Yesu’ah in the Old Testament: A Break to the Jinx of Pandemic in Nigeria

Abstract

The paper examined yesu’ah (Yeshua) in the Old Testament and the notion of a break to the curse of pandemic in Nigeria. The Hebrew word yesu’ah means; victory, relief, solution, salvation or freedom from physical challenges such as drought, famine, sickness, bondage, illness, epidemics or pandemics etc. The concept of the latest pandemic (Covid-19) has created timidity in the minds of people in Nigeria since December 2019 up to date. The major problem is that no one has ever known the actual cause and the actual medicine required to curb the spread of the deadly virus which plagues society. However, just like how the Israelites overcame their challenges, this paper which adopted a critique method reveals that Nigerian tribal societies (Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa) possess their traditional method of obtaining suitable solutions to their challenges which are very much synonymous with those of the Hebrews in the Old Testament period. But in an attempt to secure relief for their physical challenges, the people jettisoned and supplemented their traditional ways of solving problems for scientific ‘proof’. It is noteworthy that the influence of civilization has become significant on the Yoruba culture. In the light of the above, the paper concludes that to obtain proper relief from the syndrome of pandemics, there must be proper discipline and morality, transparency, diligence, honesty and a total positive revolution in the way that people live. Besides this aspect, the paper elucidates that the people should re-examine their traditional methods of seeking God’s face for deliverance.