Biblical Health

 

 

 

One day, while I was still in my fast food emotional roller coaster eating phase, my dear Mum gave me a book called “Back to Eden” by Jethro Kloss. It was a fascinating read. It started me taking the first few steps that would eventually lead to a complete change in my thinking and way of doing life.

 

I loved the way the book, originally written in 1939, points the reader to the wisdom and science of eating a plant-based diet. The title refers to the first book in the Bible – the book of Genesis, where the events of the garden of Eden unfolded.

 

Although the book thoroughly advocated a 100% plant based vegan diet, as in Genesis 1:29, it did not follow through with the revised dietary instructions in Genesis 9:3, which added animal meat to the equation. But I was hooked on how even the “ancient Bible” could be so  ahead of its time. Even before science could prove the benefits of eating a mostly plant-based diet,  even before discovery of the “Blue zone” where people lived much longer lives,  the Genesis1:29 and 9:3 diet was advocating health and wellness  in black and white! Today, medical doctors and scientists can see the accuracy and benefit of a diet plan that was given  thousands of years ago.

 

The principles of modern health originated with God, our Designer, our Creator.

 

As I became a Born again Christian when I was 18, thanks to my Mum, I had already developed a  habit of reading the Bible. Mum subscribed to an organisation called CWR  that published daily Bible reading materials which I used. I had pigeon-holed God as being interested only in some areas of my life. But as I continued to read through the Bible, I realised that not only did He want to be involved in, but He also had instructions for every area of my life, including my health and my diet. There were also Biblical instructions about hygiene, how to forgive and how to respect parents!

 

I was born into a Church going family, so have never had a problem believing that God existed. BUT so many opportunities presented themselves in my life to make me doubt God’s goodness. One of the most traumatic experiences was being subjected to emotional and physical abuse for years. My Mum and siblings had the same experience.

 

The concept of a loving Father was therefore very hard for me to embrace. But through the Bible, God showed how much of a personal God He really is, how He loved and allowed His Son, Jesus, to be sacrificed –  to pay the penalty for my sins. He made me realise that I was not just a number.  He even knew the number of hairs on my head.

 

Luke 12:7 –  But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: you are of more value than many sparrows.

 

My attention was originally grabbed by the book “Back to Eden” because of my interest in health. But then the Bible revealed that God’s blue print for health, healing and wholeness were right there. Here was a good GOD, who made me and provided His “Manufacturer’s manual” to ensure I took great care of His amazing creation- me!!

 

These scriptures highlight the Genius of God in promoting good health through the Bible:

 

The Bible and diet:

Genesis 1:29

Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.”

Genesis 9:3

 

Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.

Leviticus 11:1-4

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 2 “Say to the Israelites: ‘Of all the animals that live on land, these are the ones you may eat: 3 You may eat any animal that has a divided hoof and that chews the cud. There are some that only chew the cud or only have a divided hoof, but you must not eat them. The camel, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is ceremonially unclean for you.

Proverbs 20:1

Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise.

Proverbs 25:16 

If you have found honey, eat only enough for you, lest you have your fill of it and vomit it

Proverbs 23:20-21

Be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat, for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags

1 Corinthians 10:31

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

Ephesians 5:18

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit

The Bible and hygiene:

Leviticus 13

1The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron,

2 “If anyone has a sore, a rash, or an irritated area on his skin that turns into an infectious skin disease, he must be taken to the priest Aaron or to one of his sons who are also priests. 3 The priest will examine the disease. If the hair in the diseased area has turned white, and the diseased area looks deeper than the rest of his skin, it is an infectious skin disease. When the priest has examined him, he must declare him unclean. 4 But if the irritated area is white and does not look deeper than the rest of the skin, and the hair has not turned white, the priest must put him in isolation for seven days.
5 On the seventh day the priest will examine him again. If the disease looks the same and has not spread, the priest must put him in isolation for another seven days.
6 On the seventh day the priest will examine him again. If the diseased area has faded and not spread, the priest must declare him clean. It is only a rash. The person must wash his clothes and will be clean.
7 But if the rash has spread after he has shown himself to the priest to be declared clean, he must show himself to the priest again. 8 The priest will examine him one more time, and if the rash has spread, the priest must declare him unclean. It is an infectious skin disease.

9 “If anyone has an infectious skin disease, he must be taken to the priest. 10 The priest will examine him. If there is a white sore that has turned the hair white, and if there is raw flesh in the sore, 11 he has a chronic skin disease. Without putting him in isolation, the priest must declare him unclean because he is unclean. 12 If skin disease develops and covers the whole person from head to foot (so far as the priest can see), 13 the priest will examine him. If the disease does cover his whole body, the priest must declare the diseased person clean. His body has turned white. The person is clean. 14 But if raw flesh appears, he will be unclean. 15 The priest will examine the raw flesh and declare him unclean. The raw flesh is unclean. It is an infectious skin disease.
16 But if the raw flesh turns white again, he must go to the priest. 17 The priest will examine him again, and if the diseased area has turned white, the priest must declare the diseased person clean. He is clean.

18 “If a boil on the skin has healed 19 and in its place there is a white sore or a pink area, it must be shown to the priest. 20 The priest will examine it. If it looks deeper than the rest of the skin and its hair has turned white, the priest must declare the person unclean. An infectious skin disease has developed in the boil.
21 But if the priest examines the affected area and the hair in it is not white or the affected area is not deeper than the rest of the skin but has faded, the priest must put him in isolation for seven days. 22 If the area has spread, the priest must declare him unclean. It is a skin disease. 23 But if the irritated area has not spread, it is a scar caused by the boil. The priest must declare him clean.

24 “If anyone has a burn on his skin and the raw flesh of the burn turns into a pink or bright white area, 25 the priest will examine it. If the hair on the affected area has turned white and the affected area looks deeper than the rest of the skin, an infectious skin disease has developed in the burn. The priest must declare him unclean. It is an infectious skin disease.
26 But if the priest examines it and the hair in it is not white and the affected area is not deeper than the rest of the skin but has faded, the priest must put him in isolation for seven days.
27 On the seventh day the priest will examine him again. If the area has spread, the priest must declare him unclean. It is an infectious skin disease. 28 If the irritated area does not spread but has faded, it is only a sore caused by the burn. The priest must declare him clean, because it is a scar caused by the burn.

29 “If a man or a woman has some disease on the head or chin, 30 the priest will examine the disease. If it looks deeper than the rest of the skin and there is thin yellow hair on it, the priest must declare the person unclean. It is a scab, a disease on the head or the chin.
31 But if the priest examines the scabby disease and it does not look deeper than the rest of the skin and there is no black hair in it, the priest must put the person with the scabby disease in isolation for seven days.
32 On the seventh day the priest will examine the disease. If the scab has not spread, there is no yellow hair on it, and the scab does not look deeper than the rest of the skin, 33 the person will shave everything except the scab. The priest will put the person with the scab in isolation for another seven days.
34 On the seventh day the priest will examine the scab again. If the scab has not spread on the skin and does not look deeper than the rest of the skin, the priest must declare him clean. When he has washed his clothes, he will be clean.
35 But if the scab spreads after the person has been declared clean, 36 the priest will make another examination. If the scab has spread on the skin, the priest does not have to look for yellow hair. The person is unclean.
37 But if he sees that the scab hasn’t spread and black hair grows on it, the scab is healed. The person is clean, so the priest must declare him clean.

38 “If a man or a woman has white irritated areas of skin, 39 the priest will make an examination. If the irritated areas on the skin are pale white, a rash has developed on the skin. The person is clean.

40 “When a man has lost his hair and is bald, he is clean. 41 If he has lost his hair from the front of his scalp and has a bald forehead, he is clean.
42 But if he has a reddish-white sore on his bald head or forehead, it is an infectious disease breaking out on his head or forehead. 43 The priest is to examine him, and if the swollen sore on his head or forehead is reddish-white like an infectious skin disease, 44 the man is diseased and is unclean. The priest shall pronounce him unclean because of the sore on his head.

45 “The person with such an infectious disease must wear torn clothes, let his hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of his face and cry out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ 46 As long as he has the infection he remains unclean. He must live alone; he must live outside the camp.

47 “If any clothing is contaminated with mildew-any woollen or linen clothing, 48 any woven or knitted material of linen or wool, any leather or anything made of leather- 49 and if the contamination in the clothing, or leather, or woven or knitted material, or any leather article, is greenish or reddish, it is a spreading mildew and must be shown to the priest. 50 The priest is to examine the mildew and isolate the affected article for seven days.
51 On the seventh day he is to examine it, and if the mildew has spread in the clothing, or the woven or knitted material, or the leather, whatever its use, it is a destructive mildew; the article is unclean. 52 He must burn up the clothing, or the woven or knitted material of wool or linen, or any leather article that has the contamination in it, because the mildew is destructive; the article must be burned up.

53 “But if, when the priest examines it, the mildew has not spread in the clothing, or the woven or knitted material, or the leather article, 54 he shall order that the contaminated article be washed. Then he is to isolate it for another seven days. 55 After the affected article has been washed, the priest is to examine it, and if the mildew has not changed its appearance, even though it has not spread, it is unclean. Burn it with fire, whether the mildew has affected one side or the other.
56 If, when the priest examines it, the mildew has faded after the article has been washed, he is to tear the contaminated part out of the clothing, or the leather, or the woven or knitted material.
57 But if it reappears in the clothing, or in the woven or knitted material, or in the leather article, it is spreading, and whatever has the mildew must be burned with fire.
58 The clothing, or the woven or knitted material, or any leather article that has been washed and is rid of the mildew, must be washed again, and it will be clean.”

59 These are the regulations concerning contamination by mildew in woollen or linen clothing, woven or knitted material, or any leather article, for pronouncing them clean or unclean..

Numbers chapter 5: 1-4

1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Command the people of Israel to expel from the camp everyone with a dreaded skin disease or a bodily discharge and everyone who is unclean by contact with a corpse. 3 Send all these ritually unclean people out, so that they will not defile the camp, where I live among my people.” 4 The Israelites obeyed and expelled them all from the camp.

The Bible and mental health:

Proverbs 17:22

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones

Proverbs 12:25

Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down,

But a good word makes it glad

Philippians 4:6-8

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

1 Peter 5:7

Casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you

The Bible and exercise:

1 Timothy 4:8

For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come

The Bible and rest:

Exodus 20:8-11

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labour and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you.

For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

Exodus 34:21

“You shall work six days, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during ploughing time and harvest you shall rest.

The Bible and Doctors:

Luke 5:31-32

And Jesus answered and said to them, “It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance

These are just a few examples of how much God loves us. He knows what is good for us and has instructed us on how to live a full healthy life, how to prevent the spread of disease, and how to build healthy relationships.

Would you like to know this God?

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