Lastly on the use of wisdom for health is the issue of drugs. Medicine has been antagonized by many in the Christian world in the name of faith. This shouldn’t be. The Bible NEVER pitches faith and medicine as adversaries! Medicine is not an enemy of the power of God.
The same Bible that teaches healing by the power of God also teaches healing by MEDICINE.
We must understand that God made the Earth. Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” God’s creation of the Earth would include EVERYTHING found on the Earth, drugs, herbs and chemicals inclusive. Medicine finds its source in God!
Also, man’s wisdom came from God. Proverbs 2:6 says, “For THE LORD GIVES WISDOM; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.”
Even in the professional/occupational world, the Bible shows us that God is behind human skillfulness. He grants men wisdom to function in their various fields.
Exodus 28:3 (NKJV)
3 So you shall speak to all who are GIFTED ARTISANS, whom I HAVE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT OF WISDOM, that they may make Aaron’s garments, to consecrate him, that he may minister to Me as priest.
Here, it is said that IT WAS GOD who gave wisdom to SKILLED artistes. This is wisdom in a secular profession.
Exodus 35 also says similiarly, about a man named Bezalel.
Exodus 35:30-33 (NKJV)
30 And Moses said to the children of Israel, “See, THE LORD HAS CALLED BY NAME BEZALEL the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; 31 and HE HAS FILLED HIM WITH THE SPIRIT OF GOD, in WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING, in KNOWLEDGE AND ALL MANNER of WORKMANSHIP, 32 TO DESIGN artistic works, to WORK IN GOLD and silver and bronze, 33 in cutting jewels for setting, in CARVING WOOD, and TO WORK IN ALL MANNER OF ARTISTIC WORKMANSHIP.
So, even man’s natural skills are traceable back to God. You can only learn a skill today because God gave your teachers (and their teachers) wisdom.
It is same with medicine. The wisdom behind medical science is God’s! Man uses that wisdom in his interaction with the nature to find cures. Thus, neither medicine nor the power of God are enemies—they are actually counterparts. One complements the other.
Several believers have died because they were lied to that using drugs meant they were no longer in faith. This is not true. You can use drugs in faith and BOTH the drugs AND your faith will work TOGETHER in getting you healed!
A perfect example of this is found in 2 Kings 20, which records the story of King Hezekiah. The king was dying and he sought to be healed, and his life prolonged.
2 Kings 20:1-3 (NKJV)
1 In those days Hezekiah was SICK and NEAR DEATH. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die, and not live.’” 2 Then he turned his face toward the wall, and PRAYED to the Lord, saying, 3 “Remember now, O Lord, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what was good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
God lives up to His reputation as Healer in this story. He promises divine health in vv. 4-6:
4 And it happened, before Isaiah had gone out into the middle court, that the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 5 “Return and tell Hezekiah the leader of My people, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; SURELY I WILL HEAL YOU. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the Lord. 6 And I WILL ADD TO YOUR DAYS FIFTEEN YEARS. I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for My own sake, and for the sake of My servant David.”
But observe through what means Hezekiah’s healing comes. Vs. 7 says, “Then Isaiah said, ‘Take a LUMP (the Hebrew says “poultice”) OF FIGS.” So they took and LAID IT ON THE BOIL, AND he recovered.’”
God used PHYSICAL medicine (herbs) to heal King Hezekiah. BOTH the power of God AND the drugs worked TOGETHER in this case.
We find similiarly in Mark 6. When Jesus sends out the Twelve to evangelize, they also heal the sick, “So they went out and preached that people should repent. And they cast out many demons, and ANOINTED WITH OIL many WHO WERE SICK, and HEALED THEM” (vv. 12-13).
Mark records that the disciples “anointed with oil” those they healed. Now, “anointing with oil” here is nothing spiritual. The olive oil (or balm of Gilead) was used as medicine in Bible days. The same was applied on sick bodies to soothe their pain.
This is why James says in James 5:14, “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, ANOINTING HIM WITH OIL in the name of the Lord.” The “anointing oil” here was actually medicine for the sick.
Luke 10 also records the use of oil in the Parable of the Good Samaritan, “So he (the good Samaritan) went to him (the injured Jew) and BANDAGED his WOUNDS, POURING on OIL and WINE; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him” (vs. 34).
Here, oil and wine are used as first aid treatment for the injured. So, as the disciples used the power of God to heal (in Mark 6:13), they also administered drugs. There is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING wrong in using drugs when sick!
If you were healed of a particular condition and you feel the symptoms coming back, you can use medical aids (e.g. your glasses, crutches) IN FAITH, WHILE you keep confessing and meditating on God’s Word on healing. Medicine is not evil.
The ONLY time medicine becomes a problem is when ALL of man’s hope and dependence is on the same and man COMPLETELY removes God out of the picture. Jeremiah 46 serves for example here.
Jeremiah 46:11-12 (NKJV)
11 “Go up to Gilead and TAKE BALM, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt; IN VAIN YOU WILL USE MANY MEDICINES; you SHALL NOT BE CURED. 12 The nations have heard of your shame, and your cry has filled the land; for the mighty man has stumbled against the mighty; they both have fallen together.”
Here, the Prophet mocks those who trust in natural things without putting trust in God. If ALL your hope is on drugs/science/medicine, then you are on dangerous ground. We must not become proud in our scientific discoveries/breakthroughs so much so that we fail to acknowledge God as the source of all knowledge. This is self-idolization.
© Josh Banks Ministries. 2022.
