YHWH (Jehovah) Rophi-The LORD Heals
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Introduction
Introduction
We are down to the final compound name of God’s name, Jehovah (YHWH). It is YHWH (Jehovah) Rophi which means the LORD heals.
On your charts, you can fill it on that last box of the column beside the box named “YHWH, Jehovah, LORD.”
The verse that gives us this name is found in Exodus.
26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee.
In that verse, “healeth” is the Hebrew word “rapha.”
Rapha or Raphi is a Hebrew word indicating a physician who treats, prevents, and alleviates disease symptoms. It is a term used 67 times in 62 verses of the Old Testament. It is translated into English as the verb heal, repair, cure, or to make whole. As a noun, it is translated physician.
Examples of its use are as follows:
Genesis 20:17–18 (KJV 1900)
17 So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed [rapha] Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children.
18 For the Lord had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham’s wife.
1 Kings 18:30 (KJV 1900)
30 And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired [rapha] the altar of the Lord that was broken down.
Job 5:18 (KJV 1900)
18 For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: He woundeth, and his hands make whole [rapha].
Jeremiah 33:6 (KJV 1900)
6 Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them [rapha], and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth.
Genesis 50:2 (KJV 1900)
2 And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians [rapha] to embalm his father: and the physicians [rapha] embalmed Israel.
This study shows that the word “rapha” was used several times. For example, it indicated mending a garment, repairing an altar, and healing or curing a person of disease or sickness. Anyone who engaged in helping heal others of physical ailments was regarded as “rapha” or physician.
Note a few other things related to the word “rapha.”
It is used concerning God’s grace as He restores spiritual life.
“Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; Who healeth all thy diseases;” (Psalm 103:3)
It is used concerning God healing the broken heart.
“He healeth the broken in heart, And bindeth up their wounds.” (Psalm 147:3)
It is used concerning God recovering the backslider.
“Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the Lord our God.” (Jeremiah 3:22)
It is used concerning God removing bodily infirmities.
“Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord.” (2 Kings 20:5)
As with everything related to Jehovah, His response to us is based on our obedience to His Word. For example, when we were learning about Jehovah-Jireh (The LORD Provides), God provided for Abraham in answer to his faith and obedience upon Mt. Moriah (Isaac’s sacrifice). The same holds true for healing. We see this in God’s response to Israel.
Jehovah-Rophi Stands Ready to Heal All In Need of Healing
Evidenced by His dealing with Israel as...
He Promised Healing
He Promised Healing
As we know, Jehovah delivered Israel from the bondage of Egypt. Moses was simply the instrument that God used. In the end, there was no doubt that Jehovah God, the God of Israel, was superior in every way over the false gods of Egypt. All of which were solidified by many miracles God performed through the plagues. It was the last plague that pushed Pharoah over the edge. Yet, in that same plague, God delivered Israel. As they left Egypt rejoicing at their newfound freedom and their emancipation from bondage, they assuredly felt they were leaving all their problems behind. As the redeemed of the Lord, they were free to go forward, enjoying a life of liberty.
Yet, it did not take long for their songs of deliverance to turn into feelings of fear. They soon faced many unknowns and difficulties. The Red Sea was only the start. After the Red Sea, they soon ran out of water. The Red Sea itself was too salty for them to drink. Thus, they hastened to a place called Marah. It was there they imagined they would find good drinking water. Yet, when they arrived, the waters were bitter, giving us the name “Marah” which means “bitter.” By now, the thought of death was genuine. There was no water, and they were without water. At this point, they are desperate and cry to Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” As we know, Moses did the only thing he knew to do. He, in turn, cried out to God.
Remember that this is God, known to His people as Jehovah. Jehovah becomes Jehovah-Jireh at that moment. What does Jehovah-Jireh mean? The LORD Who Provides! He provides for their needs. Yet, He also is Jehovah-Rophi, the LORD Who Heals.
25 And he cried unto the Lord; and the Lord shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them,
The Great physician provided the remedy they needed. He turned the bitter water into sweet water.
Note the following verse.
26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee.
Interestingly, God reveals Himself to Israel as the “LORD that heals” at the springs of bitter water. In doing so, He also gave them a promise. His promise stated, “I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians.” Yet, this promise was conditional. What was the condition?
“If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD they God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight...”
Think about it. God wanted their complete obedience. He promised to be their Healer on the condition that they obey His Word and His will. Even if they returned to “a dry and thirsty land where no water is,” He would be there as Jehovah-Rophi. No matter the circumstances, they could trust that Jehovah would sweeten any bitter waters they encountered.
The wood cast into the bitter water contained no magical or medicinal quality. No, the miracle came from the God who had performed so many miracles in Egypt. However, this miracle was extraordinary. It illustrated to the entire nation that His intent for them was a healthy and wholesome life as they trusted and obeyed Him. If they lived for Him, He would be their health.
5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? Hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, Who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
He Demonstrated Healing
He Demonstrated Healing
This event at Marah proved to be an even great illustration of Christ’s coming. Remember that God’s Word is the story of Jesus. And, even in this one act, God gave a powerful picture of Calvary. An illustration that is easy for us to see as we hold the complete Word of God in our hands today. When they came to Marah, they found bitter waters. Again, to what one thing did God lead Moses and then instruct him to cast into the waters? It was a tree. The tree made the bitter waters sweet. May I turn your attention now to the New Testament and to 1 Peter 2:24
24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
You see, the actions taken at Marah reflect those still being accepted at Calvary. Christ came and died upon a tree so that we might be spiritually healed. Salvation from sin’s guilt and power is spiritual healing.
Spiritual health can only come from the tree cast into the bitter waters of sin. His death on the Tree of Calvary and subsequent burial and resurrection deliver us from the burden and bondage of sin.
Here is an exciting thought. What was at the center of man’s original sin in the Garden of Eden? Was it not a tree? One tree stood at the epicenter of life and death. It was the tree of knowledge of good and evil. You might say the tree that started it all. Israel learned about a God-chosen tree’s sweetness and life-giving qualities at Marah. At Calvary, Christ died upon a tree, bringing sin’s reign to an end for all who believe. One day, when we enter Heaven’s gate, there will be another tree called the “tree of life” that will perpetuate the health of all.
He Came as a Healer
He Came as a Healer
Here is our last main point. As we go back to the story of Marah and the bitter waters, we must note once again that the tree itself had no healing properties. No, it was God who changed the bitter waters into sweet. The tree was simply a prop. Similarly, the wooden tree of the cross has no saving abilities. Too many times, men want to associate healing with a cross. In fact, some hymns even attribute salvation (spiritual healing) to the cross, not Christ. One such hymn claims...
The Cross! it takes our guilt away,
It holds the fainting spirit up;
It cheers with life the gloomy day,
And sweetens every bitter cup.
What is wrong with that song? It was not the cross but Christ who saved. The cross is merely a prop representing the voluntary, substitutionary death of Christ which can “sweeten every bitter cup.” His death on the tree became eternal life for us. Christ entered the water of death. Jehovah God demands that His people be holy and righteous even as He is the One Who Himself entered those waters dying on our behalf.
3 He healeth the broken in heart, And bindeth up their wounds.
Christ takes the sin-stricken hearts of men and women; He heals them and binds their wounds. That is the good news of the Gospel. The precious blood of the Savior shed on Calvary is the healing balm of the sinful heart.
Here is some further application for us today!
When we face our own Marah...
He Makes the Bitter Sweet
He Makes the Bitter Sweet
Undoubtedly, as we journey through this life, we will encounter some painful and extremely distasteful circumstances. We all have and will face blasted hopes, broken promises, wounds that ache, injuries that deeply hurt, sores that fester in the memory, and the sounds of accusations. There are many pools to which we come and find them full of bitter water. Too many believers start their journey toward Heaven thinking that everything will be sweet and pleasant, just as Israel did. Yet, just like Israel, it is not long before things go wrong, circumstances appear to be against us, and the bitterness of the waters at Marah reflects our own bitterness. We can rest assured that when such cases present, we have a Great Physician who can make the bitter-sweet with a touch.
ILLUSTRATION:Naomi left Bethlehem with a husband and two sons. She came back to Bethlehem with just a daughter-in-law. In Moab, there were three graves that she left behind. When she came to Bethlehem on her return, the village greeted her, asking, “Is this Naomi?” Naomi means pleasant, agreeable, and attractive. Do you remember her reply?
19 So they two went until they came to Beth-lehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Beth-lehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi?
20 And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.
You may have noticed that she blamed God for her bitterness. Was it really God who deserved the blame? If you recall, she and her husband decided to leave the land of promise and go to Moab. And, yes, God allowed them to do so, knowing the trials that would await them. However, it was not His choice for them to live in Moab. In fact, God had forbidden any Jew to live among the heathen. No, it was their choice and a bad one at that. Thus, she was wrong to blame God for her circumstances.
How many times do we act in the same manner? We blame God, knowing full well that we are often the ones who made the wrong choices. However, as we stay with the story of Naomi, her bitterness is later sweetened.
15 And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him.
The Great Physician, Jehovah Rophi, turned her bitterness into sweet joy. She may have left her husband and sons buried in Moab, but she came out with a daughter-in-law who eventually became part of the Lord’s ancestry. God blesses Ruth with a son, Obed, and Naomi with a grandson.
Do we not see the same throughout Christ’s entire earthly ministry? What was it Christ said in Luke 4:18
18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
Everywhere Christ traveled, He healed those in need of healing.
23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.
4 Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:
5 The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
36 But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.
Jehovah Rophi of the Old Testament is the Great Physician of the New Testament.
He is the Great Physician
He is the Great Physician
As the Great Physician, Christ fully recognized man’s need for His healing touch.
31 And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.
We know the plight of the woman who had the issue of blood.
25 And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,
26 And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,
Not a single doctor was able to help her. In fact, everything they did made her physical issue worse. Isn’t it amazing how that often works? Yet, when she was finally at the end of her rope with no hope left, she turned to Christ. How is that a picture of us? We seek all of man’s remedies well before we go to the Great Physician. Perhaps we have it all wrong. In fact, according to Scripture, we do have it all incorrect. Instead of using all that we have to seek endless remedies offered by man, why not start with the One Who created us and formed us. He is the Great Physician is He not. In the end, this woman simply touched the hem of His garment and was healed.
However, this is something we must not overlook. Christ did indeed heal many. We see it repeatedly during His time on earth. Yet, later in the New Testament, Paul suffered from a physical ailment that he called a “thorn in the flesh.” We have no idea what his exact illness may have been. However, we do know that it was something painful that he lived with daily. Additionally, he went to the Great Physician and asked for His healing. What was the answer?
9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Also recorded in the New Testament is this fact. The apostles were often used by God to heal others as well. Paul himself had done it. Yet, Paul was not able to heal himself. And one occasion, Paul was forced to leave Trophimus behind at Miletus because of sickness. We might mention the case of Epaphroditus, who was sick unto death. Later, as Paul writes to young Timothy, we learn that Timothy suffered “often infirmities.”
What does all this mean? It means that the Great Physician, Jehovah-Rophi, is the One Who determines who will be healed. Remember that Christ Himself did not spare Himself from suffering greatly at the cross, even though it was well within His power to do so. Sometimes, God understands that our suffering and pain are necessary for our spiritual development. Yet, even in such pain, His grace is always sufficient. Yes, we can and must go to Him seeking His healing. At the same time, we go to Him, understanding that His answer might be “no.” It is then we know that He will be with us and help us overcome the suffering we must endure. And it is in those times that His “strength is made perfect in weakness.”
Conclusion
Conclusion
As we conclude our study, we find that He is Jehovah-Rophi, the Lord Who heals based on our obedience to His Word. He promises healing. He demonstrated His ability to heal. He came to earth as a healer. He always makes the bitter circumstances sweet when we turn to Him. He is the Great Physician. However, in the end, we must always trust His judgment when it comes to His decision to heal or not to heal. He knows what is best for us. Yet, even the moments of pain and suffering, He turns the bitter into sweet for His grace is always sufficient.