Some Sicknesses Are For Yahweh's Glorification
John 11:1-45 reads,
11:1
Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus from Bethany, of the village of Mary and her sister, Martha. 11:2It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother, Lazarus, was sick. 11:3The sisters therefore sent to him, saying, "Lord, behold, he for whom you have affection is sick." 11:4But when Jesus heard it, he said, "This sickness is not to death, but for the glory of God, that God’s Son may be glorified by it." 11:5Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. 11:6When therefore he heard that he was sick, he stayed at that time two days in the place where he was. 11:7Then after this he said to the disciples, "Let’s go into Judea again."11:8
The disciples told him, "Rabbi, the Jews were just trying to stone you, and are you going there again?"11:9
Jesus answered, "Aren’t there twelve hours of daylight? If a man walks in the day, he doesn’t stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 11:10But if a man walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light isn’t in him." 11:11He said these things, and after that, he said to them, "Our friend, Lazarus, has fallen asleep, but I am going so that I may awake him out of sleep."11:12
The disciples therefore said, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover."11:13
Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he spoke of taking rest in sleep. 11:14So Jesus said to them plainly then, "Lazarus is dead. 11:15I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe. Nevertheless, let’s go to him."11:16
Thomas therefore, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, "Let’s go also, that we may die with him."11:17
So when Jesus came, he found that he had been in the tomb four days already. 11:18Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen stadia away. 11:19Many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to console them concerning their brother. 11:20Therefore Martha, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him, but Mary stayed in the house. 11:21Therefore Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you would have been here, my brother wouldn’t have died. 11:22Even now I know that, whatever you ask of God, God will give you." 11:23Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."11:24
Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."11:25
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he die, yet will he live. 11:26Whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"11:27
She said to him, "Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, God’s Son, he who comes into the world."11:28
When she had said this, she went away, and called Mary, her sister, secretly, saying, "The Teacher is here, and is calling you."11:29
She, when she heard this, arose quickly, and went to him. 11:30Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was in the place where Martha met him. 11:31Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and were consoling her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, "She is going to the tomb to weep there." 11:32Mary therefore, when she came to where Jesus was, and saw him, fell down at his feet, saying to him, "Lord, if you would have been here, my brother wouldn’t have died."11:33
When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews weeping who came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, 11:34and said, "Where have you laid him?"They told him, "Lord, come and see."
11:35
Jesus wept.11:36
The Jews therefore said, "See how much affection he had for him!" 11:37Some of them said, "Couldn’t this man, who opened the eyes of him who was blind, have also caused that this man wouldn’t die?"11:38
Jesus therefore, again groaning in himself, came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 11:39Jesus said, "Take away the stone."Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to him, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days."
11:40
Jesus said to her, "Didn’t I tell you that if you believed, you would see God’s glory?"11:41
So they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, "Father, I thank you that you listened to me. 11:42I know that you always listen to me, but because of the multitude that stands around I said this, that they may believe that you sent me." 11:43When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!"11:44
He who was dead came out, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth.Jesus said to them, "Free him, and let him go."
11:45
Therefore many of the Jews, who came to Mary and saw that which Jesus did, believed in him.The manner Yahweh was glorified by Lazarus' resurrection from the dead, the manner Yah'shuah was glorified by this great deed, was in the people who witnessed this miracle coming to believe that Yah'shuah was indeed Yahweh's Anointed - the Christ!
A Reason Why Yahweh Performs Extraordinary Miracles
Acts 9:36-42 reads,
9:36
Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which when translated, means Dorcas. This woman was full of good works and acts of mercy which she did. 9:37It happened in those days that she fell sick, and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in an upper chamber. 9:38As Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him, imploring him not to delay in coming to them. 9:39Peter got up and went with them. When he had come, they brought him into the upper chamber. All the widows stood by him weeping, and showing the coats and garments which Dorcas made while she was with them. 9:40Peter put them all out, and kneeled down and prayed. Turning to the body, he said, "Tabitha, get up!" She opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up. 9:41He gave her his hand, and raised her up. Calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive. 9:42It became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.A purpose in Yahweh performing extraordinary miracles, such as raising the dead back to life, is to glorify his name by causing many to believe in Yah'shuah as his Anointed.
Don't Attempt To Undertake Acts Of Deliverance Without Being Duly Authorised To Do So
Acts 19:11-20 reads,
19:11
God worked special miracles by the hands of Paul, 19:12so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were carried away from his body to the sick, and the evil spirits went out. 19:13But some of the itinerant Jews, exorcists, took on themselves to name over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, "We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches." 19:14There were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did this.19:15
The evil spirit answered, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?" 19:16The man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 19:17This became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who lived at Ephesus. Fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. 19:18Many also of those who had believed came, confessing, and declaring their deeds. 19:19Many of those who practiced magical arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. They counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. 19:20So the word of the Lord was growing and becoming mighty.The case of the itinerant Jewish exorcists should be noted. They had taken upon themselves to cast out demons by Yah'shuah's name, without having been given this authority. The evil spirit did not respect their self appointed mission or authority. The evil spirit respected Yah'shuah and those Yah'shuah had duly authorised over them. Seeing that the evil spirit rejected the authority of these self-appointed Jewish exorcists, he pounced on them and physically harmed them! We should therefore take warning not to appoint ourselves over unclean spirits, but should only act to cast them out of those they possess when Yah'shuah has duly given us authority to do so.
It should also be noted that Yah'shuah didn't give this authority to all his disciples. Initially he gave this authority to the twelve. Later he also gave it to the seventy. In other words, at any given point in time, Yah'shuah has some disciples he has authorised to cast out unclean spirits from others, and other disciples that he hasn't yet authorised so to do. Yah'shuah's disciples should therefore understand the limits of the authority he gives them at any given point in time, and abide by that authority, not overstepping the bounds he has imposed on them.
Rely On Yahweh Rather Than On Others
2 Chronicles 16 reads,
16:1
In the six and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might not allow anyone to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. 16:2Then Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasures of the house of Yahweh and of the king’s house, and sent to Ben-hadad king of Syria, who lived at Damascus, saying, 16:3There is a league between me and you, as there was between my father and your father: behold, I have sent you silver and gold; go, break your league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me.16:4
Ben-hadad listened to king Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel; and they struck Ijon, and Dan, and Abel-maim, and all the store-cities of Naphtali. 16:5It happened, when Baasha heard of it, that he left off building Ramah, and let his work cease. 16:6Then Asa the king took all Judah; and they carried away the stones of Ramah, and the timber of it, with which Baasha had built; and he built therewith Geba and Mizpah.16:7
At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said to him, Because you have relied on the king of Syria, and have not relied on Yahweh your God, therefore is the host of the king of Syria escaped out of your hand. 16:8Weren’t the Ethiopians and the Lubim a huge host, with chariots and horsemen exceeding many? Yet, because you did rely on Yahweh, he delivered them into your hand. 16:9For the eyes of Yahweh run back and forth throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein you have done foolishly; for from henceforth you shall have wars. 16:10Then Asa was angry with the seer, and put him in the prison-house; for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. Asa oppressed some of the people at the same time.16:11
Behold, the acts of Asa, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. 16:12In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was diseased in his feet; his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he didn’t seek Yahweh, but to the physicians. 16:13Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the one and fortieth year of his reign. 16:14They buried him in his own tombs, which he had hewn out for himself in the city of David, and laid him in the bed which was filled with sweet odors and various kinds of spices prepared by the perfumers’ are: and they made a very great burning for him.A lesson to be learned from Asa's life is that we should fear Yahweh and rely on him for deliverance, rather than relying on others. For when Asa relied on Yahweh in the war with the Ethiopians and the Lubim, Yahweh delivered him from that huge host, and subsequently spared him several wars. But when Asa relied on a human being for deliverance in war, Yahweh consigned him to the fate of those who rely upon humans, rather than upon Yahweh. Yahweh sentenced him to have wars, of which he had spared him after the war with the huge host of the Ethiopians and the Lubim.
16:9 indicates that it is perfection of heart for one to rely on Yahweh rather than on humans or others, and it is folly of heart for one to rely on humans or others rather than rely on Yahweh. We should therefore rely on Yahweh rather than upon humans or others.
Yahweh Gave Asa An Opportunity To Redeem Himself
It seems to me that Asa's diseased feet, as seen in 16:12, was a trial from Yahweh to ascertain whether he would return to relying upon Yahweh or would persist in relying upon humans. Asa failed the test, and ignored Yahweh, choosing instead reliance upon humans - physicians. Yahweh therefore left him to the fate of those who rely upon humans - eventual death. Again, learning from Asa's experiences, we should indeed rely on Yahweh, for our healing, rather than upon humans.
Is It Wrong To Seek Human Help When One Is Sick?
Does this mean that it is wrong to seek human help when one is sick or diseased?
In Matthew 9:12 Yah'shuah indicated that the sick need physicians. Jeremiah 8:22 also indicates that the unhealthy need physicians for the recovery of their health. The implication is that it isn't inappropriate for a sick or diseased person to seek the help of physicians. Nevertheless, when it comes to the one we should rely upon for our healing, it is Yahweh that we should rely upon and not upon humans. This suggests that the sick and diseased should rely upon Yahweh, even when they seek the help that comes from physicians. In other words, the primary reliance should be upon Yahweh, though reliance upon Yahweh doesn't exclude using human help when it is available.
Yah'shuah Delivered Many, Including Restoring Life To The Dead
Luke 7:11-23 reads,
7:11
It happened soon afterwards, that he went to a city called Nain. Many of his disciples went with him, along with a great multitude. 7:12Now when he drew near to the gate of the city, behold, one who was dead was carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. Many people of the city were with her. 7:13When the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said to her, "Don’t cry." 7:14He came near and touched the coffin, and the bearers stood still. He said, "Young man, I tell you, arise!" 7:15He who was dead sat up, and began to speak. He gave him to his mother.7:16
Fear took hold of all, and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has arisen among us!" and, "God has visited his people!" 7:17This report went out concerning him in the whole of Judea, and in all the surrounding region.7:18
The disciples of John told him about all these things. 7:19John, calling to himself two of his disciples, sent them to Jesus, saying, "Are you he who comes, or should we look for another?" 7:20When the men had come to him, they said, "John the Baptizer has sent us to you, saying, ‘Are you he who comes, or should we look for another?’"7:21
In that hour he cured many of diseases and plagues and evil spirits; and to many who were blind he gave sight. 7:22Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John the things which you have seen and heard: that the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. 7:23Blessed is he who is not offended by me."
Yahweh Inflicts Pestilence On Those Who Disobey Him
Exodus 5:1-3 reads,
5:1
Afterward Moses and Aaron came, and said to Pharaoh, "This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.’"5:2
Pharaoh said, "Who is Yahweh, that I should listen to his voice to let Israel go? I don’t know Yahweh, and moreover I will not let Israel go."5:3
They said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go three days’ journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to Yahweh, our God, lest he fall on us with pestilence, or with the sword."The message that Moses and Aaron conveyed to Pharaoh was that if Yahweh's word is not heeded, he may fall on those not heeding his word with pestilence. In other words, pestilence is a punishment Yahweh inflicts upon those who are disobedient to his word.
Yahweh Plagues Those Who Don't Listen To Him
Exodus 9:13-19 reads,
9:13
Yahweh said to Moses, "Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and tell him, ‘This is what Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, says: "Let my people go, that they may serve me. 9:14For this time I will send all my plagues against your heart, against your officials, and against your people; that you may know that there is none like me in all the earth. 9:15For now I would have put forth my hand, and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth; 9:16but indeed for this cause I have made you stand: to show you my power, and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth; 9:17as you still exalt yourself against my people, that you won’t let them go. 9:18Behold, tomorrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as has not been in Egypt since the day it was founded even until now. 9:19Now therefore command that all of your cattle and all that you have in the field be brought into shelter. Every man and animal that is found in the field, and isn’t brought home, the hail shall come down on them, and they shall die."’"Yahweh shows that he sends plagues and pestilence against those who do not listen to his word. Therefore, to avoid suffering plagues and pestilence at Yahweh's hand we should indeed abide by his word.
Yahweh's Punishments Are Meant To Return Those Punished Back To Yahweh
Leviticus 26:23-25 reads,
26:23
If by these things you won’t be reformed to me, but will walk contrary to me; 26:24then will I also walk contrary to you; and I will strike you, even I, seven times for your sins. 26:25I will bring a sword on you, that shall execute the vengeance of the covenant; and you shall be gathered together within your cities: and I will send the pestilence among you; and you shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy.
Honour Yahweh And Believe In Him To Avoid His Striking You With Pestilence
Numbers 14:11-12 reads,
14:11
Yahweh said to Moses, How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me, for all the signs which I have worked among them? 14:12I will strike them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.Yahweh strikes with pestilence those who despise him and do not believe in him. Therefore, to avoid being struck with pestilence by Yahweh, we should honour him and believe in him.
Yahweh Plagued Israel On Account Of David's Sin
2 Samuel 24:10-17 reads,
24:10
David’s heart struck him after that he had numbered the people. David said to Yahweh, I have sinned greatly in that which I have done: but now, Yahweh, put away, I beg you, the iniquity of your servant; for I have done very foolishly.24:11
When David rose up in the morning, the word of Yahweh came to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying, 24:12Go and speak to David, Thus says Yahweh, I offer you three things: choose you one of them, that I may do it to you. 24:13So Gad came to David, and told him, and said to him, Shall seven years of famine come to you in your land? Or will you flee three months before your foes while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days’ pestilence in your land? Now advise you, and consider what answer I shall return to him who sent me. 24:14David said to Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of Yahweh; for his mercies are great; and let me not fall into the hand of man.24:15
So Yahweh sent a pestilence on Israel from the morning even to the time appointed; and there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men. 24:16When the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, Yahweh repented him of the evil, and said to the angel who destroyed the people, It is enough; now stay your hand. The angel of Yahweh was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. 24:17David spoke to Yahweh when he saw the angel who struck the people, and said, Behold, I have sinned, and I have done perversely; but these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand be against me, and against my father’s house.It should be noted that the pestilence that came upon Israel arose on account of what David, king of Israel, did to Israel. In other words, it isn't always the case that a person suffers for his own conduct. One sometimes suffers on account of someone else's conduct that has an impact upon one. For so did the people of Israel suffer when David numbered them contrary to Yahweh's word. We should therefore strive to conduct our affairs in such a manner so as not to bring suffering upon others on account of our actions.
Yahweh Delivers His People From Pestilence
Psalm 91 reads,
91:1
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High91:2
I will say of Yahweh, "He is my refuge and my fortress;91:3
For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler,91:4
He will cover you with his pinions.His truth is a shield and a buckler.
91:5You will not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day;
91:6Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that wastes at noonday.
91:7
A thousand may fall at your side,But it will not come near you.
91:8
You will only look with your eyes,91:9
For you, Yahweh, are my refuge!91:10
No evil shall happen to you,91:11
For he will give his angels charge over you,91:12
They will bear you up in their hands,91:13
You will tread on the lion and cobra.91:14
"Because he has set his love on me, therefore I will deliver him.91:15
He will call on me, and I will answer him.91:16
I will satisfy him with long life,
Listen To Yahweh's Words To Avoid His Pestilences
Jeremiah 29:15-19 reads,
29:15
Because you have said, Yahweh has raised us up prophets in Babylon; 29:16thus says Yahweh concerning the king who sits on the throne of David, and concerning all the people who dwell in this city, your brothers who haven’t gone forth with you into captivity; 29:17thus says Yahweh of Hosts; Behold, I will send on them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like vile figs, that can’t be eaten, they are so bad. 29:18I will pursue after them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be tossed back and forth among all the kingdoms of the earth, to be an object of horror, and an astonishment, and a hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations where I have driven them; 29:19because they have not listened to my words, says Yahweh, with which I sent to them my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them; but you would not hear, says Yahweh.Listen to Yahweh's words, that he may spare you the pestilences he sends to those who do not listen to him.
Honour Your Covenants Made Before Yahweh To Avoid His Pestilences
Jeremiah 34:8-20 reads,
34:8
The word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, after that the king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people who were at Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty to them; 34:9that every man should let his man-servant, and every man his maid-servant, who is a Hebrew or a Hebrewess, go free; that none should make bondservants of them, to wit, of a Jew his brother. 34:10All the princes and all the people obeyed, who had entered into the covenant, that everyone should let his man-servant, and everyone his maid-servant, go free, that none should make bondservants of them any more; they obeyed, and let them go: 34:11but afterwards they turned, and caused the servants and the handmaids, whom they had let go free, to return, and brought them into subjection for servants and for handmaids.34:12
Therefore the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, saying, 34:13Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel: I made a covenant with your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, saying, 34:14At the end of seven years you shall let go every man his brother who is a Hebrew, who has been sold to you, and has served you six years, you shall let him go free from you: but your fathers didn’t listen to me, neither inclined their ear. 34:15You were now turned, and had done that which is right in my eyes, in proclaiming liberty every man to his neighbor; and you had made a covenant before me in the house which is called by my name: 34:16but you turned and profaned my name, and caused every man his servant, and every man his handmaid, whom you had let go free at their pleasure, to return; and you brought them into subjection, to be to you for servants and for handmaids. 34:17Therefore thus says Yahweh: you have not listened to me, to proclaim liberty, every man to his brother, and every man to his neighbor: behold, I proclaim to you a liberty, says Yahweh, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will make you to be tossed back and forth among all the kingdoms of the earth. 34:18I will give the men who have transgressed my covenant, who have not performed the words of the covenant which they made before me, when they cut the calf in two and passed between the parts of it; 34:19the princes of Judah, and the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, and the priests, and all the people of the land, who passed between the parts of the calf; 34:20I will even give them into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those who seek their life; and their dead bodies shall be for food to the birds of the sky, and to the animals of the earth.Honour your covenants before Yahweh that he may spare you the pestilences he sends to those who break their covenants made before him, thereby profaning his name.
In essence, to receive healing from Yahweh, diligently listen to his words and avoid iniquity. By faithfully abiding in his words one also avoids the afflictions of sickness and disease, and remains in good health.
Disease and sickness are Yahweh's punishments to humans, that they may consider their errant ways and return faithfully to Yahweh and his ways. When they return to him he forgives their sins and heals them of the consequences of their sins.
Healing is a gracious and merciful act on Yahweh's part. Humans have no right to Yahweh's healing. Nevertheless, Yahweh desires to forgive us our sins and heal us of the adverse consequences of our sins. We should therefore cry to Yahweh to heal us when necessary, appealing to his grace and mercy.
Yahweh uses his gracious and merciful acts of healing to witness his works and to glorify his name and that of his Son Yah'shuah. Yah'shuah's servants, empowered with authority to deliver others from oppression, should therefore honour and glorify Yahweh and Yah'shuah in their merciful acts of healing and deliverance.
It should also be noted that Yahweh's gracious and merciful acts of healing and deliverance are not confined to the physical realm, but are active in the spiritual realm. For those to attain to everlasting life must indeed be forgiven their sins and spiritually healed of the adverse consequences of their sin - everlasting death and torment. Seeing that everlasting life has greater import than physical life, it should be noted that spiritual healing and deliverance is indeed greater in import than physical healing and deliverance. All humans should therefore seek for Yahweh's graciously administered spiritual healing, that they may be spared the everlasting death penalty on account of their sins, and be granted the gift of everlasting life in Yahweh's kingdom.
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