After the people of Israel left Egypt, they soon arrived at a desert oasis called Marah, where the water was undrinkable. Moses threw a tree into the pool and the water became sweet. Then the Lord told Israel that the best preventive medicine was to listen to Him and to obey His commands. There is healing in living God’s way. That was when He spoke the words that many people understand as a name of God.
God wants to see His people whole, spiritually, mentally, and physically. He delights to heal us and only has to say a word for healing to be released (Pss. 103:1-3; 107:20).
The incident at Marah, and the name itself, point to Jesus (Yeshua‘). He is the remedy for all spiritual poisons and bitterness, and He provides living water (Isa. 12:3; John 4:10-15; 7:37). Part of the evidence that Jesus is the Messiah (Christ) is that He healed people. One messianic prophecy said that the sun of righteousness would rise with healing in its wings (Mal. 4:2). The most profound healing came on the cross because “by his wounds we are healed” (Isa. 53:5; 1 Pet. 2:24).
Heaven will continue to flow with healing power even after this present age has ended (Rev. 22:1-2, 17).
Jehovah rophe is one way to write this name of God. In the original, it is actually Yahweh rofe’ekha, the LORD who heals you. This name for God is found in the NIV.
The LORD who heals you (Jehovah rapha actually Yahweh rofe’ekha) in the Hebrew text of Exodus 15:26.
The LORD who heals you in Hebrew:
Yahweh rofe’ekha
Strong’s Concordance numbers: 3068, 7495
Bible reference: Ex. 15:26
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. (Exodus 15:26 NIV)
We never find the title, “physician,” applied to Jesus in the Bible but Jesus predicted that people would mock Him saying, “physician, heal yourself” (Luke 4:23). Nonetheless, it was a role that Jesus fulfilled.
