Does Obedience Protect a Person From Sickness and Affliction?

 
“If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statues, I will put none of the disease on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the LORD, am your healer.”
(Ex 15:26)

“Then it shall come about, because you listen to these judgments and keep and do them…The LORD will remove from you all sickness; and He will not put on you any of the harmful disease of Egypt which you have known, but He will lay them on all who hate you.”  (Deut 7:12-15)

“If you are not careful to observe all the words of this law which are written in this book, to fear this honored and awesome name, the LORD your God, then the LORD will bring extraordinary plagues on you and your descendants, even severe and lasting plagues, and miserable and chronic sicknesses.  He will bring back on you all the diseases of Egypt of which you were afraid and the will cling to you.” (Deut 28:58-60)
 
Does a life of obedience to the word of God offer a level of protection against sickness and affliction?  If not, to what does scripture refer when it told the Israelites that such protection was afforded those who kept the commandments contained in the Law?  I think this is a provocative question and one worth discussing.  Those who argue against this interpretation will be quick to point out the story of Job’s suffering and the New Testament story of the man born blind who had not sinned, but “that the works of God might be displayed in him” through the healing hand of Jesus, (John 9:1-34).  The scripture passages above also suggest that the diseases and afflictions referenced are those in excess of what might be considered common illnesses since these “lasting plagues, and miserable and chronic sicknesses” are connected to the LORD’s judgment against Egypt.
  
Although modern believers perceive viruses and bacteria as the source of sickness and disease, the New Testament text portrays spiritual forces as the underlying cause of illness and affliction.  For example, the woman who could not straighten up for 18 years was said to have a “sickness caused by a spirit,” (Luke 13:10).  Jesus referred to the woman as a daughter of Abraham “whom Satan has bound for eighteen long years,” (Luke 13:16).  At another time, Jesus is approached by a Gentile Syrophoenician woman whose daughter had an illness caused by an “unclean spirit,” (Mark 7:25).  Jesus commanded the unclean spirit to leave and the girl was healed.  Mark records a man who was made deaf and mute by an “unclean spirit,” (Mark 9:25).  Jesus commanded the unclean spirit to come out and then raised the man up by his hand.
 
When Jesus “rebuked the fever” of Peter’s mother-in law (Luke 4:39), the reader is to recognize that the fever originated from an unclean spirit.  In scripture, the act of “rebuking” is most often directed toward unclean spirits (Matt 17:18, Mark 1:25, Luke 4:35, 9:42), but also toward Satan (Mark 8:33, Jude 1:9, Zech 2:3) and even sinful acts, (1 Tim 5:1, 2 Pet 2:16).  While scripture does not take a position that all illness and disease are caused by unclean spirits, scripture certainly connects many sicknesses and afflictions to spiritual forces.  If spiritual in origin, what steps can the believer take to protect himself/herself from these afflictions?  Fortunately scripture has provided the answer, keep the commandments as displayed through the life of Jesus.  So how does obedience help protect the believer?
    
Scripture commands us “to make a distinction between the holy and the profane, and between the unclean and the clean,” (Lev 10:10).  Not only were the Israelites commanded to eat clean animals, they were commanded to maintain a clean condition, a “holy” condition.  Peter said it this way, “Be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, ‘You shall be holy for I am holy,” (1 Pet 1:15-16).  Maintaining a state of “holiness” is synonymous with maintaining a “clean” condition.  In a “clean” condition, the believer can approach the LORD.  In a “clean” condition, the believer may also be afforded a level of protection against an “unclean” spirit, and therefore, against sickness and affliction. 

 As another example, recall the story of the man possessed by numerous unclean spirits “Legion,” (Luke 8:30).  At the request of Legion, Jesus permitted the unclean spirits to move from the man into two thousand unclean swine.  If the animals had been sheep, I doubt this transfer would have been possible since sheep are clean animals.  However, pigs are not clean animals and unclean spirits can apparently move from one unclean vessel to another unclean vessel, whether that be an animal or a person.  (As a side note, it’s also interesting to recognize that some diseases transmittable to mankind originate from unclean animals such as “swine flu”.)

 When people became unclean through natural acts or sin, the commandments prescribed a way to be restored to a state of cleanliness, which includes baptism.  Water can make clean that which is unclean.  Maybe for this reason “the unclean spirit…passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it,” (Matt 12:43).  While the unclean spirit desires “waterless places”, the unclean spirit does not find rest because even unclean people and animals need water to survive. 
    
In our day, believers are quick to acknowledge the work of “angels watching over me.”  These same believers are less likely to recognize that suffering, illness, and disease potentially originate as the work of Satan or from unclean spirits.  Up to the present day, our nation may have received some protection through the merit of the witnesses who lived before us, the salt who kept the nation clean.  Maybe the righteous who lived before helps explain why some of the more deadly diseases like “Ebola” seem to originate in places that have less salt. 

 As I get older, I am more inclined to consider that illnesses, diseases, and even the senseless acts of violence may increase in a society that moves toward a greater level of uncleanness.  An unclean people will open the door to a higher activity of unclean spirits, which can result in greater stress for the individual and the nation.  The solution for the individual and the nation can be found in obedience to the commandments as demonstrated through the atoning life of Jesus Christ.  A clean condition increases the protection an individual has against disease and sickness.  The righteous still suffer, but their suffering does not result from their sin.  Through the suffering of the righteous, the world is preserved and the righteous accrue merit.  This is my simple understanding of the potential protection afforded through obedience.  The reader may have a different and better understanding so I always remain open as a new wineskins.

Believers must always acknowledge that the Bible frequently teaches the benefit and blessing for a walk of obedience,

“My son, do not forget my teaching (Torah), But let your heart keep my commandments; For length of days and years of life And peace they will add to you,” (Prov 3:1-2).  

Even Paul, whose words are often used to argue against the continuing relevance of the Law, said, “Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise), so that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth,” (Eph 6:2). 

Scott

The Fitbit Craze (Part 5)

JUST AS JESUS WALKED

 “By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.” (1 John 2:5-6)

We can confidently say that the commandment to “walk in the same manner as He walked” calls the believer to a life of obedience following the pattern of Jesus, (John 15:10).  So I asked my family recently at lunch, “If our ‘walk’ is measured by obedience to the commandments, what commandments did you keep today?”  Mark responded with, “Thou shall not kill, thou shall not steal, etc.”  To which I replied, “True, but even the dead are capable of keeping the negative commandments.  What positive commandments did you keep today?”  That’s a question not only for my family, but also for me since keeping the commandments becomes the measure of how well my “walk” is reflecting the life of Jesus.  The more commandments I fulfill, the more “Christ-like” I see myself and the more Christ-like my life.  In reality, I need to replace my “fitbit” with a “command-bit” that constantly reminds me to fulfill the commandments.

Herein lies the paradoxical position of Jews compared to Gentiles.  In Jewish thinking, the more the commandments, the greater the opportunity to walk as the LORD God walks.  In the Gentile mind, the more the commandments, the more burdensome the requirements to keep and be judged against.  Can you see how warped our thinking has become as Gentiles?  Rather than striving to be more like Jesus, believers have used every justification we can muster to remain in our current state of existence.  We should not have this mindset, rather we should, “Press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus,” (Phil 3:14).

I am ashamed to say that I can name too few of the positive commandments.  By tradition, there are 365 positive commandments, although many are associated with the operation of the temple or applicable only to those living in the land of Israel.  To this total, Jesus added a number of positive commandments such as “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” (Matt 5:44).  Most positive commandments also come with a subset of implied actions that can be seen as fulfilling the greater commandment.  For example, reading my Bible, meditating on the word of God, and praying can all be seen as actions that fulfill the commandment to “Love God”.

The Pharisees, their predecessors and followers, developed many specific actions to fulfill the broader commandments.  (In Pharisaic thinking, the larger the number of specific actions, the greater the opportunity to walk after God.)  One example is hand washing, which led to a conflict between the Pharisees and the disciples, (Matt 15:2).  While hand washing is not a specific commandment, it does mirror the actions of the priests prior to coming into the presence of God at the temple.  When I wash my hands before a meal, I am reminded of the priests as I go before the LORD in prayer thanking Him for the food we receive.  Jesus’ criticism of the Pharisees was not against the practice of hand washing, but that the practice had been elevated to a commandment.  In other words, a person who does not wash his hands does not sin. 

The gospel account of John is probably the most popular of the four gospel accounts because of John’s emphasis on God’s love for His creation, (John 3:16).  What readers regularly overlook is John’s strong connection between love and obedience to the commandments, “If you love Me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15), and “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me: and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him,” (John 14:21).  John defines “love” on the basis of what a believer does, not on the basis of what a believer thinks, “This is love that we walk according to His commandments,” (2 John 1:6).  Frustrated with the lack of action from the German church, Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “Unless he obeys, a man cannot believe.”  Bonhoeffer observed that the first and last words that Jesus spoke to Peter were “Follow me,” (Mark 1:17)(John 21:22). [1]  These words frame the calling and life of Peter, and become the pattern for all disciples.

Largely unique to the gospel of John is the concept of “abiding”, as reflected in the instruction of Jesus to His disciples, “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing,” (John 15:5).  If asked to define “abiding”, most believers might say something like, “to dwell comfortably.”  The Bible defines “abiding” this way, “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love,” (John 15:10).  Abiding is testified to by personal obedience to the commandments, but somehow the majority of believers fail to recognize this close relationship.

Earlier in the fifteenth chapter of John, we are told that the response to a person’s prayers are directly related to abiding, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you,” (John 15:7).  Since scripture defines “abiding” as obedience, we understand that obedience to the commandments directly impacts our prayer life.  John repeats the same principle in his first epistle, “Whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and to do the things that are pleasing in His sight,” (1 John 3:22).

If obedience to the commandments reflects a believer’s “walk”, how was your “walk” today?  Can you name the commandments you performed today since this is the basis the Bible uses to define a person’s walk? 

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.” (Eph 5:1-2)

 -- Scott

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[1] The Cost of Discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, 1959 Edition, page 45