In Part 1 we established the soul-spirit connection and in Part 2 we saw confirmation from Jesus’ statements to some persons he healed that their sickness was due to their spiritual condition. Today, we will be looking specifically at several scriptures that speak about the bones. I have provided most of those relevant to our discussion of dis-ease because the importance of this particular aspect of sickness requires that I be thorough. Although today’s blog is somewhat lengthy, I can guarantee that you will find it worth reading all the way through.

Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled. (Psa. 6:2)

For my life is spent with grief, And my years with sighing; My strength fails because of my iniquity, And my bones waste away. (Psa. 31:10)

When I kept silent, my bones grow old Through my groaning all the day long. (Psa. 32:3)

There is no soundness in my flesh Because of Your anger, Nor any health in my bones Because of my sin. (Psa. 38:3)

As he loved cursing, so let it come to him; As he did not delight in blessing, so let it be far from him. As he clothed himself with cursing as with his garment, So let it enter his body like water, And like oil into his bones. (Psa. 109:17-18)

Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones. (Prov. 3:7-8)

An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, But she who causes shame is like rottenness in his bones. (Prov. 12:4)

A sound heart is life to the body, But envy is rottenness to the bones. (Prov. 14:30)

The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, And a good report makes the bones healthy. (Prov. 15:30)

Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones. (Prov. 16:24)

A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones. (Prov. 17:22)

If you take away the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, If you extend your soul to the hungry And satisfy the afflicted soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, And your darkness shall be as the noonday. The Lord will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. (Isa. 58:9b-11)

When you see this, your heart shall rejoice, And your bones shall flourish like grass; (Isa. 66:14a)

You may be wondering why the emphasis on bones? Bones are crucial as they contain bone marrow that produce red blood cells, platelets, and white blood cells. Red blood cells are filled with a protein called haemoglobin that allows oxygen to be transported to the body to energize the body’s processes and they also transport carbon dioxide to the lungs so it can be breathed out. Platelets are blood cells that help with blood coagulation to help stop bleeding whenever we are cut or injured. They create the scab that is formed over a small cut. White blood cells help the body to fight against infection. These include: lymphocytes, neutrophils, and monocytes that fight against invading bacteria, viruses, or fungi; eosinophils and basophils that respond to allergens that can invade our bodies. Another point to note is that the scriptures tell us that blood is the life of the body (Gen. 9:4; Deut. 12:23; Lev. 17:11, 14).

Therefore, if our bone marrow is compromised in any way there are many sicknesses, including autoimmune diseases, that can arise. There are more than 80 different autoimmune diseases. Some of the more common ones include rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus (“lupus” for short), Type 1 diabetes, psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease & ulcerative colitis), pernicious anaemia, and Addison’s Disease. Doctors don’t know what causes the immune system to misfire by attacking the body’s cells rather than the invading cells. They suspect environmental factors, diet, and the hygiene hypothesis among others. However, based on scripture, we get more plausible insight of the causes of these autoimmune diseases. I won’t list them here (I’ll have more time to do so in my upcoming book), the scriptures above speak for themselves.

It is also interesting to note that women are twice as prone to autoimmune diseases when compared with men. There are also generational and ethnic risk factors that have been identified. This should be no surprise now that we know the cause is spiritual. Women are stated to be the weaker vessel (in terms of fragility in emotions) (1 Peter 3:7) and we are well aware that the iniquities of the fathers are visited on the children to the third and fourth generations (Num. 14:18). We should also be aware that haemophilia, a life-threatening disease in which the blood fails to clot as normal, is hereditary. In fact, we have discovered that most diseases that involve abnormal blood function, not only the autoimmune diseases, have a spiritual root.

I know the ultimate question that arises from this discussion is, “How do we heal these diseases?” In the same way we heal all other diseases with a spiritual root. Next week, we will look at a few more general scriptures to further convince ourselves of the spiritual roots of many diseases. Then, the following week, I will discuss the approach to healing. Patience is a virtue!

Shalom.