Jehovah Rophe: God our Healer

Exodus 15:22-27.

ETS: Jehovah-Rophe responded to the cry of Moses by healing the bitterness of the water.

ESS: We need to trust that God can turn bitterness into sweetness when we trust Him.

OSS: [Devotional] {I want the hearers to trust the Lord with the bitter situations in life they encounter.} Cognitive: Affective: Psycho-Motor:

PQ: What pieces of this Passage make this encouraging rather than discouraging?

UW: Pieces

Intro.: Video introducing Jehovah-Rophe

TS: Let us examine a few pieces of the passage now.

Notice: The situation seemed bitter as a whole. The water was bitter. The people’s attitudes were bitter. It seemed really discouraging- yet, just after a great victory and deliverance.

“Does it surprise you that great spiritual victory is often replaced by discouragement, dissension, and depression? After victory, Satan intensified his attack, causing us to focus on our circumstances in an attempt to steal our victory and dull our joy.” [1]

“The word rophe occurs about sixty times in the Old Testament; it always means ‘to restore,’ ‘to heal,’ or ‘to cure.’ It is frequently used in relation to physical healing but can also relate to moral and spiritual healing. In this name God reveals Himself to be the only source of true wholeness. He alone has the power to change the bitter experiences of life into sweet ones.” [2]

Moses cried out to the Lord. [v. 25a]

The LORD responded to the cry of Moses. [v. 25b]

The LORD promised healing. [v. 26]

The LORD led them to abundance of supply. [v. 27]

CONCLUSION:

[1] Do you trust that God will take care of you, even amidst the most bitter of situations?

[2] Do you commit to fully obey God, acknowledging that the commands and standards established by God are not just obligatory rules but actually avenues through which God wants to take care of and bless us?

Reflective Verse:

Exodus 15:26.

The condition is “if” we will:

carefully obey the LORD

do what is right in His sight

pay attention to His commands

keep His statutes

The promise is:

God will take care of us.

Bibliography:

[1] Ken Hemphill, The Names of God (Tigerville, South Carolina: Auxano Press, 2014), 50.

[2] Ibid., 53.