So Moses cried out to the Lord for help, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. Moses threw it into the water, and this made the water good to drink… – Exodus 15:25 NLT
God is known by many names in the Bible. Each name reveals a certain aspect of His character. Jehovah-Rapha is one such name found in the Old Testament and in Hebrew, it means “The God who heals”.
God first revealed Himself as Jehovah-Rapha to the Israelites after their exodus out of Egypt. God had just miraculously given them a safe passage through the Red Sea and in the process destroying Pharaoh and his army. The Israelites acknowledged this miracle and then sang a song of gratitude to God their Redeemer.
After three days of travelling in the Desert of Shur, the Israelites were in desperate need of drinking water. They came to the oasis of Marah, but the water was too bitter to drink. As a reflection of the quality of the water and their emotional disposition, the Israelites named the river Marah which is translated as bitter.
The people complained against Moses demanding what they were going to drink. God divinely cleansed the waters by instructing Moses to throw a piece of wood into the water, thereby making it drinkable. “Then the people complained and turned against Moses. ‘What are we going to drink?’ they demanded. So Moses cried out to the Lord for help, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. Moses threw it into the water, and this made the water good to drink…” Exodus 15:24-25 (NLT)
Following this divine intervention, God declared Himself as Jehovah Rapha to His people by proclaiming …“If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his sight, obeying his commands and keeping all his decrees, then I will not make you suffer any of the diseases I sent on the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who heals you.” Exodus 15:26 (NLT)
God’s tremendous healing power as Jehovah Rapha is found in scripture. For example, God as Jehovah Rapha against sickness, diseases, infirmity, mental illness, and physical disability.
Some scripture references celebrating God as Jehovah Rapha include:
– “Oh, the joys of those who are kind to the poor! …The Lord nurses them when they are sick and restores them to health.” Psalms 41:1,3 (NLT)
– “I will give you back your health and heal your wounds, says the Lord…” Jeremiah 30:17 (NLT)
– “Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases.” Psalm 103:2-3 (NKJV)
Jesus is our Great Physician. In the New Testament, the four gospels record the various healing miracles that Jesus performed. This includes – Healing a man with leprosy (Matthew 8:1-3); Forgiving and healing a paralysed man (Mark 2:5-12), Healing the woman with the issue of blood (Luke 8:43-48), Raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11:38-44).
Today, we can call upon Jesus, our Jehovah Rapha to heal our physical and spiritual conditions and to provide redemption for our sins.
Stay blessed,
LaraLex
Hills and Valleys 