I continue to be fascinated with the compound names of God. Each one of them is so expressive of God’s infinite power as well as His marvelous concern for His people. Today we look into the second of God’s Compound Names, Jehovah-Rapha, which means Jehovah who heals.

After God miraculously delivered the Israelites from the army of Pharaoh at the Red Sea, they began their travels through the desert. For three days, they could find no water and when they did find water, it was the water of Marah which they found was bitter and very poisonous. Of course at that point, the Israelites did what they seemed to have done best, they complained. God then instructed Moses to throw a tree into the water.

When Moses obeyed The Lord and threw the tree into the waters of Marah, they became sweet and the people could drink and be satisfied. Through this miracle, the Lord proved to Israel that He was the God who healed and protected. It is expressed in Exodus 15:26 “If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.” Here we see that God not only delivered them from death because of the poisonous waters of Marah.

When Jesus lived on earth, everywhere He went, He healed the sick and the Apostolic Church experienced many miraculous healings through the Name of Jesus. Our healing was purchased by our Lord by the stripes that were cruelly laid on his back at the time of His crucifixion, I Peter 2:24. Divine healing includes physical, as well as mental and spiritual healing. Isaiah 53:5 “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”

Matthew 8:16-17 ” When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.”