Biblical Reasons for Sickness and Infirmity

BIBLICAL REASONS FOR SICKNESS AND INFIRMITY

by Eric C. Wheeler

About three years ago, the Lord showed me several biblical reasons why people get sick or are infirmed. Before I address the reasons, we need to first remind ourselves of certain important spiritual ground rules that God lays down in Scripture:

• We must judge ourselves, not each other!

I Cor. 11:28-32 – “But let a man examine himself… For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.”

Matt. 7:1-2 – “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge [others], you will be judged; and with the same measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”

II Cor. 13:5-6 – “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Prove yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? – unless indeed you are disqualified. But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified.”

• God wants us to search out the reasons why we are sick or infirmed rather than just blindly accept our circumstances!

Prov. 25:2 – “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; but the honor of kings to search it out.”

Deut. 29:29 – “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this Law [the Bible].”

I Cor. 2:9-16 – “As it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has entered into the heart of man, the things God has prepared for those who love Him.’ But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so, no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.”

• It takes maturity in the Holy Spirit to rightly discern what your specific situation might spiritually mean. Learn to be in tune with the Spirit in all things.

I Cor. 2:13-16; 3:1-3 – “These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches, but that which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual discerns [examines and investigates] all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one… For we have the mind of Christ. And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal.”

I Cor. 15:46 – “First comes the physical, then comes the spiritual.” God sometimes gives us things physically so that we can eventually come to understand things spiritually. He does this to broaden our experience, knowledge, and understanding, thereby imparting wisdom to us.

II Sam. 21:1-14 – David wondered why there was a physical famine in the land for three consecutive years, so “he inquired of the Lord” realizing that there must be a spiritual reason, and there was. Likewise, ask God about your own particular set of physical circumstances and see if there is anything spiritually He would like for you to do.

Once we understand and apply these biblical ground rules, we can then consider the following reasons the Bible gives us for sickness and infirmities:

I. It is part of this world and common to man.

I Cor. 10:13 – “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

I Pet. 4:12-13 – “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial, which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.”

II. It’s the inevitability of aging – our bodies were made to deteriorate.

Ecc. 12:1-7 – “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, ‘I find no pleasure in them’ – before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars grow dark [before your sight is impaired], and the clouds return after the rain; when the keepers of the house tremble [the hands and the arms], and the strong men stoop [the feet and knees]; when the grinders [the molar teeth] cease because they are few; and those looking through the windows [the eyes] grow dim; when the doors to the street are closed and the sound of grinding fades [hearing loss]; when men rise up at the sound of birds, but all their songs grow faint; when men are afraid of heights and of dangers in the streets; when the almond tree [white hair] blossoms and the grasshopper [a little thing] is a burden, and [sexual] desire and appetite fail. Then man goes to his eternal home and mourners go about the streets… and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.”

Everything in Creation must deteriorate and is subject to corruption and must die (see Rom. 8:20-21; Ecc. 3:19-20; I Cor. 15:36, 50, 53). Joshua and David both said on their deathbeds, “I go the way of all the earth…” (Josh. 23:14; I Kings 2:1-2). David’s faithful elderly servant Barzillai said to him: “How long have I to live, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem? I am today eighty years old. Can I discern between the good and bad? [I don’t have the mental acuity I once had] Can your servant taste what I eat or what I drink? Can I hear any longer the voice of singing men and singing women? Why then should your servant be a further burden to my lord the king?” (II Sam. 19:34-35).

Time and chance happen to us all (Ecc. 9:10-12). There is a time to die appointed for each one of us (Ecc. 3:1-2; Heb. 9:27). Yet, in some rare cases, God may choose for a person to retain their vigor and vitality well into their advanced years for His reasons and for His service (see Deut. 34:7; Josh. 14:6-11; Luke 2:25-38). Nothing is impossible for God. Therefore, ask Him about your own personal circumstances!

III. In the Bible, some righteous men and women died of illness. Many also suffered from sickness. It didn’t mean they were sinning.

• The prophet Elisha died of an illness (II Kings 13:14).
• Righteous king Hezekiah was originally slotted to die of an illness by the will of God even though he hadn’t specifically sinned (II Kings 20:1).
• Righteous Tabitha (aka Dorcas) fell sick and died (Acts 9:36-37).
• Godly men such as Timothy (I Tim. 5:23), Paul (Gal. 4:13-15), David (I Kings 1:1), Epaphroditus (Phil. 2:25-27), and Trophimus (II Tim. 4:20) were all sick at times in the Bible.
• Satan struck Job with painful boils even though Job had not sinned (Job 2:7); yet Satan could only do this with God’s permission (Job 2:3-10). Satan gave Paul “a thorn in the flesh” – which most scholars believe was some sort of physical malady with his eyes – in order to be a continual trouble and affliction to Paul. Jesus told Paul that He had allowed this satanic attack against him to keep Paul humble and Christ-centered and God-focused, and also so that Paul wouldn’t become self-reliant and self-absorbed because of the many revelations that he had been given by God (see II Cor. 12:7-10).

IV. God uses sickness/illness, physical infirmities and afflictions (even death) for the following biblical reasons:

1. To slow us down, get our attention, and re-focus us in order to teach us what is most important (“to test us” – to see if we will trust and follow Him by putting God first and foremost in our lives).

• • Exod. 15:22-27 – When God first brought the Israelites out of Egypt, He had them travel three days into the wilderness, making them thirsty. Then, He led them to a spring which produced only bitter water. They groaned and complained wondering how they were going to survive. He remedied their situation by turning the waters sweet, miraculously healing them with a “medicinal tree” that He had Moses throw into the water – changing their situation from bitter into something good and sweet. “There,” the Bible says, “God made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there He tested them, saying, ‘If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you!’” He then led them to Elim, a beautiful oasis with twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees, where they could camp. God slowed the Israelites down using a physically distressing situation to get their full attention, to teach them that He is the Only One who controls their healing, provision, direction, and their destiny. And by seeking Him, learning His ways, and obeying Him, they would be divinely taken care of, protected, healed, provided for, and guided.

• • Like the carnal Israelites, too many professing Christians today are completely oblivious and blind to the fact that God may be trying to get their attention – to make them spiritually aware that He is their Provider, their Healer, their Sustenance, their Counselor, their Attorney, their Defender, their Sword, and their Guide. Don’t force God to give you some kind of illness and/or sickness to slow you down in order to remind you of these things.

• • God demonstrated in the life of Gehazi what may happen to us if we are focused on and value the material things over the spiritual (II Kings 5:1-27). Gehazi was Elisha the prophet’s personal attendant and servant. He pursued material items that his master Elisha had previously refused. For this, Gehazi was struck with lifelong leprosy. Gehazi pursued worldly treasure over the spiritual work God had tasked him with. Elisha even asked Gehazi, “Is this the time to take money, or to accept clothes, olive groves, vineyards, flocks, herds, or menservants and maidservants?” (II Kings 5:26). Gehazi was given a lifelong reminder through this illness and affliction to keep his priorities straight. We all must realize and remember that this warning applies to us today as well!

2. For His glory and power to be revealed in us and through us.

• • A man was born blind so that God’s glory and power would be revealed in him (John 9:1-3).

• • Lazarus fell sick and died so that God’s glory and power in Jesus might be displayed (John 11:3-4).

3. To punish us for disobedience and sin.

• • God punishes His people with diseases, illnesses, cancers, etc. for disobedience (see Deut. 28:21-29, 35, 58-61); and He also blesses us with good health for our obedience (Exod. 23:25-26).

• • “I will put none of these diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians if you will obey Me” (Exod. 15:26).

4. To chasten and correct us for not rightly discerning His Presence among His Body – the Church, or for rejecting and/or hindering His servants who are performing His will.

• • God punished Miriam with leprosy for criticizing her younger brother Moses the Lord’s servant and failing to show proper respect for his position (see Num. 12:1-15).

• • God gave Nabal a fatal heart attack for speaking ill of David and maligning him (see I Sam. 25:2-39).

• • God struck Elymas Bar-Jesus with blindness for hindering Paul and Barnabas in their ministry work (see Acts 13:6-12).

• • Paul told the Corinthians that they were not properly discerning the Lord’s Presence in their midst while they were gathering as the Lord’s Body – His Church. And as a result, many of them were becoming sick and dying (I Cor. 11:29-31). These Church members were not taking God’s Presence among them and in them seriously enough, and consequently, many of them were getting sick, and some were even dying. Let’s not let this disrespectful and spiritually undiscerning attitude occur among us. For Scripture forewarns, the consequences can be deadly!

Brethren, I would strongly recommend and encourage that anyone who is sick, ailing, physically hurting, and/or physically suffering to dig deeper and search your heart and conscience with God in prayer. Ask Him if there is anything in your life displeasing to Him. Are you being disobedient in any way or failing to perceive His will in a matter? Perhaps you’re too preoccupied with the world and its vain pursuits, tuned-in to its “daily noise” which is drowning out God’s still small voice trying to speak to you (see I Kings 19:11-13)? Maybe God is slowing you down (or sitting you down for a while) through sickness because you’ve been too busy with your inconsequential daily affairs to actually “hear” what He wants to tell you? Brethren, search your hearts, and honestly examine yourself to see if you are truly putting the Kingdom of God and His righteousness first in your life (Matt. 6:33). Don’t allow yourself to be entangled in the affairs of this life, thereby neglecting the right ways of God and the things that truly matter to Him (see Luke 8:14; 12:42-46), so that He has to slow you down with illness to get your attention and/or refocus you!

Ask Him why you’re sick. God answers those who truly seek Him regarding any matter! Who knows, He may even tell you that you are innocent and blameless before Him in all things, and that He just wants you to “sit down for a while and get some much-needed rest.”  You can patiently enjoy (or sometimes, endure) this God-given break. Learn to faithfully rest and rejoice in Him, understanding that “we glory in tribulations, for we know that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. And that this hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Rom. 5:3-5). Therefore, we don’t ever have to be ashamed of anything that happens to us. For our God is always with us; therefore, who or what can ever stand against us (Rom. 8:31-39).

May God always keep you and bless you, my friends.

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