What does it mean that God is Jehovah-Rapha?

Response

Jehovah-Rapha (more accurately Yahweh-Rapha) means “The Lord Who Heals” in Hebrew. Jehovah-Rapha is one of the various names of God mentioned in the Old Testament.

The name Jehovah-Rapha is found in Exodus 15:26. God tells the people of Israel, “If you listen carefully to 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 setting of God’s revelation of His name Jehovah-Rapha is an event that occurred early in the Israelites’ journey through the wilderness. They had recently departed from Egypt and crossed the Red Sea. Moses led them into the Desert of Shur, where “for three days they traveled in the desert without finding water” «So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water. », (Exodus 15:22). The Lord was testing their faith.

The Israelites’ trial in the desert became more challenging. They encountered a body of water, but to their dismay, they could not drink from it. They named the water Marah, which means “bitter.” Their spirits also turned bitter, and they “grumbled against Moses, saying, ‘What are we to drink?’” «And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? », (Exodus 15:24). Moses did exactly what God instructed him to do, and the situation was miraculously resolved.By doing what he should have done, Moses prayed to the Lord, and “the Lord showed him a piece of wood” (verse 25). Following God’s instructions, Moses threw the wood into the water, and the water miraculously became fit to drink.

Immediately after the Lord “healed” the waters of Marah, He identified Himself to them as Jehovah-Rapha: “I am the Lord, who heals you” and said, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in His sight, and obey His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon you, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord who heals you.” (Exodus 15:26). He doesn’t just heal water; He heals people. The healing of the waters was a demonstration of God’s power to overcome any impurity, contamination, or corruption. This power was going to work on behalf of the Israelites, God’s chosen people, as the Lord brought them to the Promised Land.

In addition to giving His name Jehovah-Rapha, God gives the Israelites a promise: “I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians” and said, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in His sight, and obey His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon you, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord who heals you.” (Exodus 15:26). This refers to the ten plagues that God had recently sent upon the Egyptians—plagues including boils, the death of livestock, devastating hail, etc. Like many Old Testament promises to Israel, this one was conditional; God’s people were required to diligently listen to the voice of.The Lord your God, and do what is right in His eyes, and listen to His commandments and keep all His statutes” (verse 26, ESV; cf. Deuteronomy 30).

Jehovah-Rapha has the ability to heal physically «And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall come again to you, and you shall be clean. », (2 Kings 5:10), emotionally «The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves those who have a contrite spirit. », (Psalm 34:18), mentally «And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honored Him who lives forever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation: », (Daniel 4:34), and spiritually (Psalm 103:2-3). Neither impurity of body nor impurity of soul can resist the purifying, healing power of Jehovah-Rapha.

Jesus Christ demonstrated that He was the Great Physician who heals the sick. In Galilee, Jesus traveled from town to town, “healing every disease and sickness among the people” «And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. », (Matthew 4:23). In Judea “large crowds followed Him, and He healed them there” «And great multitudes followed Him; and He healed them there. », (Matthew 19:2). Indeed, “wherever he traveled—through villages, towns, or countryside—they brought the sick to the marketplaces. They pleaded with him to allow them to touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were cured” «And wherever he went, into villages, or cities, or the countryside, they laid the sick in the streets, and begged him that they might touch if it were only the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole.», (Mark 6:56). Jesus not only healed people physically but also healed them spiritually by forgiving their sins «And when he saw their faith, he said to him, Man, your sins are forgiven you. », (Luke 5:20). Every day, in every manner, Jesus demonstrated Himself to be Jehovah-Rapha in human form.