HEALTH IN THE LAW by Elder S. N. Haskell

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Feb 12, 1894

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 20, No. 15.

HEALTH IN THE LAW.

By Elder S. N. Haskell

God is jealous for his people. They are his inheritance. He is to dwell in them and among them. They are his temple. “Ye are the temple of the living God.” They were therefore to be holy, as he is holy. Every impurity in or about the camp of Israel was to be removed, “for the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee; therefore shall thy camp be holy; that he see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee.” Deut. 23:12–14. Cleanliness and holiness were intimately connected. Holiness could not exist without cleanliness. Israel had to be clean if they were holy. The same is required in the gospel, as recorded by the apostle:—

“Ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said [he said it in the law, Ex. 29:45; Lev. 26:12], I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” 2 Cor. 6:16–18; 7:1.

Here is direct reference made to the law of Moses as a foundation of an argument on holiness. It also shows that filthiness of flesh and spirit would prevent holiness. A filthy Christian can no more be found than an honest thief. So holiness and cleanliness are in harmony with each other. They go hand in hand.

The twenty-eighth chapter of Deuteronomy can be read with profit. The blessings promised if they would observe God’s commandments have reference to the things “in the city,” “in the field,” “the fruit of thy body,” “the fruit of thy ground,” “the fruit of thy cattle,” “the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.” Everything desirable, as relates to this life, is here promised in blessings if they would keep God’s commandments. On the other hand, there are curses pronounced upon those who would “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.” Among the curses mentioned are these, which relate to them physically:—

“The Lord shall make the pestilence cleave unto thee, until he have consumed thee from off the land, whither thou goest to possess it. The Lord shall smite thee with a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish.” “If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD, then the Lord will make thy plague wonderful, and the plagues of thy seed, even great plagues, and of long continuance, and sore sicknesses, and of long continuance. Moreover, he will bring upon thee all the diseases of Egypt, which thou wast afraid of; and they shall cleave unto thee. 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.”

Such are some of the blessings and curses recorded in the twenty-eighth chapter of Deuteronomy. If these diseases have not ceased, have these moral requirements ceased? Is not the existence of them proof that the law exists, and the transgressors are general? One would think that mankind believed the law of God to be abolished, should he judge from the existence of diseases at the present day.

In the solemn warning not to go into idolatry like the other nations, we have some very important facts stated in Deuteronomy 29. Moses called their attention to the fact that God had led them for forty years in the desert, that their clothes had not waxen old upon them, that their shoes had not waxen old upon their feet, that they had not eaten bread of their own make; that they had not drunk wine or strong drink, “that ye might know that I am the Lord your God.” Deut. 29:5, 6. These were evidences that he was God himself. He was not like the gods of the nations. Their preservation in the wilderness was a living miracle. There was a continual evidence of the miraculous power of God. No other god could do as he had done. This distinguished him from the gods of the nations around them. These things he would impress upon their mind, so they might not in any way follow the gods or the customs of the heathen. In the eighteenth and nineteenth verses are very striking words: “Lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the Lord our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a root that beareth a poisonful herb” (margin). God would not have in their midst a man, or woman, or tribe in whom would be found a poisonful herb, which would not be for their health. And the character of the herb is stated in the next verse: “And it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst.” He would not have them follow the example of the heathen in raising any poisonful herb that would create a desire for drink that would intoxicate. When men become intoxicated, they do not sense sacred things. So, as they would not then sense the sacredness of the law of God or the curses pronounced, such as the diseases which would be the result of such herbs, they would be stubborn and walk in their evil way. They would not, nor could they, realize that sickness was the result of such stimulants arising from poisons which were not food. This shows that in the keeping of the statutes there is health. All heathen nations make stimulating drinks, and God would, in particular, warn his people against following their example.

If it was wrong for those in the days of Moses to use stimulating foods and drinks, because it would intoxicate them so they could not realize the sacredness of God’s law, is it right in the nineteenth century? If it then was wrong for them to take in the system that which would create an appetite for those things, is it not wrong now? Has God in those things changed? These are principles which underlie the happiness of man.

In these things we see the interest Heaven has for man’s physical condition. When Christ came here upon the earth, he spent more time with the diseased and suffering than with any other class. Would he work a miracle to save them from disease, and at the same time encourage them to go on in transgressing the laws of their being—a transgression which would make them sick? We have in humanity manifested the same interest for the sick that we see manifested in the word of God. Christ was the Word made flesh. God is the same yesterday and to-day and forever. He inspired John to write, “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” 3 John 2. He who inspired John was none other than Jesus Christ. Oh, that men could see the love of God as it is manifested in his word, in his character, in all of his revelation! To reveal Christ is to reveal God’s love. It is to show his character as a God of love. He is divine; and, like the thread that runs through English ropes, there is one thread that runs through every form and ceremony in the word of God, through the words of every writing inspired with his Holy Spirit—and that thread is love. God works for our good, for he doeth all well. Shall we not serve a God like this? Shall not our hearts go out after such a God?

One feature of God instructing men in his character is he never takes from them their individuality. He never destroys their own personality. But he enlightens their mind, and then says to them: “Choose you this day whom ye will serve.” “If the Lord be God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” So we say to all, Which God shall we serve? May the words of Joshua be the sentiment of every heart, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”