Some Problem texts on Divine Healing, and their answers!

By JOHN CHOPORES

 

Some Problem texts-

Job-
Job did not have the New Testament to read. So, he did not have as full an revelation  as New Testament believes! Cf. LUK 12:48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few {stripes}. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. (KJV)

HEB 11:40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect. (KJV)

 

God did not send sickness to Job, Satan did cf. JOB 2:4 And Satan answered the Lord, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. (KJV)

JOB 2:6 And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, he {is} in thine hand; but save his life. (KJV)

 

Job had an hedge by God around him cf.JOB 1:10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. (KJV)

However,God did not brake down the hedge, Satan did that cf.(Job 1:11-12 KJV)

(11) But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. (12) And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath {is} in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.

JOB 2:6 And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, he {is} in thine hand; but save his life. (KJV)

Remember, Satan wants to kill cf.

JOH 13:2 And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's {son}, to betray him; (KJV)

1PE 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about,

seeking whom he may devour: (KJV)

2CO 12:7 ...the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. (KJV)

1CO 5:5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. (KJV)

JOH 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have {it} more abundantly. (KJV)

God does not take pleasure in the death of human beings cf.

EZE 33:11 Say unto them, {As} I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the

wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? (KJV)

God wants to give Life to people cf.

JOH 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have {it} more abundantly. (KJV)

JOH 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (KJV)

 

Why was Satan allowed to brake down the hedge and health of Job? So that Job might learn about and change his wrong ideas about God. Job did really understand God Grace cf.HEB 11:6 But without faith {it is} impossible to please {him}: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and {that} he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (KJV)

Or Faith Cf.JOB 3:25 For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me. (KJV)

 ROM 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. (KJV)

ROM 12:3... God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. (KJV)

Job did not seem to understand the Mercy of God cf. (Job 33:9-11 KJV)

(9) I am clean without transgression, I {am} innocent; neither {is there} iniquity in me. (10) Behold, he findeth occasions against me, he counteth me for his enemy, (11) He putteth my feet in the stocks, he marketh all my paths.

DEU 5:10 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments. (KJV)

PSA 13:5 But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. (KJV)

Job did not understand the Justice of God cf. JOB 34:5 For Job hath said, I am righteous: and God hath taken away my judgment. (KJV)

PSA 89:14 Justice and judgment {are} the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face. (KJV)

HEB 6:10 For God {is} not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. (KJV)

Job seems to have been self-righteous cf. (Job 32:1-2 KJV)

(1) So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he {was} righteous in his own eyes. (2) Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the kindred of Ram: against Job was his wrath kindled, because he justified himself rather than God.

 

Also, Job needed to have his tongue tamed cf.

JOB 42:3 Who {is} he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I

understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. (KJV)

 (James 3:5-8 KJV)

(5) Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! (6) And the tongue {is} a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. (7) For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: (8) But the tongue can no man tame;[only God can tame the tongue] {it is} an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

Job did repent Cf. (Job 42:1-6 KJV)

(1) Then Job answered the Lord, and said, (2) I know that thou canst do every {thing}, and {that} no thought can be withholden from thee. (3) Who {is} he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. (4) Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. (5) I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. (6) Wherefore I abhor {myself}, and repent in dust and ashes.

And prayer for others, even for people who had given his a bad time

JOB 42:10 And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. (KJV)

Cf. with JAM 5:16 Confess {your} faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be

healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. (KJV)

 And was healed cf. (Job 42:12-13 KJV)

(12) So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses. (13) He had also seven sons and three daughters. [It would seem to Me, that a man would have to be in very good health to father ten children].

(Job 42:15-17 KJV)

(15) And in all the land were no women found {so} fair as the daughters of Job: and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren. (16) After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, {even} four generations. (17) So Job died, {being} old and full of days.

Job would have to have been healed to live another 140 years more. Hezekiah was healed and lived only 15 more years! Cf.   (2Kings 20:5-6 KJV)

(5) Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord. (6) And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.

 So, it becomes clear that a lack of knowledge can harm a person cf.

HOS 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. (KJV)

Also, since Job did repent, it would seem that there was some unknowed sin(s) in the life of Job.

That a person can have unknowed sin cf. (Psalms 19:12-13 KJV)

(12) Who can understand {his} errors? cleanse thou me from secret {faults}. (13) Keep back thy

servant also from presumptuous {sins}; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.

Psa.19:12 ...If I have sinned unwittingly,...Knox

As far as the sickness that came to Job, we see Satan slanting his remarks, trying to make it seem that God sent sickness to Job.

Cf. "Put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face:” (Job 2:5). Of course Satan lied.  The Bible is clear, about this, while God gave permission, Satan himself smote Job with boils.

 Cf. "So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown."JOB 2:7

Look at the woman who was bowed over in the synagogue whom Christ healed, Jesus identified Satan as being responsible for her condition. Cf. Lu. 13:16.

 Peter preaching in the house of Cornelius talked about the same thing.

Cf. " How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him." ACT 10:38 .

 

 

What about Jesus and Lazarus?

 Some ask, did Jesus tarry in order to let Lazarus die? At the time Lazarus took sick, Jesus was beyond the River Jordan (John 10:40,11:7).

How we know that, Martha and Mary sent a messenger Cf.. Jn. 11:3. With the kinds of transportation that were used in those days, it would take about one day to get to the area beyond the Jordan where Jesus was. If the messenger left sometime in the morning, he would be able to delivered the message in the late afternoon.

We know that Jesus tarried two days more. Cf. John 11:6  All total that makes three days.  If Jesus left sometime, during the morning of the fourth day, He would probably have arrived at Bethany sometime in the late afternoon. This would make a fourth day. So, by that time, Lazarus would have been dead four days.  It would seem that Lazarus died the same day that Jesus received the message. It would also seem that, Jesus did not tarry till Lazarus died

 

Epaphroditus

He probably became sick, because of overwork. However, God restored his health! Cf. Phil. 2:27-30.

The way that the Lord had mercy on Epaphroditus was probably by healing him! Cf.Php 2:27 For indeed he was sick almost unto death; but God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.

Verse 27 says: "was sick" not is sick!
 

How could St. Paul, had "sent him" to them if Epaphroditus was still sick? Php 2:2828 Therefore I sent him the more eagerly, that when you see him again you may rejoice, and I may be less sorrowful.

 

Trophimus

Some ask: why was Trophimus not heal instantaneously?

 

The answer is: Because, not all Divine healing is instantaneous. Even Jesus Himself, had one case where the person was healed over time. Cf.Mr 8:22 ¶ Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him.
 23 So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything.
 24 And he looked up and said, "I see men like trees, walking."
 25 Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly. 

In Matthew 8:25, Jesus put His hands on the sick man a 2nd time; and then the sick man was totaly healed!

 

 

Hezekiah's Poultice

A distinguished Christian physician, who is also the author of a writing on Bible diseases, believed this sickness to be carbuncle, followed by blood poisoning. Carbuncle is similar to a large boil involving the deeper tissues of the body.  Because Hezekiah prayed for healing, he was told that 15 years would be added to his life. The figs that Isaiah had him to make a poultice of, could have little, if any effect on this sickness! Maybe it was used as a cleaning, of some kind. Like some use bread and milk, but they do not cure major diseases! However, it could have been a test of Naaman’s faith.

 

PAUL'S THORN

 What was Paul's Thorn in the flesh?

 

 (2CO 12:7) And by reason of the exceeding greatness of the revelations, that I should not be exalted overmuch, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to [i]buffet me, that I should not be exalted overmuch. (ASV)

 

 "The expression "thorn in the flesh" is used in both the Old and New Testaments only as a illustration. In not one instance in the Bible is the figure of the "thorn in the flesh" used as a figure of sickness.   Whenever the expression is used in the Bible, it is specifically stated what the "thorn in the flesh" was. Cf. Numbers 33:55  But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell

And his faith was not always perfect. But, Jesus allways knew and did the will of God the Father in perfect faith! Cf. JOH 4:34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to accomplish his work. (ASV)

ACT 10:38 {even} Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. (ASV)

JOH 5:30 I can of myself do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is righteous; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. (ASV)

 The more our hearts, minds and wills are in line with the will of God, the more success we have in healing the sick!!! Cf. (1John 3:21-22 KJV)

(21) Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, {then} have we confidence toward God. (22) And

whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

 

In the case of St. Paul, the “thorn” is said to be a messenger of Satan. In the Greek, the word for messenger is the same word for “Angel”; so it was probably was a fallen angel that Satan sent against St. Paul.