Religion Can Make You Healthy

Deuteronomy 23:9–13 (ESV) “When you are encamped against your enemies, then you shall keep yourself from every evil thing. 10 “If any man among you becomes unclean because of a nocturnal emission, then he shall go outside the camp. He shall not come inside the camp, 11 but when evening comes, he shall bathe himself in water, and as the sun sets, he may come inside the camp. 12 “You shall have a place outside the camp, and you shall go out to it. 13 And you shall have a trowel with your tools, and when you sit down outside, you shall dig a hole with it and turn back and cover up your excrement.

These two laws are incredibly important to an ancient culture far removed from the obsessive sanitize-everything-you-can culture of our day. The Israelites were to keep their military camps clean in the midst of warfare. These stipulations concerning what to do with semen and feces would have enormous health benefits to the nation's fighting men. The bottom line, in this case, is clear: God wants His people to be healthy and strong. 

Doing life God's way creates a healthy lifestyle. Consider the laws of God regarding sex (none outside monogamous marriage), eating (have a diet, stick to it and don't gorge), rest (take it weekly), and work (do it heartily). The Lord's laws concerning human behavior are meant for human flourishing. Even the laws regarding Israel's social constructs brought them good. Festivals were held throughout the year. Today we do the same thing and call them holidays because we know we need national and community-wide time to take a break, kick back and eat together. The practice of coming to Temple, worship, gathering in prayer - these are finding popularity even among scientific studies as they prove to be beneficial to the human experience. 

So when we come to the laws of the Old Testament that seem to have no relevance, let us be careful. God is speaking in every situation. Surely we would suppose that armies made up of just men in the middle of nowhere would not be the most sanitary of conditions you could find. In fact, they may be the worst. For the most part, a man without a woman is messy and unkept (with a few notable exceptions). But the point is made firmly by God, you cannot afford to treat your environment however you please, the world is not your toilet. Treat your body properly and you will do well. Disregard your body and life will not prosper. 

The men of Israel were to be diligent about their military camp's cleanliness for both their protection and spiritual understanding. They were not alone in the fight. Notice the last word on the matter from the Lord:
Deuteronomy 23:14 (ESV) Because the Lord your God walks in the midst of your camp, to deliver you and to give up your enemies before you, therefore your camp must be holy, so that he may not see anything indecent among you and turn away from you.

It is interesting that the Lord is said to "walk" in the midst of the camp. He does this to deliver them and bring victory over their enemies. Secondly, it makes clear the Lord "sees" what is there. If there is one thing men are notorious for, it is the misconception that they are not accountable to the Lord at moments when women are not around. So a military camp that could become the breeding ground for male laziness and negligence to their well-being must STILL be regarded as a holy place. God is among them and they do well to realize this. 

A man who regards and acknowledges the Lord is always with him and seeing him is a man who will fight well and stay healthy. We ignore these concepts to our own detriment. We keep and respect them to our own victory in life. 

Amen.