Exodus 15:22-27
22 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.
23 And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah.
24 And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?
25 And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them,
26 And said, 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.
27 And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters.

This was a whole new beginning for the nation of Israel. They had just crossed the Red Sea, that miraculous and momentous event that meant they could leave Egypt behind for good. Here was a nation that had only known slavery, and now they could experience true freedom. They were redeemed. They were delivered. And now they went forward into the unknown. But not long into their journey, they come to these bitter waters that were unfit to drink. Perhaps the panic set in. Maybe they wondered if this was really a good idea after all. Could they really have gotten this far only to die of thirst in the wilderness? But when Moses cries out to God, He provides this sweet water for them and makes an ordinance with the people.

This event is a picture of God’s power to heal. The waters were bitter, but God could heal them and make them good to drink. He was in charge of the health of the people. He could prevent these diseases mentioned from touching Israel, if they were willing to obey Him. He reveals Himself to Israel here as Jehovah Rapha, the Lord that Healeth Thee. The tree mentioned here is like the cross of Christ, which heals us of the disease of sin for which there is no other cure. He can turn all things bitter into something sweet and refreshing. Water is life, and Christ is the Living Water that gives us a healthy life in Him. He mends what is torn, repairs what is broken, makes whole that which is unwell. It is about restoration to wholeness in Him, a right relationship with God, a life in us that only comes from Him.


Deuteronomy 32:36-40
36 For the LORD shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants, when he seeth that their power is gone, and there is none shut up, or left.
37 And he shall say, Where are their gods, their rock in whom they trusted,
38 Which did eat the fat of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink offerings? let them rise up and help you, and be your protection.
39 See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.
40 For I lift up my hand to heaven, and say, I live for ever.

God is in charge of life and death. He has the power to give life only from within Himself. He is our source of life and healing. He is able to bring about all of these things according to His will. This is demonstrated over and over in Scripture. We see a touching example of God’s healing power in the life of King Hezekiah.

2 Kings 20:1-11
1 In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.
2 Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying,
3 I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.
4 And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying,
5 Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the LORD.
6 And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake.
7 And Isaiah said, Take a lump of figs. And they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered.
8 And Hezekiah said unto Isaiah, What shall be the sign that the LORD will heal me, and that I shall go up into the house of the LORD the third day?
9 And Isaiah said, This sign shalt thou have of the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing that he hath spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or go back ten degrees?
10 And Hezekiah answered, It is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees: nay, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees.
11 And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the LORD: and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz.

Sickness is a common aspect of life in this sin-cursed earth. These things afflict us throughout the duration of our lives, and at times they lead to death. Hezekiah was facing that very prospect, and it overwhelmed him to the point that he prayed to God for help. Hezekiah’s tearful prayer is heard and answered, as God heals him of his sickness and adds fifteen years to his life. God granted him a healing that could not come any other way because he asked for it. Jehovah Rapha has the power to give wellness for the sickness in our bodies, a cure for what ails us physically.

We, too, can turn to the Lord in our times of illness and desperation. Prayer should be our first response to any troubling report about our health. When we bring our requests to the Lord, we trust Him with those things that we cannot overcome on our own. At times it may be God’s will to send healing through some medicinal means, like the figs that were used to bring about Hezekiah’s recovery.


2 Chronicles 7:12-16
12 And the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice.
13 If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people;
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
15 Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.
16 For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.

After Solomon’s prayer and dedication of the newly built temple, God makes a promise to Israel to hear their prayers from that place and to respond accordingly. One thing He promises is to heal their land from the effects that sin would bring upon it. This is a healing that God would grant out of mercy. And we see here that His healing goes beyond just people. He can heal entire lands and nations. He can heal a negative environment in which we are dwelling that contains any form of trouble. Again it is related to healing from sin, the greatest malady and sickness in the hearts of all people. But notice that God promises to heal, first, because they need healing, but then also because they are His people. He is responsible for their care because they are His own. This is another encouragement to pray about our affliction, whatever it may be. God will hear our prayers and respond how He knows is best. When we are His children, He cares for us as a loving Father.


Psalm 6:1-3
O LORD, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure. Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak: O LORD, heal me; for my bones are vexed. My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O LORD, how long?

Here David makes a plea for healing. It seems it is a physical and emotional healing that he seeks in the midst of his trouble. It is the kind of healing that gives strength, both mental and physical, to enable him to keep going. It is also spiritual strength to continue trusting God in weakness and struggle. When there is no other source of comfort or help, we can always seek those things from the Lord. There are many kinds of afflictions beyond just physical illness. Mental illness and emotional struggles are also places where Jehovah Rapha can bring health and healing.

Psalm 30:1-3
I will extol thee, O LORD; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me. O LORD my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me. O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.

In this psalm David speaks about a healing he had asked for that had come. This healing was salvation from his enemies and all who had come against him, the healing of sparing his life, or maybe even restoring his life. It was as if he had already died and gone down to the pit, but God lifted him up out of that by His healing. Likewise, God’s healing of salvation is a healing from eternal death. It is the cure that keeps death away from His saints. All believers in Christ will be spared from ever going into the pit of hell.

Psalm 41:4
I said, LORD, be merciful unto me: heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee.

This is a simple plea of David that we can all make whenever we have sinned. God offers us the healing of forgiveness from sins, by His great mercy. This is a healing not of body or mind, but of our very souls. No other medicine can reach the place that He applies the cure for our sin. He can apply His holy medicine into the deepest place within us. This heals our souls and also the breach that is created when we sin against God. We are reconciled to God by the blood of Christ, and then our sin is no more upon us.

Psalm 103:1-5
Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

God’s healing is complete. He forgives all sin. He can heal all diseases. He provides the things that we need for life and good health. They all come from within Him out to us. He enables us to be healthy through the things that He provides for us to sustain life, physically and spiritually, and along with that, He gives the balms of His love and mercy to apply to all that hurts and ails us here in this life.

Psalm 147:2-3
The LORD doth build up Jerusalem: he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel. He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.

God heals the brokenhearted. Even these deep wounds of the heart are not beyond His reach and His power to heal. He binds up the wounds in order to facilitate their healing. He closes up the breaches. He mends by closing up what is raw and bleeding and allows restoration and comfort to come behind the pain. This is healing from all the ways that other people and the circumstances of life can hurt us. Jehovah Rapha can restore us in the emotional woundedness we can experience, those things that are often more painful than physical wounds. He is the one who heals when all others may forsake.

Jeremiah 3:22
Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the LORD our God.

God heals our backsliding. He is able to restore us to fellowship with Him and a right standing when we have gone astray. He can bring us back from the farthest places when we turn away from Him and go our own foolish way. When we succumb to sin. When we give in to our own weakness. When we pridefully choose to turn aside from something He wants us to do. When we ignore His goodness and righteousness. He heals the brokenness that comes from that separation, as well as the effects of sliding through the dirt away from Him until we are drawn back again by His mercy.

Isaiah 53:4
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.

God is the Great Physician, but ultimately, it was the wounds of Christ that brought healing. Only God could take a wound and use it to provide the ultimate healing from the dreadful disease of sin. His death gives us life. His suffering gives us healing. His blood gives us cleansing. His hurt helps us not to have to hurt and experience the ultimate pain—eternal separation from God and His love and goodness.


Luke 10:30-35
30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.
33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,
34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.

Throughout the Gospels, we see Jesus going about healing people of every disease and sickness imaginable. He touched the untouchable lepers and gave them complete cleansing. He gave sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, the ability to walk to the lame. He stopped the woman’s issue of blood. He set free the maniac of Gadara. He raised up a young girl back to life and health. He ministered to people with every known affliction and offered healing with compassion, demonstrating His power over every kind of disease—physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.

The story of the Good Samaritan illustrates the tending of wounds and restoring someone back to health. It takes careful attention. It takes effort. It comes with a cost. It is a demonstration of grace and mercy and proof of love in the heart of the one who offers it to another. It is what God does for us and what we are to do for those around us.

Jehovah Rapha, our Great Physician, heals physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual illness and wounds. There is nothing that afflicts us for which He does not have a cure, nor anywhere that He cannot reach with His healing. His healing applies to all levels of our being. He can bring relief to the painful physical hurts and wounds that we incur in this life. He brings relief to the mental anguish that comes upon us in despair and tragedy. He tends to those emotional wounds that often sit unseen in the deepest parts of our hearts and offers His soothing comfort when we are overwhelmed with sorrow. And lastly, but perhaps most importantly, He offers healing on a spiritual level, the forgiveness of sin that mends the breach between God and man and allows us to draw near into a renewed relationship with Him. He gets to the root of what truly wounds our souls and digs out the offending things and cleanses them so there is no infection or infestation left within us.

God’s cures are complete. His medicine is effective. And He administers these things to us out of love and with His signature grace and mercy. He is the Good Samaritan, stopping by when He sees our distress, stooping down to the broken and the dying, the hurting and the abandoned. He offers us something to cleanse our wounds and to soothe the pain. He tends with care and carefulness. He offers all He can give. He goes above and beyond. He ensures we are taken care of in the days to come. It is a tender picture, but it is an accurate depiction of what He does for us.

So we can bring all of our needs before the Lord. He is willing to offer His healing to all who seek it from Him. He hears the prayers of the sick, the poor, the needy, and He responds. His is the Father’s ear tuned to the cries of His precious children. His is the powerful hand that can bring an effective remedy and treatment for the most painful things we experience in our lives. His is the ultimate cure that allows us to escape these bodies of flesh and go to dwell with Him in a glorified body free from sin and all that can ever hurt us. This is Jehovah Rapha, the God who heals us.