Ahead of Their Time

Just when we thought that the war on infectious disease was won, superbugs and viruses like MRSA, H1N1 swine flu, Ebola, and now COVID-19 have emerged with a vengeance! These epidemics and their death tolls strike fear in many, challenging the belief that science and technology will somehow insulate our modern societies from these problems.

Is it possible that science and technology may not actually hold the answer to these outbreaks? Could it be that principles for maintaining personal and community health have existed throughout history, and we have been ignoring them?

A document written millennia ago outlines principles that could have prevented many past and current epidemics. That document is the Bible.

The health principles found in the Bible were far ahead of their time. They were given long before pathogenesis and personal hygiene were understood. During a time when Egyptian doctors were prescribing animal dung for healing infectious wounds,¹ God prescribed practical principles of health, hygiene, and wholeness to preserve His people from the diseases of surrounding nations. Ex. 15:26. Indeed, these laws showed “a wisdom far in advance of anything in ancient legislation, Babylonian, Egyptian, or any other.”² What made them so unique? It was their emphasis on the prevention of disease rather than the treatment of disease.

Could it be that the Bible prescribes a lifestyle that would have prevented sicknesses like the COVID-19 pandemic from ever beginning in the first place? Let’s explore just a few examples.

The Original Diet

Over the past decade or so, “clean eating” has steadily risen onto the health scene, promoting “whole foods—such as fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats” while limiting “highly processed snack foods, sweets, and other packaged foods.”³ Yet, clean eating isn’t new by any means. In fact, it goes all the way back to a prescription given in Eden—a whole-food diet consisting of fruits, grains, nuts, seeds, and vegetables. Gen. 1:29; 3:18.

Hundreds of studies now support a whole-food, plant-based diet as the best way to prevent and reverse lifestyle-related illnesses. Data from the EPIC study, one of the largest population studies in the world, identified four basic lifestyle factors that significantly decrease the development of chronic diseases. What was one of those factors? You guessed it—a “high intake of fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain bread and low meat consumption.”⁴

In contrast, diets high in animal protein correlate with a dramatic increase in chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, stroke, and heart disease.⁵ And if you suffer from any of these chronic diseases and contract a coronavirus, you are at a much higher risk for a severe to fatal reaction.⁶

Minimizing our reaction to viruses like COVID-19 would already be a great step. But does a plant-based diet offer even further protection from infectious diseases?

Restrictions on Animal Consumption

According to the biblical account of history, God did not permit the eating of meat until after the time of the worldwide flood which destroyed all of the earth’s vegetation. Those with even a basic knowledge of the Bible will remember that God instructed Noah to bring animals onto the ark two by two.

However, God made an additional provision for man’s dietary needs: certain animals—referred to as “clean”—were brought onto the ark in groups of seven. Gen. 7:2. God permitted the consumption of these animals and later outlined specific guidelines in the books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy to distinguish between the “clean” and “unclean” animals. See Lev. 11:2–12. Unclean animals include all animals that scavenge dead organisms or prey on live animals, instead of feeding on plants.

Though “unclean” animals are beneficial for cleaning their ecosystems or keeping the numbers of lower food chain animals in check, eating them is not conducive to human health. Our recent epidemics testify to this fact: Ebola could probably have been prevented if people were not handling bushmeats, and the superbug MRSA may never have transmitted to humans if they had not been farming pigs.⁷

Coronaviruses are also linked to the handling of biblically “unclean” animals for consumption. Scientists believe that the carriers of the SARS coronavirus in 2005 were civet cats that had been domesticated for food.⁸ Similarly, COVID-19 is believed to be linked to bats sold in a food market in Wuhan that also sold snakes, raccoons, and porcupines.⁹

Following the Bible’s dietary principles would have prevented many of these more recent epidemics. (Ironically, modern mandates to wash our hands and to self-isolate if we are sick also originate in the Bible. See Lev. 13:4, 5; 15:3–7.)

Nature’s Nurturing Effects

Have you ever wondered why God’s first home for Adam and Eve was a beautiful garden, not a city of the finest architecture? He placed them in the natural surroundings of a garden called Eden and gave them the responsibility of caring for it. Turns out, God’s plan was best all along, as researchers in Japan have recently demonstrated that spending time in nature helps lower stress, blood pressure, and the risk of cancer.¹⁰

Combine time in nature with exercise (perhaps gardening), and you’ll have a combination from Eden to maintain health! Considering that epidemics spread more rapidly in large cities, living away from cities also lessens our exposure to disease.

Abstinence from Alcohol

Another principle of health promoted in the Bible is that of temperance, especially regarding the use of alcoholic beverages. A careful study of the Bible shows that while promoting the use of “new wine” or fresh grape juice, it advocates complete abstinence from “old wine,” or alcoholic beverages, calling it “a mocker” and declaring that “whoever is led astray by it is not wise.” Prov. 20:1; 23:29–31.

A recent global study looking at the impact of alcohol use on the health of individuals in 195 countries confirmed the Bible’s strong stance, asserting that “there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.”¹¹ A study of 500,000 Chinese individuals over a period of ten years came to a similar conclusion when it uncovered that even one drink per day increased the risk of a stroke in study subjects.¹² Science is vindicating what the Bible has promoted for years!

Unfortunately, the use of alcohol will also increase your risk of viral infections. Researchers have found that alcohol suppresses and interferes with the body’s immunity against viruses, particularly in the respiratory tract.¹³ Thus, if you want to avoid COVID-19 and its complications, use alcohol only for sanitizing, not drinking!

A “Barbaric” Practice?

The biblical practice of circumcision is considered by many to be an outdated, barbaric ritual. However, you may be surprised to learn that this practice has a scientifically proven hygienic purpose and is being promoted today. Three randomized, controlled studies of a total of 10,000 men in South Africa, Kenya, and Uganda demonstrated that those who were circumcised were 50 to 60 percent less likely to develop HIV. They were also less likely to transmit infections and viruses to female partners and had fewer incidences of genital ulcerative diseases.¹⁴ The results of these studies led the World Health Organization to recommend circumcision as a measure to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.

Rest and a Relationship with God

When God created the world, He set aside the seventh day of the week as a day of rest. Gen. 2:2, 3. In the frenetic rush of modern society, mankind’s need for rest has become more urgent than ever. Desiring to understand the connection between Sabbath rest and health, Professor Jerry Lee of Loma Linda University School of Public Health analyzed a sample of Sabbath-keepers and found that “refraining from secular activities on Sabbath was associated with better mental and physical health.”¹⁵

The Sabbath is closely connected with another contributor to health, that of trust in God and religious involvement. Building a relationship with God may impact physical health. Dan Buettner, who has studied the lifestyles of the longest-living people in the world and has isolated factors that contribute to this longevity, notes that “people who pay attention to their spiritual side have lower rates of cardiovascular disease, depression, stress, and suicide, and their immune systems seem to work better.”¹⁶ In times like these, who doesn’t want these benefits, especially a stronger immune system for fighting off illness?

A Trustworthy Source?

During the Exodus, the Israelites were a large nation living in close proximity with limited sanitation. They needed clear directions to help prevent the spread of infectious diseases. Not only were God’s instructions far ahead of the science of their times; it was God’s ultimate plan for Israel to share these principles with the world!

If the Bible offers relevant and practical principles for maintaining health and preventing illness, even major epidemics, could we also trust it to be a clear guide for all aspects of our lives, both present and eternal?

Visit our online store to order magazines that feature some of these topics—God’s Gift of Rest, Wine in the Bible, Health Revolution—PLUS other health resources and cookbooks to address chronic diseases and build strong immunity.