marvellous are Thy works;
and that my soul knoweth right well. (Psalms 139:14)
February 21
Many years ago I read a book called "None of These Diseases". The title is taken from Exodus 15:26, which says, ". .if you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and will do that which is right in His sight, and will listen to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon you". The author addresses the physical benefits of obeying God's laws as related to health. Even today, we have seen proof that this is still true. For example, the Seventh Day Adventists who observe Biblical dietary laws have lower rates of heart disease than most Americans. Circumcision was to be done on the 8th day. We now know that a baby's Vitamin K level is highest on the 8th day of life than at any other time. Vitamin K helps the blood to clot and thus prevents excessive bleeding during and following the procedure of circumcision.
The practice of "quarantine" is addressed in today's reading in Leviticus. If God had not told His people to separate (isolate) those with signs of skin diseases, including leprosy, from the rest of the population, Israel could have become extinct because of infections. God also forbade Israel to eat blood and fat. When we go to the doctor today, one of the first things they do is "lab work". Back in Genesis 9:4, God said, "But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall you not eat". We are also aware today of the risks posed by high fat diets. We know that blood carries oxygen to all cells in the body--without which we would die (another example that God knew what He was talking about when He said in Leviticus 17:11: "the life of the flesh is in the blood"). Organisms that cause disease can be detected in our blood streams, our body's response to viruses can be detected in our blood, and on and on. (Anyone who works in health care is very familiar with the term "blood-borne pathogens"). When I was a nursing student someone asked our anatomy professor if she believed in God. She replied that you cannot study the human body and not believe in God.
When we consider other laws that God set in motion, such as the law of gravity, we know that this ancient law continues in effect today. God gave Israel laws concerning cleanliness and not touching dead things in order to protect them from disease. Even after the introduction of "hand sanitizer" and "anti-bacterial" products, we have recently been told that good hand washing continues to be the most effective way to stop the spread of infections. The subject of "washing" is covered in these Old Testament laws. God made our bodies and if He has said it is not a good idea to eat certain things, or do certain things, why would we doubt what He says? The same goes for observing a day of rest during the week. Many of the diseases that plague us today are stress related. The link between stress and illness is getting attention and books are now being written on the benefits of observing a day of rest.
Our reading in Psalm 25, leaves us with the thought that our afflictions and pain can be related to sin. Verse 18 says, "Look on my affliction and my pain, and forgive all my sins". We've probably heard of "psychosomatic illness", which are real physical ailments that can be traced to emotional distress. God knows what He is talking about when He tells us to avoid certain practices and behaviors. We do not consist of just physical body parts. Jesus tells us in Matthew 22:37, ". .You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind". Our hearts, souls, and minds are connected with our bodies and obviously each can be affected by the others.
Proverbs alludes to the principle of cause and effect--"a slack hand becomes poor, but the hand of the diligent makes rich" (Proverbs 10:4). God in His love for us passes on His wisdom to us. However, He leaves us with the choice of whether or not we listen and heed what He says. In today's reading in Mark 3, Jesus was angry at the religious leaders and grieved by the hardness of their hearts. They demonstrated no concern or compassion for the man with a withered hand. Their focus was on finding fault with Jesus. Jesus was the designer and creator of our bodies (John 1:3). I have seen many babies born and it is truly a miracle to witness a baby coming into the world. Yet many scoffers stubbornly refuse to believe there is a God and attempt to find fault with the Bible. As long as society rejects God and His Way, we will continue to suffer the consequences of doing things our way. As Believers, we can be thankful to God that we can enjoy better health--physically, emotionally, intellectually, and most of all spiritually, when we recognize God as Creator and understand that there is a spiritual dimension to our lives. Mark chapter 2 ends with Jesus appointing the 12 disciples. When Jesus asked them to follow Him, we read the accounts of them doing just that. May we come to understand the greatness of God and the fact that He always has our best interests at heart. May we choose to follow Him and truly become His disciples.
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