"He sent his word, and healed them,
and delivered them from their destructions."
Psalm 107:20 KJV

Last week we contemplated the Incarnated Power, of God's Prophetic Word - the Lord Jesus Christ. We looked at several "Christophanies" or pre-incarnated appearances of Christ in the Old Testament and concluded by marveling at John's account of the Word becoming flesh. This week we are looking into the Restorative Power of God's prophetic word.

Christ came to redeem the lost - to purchase back through His blood, man's broken relationship with God wrought by sin. He came to restore. His restorative work is not a paint job or a fix-up of our exterior shell, but rather the impartation of a completely new inside. His work makes us a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17, Gal. 6:15). In the Old Testament we read about the prophetic promise of restoration. In the New Testament, we see the confirmation of the promised restoration through the life and ministry of Christ.

The Old Testament Prophetic Promise. The promise of Christ's redemptive or restorative work stretches across four millennia. But the story actually begins before time. Scripture calls Christ "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." (Revelation 13:8 KJV) In the Old Testament, God promises to give us a new heart: "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh." (Ezekiel 36:26 KJV). These stony hearts are what we inherited from Adam. Much of the Old Testament is devoted to speaking about the coming Messiah and His restorative work. Prophetic foreshadowings of Christ's restorative work are particularly visible in the writings of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible). Here, the coming Christ is foreshadowed in the Tabernacle of Moses and the establishment of the Hebrew Priesthood. He is also promised prophetically in the Psalms and the prophets.

"He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions." (Psalms 107:20 KJV)

Christ Restores Our Physical Beings. While he walked this earth, Jesus healed many people, restoring their broken physical condition. He often healed through His spoken, prophetic word. He restored a leper with a touch and the words, "... be thou clean ..." (Matthew 8:3 KJV). He restored the withered hand of a man with the words "... stretch forth thy hand ..." (Matthew 12:13). He healed two blind men: "According to your faith be it unto you." (Matthew 9:27-30) And he healed and restored many more with His touch and a prophetic word.

On occasion, Jesus cast out evil spirits with a word, restoring the mental health of the ones tormented. (Matthew 8:16, 9:33, Mark 5:1-20, etc.)

Jesus even restored respect and a sense of self-worth to a prostitute caught in sin with these words: "... He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." (John 8:7 KJV)

Praise God that ours is not an empty religion, compelling us to constantly try and restore our own broken lives. What futility! No, Christ has done it all. Through His death and resurrection, He tore down the wall that separates us from our Creator God, and through His prophetic Word, He continues to heal and restore.

Can you think of other ways that God restores through His Word? Has he restored something in your life through His prophetic Word? Please send us your feedback and stories.

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Yes, God is definitely in the restoration business. His redemptive work bridges the gap between sinful man and a holy God. He restores our broken relationship - a relationship that now lives and breathes and fills to overflowing with Life.

And in this newly restored relationship, God continues to speak prophetically, providing direction and purpose to our lives. Next week, when we read about God's Directive Power, we will explore how God's prophetic Word leads us and guides us to do His will.

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GroundWorks is an imprint of Reconciliation Press. The name has been chosen to reflect the biblical idea of roots and foundations in Christian life and culture. As you read these weekly articles, look for words and imagery in the text that illustrate these themes.

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