Names of God 8- Jehovah Rophe- the Lord who heals.
WBC 23/10/05pm Exodus 15:22-27
I thought you might appreciate these real doctor’s comments from hospital forms:
1. I saw your patient today, who is still under our car for physical therapy.
2. Patient has chest pain if she lies on her left side for over a year.
3. On the second day the knee was better, and on the third day it disappeared.
4. The patient is tearful and crying constantly. She also appears to be depressed.
5. The patient has been depressed since she began seeing me in 1993.
6. Discharge status: Alive but without my permission.
7. Healthy appearing decrepit 69 year old male, mentally alert but forgetful.
8. The patient refused autopsy.
9. The patient has no previous history of suicides.
10. Patient has left white blood cells at another hospital.
11. Patient’s medical history has been remarkably insignificant with only a 40 pound weight gain in the past 3 days.
12. Patient had waffles for breakfast and anorexia for lunch.
13. She is numb from her toes down.
14. While in ER, she was examined, x-rated and sent home.
15. The skin was moist and dry.
16. Occasional, constant infrequent headaches.
17. Patient was alert and unresponsive.
18. Rectal examination revealed a normal sized thyroid.
19. She stated that she had been constipated for most of her life, until she got a divorce.
20. She has no rigors or shaking chills, but her husband states she was very hot in bed last night.
21. Skin: Somewhat pale but present.
22. Large brown stool ambulating in the hall.
23. Patient has two teenage children, but no other abnormalities
JEHOVAH
The names of God by which He progressively reveals Himself in the OT are in response to His people’s progressing needs:
Abraham, in His test to offer up his son, Isaac, on Mount Moriah, discovers that God is Jehovah Jireh. The God who provides. Provides the sacrifice
- And there, caught in the bushes is a ram. The Passover lamb, who would be slain so God’s people could go free (from Egypt) and Christians could be free from the power of sin through "the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world"
- And from this experience came the expression ’on the mount of the Lord it will be provided"
o And so it was. 2,000 years later (Now 2,000 years ago!)- on Mt Moriah, which is, geographically, Calvary.
" That’s where Jerusalem was built
Maybe it’s not surprising that the first name of God reveals Him providing a way for our sin to be forgiven. A means of salvation
- God saw that that was the most important, primary, thing
While in trouble in Egypt they discover that He is Yahweh- the "I Am". The consistent and self-existent one. The one who WILL BE all that He is and all that they need
- You may not be much.. able to cope.. faithful… much in yourself
- But I AM!
These are all lessons to us. In fact- the whole of the OT is. (I don’t dispense with it)
- 1Cor 10:11 These things happened as examples for us, on whom the fulfilment of the ages has come
May God speak to you tonight
JEHOVAH ROPHE
Because here, God reveals something else of His nature. That He is the healer. The Lord who heals
Basically- they’ve made it out of Egypt. Through the red Sea. And up and out they come full of beans! Energy. Excitement. Expectation
- this carries them day one into the desert (and they don’t notice the heat or thirst)
- then day two comes… and they start to get dry-throated
- then comes day three- and they really start to moan!
- I wonder who or what was bitter, here!
- Then they see water! Yippee! An Oasis! "God, you’ve done it!"
>UP!-But the water tastes foul. DOWN. Undrinkable. Bitter. Frustration, Disillusionment.
- They get more bitter. Take it out on Moses. He takes it out on God
But it’s a test. Not of them to God (as they think: "will He come up with the goods?") …. But God to them.
- He’s got a lesson for them to learn
Get that tree… wood.. throw it in and you’ll be okay.
- In fact: follow the Lord’s commands and decrees and ’none of these diseases’ will hit you for I am Jehovah Rophe
Rophe meaning "restore, to heal, to make healthful" - in body mind and spirit
Healing is in the name and nature of God
- Don’t you ever doubt it. He is good
- Here. Again and again in the OT. There are examples of healings of lepers, dead sons, kings… all kinds of things
- Ultimately shown in the fullest revelation of God’s nature: Jesus
- Shown in the wisdom that He has given us to find healing in waters, bark and medicines
- And in ’keeping His commands’. I think a good number of the OT cleanliness commands were simply good hygiene sense
- And in the looking after our bodies
So- if this is so in the nature of God- why is there so much sickness?
- well: it boils down to why God’s first name was revealed- sin
- I’m not saying specifically because I, you, have sinned (though that may be the case and the cause). Cf Jn 9
- But because of the problem of sin in the world. The world going away from Him. Us going away. The pollution and power of sin
- That’s the real problem
- Do you see why the sacrifice on the mountain is God’s first revelation? Why the cross is God’s solution
But there is a solution to sickness, as well
- it’s to hand out. For the reaching out and taking. It’s the wood nearby. That tree.
The problem might be "bitterness"
- Of heart. Of life
- Within you. Your name is Mara
- What you have done to others. Or what they have done to you
- And there is a need for forgiveness- one way or another
- Your experiences, memories?
- Who did what? Who hurt who? It’s all tied in together.
- And so is the sickness: spirit, sin and unforgiveness affects mind which affects body
And the answer is there- the wood. The cross. Forgiveness from God and repentance and release to God
Gosh. What water has flown through your life?
- "You have made me drink bitter waters!"
- Well: the answer is Jesus
John 4:10 Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."
JN 4:11 "Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?"
John 4:13-15 "Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life. The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water."
John 7:37 "On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified."
Revelation 22:1 "Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever."
Revelation 22:17 "The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life."
But in God’s wisdom and economy there is a priority list
- Getting right with God comes first. (and getting right with others)
- The healing of the Spirit
- Then the healing of the mind. Peace! How often is that mentioned in the Bible? 365 times!
- The body.
- Because that does matter to God!
- They needed a DRINK, here! God knew that
- Look at all of the physical healings of Jesus
And so all get healing of the spirit. 100%. Ask God to be forgiven, restored to Him and it will be yours! "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Acts 2:21).
- But physical and psychological healing often flows from that.. or comes directly
- But, in it’s complexity, sometimes it takes time… sometimes it does not come until death
- All Christians get healed 100%. And it’s not to be feared. It’s when we get taken to be with the Lord
Illustration: Rob Lacey. I read back over some of my notes from my Nigeria visit-and I went with a number in mind. Tony. Rob.
- I remember visiting Rob and praying for him, thinking I’d be at his funeral. But found faith rising up within me. Had an incredible healing. Wrote "Why me". So used! But now it’s back. Maybe he’s done his job? The respite/remission has fulfilled its purposes. Maybe God will glorify Himself? (I hope so- one way or another!)
- But he’s ready for it. (Schizoid is his poem, up here at front)
JESUS
But wanna know if God is for healing? You?
- Look at Jesus.
- WWJD? - He’d heal.
Look to Him. Have confidence. Look to the cross
- In closing, in a moment, I’ll read Isaiah 53
Do what YOU can.
- Come to Him.
- Confess. Get right. Look after yourself.
But there ARE times when we say "How I need you, Lord, you are my only hope!"
- Will you be Jehovah Rophe to me?
- In fact… we say that to Him first.
Isaiah 53:3-6 "He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely, He took up our infirmities,
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
_________
Schizoid
A poem by Rob Lacey
Sometimes I’m the apostle Paul thinking I can rationalise it all
But falling into poetry when it all gets too much for me.
Asking three times to get the all clear,
To get a thorn-ectomy; get the pain out of here.
Getting the answer I don’t want to hear:
About letting grace prove that it’s enough,
About getting weakness to do its stuff.
About knowing I’ve not got Strength sewn up,
About showing off about being shown up.
Then I’m switching role, like I’m the old man John
An apostle in prison with no parole
Peering through a prism and scribbling on a scroll
About the final resting/wrestling place of every soul
And the One who’ll surf in on the clouds and take control.
Clicking "Yes" to fantastic image downloads of the multitudes’ final abodes.
Searching for words big enough to fold such images into
Stretching the craft of the "poet whom Jesus loved".
Then I’m morphing again and I’m Solomon kneading the wisdom
To become a worthy son.
How to keep the Songs pure; resist the allure of wealth.
To ask himself what’s success; what’s not wind-chasing worthlessness.
And facing the anxieties of Ecclesiastes.
Then I’m the Psalmist disarming alarm
Schitzo enough to talk straight to my soul
With the idea of bungy jumping to the end of my rope
And bouncing in and out, in and out of the lagoon of hope.
Now I’m three - I’m Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
And we won’t bow the knee low to some King So-and-so.
Saying our God can save us from a grilling
And even if He doesn’t, we’re still not willing
To bow the knee low to some King So-and-so.
Then, weird! I’m Gideon getting a panic on
Scared and distressed and stashing my wheat in a wine press
From the armies from a foreign address
Suppressing a laugh when I hears the angel address me as "mighty warrior".
"Mighty worrier" more like!
But now I’m Elijah pouring on the water
Upping the ante, lengthening the odds
Laying down the gauntlet with God versus gods.
And now I’m the other Elijah, cowering in the corner of a cave.
Hiding from the powers-that-be who wants my life before tomorrow’s tea.
Then I’m David striding up hill toward Goliath of Gath
Grinning at the prospect of God’s victory aftermath.
Then I switch and I’m nine feet tall looking down on it all,
Laughing at this rumour of a tumour that’s so much smaller than me.
Then I’m Jeremiah weeping away for a people and a city that had gone astray
For a long gone day…
No, Nehemiah grieving over the ruins of where I know I should be.
Whoa, Isaiah - knowing how to soar by waiting face down on the floor.
Finding feathers growing from every pore; talons springing from each claw,
Gripping hold of God once more.
I’m Peter soaking a sandal.
Raring to start going overboard for my Lord,
Daring to step out on a spiritual surf board.
I’m Joshua gathering intelligence and getting the sense
That even grasshoppers like me can stick one on the chin
Of the long and strong of limb, the Nephalim.
But then I’m Job renting his robe
Reeling with pain, rocking with fury
About the injustice of my so-called jury.
Then I’m Joseph staring at pharaoh’s prison wall
Having done nothing wrong at all,
On the verge of escape to influence the future of every Jacob son.
No, the other Joseph daring to believe in a miracle baby
Having done nothing wrong at all,
On the verge of stepping into step-fathering the Anointed One.
No, the other Joseph caring enough to risk his Arimathea career
To bury the one who’d done nothing wrong at all,
On the verge of seeing the church emerge with the resurrected Son.
Feel like I’m a multiple personality.
Feel like I need therapy.
Or is this just "The Bible in me"?
© Rob Lacey 2005 (use with author acknowledged)
