Topical Bible: Sickness: One of God's Four Sore Judgments on a Guilty Land

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In the biblical narrative, sickness is often depicted as one of the divine judgments that God may bring upon a land or a people as a consequence of their disobedience and sin. This concept is rooted in the understanding that God, as the sovereign ruler of the universe, exercises His justice and righteousness by disciplining nations and individuals who turn away from His commandments.

The notion of sickness as a divine judgment is prominently featured in the Old Testament, particularly in the context of the covenant relationship between God and Israel. In Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28, God outlines the blessings for obedience and the curses for disobedience. Among the curses, sickness is mentioned as a consequence of turning away from God's statutes. Deuteronomy 28:21-22 states, "The LORD will make the pestilence cling to you until He has exterminated you from the land you are entering to possess. The LORD will strike you with wasting disease, with fever and inflammation, with scorching heat and drought, with blight and mildew, which will plague you until you perish."

The prophet Ezekiel also speaks of sickness as one of the "four sore judgments" that God sends upon a land. In Ezekiel 14:21 , the Lord declares, "For this is what the Lord GOD says: How much worse will it be when I send against Jerusalem My four dreadful judgments—sword and famine and wild beasts and plague—to cut off both man and beast from it!" Here, plague, which can be understood as a form of widespread sickness or disease, is listed alongside the sword, famine, and wild beasts as instruments of divine judgment.

Throughout the biblical text, instances of sickness are often linked to specific acts of rebellion or idolatry. For example, in Numbers 12, Miriam is struck with leprosy as a punishment for speaking against Moses. Similarly, in 2 Chronicles 21, King Jehoram is afflicted with an incurable disease as a result of his wickedness and idolatry.

However, the Bible also presents a nuanced view of sickness, recognizing that not all illness is a direct result of personal sin. The Book of Job, for instance, explores the suffering of a righteous man, emphasizing that his afflictions are not due to his own wrongdoing. In the New Testament, Jesus addresses this complexity in John 9:3 , where He states regarding a man born blind, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God would be displayed in him."

Despite the association of sickness with judgment, the Bible also offers hope for healing and restoration. God is portrayed as a healer who desires to restore His people. In Exodus 15:26 , God promises the Israelites, "If you will listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His eyes, if you pay attention to His commandments and keep all His statutes, then I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD who heals you."

In the New Testament, Jesus' ministry is marked by numerous healings, demonstrating God's compassion and power over sickness. Matthew 4:23 records, "Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people."

Thus, while sickness can be a manifestation of divine judgment, it is also an opportunity for repentance, faith, and the demonstration of God's redemptive power. The biblical narrative encourages believers to seek God's mercy and healing, trusting in His sovereign will and ultimate plan for restoration.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Ezekiel 14:19-21
Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my fury on it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast:
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Our Compassionate High Priest
... Remember that temptation is one of the best books in the ... Our sickness may turn out
to be in the same ... that health is the greatest blessing that God ever sends us ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 38 1892/our compassionate high priest.htm

The Life of Mr. John Welch.
... affections, fell ill of a grievous sickness, and after ... citizens to hold out, assuring
them, God would deliver ... the townsmen made stout defence, till one of the ...
/.../howie/biographia scoticana scots worthies/the life of mr john 5.htm

The Acceptable Sacrifice;
... he sees his wound: 'When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah ... he sent, and there came
to him 'every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the acceptable sacrifice.htm

Seasonable Counsel: Or, Advice to Sufferers.
... Our sickness is so great that our enemies take notice of ... savage monsters crying out,
Kill, kill, from one end of ... that had not committed his soul to God to keep ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/seasonable counsel or advice to.htm

A Holy Life the Beauty of Christianity: Or, an Exhortation to ...
... by the text, is not extended to any of the four sorts aforenamed ... (ch.11:26) God has
changed ... earth, that thou art become a disciple, and 'let every one that' so ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/a holy life the beauty.htm

The Life and Death of Mr. Badman,
... Yet four things I will propound to the consideration of Mr. Badman's ... speaks of, one
at the remotest distance from God and life eternal, one where the worm ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the life and death of.htm

The Desire of the Righteous Granted;
... David says he 'opened his mouth and panted,' for he longed for God's commandments
(Psalm 119:131). This was a sickness, but not such a one as we have ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the desire of the righteous.htm

Introductory Notice Respecting Tauler's Life and Times
... of Rulman Merswin's account of the first four years of ... He himself was not one of
those passive mystics ... of love," he says, "are more acceptable to God than lofty ...
/.../introductory notice respecting taulers life.htm

Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ;
... Of the true coming to Christ, the four lepers were a ... out from them all, as the only
one that can ... 6. Therefore as Noah, at God's command, thou preparest this ark ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/come and welcome to jesus.htm

Christ a Complete Saviour:
... those who are otherwise minded did but feel, for three or four months, something ...
in the power of all the men on earth to make one man come to God by Christ ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/christ a complete saviour .htm