11/14/2023
Elijah McSwain, Sr.
Psalm 103:1-5 NKJV — Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
The psalmist David was intrigued by the activeness and the involvement of the Lord within his life. In this psalm, David is found reflecting upon the being of God, the name of God, and the benefits that God provided for him. In his moment of reflection, he had an attitude geared toward blessing the Lord for His virtuous nature, His holy and reverent name, and His gracious acts. The inward posture of his soul displayed a sense of gratitude for God operating in his life as a measure of God’s divine love, divine kindness, divine forgiveness, divine benevolence, divine healing, and divine satisfaction. David possessed a thankful heart for the countless blessings that he received of the Lord.
James Burton Coffman cited “every mortal life has received countless benefits at the hand of the Lord, has been healed of many diseases, has received forgiveness of sins, has experienced the redemption of his life from destruction threatened by many dangers seen and unseen, and has enjoyed countless satisfactions from the good things which the Lord has provided.” 1
In parallelism to David in this psalm, every person should render praise unto God for His limitless power and immeasurable generosity that has been shown unto us over the course of our lives. The notion of magnifying God should be the primary reaction directed toward God for His marvelous works in connection to who He is. This psalm addresses the sentiment of praise, the reasons why we should praise, and the Person in whom our praise should be conferred upon, the Lord.
As we analyze the topic, Bless the Lord for His Healing, it is vital that we observe the healing of the Lord from a physical perspective and spiritual perspective. However, before we begin to dig into the physical and spiritual application of Psalms 103:3b, let us briefly observe scholarly arguments about the nature of healing spoken of in Psalm 103.
A Brief Look Into Scholarly Opposing Views
As we begin to unfold verse 3b pertaining to the Lord's healing of all diseases, many scholars debate over whether this is speaking solely about spiritual healing only or is it inclusive of physical healing as well. The Hebrew word for diseases, taḥălu’îm, is derived from another Hebrew word, ḥālā, which means to be sick or diseased. Thus, in Psalm 103:3b it implicates a malady, grievous condition, or sickness.
David understood what it meant to be sick physically (cf. Psalm 38:1-8), emotionally (cf. Psalm 38:1-8) and spiritually (cf. Psalm 38:1-8, Psalm 51:1-4).
Psalm 38:1-8 is a prime example of David suffering being spoken of in descriptive language of physical distress, emotional distress and spiritual distress.
There is no health in my body Ps. 38:3
There is no soundness in my bones Ps. 38:3
My guilt has overwhelmed me Ps. 38:4
My wounds are festering and are loathsome (repulsive) Ps. 38:5
I am bowed down and brought low as I go about mourning all day Ps. 38:6
My back is filled with searing pain Ps. 38:7
I am feeble and utterly crushed Ps.38:8
I groan in anguish of heart Ps. 38:8
The Grace and Truth Study Bible reveals that “in this psalm (Ps. 38), David expresses a miserable confession of sin and pleads with God to intervene (vv. 1, 21-22). David interprets his suffering as an instrument of divine discipline (v. 2). The guilt, shame, and regret press down on the psalmist until his body feels utterly diseased and his bones feel fragile. It is unclear whether a literal chronic illness has led him to elevate his life and acknowledge his sin or if he knowingly hid his sin until God disciplined him. Perhaps he is using physical images to describe the psychological torment his sin has wrought. Either way, he recognizes that his sin is the reason for his problems, and he speaks to the Lord honestly about his pain. As he described his anguish in physical, emotional, and spiritual terms, whether each description is literal or metaphorical, they demonstrate that sin and suffering can make a person utterly miserable." 2
So, when it comes to Psalm 103:3b, surely the psalmist knows what it means to be sick emotionally, physically, and spiritually.
The Physical Healing of the Lord
As mentioned earlier, the origin of the word diseases in Psalm 103, derives from the root Hebrew word, ḥālā, which more than likely insinuates the physical aspect of sickness as well as the spiritual aspect.
In the frame of the world that we live in, physical affliction is a known reality. The bodies of many individuals are stricken with some ailment that cause their bodies to be impotent and weak as a result of what invading force has plagued their living organism. To be transparent, physical maladies occur as a result of the fallen world that we thrive in.
Sam Allberry affirmed that in general, sickness is part and parcel of life in a broken and fallen world. It’s part of the fallout from our collective rebellion against God, and in that sense is indiscriminate (see John 9:1–3). But there are a few occasions in the Bible where sickness results from sin. 3
Sickness is something that no person enjoys experiencing. It involves a time of pain, discomfort, unsoundness of the body, disruption of normalcy, fatigue, sluggishness, fever, bodily abnormalities, and many other issues within the body. Whether sickness is considered as something mild or severe, it still has a profound effect on the body and can alter our lives tremendously. The countless list of diseases from a common cold to congestive heart failure, from malaria to a virus, from liver disease to cancer, from pneumonia to laryngitis, and many more illnesses have a devastating effect on the body in a negative way.
In times as such, people seek medical attention for relief, a treatment plan, and a remedy to what ails their bodies. God who created the entire world has provided necessary substances within the world to cure or remedy a vast number of diseases. Physical healing that comes through medical research via medicine is still of God since medical advancements would not exist without the substances that God has placed within the canvas of the earth.
Therefore, those who are healed through such a fashion should bless the Lord for granting scientists and doctors the cognitive ability to create products that aim at helping to restore a person back to health. It is God who allows our bodies to be receptive to the medicine in order for it to work properly. It is God who allows our bodies to properly absorb medication in order to get over illnesses.
In 2 Kings 20:1-8, we find that Hezekiah was severely ill and near death. After the prophet Isaiah came to him stating that he needed to set his house in order because he would die, Hezekiah turned to the wall and prayed. God responded by telling the prophet Isaiah that He had heard the prayer of Hezekiah, He has seen his tears, and surely, He would heal him. Isaiah then gave Hezekiah instructions to take a lump of figs to be boiled and after this occurrence, Hezekiah recovered. As the Lord healed Hezekiah in this fashion as well as others not recorded in Scripture, we should remember that it is God who is considered our Healer as he works through doctors, medical personnel and medicinal substances.
Psalm 41:3 is written the LORD will strengthen him on his bed of illness; You will sustain him on his sickbed.
The removal of sickness in any situation is of God. In Exodus 23:25c, God declares that He will take sickness away from the midst of the people. When God restores a person from poor health back to a state of good health, praise should be the response. David had this in view when he spoke of the healing abilities of the Lord. He knew it was ultimately the Lord who was responsible for his restoration.
Any form of healing through medicine, a treatment plan, healing that is natural or miraculous stems from God.
David Guzik wrote a great benefit of God’s care is for our bodies. He brings healing to us in this life through both natural and miraculous ways. He promises ultimate healing for all His people in the age to come. 4 In Scripture, there have been times throughout human history that people have been healed without medicine but received healing in a divine way. In Mark 5:25-34 there was a woman who had an issue of blood for twelve years that physicians could not cure. She heard about Jesus and pressed her way to meet Him in the midst of a crowd. As she drew near unto Him, she touched His garment. She said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well. Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.” After Jesus inquired who touched Him, the woman spoke up and Jesus declared that her faith had made her well. Go in peace and be healed of your affliction.
Many other Scriptures reveal the healing attributes of God through His Son as record in……
Matthew 15:30 NKJV — Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus’ feet, and He healed them.
Luke 4:40 NKJV — When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.
Any method that God chooses to heal a person or improves a person's condition is still of God. When He blesses people through healing or bring about vast health progression through recovery, praise unto God should be demonstrated with all of the faculties of the body, mind, and soul since He alone is able to heal all of our human diseases. The ultimate form of physical healing will be provided by God in glorification, which is the final stage of our salvation. In heaven there will be no more death, pain, mental sorrow, anguish, physical pain, illness, or disease etc. for the former things will have passed away (cf. Revelation 21:4).
The Spiritual Healing of the Lord
Not only is God a Healer of the human body but He is a Healer of the soul. When David expressed that God heals all of our diseases, he also had the spiritual application of healing in mind. The soul needs spiritual cleansing and healing from the malady of sin.
Sin is an infectious disease poisons the soul. The presence of sin deeply affects the soul by invading the inner man and disrupting the soul by causing a spiritual imbalance.
Sin makes individuals morally weak, spiritually depraved, and it is a deadly disease that produces spiritual death for those who are deemed as sinners. Sin can be depicted as a dreadful disease that significantly affects a person's lifestyle. Proverbs 5:22 (ESV) states that "the iniquities of the wicked ensnare him, and he is held fast in the cords of his sin." In general, sin entangles a person by its stronghold.
Sin corrupts the heart which is the mind. Sin corrupts humanity’s thought pattern. Sin distorts human conduct. Sin taints human speech. Sin affects human relationships.
For the believer, sin can diminish our witness. Sin loosens our connection with God because of separation. Sin can make us regress in our Christian walk. Sin hinders our divine-human relationship. Isaiah 59:2 (NKJV) declares "but your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear." The disruptive presence of sin in the life of a believer can only by removed by God.
For the sinner, sin leads to spiritual death. Sin leads to everlasting destruction. Sin leads to everlasting condemnation. Sin leads to eternal judgment. Romans 6:23a declares for the wages of sin is death. Sin ultimately is destructive in nature and poisonous to the soul. The disease and damaging effects of sin leads to spiritual death for the unbeliever. However, it can be cured by God through repentance, belief, and confession in Jesus as Savior upon turning away from sin.
John Gill professed that “sin is a natural, hereditary, epidemical, nauseous, and mortal disease; and there are many of them, a complication of them, in men, which God only can cure; and he heals them by his Word, by means of His Gospel, preaching peace, pardon, and righteousness by Christ; by the blood, wounds, and stripes of His Son; by the application of pardoning grace and mercy.” 5
Jesus Christ underwent immense agony and suffering at the cross to purchase our redemption and provide spiritual healing for the disease of the soul. 1 Peter 2:24 highlights that Jesus "bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed." "Through the wounds of Christ at the cross, believers are healed spiritually from the deadly disease of sin." 6 The life of Jesus, His shed blood on the cross, and His resurrection from the dead consists of the healing agent for every human soul.
Every soul that has recovered from the malady of sin, should bless the Lord for His curative power. We should be eternally grateful and magnify God like David for our soul no longer being married by sin, as we have been cleansed by God.
For those who have yet to receive the spiritual healing of God, it is readily available through the redemptive work of Jesus at the cross. Matthew Henry once stated, “come, and see the victories of the cross. Christ’s wounds are thy healings, His agonies thy repose, His conflicts thy conquests, His groans thy songs, His pains thine ease, His shame thy glory, His death thy life, His sufferings thy salvation.” 7
Will you graciously receive the healing of God that has graciously been made available unto you?
References
Coffman, James Burton. "Commentary on Psalms 103:1". "Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible".
The Grace and Truth Study Bible
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/does-sin-cause-sickness/
Enduring Word Bible Commentary
John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
The MacArthur Study Bible
https://www.christianquotes.info/top-quotes/19-important-quotes-about-the-cross/