JEHOVAH RAPHA – THE LORD WHO HEALS

God introduces Himself as Jehovah Rapha, meaning “The Lord who heals” (Exo 15:22-27). Healing means freedom from injury or sickness It means restoration to health or being made whole. Sickness means to be unwell or weak, in body or in mind. God has power to prevent, heal, restore and make whole. Healing is a sign of God’s power and mercy. God’s personal name Jehovah means “I Am that I Am”, His covenant keeping name. In Hebrew, the Word “Rapha” means to heal, to cure, or to repair a wound, stich by stich. It also means Physician or Doctor. These are God’s promises: “I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you!”. God rewards our obedience with His blessings and punishes disobedience with His curses (Read Deuteronomy 28). God refers to the ten plagues when He punished the pride, disobedience and idolatry of Egypt. The 6th plague refers directly to sickness. God told Moses to take ashes and throw them in the air (Exo 9:8-12). These ashes will touch the bodies of all the Egyptians. They will produce painful inflamed boils that make the priests unclean. The magicians could not stand to perform their duties. Lessons: Repent of pride, disobedience and practicing idolatry. Spiritual sickness isolates the patient, making him unable to perform his duties or go to work! Selah!

GOD MAY PUNISH SIN WITH SICKNESS

“Now Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel… And God was displeased with this thing; therefore, He struck Israel… “ (1Chr 21:1-15). Satan, also called the Accuser or Adversary, moves King David to count the people of Isreal. In Hebrew, the word “moves” means to incite, to stimulate or to seduce. King David became proud. To have a census was not wrong, but behind the counting of men there was pride, the desire to trust man’s military strength and not God. Even committed people like David can fall into sin. God judges David’s sin. But David’s repentance releases God’s mercy. God tells David to choose for himself the manner of the punishment. This choice is a sign of God’s mercy. God gave David three options: 3 years of famine (like the famine during the time of Joseph); 3 months of being defeated by his enemies (a national disgrace); or 3 days of sickness (the sword of the Lord will come upon the land and bring a plague). David chooses the third option saying that the Lord’s sword is better than the enemy’s sword. As the Angel of the Lord stood above Jerusalem to destroy it, God stopped the plague, but 70,000 men of Isreal got sick and died. Sin has serious consequences!!!

Lessons: Satan actively seeks to lead God’s people astray. Be watchful against pride! Humble yourself and be quick to repent. Trust in God and not in your wisdom, money or strength. The sins of the leaders (parents) can affect the followers (children). God’s anger is not random. It reveals the depth of His holiness, the seriousness of sin, confronts disobedience and humbles the people. Yet discipline is never the end goal. God’s intervention to stop the plague shows that mercy triumphs over judgment. David’s repentance is central. When he sees the devastation, he humbles himself, confesses his sin, pleads for the people, and prepare a sacrificial offering to God. This is the principle that God’s wrath and mercy meet during true repentance. God’s Mercy shows His compassion, steadfast love, and an active desire to spare the repentant. Sin, even among those chosen and anointed, can provoke divine discipline. Yet no failure, however serious, places us beyond God’s mercy when we genuinely repent. God desires to maintain covenant fellowship with His people. Sin disrupts that fellowship but does not stop His mercy and healing. We must trust God even when He disciplines us. Trust in the mercy that always follows true repentance.

JESUS CHRIST IS JEHOVAH RAPHA

Our Lord Jesus Christ is the ultimate source of salvation, healing, and restoration. His suffering and death on the Cross addresses not only sin but also all human suffering. Christ preached the Gospel and healed many who suffered spiritually or physically. “Jesus went throughout all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness” (Matt9:35). As the King of His Kingdom, Jesus healed spiritual and physical sicknesses and addressed social needs. Jesus healed the sick as Man, not as God. He healed the blind, paralytics, leprous and those possessed by evil spirits. Isaiah shows the healing power of the coming Messiah. “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was crushed for our wickedness [our sin, our injustice, our wrongdoing]; The punishment [required] for our well-being fell on Him, And by His stripes (wounds) we are healed” (Isa 53:5;AMP). “He personally carried our sins in His body on the cross [willingly offering Himself on it, as on an altar of sacrifice], so that we might die to sin [becoming immune from the penalty and power of sin] and live for righteousness; for by His wounds you [who believe] have been healed” (1Pet 2:24; AMP). Jesus is the Messiah Isreal was looking for. Jesus Christ is Jehovah Rapha. Christ willingly carried our sins in His Body, on the tree. Christ became a curse (Deut 21:23; Gal 3:13), so that we are saved. The Cross is central to Christian faith, symbolizing both the cost of sin and the gift of salvation. The Cross was real and painful! The purpose of the Cross is not only to be saved from the penalty of sin, but that by the power of the Holy Spirit, to become sanctified, holy like God. We die to sin and live for righteousness, no honor our Savior and King!

“By His stripes (wounds) we are healed (Isa 53:5; 1Pet 2:24). Christ’s suffering was also for the healing of believers. “Stripes” refers to the physical wounds inflicted on Jesus during His scourging, a common Roman practice before crucifixion. It fulfills the prophecy of the suffering servant. The word “healed” is both physically and spiritually, indicating the complete nature of salvation. This healing is a present reality and a future hope, pointing to the final restoration in the new creation. “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Rev 21:4). Like a loving caring Father, God will personally wipe away all our tears. In the new creation, all the effects of sin are removed. Lessons: we must trust God for the promised healing that will manifest either now, or in the future The present suffering is temporary, but God’s joy is eternal!

THE MIRACLES OF JESUS

A miracle of God is an extraordinary or supernatural event that reveals a specific message through a mighty work. All the miracles Jesus did were to glorify God, help people, and prove that He was indeed who He said He was—the Son of God. At times, Jesus refused to perform miracles because they did not fall into one of these three categories: “When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard about him, and he was hoping to see some sign done by him. So, he questioned him at some length, but he made no answer” (Lk 23:8–9). None of Jesus’ miracles were performed randomly, for entertainment or show. A message accompanied each miracle. Unbelief is a great hindrance. “Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief” (Matt 13:58). Faith is a great asset. “Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes” (Mk 9:23). Thru His miracles, Jesus proved His total authority over nature, demons, life and death. The four Gospels record 37 miracles of Jesus. Every miracle of Jesus had a specific purpose in God’s plan of salvation for humankind. Not all Jesus’ miracles are recorded in the Bible (Jn 21:25). Selah!

Sometimes, when performing miracles, Jesus called on God the Father. At other times, He acted on His own authority, revealing His own divinity. These supernatural acts of power drew people to Jesus, opening their hearts to the message of salvation, and caused many to glorify God. They demonstrated Christ’s absolute authority over creation and His limitless compassion and Love! The miracles of Jesus were intended to testify to His person, to His teachings, to generate wonder and to inspire faith in Him. Jesus could change the ordinary into the extraordinary. For example, Jesus multiplied few loaves of bread and some fishes to feed thousands. Jesus proved to be the Great Provider, who supplies food to those who are spiritually and physically hungry. Jesus healed many who were sick with incurable diseases like leprosy, and blindness. He healed the people’s bodies and souls. One of the greatest miracles was raising the dead. Jesus proved to have authority over death itself. This gives great hope to all who believe that Jesus brought eternal Life. The miracles are an invitation to come to Jesus, to listen to His words and to be changed. The miracles were performed in public. Time cannot delete the impact the miracles of Jesus have on mankind. Lessons: We must pray and have faith 100% that Jesus saves and heals us. Our lives must honor and glorify Jesus!

THE WOMAN WITH A BLOOD ISSUE (Mark 5:25-34)

This is a story of faith and hope for all who struggle with chronic issues. This unnamed woman can be anyone who has suffered for a long time. Luke, a doctor himself, tells us that she was bleeding (from her private parts) for 12 years. Looking for healing, she has spent all her money on Doctors but grew worse. She is now sick, weak, poor and desperate. Under the Levitical Law, a woman is unclean for as long as she bleeds. Whoever she touches would be considered unclean (Lev. 15:19-33). Bleeding is a symbol of death. An unclean person cannot go to the temple to worship God in public. This woman cannot marry and cannot have children. It was a very isolating and depressing life. This woman had twelve years of no hugs, no kisses, no handshakes, or shared meals. She couldn’t go out in public, couldn’t get together with other women to draw water from the well, and couldn’t go out to worship at the temple. Twelve years without human contact can affect anyone’s emotional state. Without exception, prolonged physical illness affects everyone physically, mentally, and spiritually. Patients with chronic sicknesses experience mood swings, anxiety and depression. They grieve the loss of their formerly good health. Sickness changes your appearance. You lose or gain weight. You look old. It affects your self-confidence. Because of pain and fatigue, you may have to change your job. That affects your finances. You withdraw from friends. It affects your families.

This sick woman was part of the crowd following Jesus. Faith made her a hero. She came from behind Jesus and touched the border of His garment. Immediately, her blood flow stopped. She said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” She felt in her body that she was healed. Jesus felt power leaving Him and searched for her who touched Him. She came and testified how she was immediately healed. These are the three steps that led to her healing: 1-She heard about Jesus and faith came. 2-she had faith that Jesus is Jehovah Rapha! 3-She had faith that Jesus can heal even her!!! Faith led her to action. She took the risk of entering the crowd as unclean. She could be stoned to death. But as clean, she will live. Her miracle saved her and healed her. Jesus became her Healer and her Savior!

Lessons: Chronic illness is a prolonged spiritual battle. God hears us and answers the moment we pray. But that doesn’t mean we don’t have a spiritual battle to endure, learn, and grow from. Satan attacks not just your body, but especially your mind. He sends arrows of fear, doubt, inferiority complex, and confusion. He tries to convince you that God is too far from you, that He is too busy to have time for you, that you have sinned too much and you are not worthy to receive a miracle. He will magnify the sickness in your mind so that you become focused on it and forget God, the Bible, prayer and church attendance. You get confused. Your medical doctor becomes pastor and your pastor fades from your mind. Each one has his own path to walk. Not two spiritual battles are the same. You may feel isolated and lonely.  

These two characteristics describe this woman: Faith in God and persistence in seeking for healing. Chronic suffering requires “chronic” Faith! Selah! This woman spent 12 years going from doctor to doctor. She did not find the healing and she spent all her money on the doctors. She did not stop trying to look for an answer even when there were no results. This woman had true faith. God saw her as seeking Him and rewarded her. She somehow heard about Jesus, how He healed people. Faith comes by hearing God’s Word. How did she hear the Word of God? Jewish parents were commanded to teach God’s Word to their children. Maybe her parents taught her as a child. Or maybe she heard it from others. But she knew about God. When she now heard about Jesus, somehow, she identified Jesus as Jehovah Rapha. Surely, The Holy Spirit did His special work in her heart. One thing is clear: she now believed that Jesus is her Healer. She knew that no man could help! Only Jesus! That is faith!

Her healing was complete. Jesus made her whole. Just as chronic illness affects us physically, mentally, and spiritually, she must be healed in all three areas as well. This is called complete or whole healing. Physically, she suddenly felt well. But Jesus completed the healing. Her scars of shame and inferiority complex were still in her. This woman has not touched and was not touched for 12 years. That is why, even as a healed woman, she was still afraid of people and was hiding in the crowd. She still had emotional wounds only God could see. Jesus did not want her to go away half healed. She was physically healed, but emotionally, the wound was still there. To complete her healing, Jesus calls her Daughter! This is Agape Love in action. He said to her: “Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace” (Lk 8:48; KJ). She was not just cured. She was not just healed, but she was made “whole”! To be made whole it means to be healed spiritually and physically. It is a total restoration of mind, body, and spirit. It is a call for the man to allow the rejuvenating waves of divine grace to permeate every aspect of his being. True wholeness is found in Christ, who can heal both our visible and hidden wounds. Today, Jesus offers us the same wholeness, inviting us to experience ultimate life in Him.

Lessons: God’s grace is more than we can imagine. When three factors converge (Desperate need + Persistent Faith + God’s Power) the miracle happens! Healing does not come from religion. It comes from an encounter, a touch of Jesus. Seek healing until you find it. Faith in God (Jesus) is the Key! Overcome all barriers against the miracle. Once healed, testify publicly how Jesus has healed you! We like to think that because we pray, we will be immediately healed. But that isn’t always the case. God alone determines the how, the when, and the why of our healing. As our creator, He is sovereign. We must surrender our lives to Jesus Christ and worship Him! Serve Him! Study His Word! Pray without ceasing! Attend church services! Have 100% faith that God hears and answers prayers! One day, when we least expect it, even today, the miracle shall come! God’s desire for us goes beyond surface-level healings. His love, grace, and mercy touch our emotional scars, offering healing for our broken hearts and power to forgive those who have hurt us. In pursuit of wholeness, we must first acknowledge our need to be healed by the hands of God, who is the only One who can fix what is broken. Do we want Jesus to make us whole? Are we ready to release the grip of our wounds and allow Him to mend our brokenness? Are we willing to entrust our brokenness to Jesus? Trust Jesus! He is calling: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt 11:28).  “He sent His word and healed them and delivered them from their destructions. Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!” (Ps 107:20,21). Worship the Lord!