick up on a few Seder and Jewish tidbits. Another little kick... one of the producers is a company called "Pictures from the Fringe" with a background image of the fringes/tassles on Jewish clothing, called tzitzit (pronounced tzeetzeet). These fringes are there to be a constant reminder to follow God's instructions.
The Seder is written totally in the first person for the participants. "We" were brought out of Egypt, "we" were slaves, etc.; not "they" were brought out. This is so we identify personally with the event and what was done for us. Gratitutde!
The point of the Seder ritual is to remember history and be grateful. Without your history, you aren't anything. Who would you be without your memories, your history. You certainly wouldn't be "you." As for gratitude... it's one of man's pinnacle attributes that is necessary for happiness.
Where is Passover described in the Torah?
- Exodus 12, the 10th plague in Egypt
- Leviticus 23:4-8, the Festival of Passover
- Deuteronomy 16:1-8, the Festival of Passover
Check out this PragerU 5-minute video about Passover, here.
Who, surprisingly, is not mentioned in the Passover Seder? Moses! Lest he become worshipped. This would be like George Washington not being mentioned in a 4th of July remembrance! No one knows where Moses is buried, either, for the same reason. BTW, Moses was denied entry to the Promised Land not because he hit the rock to get water. Do you know why God didn't allow Moses into the Holy Land? See Numbers 20:7-11 and Deuteronomy 32:51–52.
We also do a 4th of July Seder. Just as the Israelites remembered the Exodus via the ritual described above, the Passover Seder, we as Americans should ritualize our remembrance of what makes this country so great. To that end, why not have a 4th of July Seder! Here are some documents that can help you easily put together such a Seder so you and your family can spend 10-20 minutes actually remembering the true meaning of this holiday. Ours included a rousing chorus of "God Bless America!" (The flag at left is the 15-star Fort McHenry Flag.)
The Case for a 4th of July Seder by Alan Burdick and Eliza Byard.
Do This for 10 Minutes on the Fourth of July by Dennis Prager (the Seder progam).
Lyrics to "God Bless America" (can be printed and cut so everyone gets a copy).
Signable Declaration of Independence (everyone signs at the end).
4th of July Seder by PragerU (the program).
Reader's Questions (for the PragerU program to be given to the readers).