‘Dear friend, I pray that you may prosper in every way and be in good health physically just as you are spiritually’-3 John 1:2(HCSB)
‘Dear friend, I know that you are spiritually well. I pray that you’re doing well in every other way and that you’re healthy.’-3 John 1:2(GWB)
What is divine health?
To many,it is living a life free of sickness without the use of medications or consulting a doctor.They tell you that for many decades they have not taken the mildest pain-relieving drugs.
But I have some questions for them:
1)Why do they brush their teeth every day? Is it that if they have cavities or teeth infection,God cannot heal them? Why do they take their bath,cut their nails,wash their hands before eating? Why should they be afraid of infections when God is their protector?
2)If divine health is 100% God’s without anybody’s input,why do such people not extend it to other areas of their lives.Why don’t they sit down in their homes and wait for divine money( that drops from heaven),divine food(that drops like manna).
Even though God sometimes bypasses human (doctors,nurses etc) to bring about wholeness of the body,one cannot at the same time rule out the possibilities of Him using human instrumentality.
To others,divine health is a life devoid of sickness with the help of God and precautionary measures from doctors or other health personnel. They believe God cannot be limited in His dealings with men.They believe divinity can be experienced through human instrumentality.They don’t fall sick,but they don’t play with health instructions.
What are the differences between divine health and divine healing?
1)In divine health,there is no sickness while in divine healing,there is a sickness that the carrier wants God to heal.
2)While divine health is preventive,divine healing is curative in nature.
3)Divine health is always sustained by obeying certain instructions while in divine healing certain instructions may have been violated which result in sickness in the first place hence the need for healing.
I desire divine health! But it comes with strict obedience to certain rules and regulations.If they are not obeyed,one can become sick and then need divine healing.
This is where many Christians get things twisted.They don’t want any restrictions on what they eat/do and yet they want to enjoy divine health!
Let me start the series with how God brought about divine health to the Israelites in the desert.He gave them specific instructions without even telling them the reasons behind those instructions.But today,advances in medical knowledge have opened our eyes to them.
I intend to puncture many theological/religious egocentric balloons with this discussion.Many christians usually see human medicine as anti-God! In fact I heard in the 60s many prevented their children from studying Medicine and Surgery. Little did they know that many branches of Medicine and Surgery( Anaesthesia, Microbiology, Pathology,Pharmacy,Obstetrics etc) actually have their roots in the bible.
Let’s see how God instituted the principles of divine health for the Israelites:
“Observe therefore all the commands I am giving you today, so that you may have the strength to go in and take over the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess”-
Deuteronomy 11:8
What are the commands? Chapters 12-13 mentioned some but the ones directly related to our discussion are found from Deut chapter 14: 3 onwards: “Do not eat any detestable thing.”
To stay in good and sound health,God gave them health talk on dietary restrictions.In other passages he told them about isolation/quarantine of infected people, waste disposal,interment procedures,sanitation etc
DIETARY RESTRICTIONS THEN AND THEIR MEDICAL SIGNIFICANCE TODAY- DEUT 14,LEV 11
1)Israelites were forbidden from eating pork! Pork ? Yes! God told them pigs are “unclean”. Hummmm!
NB:Please don’t get this teaching twisted! I am not saying eating pork or other meats make you unclean.My objectives are to bring out the medical significance of these dietary restrictions and establish the fact that God was the first Physician irrespective of whatever the medical world is telling us now.
God forbade them from eating pork because pigs eat rotten flesh and gabbages so that the Israelites wouldn’t come down with trichinosis(roundworm infection) and taeniasis(tapeworm infection).It was later medical advances established that people could get infected eating raw or undercooked pork.But before this revelation God just told them to avoid pork totally.Today,you can eat pork but it must be well cooked.
2)‘This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live: You must not eat any fat or any blood.’ -Leviticus 3:17
Did God make mistake with these rules today? Lets look at fat consumption first: In the developed world,the leading cause of death is coronary heart disease(CHD).What do you think have been found to be responsible for the development of CHD? Consumption of excessive fat and high blood cholesterol !
Blood! Hummm! Though they didn’t know then that blood could be medium of transmission of infection,but Dr God already told them to avoid eating blood/ touching blood so that they can enjoy divine health.Today we know of many diseases that are blood-borne: Hepatitis B,HIV etc.
3)Go and read about many of the wild animals that God said the Israelites should not eat,you will find out they are the reservoirs for many of the viral hemorrhagic diseases( monkey pox disease etc) ravaging many of the African countries.
4)If the carcass of an animal was found in drinking water, it was forbidden as “unclean” (Lev. 11:34). If, however, the water source had a continual supply of fresh water, such as a well or spring, it would remain “clean” because of the tendency of the moving water to purify itself (Lev. 11:36).
Can you see how God gave instructions to His children in the wilderness to ensure they stay healthy?
I am surprised that today,many Christians will go ahead and drink this type of water knowing that the water is contaminated. They say,they are anointed! Did Jesus ever tell you to go around and be drinking contaminated water/ poison knowingly?
Also many Christians want to eat their cake and have it at the same time.They want divine health without any restrictions.
Come to think of it,you are told you have family history of hypertension and you are advised by health personnel to restrict your salt intake so that you won’t become hypertensive.The next thing is to demonize the doctor! You see the doctor as an agent of devil transmitting evil message.The next thing is ‘God forbid,me? Hypertension is not my portion,I am working in power ,I am healthy,No shaking!’.
Please is that faith in God,overconfidence or just being preposterous?
Many times,it is the Pastors that tell their congregation that :”It doesn’t matter what your doctors have told you”.
Only God and the health personnel know the number of people that have come down with chronic illnesses(diabetes, hypertension etc) as a result of such statement. You don’t know because you are not a physician.
Please Pastors ,Bishops,I understand the context in which you make that assertion,but sometimes the instructions that doctors give matter!
Let me pause here for now…
NB:God has raised up health professionals that give talks on divine health,divine healing,preventive and curative medicine.By the grace of God,yours truly is the convener.Contact us today @ B-I-G Outreach for more information.
Stay blessed and rapturable.