The Three Things Connected by Stephen Nelson Haskell

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 3, 1902

The Three Things Connected

By Stephen Nelson Haskell

S. N. HASKELL

THE Scriptures associate in a marked manner the keeping of the commandments of God, with the preservation and the restoration of man’s physical health. This is clearly stated in the law of Moses: “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.” Ex. 15: 26. “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.” Ex. 23: 25.

The first promise above mentioned was made when the Israelites, having crossed the sea, drank of the bitter waters of Marah. The second promise was after the giving of the law. In the twenty-eighth chapter of Deuteronomy, Moses again speaks upon this matter, but makes the subject of health more prominent by saying, “If thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee.” Verse 15.

Among the curses mentioned are many distinct diseases, including consumption, fever, inflammations, blindness, insanity, and diseases entailed upon their descendants; and this list closes with these remarkable words: “Also every sickness, and every plague, which is not written in the book of this law, them will the Lord bring upon thee, until thou be destroyed.” Verse 61. This includes every disease that comes upon man. Disease, which came because of the transgression of God’s law, has fastened itself upon all classes of people, the rich and the poor, the high and the low; hence the results of sin are to be found everywhere.

In the prophecies concerning Christ there are many precious promises of health, among which are the following: “Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction.” Ps. 103: 2, 3. “Blessed is he that considereth the sick: the Lord will deliver him in the day of evil [margin]. . . . The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness.” Ps. 41: 1-3. That wonderful chapter, the fifty-third of Isaiah, abounds in promises concerning Christ’s bearing man’s sicknesses. See the Jewish version.

Christ himself spent a larger share of his time with the sick than with any other class of people. The world was sunk low, both morally and physically, because the commandments of God had been broken. Christ came as the great restorer of soul and body; and when questioned by the Pharisees concerning his right to forgive sins, he uttered these most wonderful words: “For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins (then saith he to the sick of the palsy), Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.” Matt. 9: 4-6. God so intimately associated the physical with the spiritual that the physical becomes an object lesson of the spiritual. Through the physical Christ reached the spiritual.

As long as there is a soul to be saved in this world, so long there will be sickness, and the healing of the sick will be an object lesson of the saving of the soul. As long as there are sick people, there is evidence that men have broken God’s commandments, and that they are still doing so. It is needless to tell a sick person that the law has been abolished, for his condition bears witness of its transgression. The blood of Christ had as much virtue to heal the body as the soul, because sickness is the result of the violation of God’s law, and sin is the transgression of the law. The following are a few scriptures upon this point: “If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” I Cor. 3: 17. “Ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” I Cor. 6: 17-20.

Transgression of the law of God made it necessary for Christ to die. The breaking of that law brought every disease upon mankind. So the price paid for man’s salvation was for his body as well as for his soul. Any physical habit that is injurious to health, is a sin against God, and nothing but Christ’s blood can atone for that sin. Therefore obedience to physical law is as important as any other experience of faith. The relief of physical suffering is a work of great importance, and every one who believes in the atoning blood of Christ should be engaged in that work.