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A BIBLICAL VIEW OF PRAYER AND ANOINTING FOR HEALING
Clinton WahlenAssociate Director Biblical Research InstituteSilver Spring, MDIntroductionCountless examples of miraculous healing or cure are found in Scripture. But a biblical view of healing involves more than physical restoration. It also has a spiritualdimension. Recognizing this, however, raises the question of the relation between sin anddisease, forgiveness and healing. Another issue is the role of prayer and the use of oil andother means for healing. Can religious ritual be differentiated from the use of magic or isthe categorization dependent on the observer and religious polemic? How important is thespiritual fitness or expertise of the healer?In order to address these and other questions, we will examine quite broadly the practice of healing in the Old and New Testaments, paying close attention to the practicesof prominent healers in the Bible which have particular relevance for this study. The practice of Jesus and the apostles holds special importance for the church, as does theinstruction given by James to anoint the sick with oil. Based on this focused survey of  biblical material, some guiding principles for healing ministry can be derived.I.Healing in the Old TestamentA.General ConsiderationsThe most important statement in the OT concerning healing is found in Exod15:26: “I am the L
ORD
who heals you.”
1
As the context makes clear, healing refers to
1
The verse supplies one of God’s covenant names and is translated more literally “I amthe Lord your Healer.” The participial form used here, occurring only nine times in the
 
2making Israel whole again by bringing them out from slavery and preserving them fromthe diseases of the Egyptians.
2
The root used here,
rp’ 
, is the most important term for healing and has the basic meaning of “restore, make whole” and refers in every case to“restoring a wrong, sick, broken, or deficient condition to its original and proper state.”
3
The OT describes health holistically
4
in the sense of total well-being, peace, prosperity,fertility, longevity, strength, righteousness, and obedience.
5
It implies not only soundnessof body but also belonging within Israel and harmony with God.
6
The Hebrew languagedoes not conceive of the body in isolation from the person. It is living flesh and bone,mind and spirit. When health is promised “to the bones” (Prov 16:24) it means fully,entirely, through and through, as opposed to the superficial healing of flesh wounds(2 Kgs 8:29; 2 Chr 22:6) or skin ailments (Lev 13:18) and in contrast to the remedies provided by false prophets which are inadequate to heal Israel’s deep and persistentOT, usually means “doctor, physician” (Gen 50:2
 bis
; Jer 8:22; Job 13:4; 2 Chr 16:12). Theremaining three occurrences refer to God as healer (2 Kgs 20:5; Ps 103:3; 147:3). On theUgaritic equivalent (
asû
), see esp. Hector Avalos,
 Illness and Health Care in the Ancient  Near East: The Role of the Temple in Greece, Mesopotamia, and Israel 
(HSM 54;Atlanta, Ga.: Scholars Press, 1995), 166-67.
2
If Israel remained faithful the diseases of Egypt would be placed on their enemies (Deut7:15; 30:7), but if unfaithful then they would suffer from these diseases and more,ultimately forfeiting all the blessings God had given them (Deut 28:22, 27-29, 59-63).For ancient Mesopotamian views of illness and healing, especially in connection with theMesopotamian healing god Gula, see Avalos,
 Illness and Health Care
, 99-231. MichaelL. Brown,
 Israel’s Divine Healer 
(Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 1995), 72-78, pointsout that Exod 15:26 may best be read against the background of the polytheism of thesurrounding peoples.
3
M. L. Brown, “
rapha
”,
TDOT 
13:596, 597. The range of meaning includes Elijah’s
repairing 
the altar of the Lord (1 Kgs 18:30; cf. LXX’s
iaomai
!),
4
Gerhard F. Hasel, “Health and Healing in the Old Testament,”
 AUSS 
21 (1983): 191-202here 191; John Wilkinson,
The Bible and Healing: A Medical and Theological Commentary
(Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1998), 10, 17-19.
5
See Wilkinson, 11-16.
6
Note the parallelism of 
mrph
with
 shlm
in Jer 8:15; 14:19 and with
khyym
in Prov 4:22;also that the result of healing is said to be peace, prosperity, and covenant faithfulness(Jer 33:6).
 
3rebellion (Jer 6:14; 8:11).
7
 Real healing must also ultimately reach the heart (Hos 14:4;Eze 36:24-28).Occasionally disease is seen as the outward evidence of God’s judgment upon sinas when Miriam is struck with leprosy (Num 12:9-10) or Asa’s feet become diseased(2 Chr 16:10-12). Wholeness and holiness in the Hebrew Bible, while not etymologicallyrelated as they are in English, are closely related conceptually. The person’s relation toGod as a whole human being is “the basic interest of the Old Testament. The Hebrewmind was not interested in the body for its own sake.”
8
Both health (Exod 4:11; Job 5:18)and holiness (Lev 20:8; 21:8, etc.) have their source and rationale in God.Oil in Israel was used in several different ways.
9
 
It was used in various offeringsand to supply the lampstands of the temple, for anointing the sanctuary (including itsfurnishings and equipment), priests (especially the high priest), and kings. Oil was alsoused to soothe wounds (Isa 1:6), to anoint oneself after bathing (Ezek 16:9) or for  banquets (Amos 6:6), and in the purification ritual for leprosy (Lev 14:15-18).There are some instances in the OT where God is shown healing directly. Four cases involve infertility, three of which were explicitly healed as a result of prayer .
10
(1) God healed the women of Abimelech’s household in response to Abraham’s prayer (Gen 20:17-18). While Abimelech’s innocence is stressed (vv. 4-6), it does not contribute
7
Conversely, an incurable disease extends to the bowels (2 Chr 21:18). And rejectingGod’s persistent pleading through his messengers is a kind of unpardonable sin (2 Chr 36:16; cf. Mark 3:29).
8
Wilkinson, 18 following J. A. T. Robinson,
The Body: A Study in Pauline Theology
(London: SCM, 1952).
9
Both Hebrew words for oil (
 yitshar 
and
 shemen
) refer to olive oil, the latter being themore common word.
Yitshar 
is almost always used together with grain and new wine inreference to God’s blessings (e.g. Num 18:12; Deut 7:13; 11:14; 12:17, etc.). Further, seeH. Ringgren, “
 shemen, shamen, shaman
,”
TDOT 
15:249-53.
10
The healing of Sarah’s womb is connected with a theophany (Gen 18:11-14; 21:1-20).
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