Essay on "Delivering Health in the Old Testament"

Essay 5 pages (1516 words) Sources: 5

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Health in the Old Testament

Individuals being weak often prefer to place their trust in the wisdom of doctors, nurses, psychologists and surgeons. They often consider themselves too ignorant to deal with such mysteries. Doctors often hold absolute power over the patient. In certain cases, a doctor may not even inform the patient about his cancer or impending death to avoid the fuss that may be caused (The Economist, 1995).

Human beings have suffered humility and a sense of profound terrifying vulnerability to give up oneself and to surrender to the mystery of healing during the sufferings to someone else who can be trusted upon (John, 2009). Furthermore, the state governments throughout the world also support the individual controlling system of keeping the medical facilities in the governmental hands. Seldom people try to get rid of the government supported medical authorities such as FDA. Some of these authorities and the supported doctors may work for the benefits of the patients, but mostly these government supported doctors and authorities works for protecting the medical profession (The Economist, 1995). All these negativities of the current government controlled system of delivering health tend one to look for the better systematic methods for healing oneself.

Thesis Statement

Inner healing is the pre-requisite for the positive effect of the delivery of health care outside in with the help of doctors and nurses.

Discussion

What is Inner Healing?

"When you surrender to the illness, you continue to receive your treatments, explore your feelings, repair your relationships and do all the other work of healing. But while you are working, you are saying, 'Thy will be done and not My will be done.' Surrender the pain, fear and worries and you'll be able to keep love, hope and joy in your life. As the Serenity Prayer tells us, leave it to God and rest" (Siegel, 1990).

It is very difficult to define inner healing or healing alone. One may find several volumes of literature on healing, yet the mystery of healing remains unsolved for most of the people. Healing can be defined as a divine work bringing growth or positive spiritual change to painful or distorted perceptions, experiences, habits, or emotions of a person. The healing is not meant to discuss the cause of sickness or its location in the person in his body, soul or psyche. In general these issues never comes in mind of the patient, what he thinks for is to get rid of his inner turmoil (Schwab, Monroe, 2009). One can understand the difference between the inner healing and the health interventions from the outside source such as doctors, nurses and others.

Biblical Theology about Delivering Health

The "Hebrew words "rapha" and "haruwkah" have been repeatedly used in the Old Testament as the words for healing, in their participial form the words are used as "Healer" or "Physician." In the Old Testament, God is shown to as the sovereign power over restoration and healing, and over sickness and death." (Monroe, Schwab, 2009). As evidenced in Genesis 20:17, it was said that "Abraham prayed to God; and God healed Abimelech." (Monroe, Schwab, 2009). "Later, God has Israel recite the curses for failing to follow God's commands: The LORD will smite you with the boils of Egypt, and with the ulcers and the scurvy and the itch, of which you cannot be healed." (Monroe, Schwab, 2009). Deuteronomy 28:27-8 reveals this to us. Psalm 147:3 suggests that "It is God who heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." (Monroe, Schwab, 2009). Such healings include both actual physical healings and the restoration of broken objects and relationships. (Monroe, Schwab, 2009).

God as the healer or physician is able to heal all the emotional and physical sicknesses of individuals. Chapter nine of Matthew explains the healing power of Jesus and his healing of physical illness points to his ability to heal spiritual diseases (Monroe, Schwab, 2009). According to Matthew 9:1-8, it has been said that "He healed the paralytic to show he has authority to forgive sin." As per Matthew 11:3-6 it has been shown that "when John the Baptist wondered if Jesus really was the messiah, Jesus answered: Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else? Jesus replied: Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me." (Monroe, Schwab, 2009).

Limitations of Inner Healing

While mentioning the limits to inner healing, the pattern of delivering health in Old Testament is limited with the necessity of spiritual healing and redemption of God's people (Schwab, Monroe, 2009).

"In the book of Exodus, God revealed Himself as Healer of His people." Exodus 15:26 "He 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 statues, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians; for I am the Lord that healeth thee.." ("The biblical basis of healing in Old Testament," n. d.)

"The book of Leviticus might be called the health care manual of the Bible." "God reveals regulations regarding the treatment of disease, for an example see Leviticus 13:1-46; 14:1-32 and gives directives regarding healthy living" ("The biblical basis of healing in Old Testament," n. d.)

Inner healing an outside-in healing process

One should understand that although Old Testament puts up God as the ultimate healer, He limits the physical healing process with the need to heal one's soul and to learn humanity. The Biblical ways of healing thus promotes a person to heal his attitude towards his self and others. By doing so, the patient starts acquiring quietude and relaxation. As he starts healing his inner self, he learns to focus his attention on a particular thing; he starts meditating, develops self-control and learns to avoid distractions. This helps the patient in improving his patience level and strength to fight against the sickness. As the person meditates, he starts visualizing the current state of physical and mental health on his mental plane. This helps him in avoiding serious mistakes that may further ruin his health. He starts taking care of his inner health, his actions becomes more righteous and logical to provide a better way for outside healing. As the patient starts visualizing himself as a healthier, better person, he starts gaining improvement in his physical health too.

It should be noted that mental or inner healing is not a replacement for the outside physical healing with the help of physicians and doctors. Rather, inner healing is an aid, or in fact, a necessity for the success of outside healing processes. If a person is healthy, with the proper spiritual check up, he can maintain the relaxation and peace of his inner self, his soul and mind. By being peaceful and relaxed, he will be able to improve his mental state and that will help him in sustaining the good health.

The Old Testament suggests that in Genesis 3 originally, man was created sinless and healthy in body, soul, and spirit. Death and its associated degeneration of the body entered the world as a result of the sin of the first man and woman. ("The biblical basis of healing in Old Testament," n. d.)

By practicing proper inner healing process for the soul and psyche, one can certainly help the physicians to take care of the healing process of the body patient. In the chapter Deuteronomy 28 of the 'Old Testament', the relation… READ MORE

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