Medical science gives us many of the reasons sicknesses, disabilities, and other afflictions happen in our bodies. But what are the reasons in the Bible for sickness? Knowing these reasons helps us to understand afflictions from God’s perspective.

In my last post, I talked about how to label and categorize sickness in the Bible. In this post, I want to talk about the theology of sickness and the reasons the Bible gives for it.

God has given doctors and medical professionals wisdom and skill in identifying the sicknesses and unhealthy afflictions that attack our bodies. They have helped us so much in understanding how the body should work and why it doesn’t work well sometimes.

The Bible gives reasons for sickness that happen in our bodies. This is a very biblical reminded post that focuses on “theological” reasons for afflictions. It will also be very practical because these reasons give us a deeper understanding of afflictions and their origin.

Accidents Happen

The Bible doesn’t specifically point out accidents that would have happened in ancient times just as they do today. I don’t think there was Workmen’s Comp, but injuries probably happened when people were doing construction work or even handling animals like bulls, shepherding sheep and defending the flock against bears and lions (1 Samuel 17:34-36), and similar jobs.

We can only speculate on the man with the withered hand (Mark 3:1-3; Luke 6:6), people who were paralyzed (Acts 9:32-36; Mark 2:1-12), and the woman whose back was curved (Luke 10:13-17). The Bible doesn’t say how these injuries and disabilities occurred. I think it’s doubtful that some of these disabilities were from birth. We’ll be looking into them closer as our study progresses.

Birth Defects

The Bible gives some reasons for sicknesses and disabilities that occurred at birth. John 9 tells of Jesus’s interaction with a man born blind. Several women are barren until God “opens their womb” and allows them to conceive and give birth.

Paralysis may have occurred from birth, for there is a man who was paralyzed for 38 years in John 5 (John 5:3). Just as birth defects happen today, they surely happened in Bible times. There are other instances where the Bible says people had afflictions from birth (Acts 3:1-10; 14:8).

The Result of Disobedience

Another cause the Bible gives for sicknesses and disabilities is disobedience. Some of the plagues of Egypt brought sickness and death upon the people for Pharaoh’s refusal to let Israel go to worship God (Exodus 9:8-12; 12:29).

We see this with Israel in the wilderness wanderings of the Torah. In several instances, you can read about their disobedience angering the Lord. Miriam challenged Moses’ authority and became a leper for a time (Numbers 12:10-15). Disobedience and rebellion go hand in hand.

The Israelites grumbled about God’s provision of quell (Numbers 11:31-34), so God caused many of them to get sick and die. God sent fiery serpents among them for their disobedience (Numbers 21:4-9) requiring Moses to make a bronze serpent on a pole to bring God’s healing and stop His wrath.

Later when David is the king of Israel, he takes a census against God’s wishes and one of the three punishments he had to choose from was a pestilence (2 Samuel 24:11-16). The pestilence killed many people in Israel before the Lord stayed His hand.

Miracles happened often to relieve them of God’s anger. Moses spoke to the rock and it provided water (Numbers 20:7-11). God showed Himself mighty and strong to deliver them when they were obedient. We must be careful to think God causes sickness for disobedience today. These phenomena appear to have occurred only in the Old Testament with the nation of Israel.

This is probably because of their special covenant with God and its stipulations. God promised blessings for following the covenant and curses for not following it (Deuteronomy 28 [especially Deuteronomy 28:21-22]). This does not seem to carry over to the new covenant.

The Result of Sin

Another reason the Bible gives for sickness and disability is sin. The theological progression from sin to death appears throughout the New Testament. The disciples asked Jesus whether the man born blind sinned or his parents (John 9:1-2). They expected that sin was behind the man’s sickness.

James connecting sin and sickness calling the elders to pray for sickness and saying that sin will also be forgiven (James 5:14-16). The Gospels have several examples of connecting sin and sickness.

Most notable is the paralyzed man dropped through the roof before Jesus (Mark 2:1-12). Jesus forgives his sins and then comments that it’s no different for Him to forgive sins or heal sickness. Jesus tells the paralytic man He healed that something worse might happen to him if he sins (John 5:13-14).

Living in a Fallen World

Humans have been opened to sickness and affliction because we live in a fallen world. The world is not as God originally created it because sin has entered it. The environment and surroundings of our temporary home are open to the wickedness of people that compromises the stewardship God originally gave Adam and Eve.

Parts of creation like poisonous plants, wild animals that attack humans, and a host of other environmental dangers plague the planet. These dangers are real because of a fallen world and the sinful actions of people.

To Show God’s Glory

Consider a more positive reason the Bible gives for sickness and affliction. The same blind man from birth I mentioned earlier receives the reason along with the disciples who asked about his condition from Jesus.

When the disciples asked Jesus if this man was at fault for his blindness from birth or his parents’ fault, Jesus replied, “Neither, but that the works of God might be displayed in him” (John 9:3). He lived his whole life up to the moment Jesus healed him to display God’s glory in his healing. That’s an extraordinary thought!

A Mystery for Now

As much as we wish the Bible explained the reason for every affliction and malady, some things are left for us to understand when we can ask Jesus about them in heaven. Some afflictions appear without rhyme or reason to us. We must place ourselves in the sovereignty of God and the all sufficient grace He gives us to endure until He heals us (2 Corinthians 12:8-9).

My paralysis is an example. There is no rhyme or reason why my body attacked my spinal cord with an antibody that soon after it attacked disappeared. The greatest thing we can do in these situations is to keep our faith in God and His Word.

It’s easy to blame God when something like this happens to us. We must have an immense wavering faith in God’s goodness and love for us. Put those things above the unexplainable afflictions that it happened to you.

Someday, God will explain the why and what to us. Ultimately, if God does not heal us now we will enjoy a resurrected body that does not suffer the afflictions we deal with now.

Praying for Your Healing

Jesus my Master, I lift up my brother and sister to You. Only You can understand their pain, suffering, and wondering why they are going through this. Thank You for Your sufficient grace to endure these funds in the flesh until You heal us. I ask You to heal their affliction no matter what the cause. I place my brother and sister before you, myself included, and thank You for the healing You will provide. In the mighty name of great Physician Jesus, amen.

Up Next

We have discussed some of the reasons in the Bible for sickness. Next, we will turn to the topic of how to seek God for your healing.

Image by Yerson Retamal from Pixabay