Hello Beloved,
As we continue our discussion of the names of God in the Old Testament, we move to the compound name of God: Yahweh-Ropheka. This name comes from the compound of “Yahweh,” the personal and covenant name of God, and “rapha.” The Hebrew “rapha” means to heal diseases of all kinds such as wounds with an outward application. “Rapha” can also be used to describe the healing of a distressed nation or even a single person by a restoration to better circumstances, and “rapha” may refer to healing from a moral perspective by curing the mind or pardoning the soul. Yahweh-Ropheka means “the Lord that heals you.”
In Exodus 15, we have a perfect example for the significance of this name.
22 Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water. 23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore, it was named Marah. 24 And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” 25 And he cried to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There the LORD made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them, 26 saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the LORD your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, your healer.” Exodus 15:22-26 (ESV)
Imagine yourself in the situation of the Israelites. They had no water for three days, and then when they found water, it was undrinkable. They needed healing and refreshment. God had a reason for this difficult situation as He does for any we might face. Water was not the problem per se; water was the test. Just three days before Mara, the Lord had provided deliverance from the Egyptian army through a seeming insurmountable body of WATER called the Red Sea. God had already shown that He was greater than any water problem. This problem, like all suffering, teaches us an important principle: God has a plan and a purpose in our pain. The Lord provided a log to sweeten the bitter waters. Unlike the Egyptians, who had their water source turned to blood because of their callous disobedience, the Israelites would enjoy sweet water. The Lord was teaching Israel that from loyalty and obedience to Yahweh come divine protection. As the Psalmist states, “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,” Psalm 103:2-3 (ESV). Regarding the Lord, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” Psalm 147:3 (ESV). The Prophet Hosea called God’s people to repentance writing, “Come, let us return to the LORD; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up” Hosea 6:1 (ESV).
We all experience broken bodies, broken emotions, and broken circumstances. We all need healing at one time or another in one form or another. Just because we suffer in many ways and face various problems does not mean that we are not experiencing God’s best. You could be experiencing God’s best and not have a job, not have the best health, and you may even be having relational difficulties. The tests that we experience, similar to that of the Israelites at Mara, demonstrate whether we have been paying attention to God and His Word, and they give us opportunity for growth. Remember this precept: the process can be as important as the result. Tony Evans tells the story of a young boy’s curiosity.
The story is told of a young boy who discovered a cocoon in a backyard tree. He studied the cocoon carefully, looking for some sign of life. At last, several days later, the boy saw what he had been waiting for. Inside the filmy shell, a newly formed butterfly was struggling to get out. Filled with compassion for the tiny creature, the boy used his pocket-knife to enlarge the hole. Exhausted, the butterfly tumbled out and lay there. But the boy didn’t realize that the struggle to escape was designed to strengthen the butterfly’s muscles and prepare it for flight. With an act of compassion, the boy had inadvertently crippled and ultimately doomed the butterfly.
Sometimes God ordains difficult circumstances in our lives to strengthen us and deepen our faith. In this, He is our Yahweh-Ropheka. Paul understood this principle. In 2 Corinthians 1:8-20, he writes, “For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again” 2 Corinthians 1:8-10 (ESV).
Until next time this is Pastor Daniel writing, “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your you spirit.”
* Resources are from the notes of Jim Smith, professor of Brookes Bible College, and Tony Evans’ The Power of God’s Names.