Introduction
Exodus 15 gives the background to God’s revealing Himself as the Lord who heals. The people of Israel had fled Egypt, the Red Sea had been negotiated, and the song of triumph had been sung. However, the wilderness journey had just started when danger signals flashed. Every difficulty they encountered evoked a sour spirit and this was manifested in rebellious language. This was the case at Marah where the Lord proved them and they didn’t exactly come through with honors! So God gave warning: if they were to avoid the prevalent diseases of Egypt and, in particular, the plagues with which God had afflicted the land, they would have to obey His commands (Exo 15:22-26).
Egypt was an idolatrous nation (Exo 12:12), and from ancient times every vice imaginable was connected with idolatry, because God gave them up (Rom 1:18-32). His wrath was revealed in that He placed no obstacles across “the way of the ungodly” (Psa 1:6). He allowed them full rein and said, in effect, “If that’s the way you want it, that’s the way you can have it, but there are consequences.” The consequences of a reckless lifestyle are not only eternal, but right now people reap a harvest of pain and distress as they are subjected to physical and psychological health issues induced by loose living. Promiscuity, drunkenness and addictions all invite disorders of mind and body. The Lord who heals was teaching that preventative medicine is more valuable than curative medicine, and the immunization against Egyptian diseases was obedience to His Word, “giv[ing] ear to his commandments” (Exo 15:26).
In anticipation of their occupying Canaan, the Lord promised them bread and water, “and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee” (23:25).1 Again, the promised blessing was dependent on loyalty to Jehovah (v24). These blessings were part of the bundle of benefits with which God endowed His earthly people. They enjoyed physical comforts and prosperity if there was submission to His commands. The psalmist said of Him, “Who healeth all thy diseases” (Psa 103:3).
The New Testament Perspective
We live in a different age and our blessings are described in spiritual terms rather than physical. Because of the stroke of judgment that fell on the Savior, we have experienced salvation, a spiritual healing (1Pe 2:24), yet holiness and godliness do not exempt believers from physical illness. Dorcas was full of good works yet she fell sick (Act 9:36-37). Paul had “a thorn in the flesh” (2Co 12:7). Epaphroditus was “sick nigh unto death” (Php 2:27). Trophimus was left at Miletum sick (2Ti 4:20). Timothy had a chronic stomach ailment (1Ti 5:23). None of those mentioned could be charged with disloyalty, worldliness or carnality, and yet they contracted infirmities. In the Christian era, obedience to the Word of God is no defense against disease. Having said that, we could be careless about our physical condition. For example, the sin of gluttony impacts badly on our wellbeing, yet it is hardly ever mentioned from our platforms! Alcohol has its dangers too, physically, emotionally and morally. Its perils are spotlighted right from its first mention in the Bible (Gen 9:20); no one sets out to be an alcoholic!
The Gift of Healing
Generally, then, believers are as prone to illness as the general public, but they can guard against unnecessary troubles. The question arises, Is God still the Lord who heals? Undoubtedly, He is. In New Testament days, the sign gift of healing was among other gifts of the Spirit that are listed in 1 Corinthians 12 verses 9 and 28, and right to the final chapter of the book of Acts there are stories of miraculous healings. I have called the gift a sign gift on the basis of Mark 16:17-18: “these signs … they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” Like the other sign gifts, the gift of healing was phased out, and there was no expectation that saints who were unwell should be dramatically and instantaneously healed. The catalogue of afflicted believers in the previous paragraph gives evidence of this.
While the special gift of healing is redundant, we believe that it is still God who imparts healing. There is a phrase in James 5 to substantiate this: “the Lord shall raise him up” (v15). Admittedly, the circumstances there hardly describe a routine illness. In my view, the brother in the illustration is sick because of divine discipline, and lack of space prohibits the development of that viewpoint; but clearly, it is God who initiates the healing and we judge that it is the same in normal cases. This is why it is legitimate to pray for those who are sick just as John prayed (most translations) that God would give the beloved Gaius good health (3Jn 2). God can have “mercy” upon sick believers just as He had mercy on Epaphroditus (Php 2:27).
Physicians
We have a God who heals and we have the facility of prayer, but that does not rule out medical practitioners or place a ban on medication. A poultice saved Hezekiah’s life (2Ki 20:7)! By inference, the Lord Jesus sanctioned treatment to fight infection and alleviate pain (Luk 10:34). What I am saying is that while it is the Lord who heals, He can use human agencies and humanly manufactured potions. So if these can be helpful, it is not unspiritual to take advantage. Asa’s sin was that he had gotten so out of touch with God that when “his disease was exceeding great” he turned to his physicians to the exclusion of the Lord (2Ch 16:12).
Sometimes clinicians get it wrong, so I am a little nervous about expressing the following lest it appear insensitive, but it is on my heart. It is a loving appeal to dear readers who may suffer from depression. On occasions I have witnessed dear folks in that situation abandon their medication whenever they begin to feel somewhat better. It doesn’t end well. This is just a little exhortation to stick with what is prescribed until those who are monitoring your condition decide the best time for a change.
So then, we have a God who heals. He is omnipotent, but He is also sovereign, and on occasions we have to accept that it is not His will to heal or preserve. He could have rescued James from prison just as He did with Peter (Act 12), but He didn’t. In circumstances like that it takes much grace to say, “Thy will be done.”
1 Bible quotations in this article are from the KJV.
