By James G. Owen
The question that evades or flummoxes a biblical scholar or an average person when asked. Why does God heal one person, but another person does not get healed? Can this question that bewilders the people queried be answered? In my opinion, there is an answer, but we must investigate the scriptures for the answer.
In seeking an answer for this question lets discuss healing from a scriptural point of view, and how it is received.
Healing in scripture begins in the Old Testament. The first healing experience that comes to my mind is the brazen serpent (nahash nehoshet) in Numbers 21:8-9. Here, the people were being bitten by fiery serpents. Some had died because of the bite. It was the Lord God, Jehovah that told Moses to construct a serpent on a pole. So, Moses had a fiery serpent and pole constructed and informed the people to go before the brazen serpent and look up on it and those bitten would live.
There is symbolism here of the serpent being placed on a pole. The pole is the symbolism of the cross that Jesus was sacrificed upon at his crucifixion. This portion of scripture causes me to think of the promise in the book of Genesis of a promised Messiah and his actions.
“And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”
Genesis 3:15
By placing the serpent on the pole shows the beginning of the defeat of Satan. It is the Messiah who will bruise the head of the serpent and the serpent to bruise his heel. So, when the people went before the brazen serpent and looked up on it, they were acknowledging Satan’s defeat and the presence of the Lord who heals, and a gain in salvation because they were spared from the effects of the poisonous venom of the serpent. What was the action of healing in the scripture in Numbers 21? The action of the smitten people was they “looked upon” as they went before the brazen serpent on the pole. When we go to get healing, whether we present ourselves at the altar, or in another manner, we are coming before the one who was crucified and the sacrifice that provides for our healing as prophesied in Isaiah. Here in the action of looking upon an acknowledgment of God is made known and we present ourselves to him. In this presentation of ourselves we are asking for grace.
“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”
Isaiah 53:5
Here in this prophetic scripture the provision of salvation was promised by the atoning blood of Jesus because he was the Son of God shedding his blood for our sins. He was the perfect sacrifice because he had the DNA of God the Father within him as well as the DNA of mankind. By providing for our salvation, he also provided for the healing of people so that they would be able to perform the spreading of the gospel to the world by destiny and purpose.
What happens when a person is healed? In an unbeliever coming to God for healing, two things should occur, that is the salvation of the person being forgiven of their sins after asking for forgiveness which is a witness that God work within their lives, but also a witness to others in the congregation, or gathering group of changes taken place. Changes in the spirit of the person from spiritual death to life, and the physical healing of the person’s body.
What other things will facilitate healing? First is belief in God. Healing is facilitated by believing that God is the only God and that he is all powerful, and that he provides grace sufficient for every need. How do we come to believe in God? We come to believe in God and who he is by reading the bible and encountering people who know him through the experience of his saving power, salvation, and by their own testimony. The child of God can point you to scripture of how to know God and his Son Jesus. It is through believing that God’s word is true, and that he is present in his creation, and by faith we come to believe. Second is grace. We are saved by grace through faith. After receiving salvation, it is our responsibility to keep ourselves purged of sin daily through sanctification through prayer. Living a righteous life before him our grace increases along with our faith and knowledge because we are spending time searching and reading the scriptures in the bible. We are growing and becoming greater by our increased affection for God and the blessings he has given us, the provision he brings, and by the fruits and proof of our newfound morality. Grace comes by obedience and gratitude.
Healing came to the people following Jesus because they had seen others healed. Those healed believed what Jesus taught and trusted him fully. They knew by his works that he was from God because no man could perform such miracles that they witnessed. The people believed because of the wisdom and the fruits of his life that he remained sinless. He could not be tested and fail or deceived because Jesus was part God because he was born of a virgin and his father was Almighty God, the Great I AM. To be clear he was tested by Satan after his baptism by John the Baptist, but he was victorious! So, his healing comes to us as a promise and through the fulfilling of the new covenant.
So, what is the answer to the perplexing question that people ask? Why some are healed instantly, and others are put on hold, so to speak? This is my answer while working the dianoetic process. Those who are healed instantly are ones who are needing salvation. Those who are saved have a purpose that God wants them to fulfill by working in the kingdom of God and it is his will, and desire for them to be instantly healed to continue to serve. Those who are not healed instantly should make sure they are obedient in their spiritual walk and growing in the knowledge of Jesus, and that their walk shows the fruits of the Spirit. While conducting my study for this article those who are disciples, he wants us to persist. Make sure our hearts are right and all in in order. Work your faith by believing, keeping your petition before God, and placing full trust in him. We must also realize that he may not heal because we may not remember him, and in the example of Paul may use this as a thorn to keep our minds upon him, never giving up while we are continuously working for the kingdom. It is through the pain of trials, sicknesses, tribulations, and the experiences of living that he refines us.
“But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.”
1 Peter 5:10-11
“And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God.”
Zechariah 13:9
“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.”
2 Peter 3:18
“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 12:9
In conclusion, there may be other solutions to this profound question. I do believe that any other answer will be shown in the scriptures of the bible and by revelation through prayer or a word from the Lord. So, we must keep searching the scriptures for answers while placing our faith totally in him knowing that everything is done according to his will and mercy. He has a purpose for everything. Keep searching.
Notes
https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Nehushtan.html
https://www.biblehub.com/greek/5485.htm
Grace, the Greek definitions for grow G 837 and grace G5485. Tecarta Bible.
All scripture used is from the King James Version, Public Domain, BibleGateway.
The Devil, Disease, and Deliverance: Origins of Illness in New Testament Thought, CPT Press Cleveland, Tennessee, by John Christopher Thomas, 2010.
James G. Owen, Author 