The Lord commanded Moses to use hyssop as a purifying agent. Scientific research has discovered that 50% of a drop of hyssop oil has antifungal and antibacterial agents. When the plant was pressed or, wetted and wrist-flipped, its oil was deposited on bodily parts. (Num 19:18; Psa 51:7)
There are verses that show the use of medicine and surgical procedures as appropriate. Genesis 17:10-14 commanded the procedure of circumcision to Abraham. God ordained this minor surgery.
This demonstrates that there is nothing sacrosanct about human skin; cutting into the flesh for good purpose is not inherently evil.
Jesus commended the Samaritan for his care of the man beaten, robbed and left to suffer for an unknown period before his rescuer arrived. The victim could have been passed by many for several days giving time for his wounds to fester.
In that day, olive oil was used to soften crusted infected injuries. The Samaritan poured oil and wine onto the man’s wounds. The alcohol in the wine served as an antiseptic.
In Isaiah 38:21, God directed Isaiah to prescribe a poultice for Hezekiah’s boil. The word boil can also be translated as ulcer. Hezekiah might have had a cancerous lesion.
It was a common practice in biblical times to apply plasters of special herbs and pressed fruit to wounds and spots of inflammation. The use of a poultice to bring about Hezekiah’s cure does not detract from God’s involvement.
It clearly exemplifies that medical help is not considered wrong from God’s perspective. It is strong proof that healing is from God even when medical procedure is utilized.
Naysayers
Perhaps, the most common verses used from the Bible to support anti-doctor and anti-modern medicine arguments are 2Chron 16:12-13. King Asa was diseased in his feet and died because he had only sought medical help. The weight of what the Scriptures have to say about medicine and doctors does not support the premise that Asa’s sin was seeking help from physicians. Rather, it was because he sought cure from men at the exclusion of cure from heaven.
There are those who claim that most instances of ill health can be rectified by biblical diet and physical exercise. Unquestionably, these practices can be beneficial.
However, there is no New Testament indication that diet and exercise guarantee good health.
When Jesus and his disciples came on the scene, there was not any shortage of sick people who needed healing. The Jews had been following Moses’ God-given dietary laws for 1,500 years.
Aerobic exercise was a given as people walked everywhere they went and many earned a living by strenuous labor. Nevertheless, the masses from everywhere flocked to Jesus and his disciples to receive healing from every form of sickness. (Mk 1:34; Lk 6:17. 9:1)
In the days of the Early Church, there were not any processed foods and manmade chemical preservative agents. There were food shortages and the Gentile population of the Mediterranean region had a whole food diet with few meats.
Foot transportation, manual labor, food shortages and their diet for the most part ruled out potential for unfit physical condition and obesity.
Yet, the Church apostles were constantly busied in performance of countless miraculous healings. Church elders were always on call to offer faith energized prayers when parishioners fell sick. All of these points send a message.
It is the reality that diet, moderate eating and exercise, though helpful, are not as vital keys to healing and health as some imagine.
Many claim that sickness can be prevented by repentance and righteous living. It is doubtful that any generation has matched the extent of an atmosphere of repentance that Israel displayed in the era of John the Baptist and Jesus. Entire regions of people underwent baptism unto repentance by John the Baptist and Jesus’ disciples.
Regardless of the repentance factor, numbers blind, deaf and lame people; and those suffering disease was so dense that constant ministry was required.
We all have dear friends of circumspect righteous character who were struck by wasting diseases and did not experience rapid recovery though sacramental anointing was employed.
I have 4 wonderful ministry associates who had no choice, but to undergo extensive surgery for melanoma skin cancer. One of them died from its complications.
There is a day coming when there will be an anointing for healing that does not require the same measure of dependency on the medical community that exist today.
I entreat you to honor every biblical method of healing. I hope those who are not convinced about the validity of modern medical treatment will have shoulders broad enough to chuckle at my parting pun.
If you gritted your teeth the entire time that you read this article, it is likely that many have dentistry to thank. You might recall that your dentist injected a modern anesthetic to numb the nerves of your mouth. Had the dentist not capped your teeth and filled cavities, your gritting would be painfully difficult.
It is also likely that some of you owe a debt of gratitude to the eye doctors whose skills gave you corrective glasses or contact lenses to enable your reading. I will not dwell on those who equate pharmaceutical research to sorcery, but don’t mind taking a recently developed little blue pill in hopes of marital intimacy.
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