Does God send illness and disease as punishment?
Q. Does God cause illness as a punishment for sin? It appears that He does in Deuteronomy 28:22.
A. Yes and No. You are correct that the passage in Deuteronomy reveals a way in which God punishes sin. The passage states, “The Lord will smite you with consumption and fever and with inflammation and with fiery heat . . .” Before entering the Promised Land, Moses reminded the children of Israel of the consequences disobedience would bring. They knew that if they were disobedient, God would discipline and purge.
Similar warnings are given all throughout the Old Testament and even appear in the New Testament. The Apostle Paul directs the attention of the Corinthian church to this principle in 1 Corinthians 11:28-30. Many were sinning by taking the Lord’s Supper in an ungodly manner. The result, “many among you are weak and sick, and a number are dead.” One would be entirely Biblical to say that sickness and disease are the results of sin.
Having said that, we must be quick to remember that not all illness is the result of sin in an individual’s life. We all suffer from illness and at times disease. All of us will die of some physical problem. This problem, in general, is the result of sin, but not necessarily a sin in our life. The story of Job makes this point. Job suffered the loss of family, friends, livestock, and health but nothing he suffered was the result of a sin he had committed.
Jesus makes a similar point in John 9. As He and His disciples passed a blind man, the disciples asked who had sinned to cause the blindness. Jesus responded, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him.” God was about to use this man’s healing to display His power and confirm that Jesus was the Messiah.
Does God cause illness, disease, or disabilities as discipline for sin? Yes and no. If you or anyone is suffering it is important to evaluate your life, looking for sin. Remember, however, many suffer from physical problems that are unrelated to a specific sin in their life.