And the Lord will take away from you all sickness, and will afflict you with none of the terrible diseases of Egypt which you have known, but will lay them on all those who hate you. (Deuteronomy 7:15)
Sickness, as we know, is an unfortunate consequence of sin. All of us suffer from sickness at some time or another, and sometimes it is much more serious than at other times. Just as we all have to contend with the sin Adam introduced into the world, we all have to contend with what it breeds. Obviously, that is not to say that all who are sick or infirm are being punished for something they did — to the contrary, the Bible teaches us that one man was born blind so that the works of God might be revealed in him (John 9:1-3). That being said, it is also true that, just as “it rains on the just and the unjust,” we all feel the result of living in a fallen world.
The historian and philosopher, Pliny the Elder, described Egypt as being the “mother of worst diseases.” That is saying a lot when you consider all that mankind has to deal with and it is especially important when considering that God allowed His people to bear witness to the diseases of Egypt. Not only were they in a position to observe these things but they saw how God set a distinction between them and the Egyptians in the midst of the plagues. Therefore, to be given the promise that God’s people will be spared the affliction that comes with those diseases and to know that our enemies will not be spared is monumental.
All of this is predicated on an important precept: being in relationship with the God of Israel and being willing to do as He says. If we live in a way that is pleasing to Him by walking according to His Word, life will be blessed and prosperous. As simple as it is, that is the prescription for a long and healthy life. It may be that we will not realize this disease free state, in its fruition, until the day when Messiah rules from Jerusalem, nevertheless, everything we need to know about living an abundant life is found within His Word. So then, we will close with this reminder:
Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses. He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! (Psalm 107:19-21)
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
We know sins can cause sickness. We also know tests/ trials can come against us as 1 Cor 10:13 tells us GOD will not take away these trials but HE will make a way for us to get through them. Job is the classic example of GOD allowing satan to bring things against Job and Job not blaming GOD for these problems. It is a way for us to get closer to GOD, to depend on HIM for everything in our lives. Shalom.