Series: Knowing God [#11]
JEHOVAH RAPHA- THE GOD WHO HEALS
Exodus 15:26
Introduction:
Moses had led the Israelites out of Egypt and God had parted the Red Sea so that the Israelites could cross over. As the Israelites were crossing over on dry land, the Egyptian army was pursuing them. As the Egyptian army was chasing them, the Lord threw them into confusion. Their chariots began to fall apart and then God closed the Red Sea and the Egyptians drowned.
Exodus 15:22-26 (NIV)
“Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.) So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, "What are we to drink?" Then Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There the LORD made a decree and a law for them, and there he tested them. He said, "If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you."
The name Jehovah Rapha tells us…
1. That God can heal you physically.
The Israelites had been travelling for 3 days and they had not found water. While they still had water, they knew that without water they would die. When they arrived at Marah, they found water; but they couldn’t drink it because it was bitter. God told Moses to throw a piece of wood into the water, and the water was healed. I know that it sounds weird for me to say that God healed the water; but that is what He did. He showed His power to overcome impurity, contamination, and corruption.
Scripture teaches us that sometimes we are sick because of sin and sometimes we are sick because God is strengthening our faith in Him. James tells us that if we are sick to call the elders and have them anoint us with oil and pray for us. He also says that if we have sinned that we will be forgiven for our sins.
The name Jehovah Rapha tells us…
2. That God can heal you mentally.
The people complained about not finding any drinkable water. The people were worrying about what would happen if they ran out of water. They were questioning whether they should have left Egypt or stayed there as slaves. They were bringing one another down and everyone was thinking about how bad they had it. They were mentally defeated.
God told them to listen to His voice. If they were going to get their minds straight, it was going to require their obedience to God. When we are being crushed mentally, we need to see and listen to God. We must think on the things of God.
The name Jehovah Rapha tells us…
3. That God can heal you spiritually.
The Israelites’ spiritual condition was like the ocean- It was tossed back and forth all the time. 3 days before, they were singing praises to God about how He took care of them; and then they were complaining about how God wasn’t doing His job. Their spiritual condition was controlled by circumstances.
In our text, we find an “if” statement. God told them that if they would listen to Him and obey Him; that He would protect them from diseases that the Egyptians had to suffer with. He told them that He is the God who heals.
Conclusion:
God wants to heal you physically, mentally, and spiritually. In each point, I said that God can heal you. Understand that your healing in these areas are up to God. It is God who makes those decisions. Trust His plan.
