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In some early books of the Old Testament, God instructed his people on how to cultivate the land, and cautioned them about unclean foods, including the adverse consequences of touching dead, diseased, or infectious humans and animals, or using contaminated utensils. He spoke unfavorably against gluttony and drunkenness, but not against the occasional consumption of alcohol. While it is unknown whether there had ever been a time when vegetarianism was prevalent, eating meat throughout the Old and New Testament was neither a sin, nor spoken against, with Jesus Himself not only eating fish, but also meat, the Passover lamb being one example. The apostle Paul only admonished to abstain from meat (and wine) if it were to cause another believer to stumble or be offended, or made weak (Ro 14:21).

 

Old Testament teachings also included instructions on basic hygiene, and how to contain certain plagues (such as leprosy) by segregating those afflicted.  However, other than the 40 years when He made the Israelites wander through the wilderness, and He Himself looked after their nutritional needs by providing Manna, God seems to consider sickness as just another of the many afflictions, tribulations, and imperfections of this world that the human race brought upon itself as a result of [original] sin (Ge 3:16-19, Joh 16:33, Ac 14:22). 

When Jesus healed one sick with the palsy, he said:  Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.˜ (Mark 2:5), and when subsequently accused of speaking blasphemies, he responded:  Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?˜ (Mark 2:9).  Since it was not mentioned that this man was demon possessed, suffering from birth, or that he was sick as a result of an accident, sin may have played a part in this man's palsy.  When healing another man, Jesus cautioned to ...sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.˜ (Joh 5:14), which follows that after diseases were healed, they may have returned since all those who he healed were not likely to have remained sinless.

 

There have been occasions in the Scriptures where God struck some individuals with a particular disease for their deeds (Nu 12:1-10, 2 Ki 5:27, 2Ch 21:12-15, 2Ch 26:18-20). Some believers were said to have been weak and sickly because of unworthily taking part in sacraments (1Co 11:27-30). Others were sick because of sin (Mic 6:13), wine (Ho 7:5), love / lust (2Sa 13:1-2), prophetic visions (Da 8:27), accidents (2Sa 4:4), or afflictions attributed to Satan (Job 2:7, Lu 13:11-16).

 

Prescribed, or recreational use of drugs is another cause of disease, and while drugs are not literally mentioned by name in the Scriptures, they are covered in specific translations of the word 'sorcery.' In all Old Testament and some New Testament passages, sorcery refers to witchcraft and magic, but in Revelation 9:21, 18:23, 21:8, and 22:15 (i.e. the end times), the literal translation from the original Greek is 'pharmakeia,' or "spell-giving potion" (enchantment with drugs). Excessive use of alcohol (drunkenness), which is mentioned as sin in Galations 5:21, is also a well-known cause of disease.

 

Not all who were - or are sick now, are suffering as a result of divine punishment for their sins:

 When asked why a particular man was blind from birth - whether it was as a result of him, or his parents sinning - Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.˜ (Joh 9:3, also Joh 11:4) - which illustrates that God places greater emphasis on the eternal benefits of spiritual health, rather than the transient benefits of physical health.

 

We often crave the food that satisfies our fleshly appetites; the sweets and the dainties. How often do we hear ourselves, or someone else, say, "I don’t like water", or "I don’t like whole wheat bread"? Yet these are God’s perfect provisions for us to nourish and sustain our bodies.  The Bible refers to these sweets and dainties as "deceitful food", that rob our bodies of health and bring serious food addictions and cravings.

(Proverbs 23:3) We now have sickness overwhelming our land as we have received our food according to our selfish desires and appetites.

Isn’t it interesting that today the symbol of pharmacy is the bronze snake supposedly representing the bronze snake that brought healing to the people of Moses’ day? As the people of that day had to look to the bronze snake for healing, we are now forced to look to drugs and medication for our healing, because we have turned away and "loathed" God’s provision.

 

This is not the last we hear of this bronze snake. Interestingly, hundreds of years later, in the days of King Hezekiah, the bronze snake has become a snare for the Israelites.

"Hezekiah did right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his forefather had done.

He removed the high places, broke the images, cut down the Asherim, and broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until then the Israelites had burned incense to it; but he called it Nehushtan (a bronze trifle)." II Kings 18:3-4

What God had sent for healing, the people were now worshipping; forgetting the true Source of its healing power.

How much like the Israelites we have become! We often forget to seek God and His wisdom and turn quickly to doctors and medicines, unquestioningly, as our only hope.

This, however, was never God’s intention. Paul says that these events are recorded as warnings and examples, and so let us heed these warnings. Let us not continue to reject God’s provisions and continue to crave the food according to our selfish desires and appetites. Let us once again assume our responsibility of preparing food for our own families.

With over 600 dietary laws in God’s word, it must become clear to us that God is concerned about what we eat, and the health of our bodies. He lovingly promises to give us wisdom when we are lacking if we will just ask.

Exodus 15:26 says "If you will diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord your God and will do what is right in His sight, and will listen to and obey His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases upon you which I brought upon the Egyptians, for I am the Lord who heals you."

This is a powerful promise from God, but we must carefully look at our part in receiving this promise. We must see that God is requiring us to take the action. We must "listen and do". We must pay attention to and keep His commandments.

Hosea 4:6 declares that God’s people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. The Hebrew word for destroyed in this verse means to be made dumb or silent, hence to fail or perish, also to die needlessly!

Out of His overwhelming love and infinite wisdom, God gave His people His law. He knows what is best and knows what will work. He knew then and knows now that obedience will bring health, prosperity and blessing. His desire then was that His people be a blessing and testimony to the people around them. As all the nations saw Israel’s health, protection, and well being they would come to know that the God of Israel was the one true God.

The same is true of us today. We are called to be a blessing and a testimony to this lost and dying world. Instead, however, we too are held captive by physical disease and infirmities. We too die needlessly and are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Our testimony to the world is "silenced" and "made dumb" as the world sees no difference in God’s people and themselves.

Let us then return to God’s word and find out what He has to say about healthy living, then we can boldly claim the promises of God and become the blessing and testimony to a lost and dying world. May the truth of Isaiah 8:18 truly be fulfilled in our nation this day: "Here I am, and the children the Lord has given me. We are signs and symbols in Israel from the Lord Almighty, who dwells on Mount Zion."