Chapter 1: Why Did I Get Sick?

I do not think God gave man the potential to be sick, even if I will never be able to pinpoint the exact cause of my illness. God undoubtedly wanted humans to have eternal life through Adam and Eve. “Where-fore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12). God never intended death! Death in all its forms is a contradiction of God’s creation, and a result of sin!

Adam’s action brought about sin and its consequences for humanity because there was no sin, disease, or death prior to his deed. It is obvious that natural evil is a result of moral evil; if man had never sinned, he would not have experienced its consequences. The text of Genesis 3:19, “For dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return,” was not spoken until after Adam had consumed the forbidden fruit. And so, both physical and spiritual death entered into this world through Adam’s original sin.

Man was warned by God with death as a penalty for disobedience. So death as punishment for man’s disobedience was a judicial part of the fallen creation, not a natural part of God’s original plan for man. “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:17).

Paul puts it this way in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Before the flood, some of our predecessors lived ten times longer than we do now. For instance, Jared, the father of Enoch, lived to the age of 962 while Adam lived for 930 years.

Methuselah lived the longest life ever, clocking in at 969 years. He was Noah’s grandfather and the son of Enoch, the only person to have never died when God took him at the age of 365. However, the average human life expectancy dramatically decreased after the flood.
After the deluge, the earth looked nothing like it did previously. I believe there was no sickness because it would have taken some time for sickness and disease to grow and intensify after Adam and Eve had fallen from their original state of perfection.

Their extended life cannot be attributed just to the fact that the food they ate pre-flood was far superior in terms of extending their years on the earth. I believe long life spans were a necessity in the beginning if the earth was to be filled by people (Genesis 1:26). Otherwise, fulfilling the commandment to populate the earth would have taken an inordinate amount of time. “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, ‘Be fruitful, multiply, and replenish the earth’” (Genesis 1:28).

Because the planet’s first occupants lived for such a long time, they would have progressed in all aspects of life, including an understanding of the necessary foods which would have helped them live longer. Other elements, such as the environment, absence of radiation, water purity, and air quality, could have contributed to their longevity. What is undeniable is that man’s purposeful disobedience to God’s command tainted God’s original plan for him to live eternally free from everything that followed.

Although the Bible does not specify what the pre-flood diet consisted of, I believe Adam and his ancestors followed the nutritional pattern that God gave him in Genesis 1:29, “And God said, ‘Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.’” This verse leads me to believe that before the flood, the people were vegetarians. Many people who believe in the advantages of their favored diet will undoubtedly disagree with this assertion. However, it is difficult to deny that man’s ancestral diet was significantly superior to that of modern man. It is also indisputable that our present eating habits are killing us and silly to argue that diet has no significant role in people’s health and longevity.

Following the flood, people’s lifespans decreased precipitously. Noah lived 350 years after the flood and died at the age of 950. But why did everyone have a shorter life span after the flood? Was it just because of changes in their diet or climatic condition?

The solution has to do with man’s conduct in God’s view. According to Genesis 6:2, God was dissatisfied with man’s behavior, therefore he determined the length of humanity’s lifespan. “Yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years” (Genesis 6:3). God decided that 120 years was to be the maximum lifespan of humanity. However, a number of Israel patriarchs lived longer than this. Abraham, for example, lived to be 175 years old (Genesis 25:7) and Isaac lived to be 180 years old (Genesis 35:28). Also, according to Deuteronomy 34:7, Moses lived to be 120 years old and had perfect vision. “And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated.” Moses’ good health, I believe, was bestowed on him so that he might complete his mission.

There is no attempt in the Bible to deny the existence of sickness. In reality, from the beginning to the end of the Bible, we encounter the realities of sickness, dying, and death. It is something we will all have to deal with for the rest of our lives on this sinful planet. But why do some people get sick while others do not? It is a conundrum that no one can answer with any certainty.

There are many who assume that germs and genes cause diseases and sickness. If germs and disease are the causes of sickness, both affect us all. It is true that germs may cause many different varieties of sickness in people. These can vary in seriousness from mild to extremely serious or deadly. However, God gave man a nutritious diet so that he might achieve and retain perfect health and prevent the development of chronic diseases at all stages of his life.

Growing old was once considered a huge consideration or a major factor for causing illness. Aging is now known not to be a direct cost. Being healthy into one’s 80s is the expectation but if neglected in old age, the body becomes more susceptible to disease.

Despite the fact that our diet is killing us, my ambition is to live to be a hundred and twenty years old.

Some may snicker and laugh, but Terah, the father of Abram was “two hundred and five years” at death (Genesis 11:32). The Bible is replete with examples of individuals that lived a long life on the earth. “And these are the days of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived, an hundred threescore and fifteen years [175 years]” (Genesis 25:7). “But Jehoiada waxed old, and was full of days when he died; an hundred and thirty years old was he when he died” (2 Chronicles 24:15).

My illness could have been brought on by both physical and spiritual factors. It is simple to say, “Satan did this to me,” which is only true in the sense that he is the source of all disease, death, and sickness. But did I contribute in any way, and was I abiding by God’s food laws?
It is critical that we comprehend this crucial fact. If you breach any of God’s laws, you can expect him to punish you appropriately. Adam held his wife responsible for his sin against God. It is all too easy to point the finger at others for our bad behavior. However, it was shown by scripture that it was the result of Adam and Eve’s initial sin. Sickness is something that we will all have to cope with in this fallen world we live in, and it will be with us for as long as we are in these bodies.

Indeed, there are times when people get sick simply because they violate the laws which God has established. In other words, if we do not adhere to divine laws, we leave ourselves open to the devil. In Exodus 15:26, God gave a solemn warning, “And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.” Their adherence to the Lord’s voice was the foundation of their long life free from disease. What if they decided not to comply? Then, by default, they would be saying, “We want all of those diseases.”

The hazards of eating particular foods are frequently discussed by medical professionals. Many spend a lot of their hard-earned money on doctors to advise them on what is and is not healthy for their bodies, but since they have free will and poor self-control, they choose to do the opposite and then wonder why their health does not improve.

Adam and Eve were told that the death process would begin if they disobeyed God, “...for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:17). Sickness is part of that “surely die” process. Sadly, they did willfully break God’s command and ate of the forbidden fruit. Since then, humanity has had to deal with death and dying.

Sickness can also be the result of sin. While sickness is not sin, it is possible for sickness to be the result of sin. Paul emphasized that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. He wrote the following to the Corinthians. “What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:19). Knowing that our bodies are God’s temples but consciously defiling them by utilizing them as garbage disposals is a sin against God.

Sometimes sickness results for a very simple reason – people do not take care of themselves; they overindulge in food, alcohol, or work. They let their body run down to the place where it is susceptible to illness. I did not eat too much or drink too much, but I did not pay enough attention to what my body needed for nutrition or what I had eaten, which was immoral of me and may have led to the stroke. Since then, I have apologized for my transgressions and made a commitment not to eat anything that contains sin.

The Scripture teaches that sickness can actually result from overwork in God’s ministry. In fact, Paul wrote that a fellow Christian worker, Epaph-roditus, was sick to the point of death because of his work for the Lord. We read the following words to the Philippians, “Because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of service toward me” (Philippians 2:30).

Well-intentioned men and women have been ill and even perished while laboring for the Lord, oblivious to the fact that they were breaking God’s laws. Ignorance is never a good thing. James, the author, warns us about this. “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” (James 1:5). In Hosea 4:6, Hosea expressed similar feelings when he said, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”

Lack of rest might also play a role in getting sick. We see Jesus leading by example when he tells his disciples to take a break from their ministry work. Mark jots down the following story. “And he said unto them, ‘Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while’: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat” (Mark 6:31). I frequently lacked discipline when it came to taking breaks for food and relaxation. The “coming and going” of the many had become my obsession. It is one of the causes of the high death rate in today’s church society. Some people pass away prematurely, while others experience church “burnout.”

People can get sick if they do not get enough exercise, just as they can if they don’t get enough sleep. On both counts, I am to blame. I would never consider myself a slacker, but I could have done a lot better with both. If we do not exercise or rest our bodies, we will be subjected to a variety of illnesses and diseases, as well as mortality. In addition, as we study the Old Testament Scripture, we find that the Lord provided the means where the people would get sufficient exercise as well as sufficient rest. One day out of seven, one week out of seven, one month out of seven, and one year out of seven, the people took a break from their job. Rest, like physical labor, was an important component of their life. As a result, God permits for both exercise and repose.

Sickness is not a sin in and of itself. However, there were ailments sent to people as a result of their wrongdoing. The following episode is recounted.

Moses’ only family members were jealous of his newfound power and decided to launch a revolt against his leadership. “And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman” (Numbers 12:1). Despite the religious obligations of Miriam as a prophetess and Aaron as a priest, they conspired against Moses, God’s chosen man, and Miriam contracted leprosy as a result. Many people are unwell, in my opinion, because they have spoken negatively against God’s workers.
The moral of the story is that if you are in a position of leadership, you should expect criticism, even from family members, but if you leave it to God, he will make the appropriate judgment.

“Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous” (Numbers 12:10). The authority of God’s chosen leader must be respected; to rebel against such a leader is to rebel against God himself. Miriam would have died if Aaron had not pleaded with Moses on their behalf. “And Aaron said unto Moses, ‘Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned’” (Numbers 12:11).

As written in the Bible, “Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3). Could it be that his brother and sister mistook his meekness for weakness since he was a meek man?

He could have rejoiced in God’s just punishment, which he did not pray for, but we see him instead acting as an Intercessor on their behalf. “And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, ‘Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee’” (Numbers 12:13). Her sentence was reduced from death to a seven-day expulsion from the camp, thanks to his prayers. And when all was done, he reinstated them to full position.

If you are in a position of power, realize that not everyone will be happy for you; you will likely face opposition, just as Moses did. Yet, if your authority comes from God, those who oppose are opposing God, and He will battle on your behalf if you allow Him to do so. Even if people who oppose you become ill, pray for their healing, and do not carry grudges against them.