Should Believers go to Doctors?

Physicians are referred to about a dozen times throughout the Bible. The only verse that could be taken out of context to teach that one should not go to physicians would be 2 Chronicles 16:12.

"In the thirtyninth year of his reign Asa was afflicted with a disease in his feet. Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek help from the YHWH, but only from the physicians."

But this particular case involved Asa's whole outlook on life in his later years (that of turning his back on Elohim at an earlier point in his life). His sin? NO trust in YHWH. TOTAL trust in doctors. Lack of balance!!! Are your medical views in, or out of balance, one way or the other?

There are many verses that speak of using "medical treatments" such as applying bandages (Isaiah 1:6), oil (James 5:14), oil and wine (Luke 10:34), leaves (Ezekiel 47:12), wine (1 Timothy 5:23), and salves, particularly the "balm of Gilead" (Jeremiah 8:22). Also Luke, the author of Acts and the Gospel of Luke, is referred to by Paul as "the beloved physician" (Colossians 4:14). If visiting doctors was somehow sinful, Rav Shaul would not have travelled with Luke and had him as a ministry partner!

Mark 5:25-30 relates the story of a woman who had trouble with continual bleeding, a problem that physicians could not heal even though she had been to many of them and had spent all of her money on them. Coming to Yahshua, she thought to herself that if she but touched the hem of His garment/His tzitzit, she would be healed, and she was. Yahshua never rebuked her for visiting doctors all her life! Yahshua, in answering the questioning Pharisees as to why he spent time with sinners said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick" (Matthew 9:12). Yahshua clearly recognizes the need and validity of doctors, comparing the physical realm’s need for doctors’, with the spiritual realm’s need for HIMSELF as THE Spiritual Healer of all of mankind! Moreover based on Matthew 9:12 we see that:

1) Physicians are not Elohim and should not be viewed as such. They sometimes can help, but there will be other times when all they will accomplish is the removal of money.

2) Seeking physicians and using "earthly" remedies are not condemned in Scripture, but rather seem to have been used throughout Scripture.

3) Elohim's intervention in any physical difficulty should be sought (James 4:2; 5:13). He does not promise us that He will answer the way we will always want (Isaiah 55:8-9), but we have the assurance that all He does will be done in love and thus in our best interest (Psalm 145:8-9).

So, should Nazarene Yisraelites go to doctors? Elohim created us as intelligent beings and gave us the ability to create medicines and learn how to repair our bodies. There is nothing wrong with applying this knowledge and ability towards physical healing. Doctors can be viewed as Elohim’s gift to us, a means through which Elohim brings healing and recovery. At the same time, our ultimate faith and trust is to be in Yahweh, not doctors or medicine. As with all the difficult decisions we face in life, Elohim promises to give us wisdom when we ask for it (James 1:5), so we know how to pursue all available venues of healing.