What other biblical instances show physical afflictions as consequences of sin? Deuteronomy 28:35—Starting Point “The LORD will afflict you with painful and incurable boils on your knees and legs, sparing you no part of your body—from the soles of your feet to the top of your head.” This curse against covenant unfaithfulness sets the pattern: sin can invite literal, bodily judgment. Personal Acts of Sin Met with Bodily Judgment • Miriam’s rebellion (Numbers 12:10) – “suddenly Miriam was leprous, white as snow.” • Gehazi’s greed (2 Kings 5:27) – “the leprosy of Naaman will cling to you and to your descendants forever…he left his presence leprous, as white as snow.” • Uzziah’s pride (2 Chronicles 26:19) – “leprosy broke out on his forehead.” • Jeroboam’s presumption (1 Kings 13:4) – “the hand he stretched out…withered, so that he could not pull it back.” • Herod’s self-glory (Acts 12:23) – “an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.” • Ananias and Sapphira’s deception (Acts 5:5, 10) – each “fell down and died” upon being confronted. Corporate Sin Bringing Widespread Affliction • David’s unauthorized census (2 Samuel 24:15) – “the LORD sent a plague…seventy thousand died.” • Complaining in the wilderness (Numbers 21:6) – “the LORD sent venomous snakes…many…died.” • Immorality at Peor (Numbers 25:9) – “those who died in the plague numbered 24,000.” • Egypt’s hardness of heart (Exodus 9:9-11) – boils on man and beast during the sixth plague. New-Testament Warnings to the Church • Irreverent communion (1 Corinthians 11:30) – “many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.” • Jesus to the healed man (John 5:14) – “Stop sinning, or something worse may happen to you.” A Consistent Biblical Theme • God connects deliberate sin with tangible, physical consequences. • He disciplines to expose, humble, and invite repentance (Hebrews 12:6). • Grace remains available; when sin is confessed, judgment can be lifted (e.g., Numbers 21:8-9; 2 Chronicles 30:9). The thread from Deuteronomy 28 runs straight through Scripture: sin is serious, God is just, and repentance opens the door to mercy and healing. |
    |