Masking and Quarantining: Biblical or Anti-God?
One of the divisive issues of today, especially in what is often called the Western world, is whether to mask, observe social distancing, and practise quarantining. We have probably all seen posts or videos proclaiming that these are an offense to God and not what God intended. I do not have medical credentials. I earned a title of “Doctor” but not in medicine. I am a theologian and a biblical scholar – that’s my field. And I’d like to offer a biblical perspective.
In Leviticus 13 God instructs Moses regarding “defiling skin diseases” – essentially, leprosy. There is extensive guidance on examination and quarantining. And then we read in Lev. 13:45-46
Anyone with such a defiling disease must wear torn clothes, let their hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of their face and cry out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ As long as they have the disease they remain unclean. They must live alone; they must live outside the camp.
Did you notice the part about “covering the lower part of their face” and separation from the rest of the camp? Sounds like masking and social distancing. As a biblical scholar I am aware that later references to covering the lower part of the face were understood as signs of mourning. (Ezek. 24:17, 22; Mic. 3:7) This does not mean that this is why God gave this instruction. God’s instructions were not arbitrary, they did not only have religious or cultic significance.
A book I read early in my university schooling (thank you, Dr. Bill Randolph!) was “None of These Diseases” by S. I. McMillen. McMillen deals with Lev. 13:46 extensively and its application in largely eradicating leprosy in modern times. [1963 ed., pp. 11-12; 2000 ed., pp. 12-16]
Every parent has had to convince their children to take medicine or do something that’s “good for them.” God also gave instructions to Israel through Moses that may not have made much sense to them directly. What we know today about germs, bacteria, viruses and the like wasn’t known in Moses’ time, but the instructions God gave “just happened” to be what was needed. Perhaps it was later interpreted as just a sign of mourning, but the fact that God commands it expressly in connection with infectious disease is probably a clue that God’s intention and man’s interpretation don’t always agree.
In any case, the idea that God is antagonistic to covering one’s face (masking) and social distancing or quarantining is clearly not something that the Bible teaches. What you do with this information is up to you.
