| Highlights of Dawn | August 1955 |
None Shall Say, “I Am Sick”
THE recent announcement of the high percentage of effectiveness of the Salk polio vaccine caused a wave of thankfulness to pass over the peoples of our country as well as those of many other lands. In spite of serious setbacks in the initial mass inoculations due to faulty controls in the manufacture of the vaccine, hopes still run high. This forward step in preventive medicine pointed up many interesting facts to thoughtful Bible Students.
It has been heartening over the years to see how generously people have volunteered their skill, talent, and monies in a co-operative effort to stem the march of this crippling and deadly disease. But this also brings into jarring contrast the picture of unnumbered billions of dollars that have poured into war and implements of destruction. One cannot ignore the fact that through taxation vast sums have been diverted either to death by destruction or machines to accomplish such. And yet we fight such common enemies as polio, heart disease, cancer and such with constant appeals for people to open their hearts and purse strings. With billions we wage war; with begged dimes we fight disease.
In spite of this darker side of the picture, the many evidences of selfless devotion and noble sacrifice do bring a warmth to our hearts. There is still in evidence much nobility of man long after the condemnation in the Garden of Eden. The man who spear-headed this successful research, Dr. Jonas Salk, readily admits that the end results have come through the combined efforts of many people. He specially singled out for mention Dr. Enders of Boston who first discovered that the polio virus could be grown in the kidney tissue of a Rhesus monkey.
The technical aspects of the vaccine’s function reminds us of the wonderful wisdom that first designed man. The Polio Foundation imported thousands of monkeys from India for the purpose of securing kidney tissue for virus culture growth as well as for using some of the live monkeys for testing the vaccine’s power of immunization. The plan followed was to grow the deadly virus and then introduce thereto formaldehyde to kill the virus. They then separated the dead virus protein from the culture for purposes of injection into the human body.
Although the virus was dead, or as Dr. Salk put it, “its fangs had been pulled,” this substance, injected into the human body would serve to acquaint the white corpuscles, or leucocytes, of the blood with this deadly enemy. Being so acquainted, if the potent virus with “fangs” ever came into the body, the white corpuscles would immediately increase in number and begin a mass assault. Thus, the vaccine would serve to alert by identification the guardians of our blood and the body’s built-in defense mechanism would destroy the invader.
This wonderful protective feature of the human body so eloquently speaks of the Grand Designer, our God. There is not an organ of the body but what reveals a sublime wisdom in its design. The cleverly engineered heart has multiple valves and unique muscle designs that permit a squeezing out of blood, and in a twenty-four hour period pumps literally a sum total of thousands of gallons. The eye excels any camera in that it automatically focuses and immediately adjusts the pupil, or aperture, to the desired opening for the amount of light present. And the highly sensitized retina of the eye, crowded with millions of nerve endings, transmits to the brain its recorded images in glorious color. The stomach and digestive organs accept the food we give, and extract therefrom a multiplicity of chemical substances and needed minerals. The blood, our transportation system, as well as auxiliary police force, begins its efficient and complex distribution procedures—iodine to the thyroid gland, calcium to the bones, potassium here, and phosphorus there—until every minute area is serviced. But this efficient transportation system makes no empty hauls. When nutriment is delivered, waste products are picked up, and so the wonderful and continuous process proceeds. True, only “the fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.”—Ps. 14:1
But in spite of this wonderful body and brain that man has, it is evident that so much is to be desired in better functioning. Man is a member of a sick and dying race. Regardless of the excitement concerning the Salk polio vaccine, the over-all picture is still dark. Encouraging reports are given that the life expectancy of man has increased from thirty-five and one-half years in 1789 to sixty-five and one-half years today. Facts are being presented to show that our newborn generation may well have a life expectancy of one hundred years.
Even though this one hundred year horizon would be reached, man is still faring much worse than the animals. The life expectancy of an animal is five times again as long as its maturing age. If such were man’s experience, he would live to one hundred and fifty years, because his maturing age is considered twenty-five. However, at this point in man’s experience there is one chilling statistic rarely mentioned. Of all who are born, one hundred percent die.
Although the Salk polio vaccine might prove one hundred percent effective, at best it would just pro vide a short reprieve of the death sentence for a few and, of course, alleviate the suffering and crippling which has been its concomitant. It has been one of the lesser killers of man. Statistics show that percentages of man’s death-causes are: heart disease 44%; cancer 16%; vascular lesions 13%; accidents 4%; and all others 23%. And in all the strenuous drives to conquer disease none has been so hopeful as to dare predict the end of death.
How many who live fifty years, or sixty, or seventy, really enjoy good health? Our human family has appropriately been called a “groaning creation.” Throughout the world we Americans have been known for our “bouncy” enthusiasm. The usual greeting upon meeting another is, “How are you?” with the usual answer a robust, “Fine.” But generally it is not long after the formalities that then begins the usual mutual commiserations. Each has his story of aches and pains, sleepless nights, and tiredness. Perhaps it is the sad fact of poor health that causes some to protest mildly upon first hearing that, according to the Bible, man may one day live forever.
In addition to the somber facts concerning man’s sickness and death there are yet other facts, not generally known, which make us cry out for the Lord to soon establish his kingdom. In our own favored land there are 750,000 mentally sick in hospitals. And it is being more and more publicized that these unfortunates are woefully neglected because of crowded facilities and limited skilled workers. Again the thoughtful person reflects: billions for war and destruction; lack of appropriations and nursing for these unfortunates. How correct is our sense of values—we who, in standard of living, lead the world?
But if this condition be deplorable, what about the fact that 400,000 more mentally sick need hospitalization but there is no place to be found for them? The suffering of these and their families is beyond our imaginings. And, in addition to this, we are told that 7,000,000 more suffer less severe mental illness but need medical attention and assistance. If these appalling conditions exist in our country, what must be the number of mentally sick and their sorry plight in the less fortunate countries such as China and India?
Man’s efforts against disease and death, though laudable, have been puny indeed. Much more is needed and much more has been promised by our God. For this we are truly thankful and pray indeed the Lord’s kingdom may soon come and end earth’s weary night of suffering. It is this glorious hope for men held out in the Bible which has caused us to see our glorious God in such a tender, loving light.
Again and again his infallible Word promises an end to this long reign of sin and death. He states it so positively and so tenderly. Hear his words in Isaiah 25:6-9: “In this mountain [kingdom] shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined.” Then notice the dramatic picture language used to illustrate the lifting of ignorance and superstition which has so beclouded man: “And he will destroy in this mountain [kingdom] the face of the covering cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all nations.” It is just as though our Heavenly Father pictures the earth as being covered with a great veil which has prevented the glorious, healing, life-giving sun from shining through. This figurative veil of ignorance and superstition, induced by Satan, is to be torn loose and removed. Then shall beam to every nook and cranny of this sin-sick and dying world the caressing, the warm, life-giving rays of the Sun of Righteousness. Every festering sore of hate shall be healed, every dank, dark mold of evil shall be destroyed; and the earth, which has been so long contaminated, will become purified and clean.
And these health-giving rays will not only bless and heal all the willing and obedient, but he further promises that the work accomplished shall be so complete that “he will swallow up death in victory.” (Isa. 25:8) We know all this will come because our blessed Lord was willing to become a man and take Adam’s place in death. Paul tells us that “since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”—I Cor. 15:21,22
The horrible experience of sickness and death, sorrow and evil of every kind came because Adam disobeyed. Before God, in justice, could release Adam and his race, it was necessary that one, his corresponding price, would willingly replace him in death. Jesus became a man for that purpose. Thus it is that in God’s due time he could “swallow up death in victory” and even raise, from the sleep of death, all who had gone there because of Adam’s disobedience.
Notice, too, the suggestion of God’s joy in this entire matter as well as his tenderness. “And the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces.” How much this sounds like the tenderness of a loving parent who has been touched with the hurt of his child and stoops to caress and console. And how many tears there are to wipe away: the tortured minds; the lonely; the misunderstood; the tired, sick bodies; all his children that he has watched, and for whom he has longed for the time when he can “wipe away tears from off all faces.”
“And the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth.” Every last vestige of the curse of sin and death will be forever removed. There shall be no far-away outposts of sin or death, but the entire world shall be a glory to his name. And to show with finality the absoluteness of this plan, our eternal God has the prophet to utter these solemn, great words: “For the Lord hath spoken it.”
Our glorious, infinite Creator tells us he speaks, and it is done. When our earth was created we read that God said, “Let there be light: and there was light.” (Gen. 1:3) His word is absolute. “For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”—Isa. 55:10,11
Because of God’s illimitable power and all-embracing wisdom he speaks, and it is done. Hence, the concluding of a prophecy with the words, “For the Lord hath spoken it,” is of a special import to the Christian. It is the Heavenly Father’s own way of assuring us that his love has provided the necessary steps, his wisdom has planned all, down to the minutest detail, and his mighty power shall set in motion the forces which shall happily complete the plan. “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”
The ninth verse of Isaiah, chapter twenty-five, is a glorious promise that pierces the present gloom of sickness and death like a golden shaft of light. To us who now see it, the darkness, by faith, is dispelled and the beauty of the promise leads our mental vision to see the majesty and glory of God. Even now we say, oh, so gratefully, “Lo, this is our God.” Happy shall be the day when all shall know him from the least unto the greatest.
Our minds examine this verse and with joyful anticipation see therein that before long shall be ended the long, cold, cruel night of sin. “And it shall be said in that day, Lo this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” When these words were first implanted within the mind of the prophet by God, all the facts concerning this glorious kingdom were known only to the Father. The prophets “spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” (II Pet. 1:21) At that far-away period it was only our glorious Heavenly Father who saw down the long centuries of time to the kingdom and lovingly spoke for man, through the prophet, these words of grace and truth, “Lo, this is our God.”
These tender words yet to be spoken by man as his heart will overflow in grateful love to God were first framed by the lips of God. Found in them, too, is the suggestion that God looks forward to the time when this shall be a reality. His loving-kindness is ready to fly to man’s relief as was suggested in the poised wings of the cherubim overlooking the mercy seat of the Most Holy.
Now we see the sad march of man. One by one they pass by—the lame, the sick, the unloved, the tired, the twisted bodies and tortured minds, forlornly walking to the grave. All the efforts of man do but little to ease the rigors of the walk—sometimes through one effort or another it is lengthened for a few days. But always there is the tomb at the end.
But God has promised a glorious day! Then “the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity.” (Isa. 33:24) “Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.” (Isa. 35:6) And “all that are in the graves … shall come forth,” and “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain.” (John 5:28,29; Rev. 21:4) “For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth: the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land.” And all in that day shall say, “Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him.”—Canticles 2:11,12; Isa. 25:9