COVENANT OF HEALING IN THE ATONEMENT

“The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and BY HIS STRIPES WE ARE HEALED” – Isaiah 53:5b

The COVENANT of HEALING is solidly entrenched in the ATONEMENT: “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and BY HIS STRIPES WE ARE HEALED” (Isa.53:5). Isaiah 53 was written more than 700 years before Jesus and is the clearest prophecy in the Old Testament of the atoning death and resurrection of the Messiah. This passage foretold the great substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, paying the price to redeem all humankind from the curse that resulted from Adam’s rebellion. It is clear that this redemption includes healing along with payment for our sins. In other words, HEALING is in the ATONEMENT!

The atonement is illustrated in Isaiah’s prophecy of the Lord’s Servant dying for our iniquities. The substitutionary atonement is founded upon two main presuppositions. The first is that of a personal God who made us, loves us, desires to have a relationship with us, but also holds us accountable for our actions. Our holy and righteous God gives us all good things of life, but gave parameters for our behaviour so that we do not misuse His blessings. Ignoring these guidelines is called sin. The second assumption is that people find it impossible to meet God’s standards. This “missing the mark” that is called sin,  is endemic to the human condition. No one is perfect! If sin were not universal, then atonement would be optional or only the worst of men would need it. But, we all need it – “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Rom.3:23)!

Atonement – removing the alienation and guilt that keep us from a close personal relationship with our Creator – only comes about when the problem of sin is removed. From the Bible’s perspective, no human being could achieve the depth of repentance that would meet God’s holy standards. This brings the third presupposition: atonement begins and ends with God’s efforts, and our responsibility is simply to accept what He has accomplished on our behalf. In other words, atonement from the Bible’s perspective is an unmerited and unearned gift. This is the context for understanding what the prophecy about the innocent Servant of the Lord dying in our place and paying the penalty of death, which we deserved. And through His death and resurrection, God’s wrath and judgment for our sin would be removed!

We however see that the atonement provides more than salvation from sin. Healing is in the atonement! Christ healed all diseases on the ground of the atonement. He died not only to deal with our sins and iniquities, but also our sicknesses and pains – to purchase our peace and healing. When the Israelites were healed by looking at the brazen serpent lifted up by Moses, that was a type of the Atonement (Num.21:9). No one ever looks in vain to the Great Physician (Mt.8:2-3, 6-18).

Matthew 8 affirms that Isaiah 53: 4-5 includes physical healing: “When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. “And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses” (Mt.8:16-17). Then 1 Peter 2:24, says we were healed; that is, healing already belongs to us: “who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness – by whose stripes you were healed.”

As we noted yesterday, the first statute and ordinance God gave after the crossing of the Red Sea – a type of redemption, was the covenant of healing. Death and disease (incipient death) entered the world by sin; hence, their true remedy is found in Christ’s work of redemption. Only through accepting His atonement will we experience peace in our relationship with God and healing of spirit, soul, and body – with a confidence that comes from an intimate relationship with our Maker and Father!