THE SABBATH DAY HEALINGS OF JESUS OF NAZARETH (Continued)

HEALING OF WOMAN WITH A SPIRIT OF INFIRMITY

Scripture Reading: Luke 13:10-17; Ruth

^{10　And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath.}

^{11　And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.}

^{12　And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.}

^{13　And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.}

^{14　And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day.}

^{15　The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?}

^{16　And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?}

^{17　And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.}

     The scene is a woman bound with a spirit of infirmity whose condition reflects that of the nation. For 18 years, calling notice to the use of multiples of the number 6, the number of man. Fallen, carnal, helpless man. Again, human effort is useless in correcting the situation and an evil demon causing infirmity goes unchecked. Jesus Christ of Nazareth, Living Word made Flesh and with endued Ability would set her free.

     The term infirmity means want of strength, weakness, infirmity, frailty, feeble. It further refers to one not only lacking strength but also the capacity requisite to understand a thing, do great things, restrain corrupt desires, or bear trials and troubles. The Church or nation could have been doing great and mighty things under God with complete subjection and obedience, but sin separated this Divine Ability.

     This sick and pining state of the woman causes one to reflect on the story of Ruth, the Moabitess, who was married to Mahlon whose named means sick. Mahlon died along with his father Elimelech and brother Chilion in Moab, which pictures the ultimate result of carnality as Moab was the incestuous son of Lot. Notice that only the men in the family died as they speak to the spirit which cannot survive in carnality. Elimelech took his family from Bethlehem-Judah, the house of bread and praise to Moab and sojourned there 10 years. Ten is the number of Law and they stay long enough for the killing of the letter (2 Corinthian 3:6) which is the undoing of the spirit man. They were Ephrathites which means fruitful. How could they ever expect to thrive in carnality! The famine they left to go to Moab for did not affect Boaz and the others. Please wake up all saints who are slumbering!

     Notice when reading the Book of Ruth that the women, Ruth, Naomi, and Orpah, who speak to the soul survived in that environment although miserable. So does anyone without a renewed spirit survive in carnality albeit in an infirmed state. God had a plan of deliverance for Ruth and Naomi through Ruth’s obedience. Orpah, whose name means stiff-necked or obstinate is comfortable in carnality and went back to Moab (carnality) and was never heard of again. Ruth’s name means friendship, and she clung to or stuck close to Naomi. Proverbs 18:24 reads, "and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother." When the Ruth and Naomi returned to Bethlehem-Judah, she eventually married Boaz and they were redeemed by him, their kinsman, who pictures Jesus Christ. Jesus of Nazareth reveals this same deliverance through His healing the woman on the Sabbath Day.

Continued