Does God only heal or does he afflict and take life?

1 Tim. 6:13 “God who gives life to all things.” Rom. 4:17 who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did.”

So many focus on God being the healer, which he does out of his graciousness, but they ignore and some even deny that God will afflict and take life. A cursory look at the Bible proves them wrong.

The first recorded instance of Gods judgment he pronounces to Adam and Eve that they would die.

He later pronounced judgment on the human race when sin and wickedness rose to its zenith, yet he gave mercy through Noah which they refused.

The Lord throughout history has afflicted man for his sin though he often accompanied it with mercy. Here are just few instances of his judgment.

Isa. 30:20 “and though the Lord gives you The bread of adversity and the water of affliction”,

Ps. 119:67 David says "Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep thy word."V.75 "In your faithfulness you have afflicted me." David attributed his affliction to God

Deut. 32:39: “Now see that I, even I, am He, and there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal.” Numbers 12 Mariam was afflicted with leprosy because she disobeyed the Lord, she was healed when she repented of her rebellion.

In 2 Sam.6:6-7 Uzzah put his hand out to stop the Ark from touching the ground and God struck him dead.

2 Sam.12:15-18 The lord took David’s son from his adulterous relationship with Bathsheba.

Exod. 13:15: “And it came to pass, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that the LORD killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast.”

Exod.15:26:  “If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.”

In 1 Chron.21:15 God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem. In 2 Chron.21:14-15: “Behold the Lord will strike your people with a serious affliction—your children, your wives, and all your possessions; and you will become very sick with a disease of your intestines…” 

Job.27: says God takes life, Job was a man of faith.

 Taking communion without reflecting on the Lords body have caused many to be weak, sick and some have even died (1 Cor.11:29-30) 

Josh. 10:10: “So the LORD routed them before Israel, killed them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, chased them along the road that goes to Beth Horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah.”

Lev. 16:2: “the LORD said to Moses: “Tell Aaron your brother not to come at just any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, lest he die; for I will appear in the cloud above the mercy seat.’

Num.14:37: “those very men who brought the evil report about the land, died by the plague before the LORD.

 Num. 16:44-45: “And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.” And they fell on their faces. v:49 Now those who died in the plague were fourteen thousand seven hundred.”

 Num. 21:6: “So the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died.”

We find it was God who told Moses he would not enter the promise land and instead would die. Deut. 32:49-50: “Go up this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, across from Jericho; view the land of Canaan, which I give to the children of Israel as a possession;” and die on the mountain which you ascend, and be gathered to your people, just as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people” Deut 34: So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD. v:7 Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died.”

 In Acts 5 Ananias and Sapphira were judged by God for lying to the Holy Spirit. It wasn’t by Satan that killed them.

Yes God does judge and take life. He heals and he afflicts. He says all souls are mine.