And Isaiah said, “Bring a cake of figs. And let them take and lay it on the boil, that he may recover.”
— 2 Kings 20:7
Immediately after the healing of King Hezekiah, we find this small but remarkably instructive detail. God had already spoken through the prophet Isaiah — Hezekiah would be healed, fifteen years would be added to his life, and the city would be delivered from the hand of Assyria:
I will add fifteen years to your life, and I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for My own sake and for My servant David’s sake.
— 2 Kings 20:6
The promise had been made. The healing had been declared. And yet, in the very next verse, Isaiah gives this instruction: bring a cake of figs and lay it on the boil.
God Works Through Means
Historians tell us that cakes of figs were used medicinally in the ancient world — applied to boils as a form of treatment. What is fascinating about this is that it came as an instruction from the prophet himself, immediately after the divine pronouncement of healing. The use of this natural remedy did not contradict or undermine the promise of God. It was not a sign of doubt or a lack of faith. It was simply the means through which God chose to work out the healing He had already promised.
This is a vivid illustration of a vital theological truth — God works through ordinary means. He is sovereign over all things, and yet He regularly accomplishes His purposes through the natural processes and tools He has placed in this world.
Prayer and Medicine Are Not in Conflict
We see the same principle at work when we consider illness and healing today. James tells us clearly:
Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick.
— James 5:14-15
And yet there is nothing in James’s instruction that prevents someone from also going to a doctor. Praying to God for healing and seeking medical attention are not in conflict — because God uses doctors and medicine as means of delivering the healing He has purposed to give. To go to the hospital is not a failure of faith. It is an acknowledgement that God works through the means He has put at our disposal.
Work and Provision Are Not in Conflict Either
The same principle applies to provision and work. We are right to go to God and ask Him to provide for our needs — for occupation, for income, for sustenance. And we are also right to go out and actively look for work. These two things do not cancel each other out.
Paul was direct with the Thessalonians — they should work with their hands, and those who refuse to work should not expect to eat. He urged the Ephesians to stop stealing and instead to work honestly so that they would have something to share with others. And yet in the same breath, he assured the Philippians:
And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
— Philippians 4:19
These passages do not conflict — they complement each other. God has asked us to pray and to work, and in His providence He uses the natural means of employment, medicine, and human effort to deliver to us what He has already purposed to give.
Prayer should never become a substitute for taking the action that is required. In the parable of the talents, the master was displeased with the servant who buried what he had been given and did nothing with it. God ordains not only the ends but also the means — and He expects us to use the means He has put in our hands.
Trusting God Through Means
May we come to a full understanding that the Lord works through means — and that going to the doctor, applying for a job, or taking the practical steps required in any situation is not a sign of weak faith. It is actually an expression of trust that God is sovereign over the ordinary processes of this world, and that He uses them to work out His perfect and good will in our lives.
Amen.
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