Physician

 •  2 min. read  •  grade level: 10
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The Lord said, “They that be whole need not a physician,” showing that then, as now, the work of such persons was to cure diseases. In the Old Testament the word is rapha, “to heal,” and in Genesis 50:22And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father: and the physicians embalmed Israel. (Genesis 50:2) Joseph called upon such to embalm the body of his father, a certain amount of chemical knowledge being needed also for that. The Lord promised to the Israelites that if they obeyed Him, He would preserve them from the diseases that were common in Egypt. On the other hand, there are many proofs in scripture that diseases were sent as a punishment for the sins of His people. For any remedy for such, their eyes should have been directed to Him who was disciplining them. Of Asa it is said, “he sought not to the Lord, but to the physicians,” which probably means those associated with magic (2 Chron. 16:1212And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the Lord, but to the physicians. (2 Chronicles 16:12)).
The Christian should surely be cast upon the Lord in his sicknesses, and be exercised as to why they are sent or allowed, though doubtless he may use the means, without trusting to them apart from the blessing of God upon them. Jehovah Himself was the physician of His people Israel, ready at all times to heal and restore them (Jer. 8:2222Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered? (Jeremiah 8:22)). Job, in the bitterness of his soul, found his friends to be physicians of no value. They did not understand his case, and only added to his misery (Job 13:44But ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value. (Job 13:4)).
In the New Testament ἰατρός. signifies “healer.” The Lord Jesus was the Great Healer not only of the diseases of the body, but of the soul (Luke 4:2323And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country. (Luke 4:23)). A woman who had spent her all on physicians without relief obtained from Him an immediate cure (Luke 8:4343And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, (Luke 8:43)). Luke was called “the beloved physician,” though there is no information as to his practicing this profession (col. 4:1414Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you. (Colossians 4:14)).