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Sources of Sickness
By Bro. Cheek | May 30, 2008
Sources of Sickness
Job 5:6-7
Sermon # 183
By Pastor Robert L. Cheek Jr.
Victory Baptist Church
Job 5:6 Although affliction cometh not forth of the dust, neither doth trouble spring out of the ground;
Job 5:7 Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.
Recently I was approached by one of the Christians at work (yes, this preacher must pull a second job while the church grows) who was complaining about his back hurting him. He has done something to his back and for weeks I have seen him hunched over as he walks from place to place. Some days are better than others but he mentioned to me how frustrated he was that God was not healing him. He said a couple of things that were so incredibly untrue about sickness. He said that sickness was right out of the pit of hell. He then mentioned Benny Hinn and how God had used him to heal so many people. Both of his statements were false.
That conversation got me thinking that there are many Christians today who do not understand the reasons for sickness. We have had a lot of sickness lately in our church so I thought now would be a good time to preach on the sources of sickness to make sure we all understand the reasons why we get sick and why God allows sickness. There are many specific reasons for sickness, but I think the Bible narrows them down to just three primary reasons. Let’s consider the three sources of sickness in the Bible and what we need to do when we become sick as a result of these reasons. I will illiterate the points to help you remember them.
1. Sometimes Sickness is Procured
By procured sickness we mean that sometimes we get sick as a result of simply living on planet earth and living inside of imperfect, frail bodies.
2 Timothy 4:19 Salute Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus.
2 Timothy 4:20 Erastus abode at Corinth: but Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick.
Paul had to leave this man Trophimus at Miletum because he had taken ill.
Philippians 2:25 Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labour, and fellowsoldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants.
Philippians 2:26 For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick.
Philippians 2:27 For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.
Here is another of Paul’s companions who had procured an illness while helping Paul in the ministry. These are just two examples of Christians getting sick from no other known reason (that we know of) than the fact they lived in the world and in frail bodies. Some Christians have the rediculous idea that just because we are saved and just because we are going to heaven, that automatically guarantees us that we will never get sick and never have physical problems. Perhaps this line of thinking is a misrepresentation of some Old Testament verses that have nothing to do with the New Testament.
Exodus 23:23 For mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off.
Exodus 23:24 Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images.
Exodus 23:25 And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.
These verses deal specifically with Israel and they are a part of God’s covenant and promise to them. If somebody wants to claim that verse 25 is meant for the Christian, then verse 26 is also meant for the Christian.
Exodus 23:26 There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfil.
It is very dangerous to misapply verses. These promises were contingent on Israel remaining true to Jehovah and not worshiping the gods of the countries they were going to conquer. Just because God promised something to one person or group does not mean that He promises that to every person or group. God gave special instructions to the Levites that they were to carry the ark of God.
1 Chronicles 15:2 Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath the LORD chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever.
But notice what happened when someone else tried to claim that same responsibility.
2 Samuel 6:5 And David and all the house of Israel played before the LORD on all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals.
2 Samuel 6:6 And when they came to Nachon’s threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it.
2 Samuel 6:7 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.
You can’t claim a promise made to one person or group merely because the promise was made. It may not apply to us and that is the case with these O.T. verses dealing with Israel and God’s promise to prevent sickness if they would serve Him.
Genesis 48:1 And it came to pass after these things, that one told Joseph, Behold, thy father is sick: and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
Genesis 48:2 And one told Jacob, and said, Behold, thy son Joseph cometh unto thee: and Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed.
Here we see that Jacob was sick, but why was he sick? He was sick because he was old and ready to die. He was not sick for any other reason other than that he lived in a sin-cursed body that grows old and eventually dies. Remember the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16?
Luke 16:19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:
Luke 16:20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
Luke 16:21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
Lazarus was not a healthy man. Why was he full of sores? Because he was sick. Yet we know that he was a child of God and he went to heaven (he made a pit stop – isn’t that an interesting term?) In Abraham’s bosom first. His sickness was probably by natural causes. None can argue that Daniel was a great man of God. He received visions from the Lord that have yet to come to pass even today. Yet notice what happened soon after he received a vision from the Lord.
Daniel 8:26 And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days.
Daniel 8:27 And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king’s business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it.
Why was he sick? He was sick because of natural causes. You see we have the same physical flesh subject to the same physical limitations that every other person on planet earth has. We can get sick just as sure as anyone else. The difference is that when we get sick, we do have a Great Physician who loves us and heals us when we pray and it is His will to do so.
Sometimes sickness is procured.
2. Sometimes Sickness is Provoked
Sometimes sickness is the result of natural causes, but other times sickness is the result of sin. When God’s people provoke Him, sometimes He gets their attention with sickness.
2 Samuel 12:15 And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife bare unto David, and it was very sick.
2 Samuel 12:16 David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.
2 Samuel 12:17 And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them.
2 Samuel 12:18 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead: for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead?
You all know the story and you all know why David’s child died. It wasn’t the result of natural causes. God struck the child so that it died as a result of David’s sin. Speaking of the Lord’s Supper, Paul said:
1 Corinthians 11:28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
1 Corinthians 11:29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.
1 Corinthians 11:30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
1 Corinthians 11:31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
1 Corinthians 11:32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
These verses are clear as day that a person can become physically sick and even die from not discerning the Lord’s body during communion. Verse 31 tells us why they were weak, sickly and some died. It was the result of the judgment of God. Notice what Isaiah said:
Isaiah 1:4 Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.
Isaiah 1:5 Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.
Isaiah 1:6 From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.
The illnesses of verse six were the result of the sins of verse 4. Sin does more than spiritual damage, we can actually become sick from sin. One of the first things that we should do when we are sick is to examine ourselves to make sure that there is no sin in our life. If we do that we can immediately eliminate one source of sickness. If we haven’t provoked the Lord (and remember that He is longsuffering), then we know that our sickness is not the result of sin. If it is, then we need to confess our sin so that God can heal us.
Sickness can be the result of procuring some illness by natural or environmental causes. Sickness can also be the result of provoking God from sin in our life.
3. Sometimes Sickness is Providential
The third reason for sickness is that sometimes God uses sickness to show His glory in our lives. There are many, many examples in the Bible of this. Job is not the only one who suffered physically for the glory of God.
Acts 9:32 And it came to pass, as Peter passed throughout all quarters, he came down also to the saints which dwelt at Lydda.
Acts 9:33 And there he found a certain man named Aeneas, which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy.
Acts 9:34 And Peter said unto him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately.
Acts 9:35 And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned to the Lord.
There were many people that wouldn’t have gotten saved that day were it not for an eight year affliction. The other Lazarus in the Bible was sick, but not from natural causes.
John 11:3 Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.
John 11:4 When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.
Sometimes sickness is used to show the glory of God. Fanny Crosby wrote thousands of hymns, hymns she may never have written had she not been blind. Think about the ministry of Patch the Pirate. Would that even have existed had not God allowed an illness to take Ron Hamilton’s eye? When God uses affliction to manifest His glory, it teaches others the truth of Philippians 4:13.
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
If so-in-so can serve God with his or her afflictions, why can’t I? Such thoughts are stirred through afflictions, illnesses and sicknesses that are used to glorify God. Sometimes sickness is used to show the glory of God. Other times, God uses sickness to maintain the glory of God.
1 Thessalonians 3:3 That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto.
Paul had some kind of physical problem with his eyes.
Galatians 4:15 Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.
This problem bothered Paul so much that he went to the Lord about it. Notice what happened.
2 Corinthians 12:6 For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me.
2 Corinthians 12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
2 Corinthians 12:8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
2 Corinthians 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2 Corinthians 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
Paul’s physical problem was not because of sin or sickness. It was used of God to keep him humble and to allow the power of Christ to work in His life. The next time you complain about some physical abnormality or problem in your life, just remember that God may have allowed it for some special purpose that He designed for you and your testimony.
These are the three Scriptural sources of sickness as far as I have been able to see. Sickness is not something from the pit of hell and of the devil. Sickness is not a sign that you are missing the blessings of God. Sometimes, sickness brings out and manifests the blessings of God.
When you are sick, first and foremost make sure you are right with God. Check your heart and life and confess any sin you know of. Next, take a moment to consider if your sickness is the result of shaking brother so-in-so’s hand or hugging sister so-in-so or eating something that may have been bad, or some other natural cause. If there is no sin and there is no known natural reason for your illness, stay right with God and let God use your infirmity for your own spiritual growth and His glory.
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