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I want you to think back to Saturday, May 20, 1978. What, you can’t remember that day? Most of us have no idea what we were doing that day. I was only 7 years old. Some of you were not even born yet. For millions of people it was just another day. But for John and Brnda Vaughn, it was a day that changed their lives.
John was a young pastor. He had served 8 years in the airforce and then gone to Bible college. He had only been at his church, Faith Baptist Church, for a few months. He and Debbie had been married for about 10 years, and they had three kids, Debbie was 9 Johnny was 7 and little Becky had just turned 2. They also had a 12 year old girl staying with them for the week.
The Vaughn’s were about to sell their house and move into a bigger place to accommodate their family. Because the church was so small, John had been running his own lawn care business on the side to make ends meet. That day, Joh went to visit some of his people who were in the hospital, and he visited some he did not know s long as he was there. About 8:50 that night, John was on his way home, planning out the bulletin he still had to make before church the next day. Brenda was in the kitchen making a special cake for the next day’s lunch. The kids were all playing.
Becky wandered through the kitchen and stopped for a minute to watch her mother work, then disappeared. Brenda did not really think about it until a minute later when she suddenly smelled gasoline. Instantly, she knew Becky had gotten into the utility room and opened a stored can of gasoline. John had put it in there that morning so the neighborhood kids did not get into it, and planned to put it back outside that night when he got home. Brenda turned to look and saw the spilled gas spreading into the kitchen. She knew there was serious danger. Becky was sitting in a pol of gas in the same room as the gas water heater, and now the gas was spreading toward the gas oven in the kitchen. She quickly called to the other kids to bring towels to mop up the gas, and ran into the laundry room to get Becky. Just as Brenda reached the door to the utility room, there was an explosion. Instantly she was engulfed in flame.
Brenda could hear Becky crying. She made her way through the fire and the smoke to where Becky was, and grabbed her off the floor. Both of them were covered in flame. Brenda dashed outside to escape the flames where she met neighbors who were already coming to help. One took Becky and began putting out the flames that covered here body. Another helped Brenda drop and roll as well. Someone called 911 and fire and ambulance personnel arrived quickly. This was the scene john found when he arrived home.
Brenda received 3rd degree burns over 65% of here body, and 1st and 2nd degree burns over 20% more. Becky had almost 100% of her little body covered in 3rd degree burns. For Brenda, there were months of operations, pain and therapy ahead. For Becky, it was amazing she was still alive. Both would survive. Both were scarred for life. Becky lost her fingers and was disabled because of her injuries.
Why do these things happen? We all face disappointments, discouragements in life, but rarely of this magnitude. Why does God allow these things into our lives? That is what we are going to talk about this morning. There were times when Israel faced life threatening circumstances as well, and God’s dealings at these times provide insight for us. The New Testament tells us that God recorded these things as examples for us. Today we will look at one of these OT examples God has preserved for our benefit.
Pray
Read Text - Exodus 14:10-14, 26 - 15:1
Introduction
What a glorious day. God had delivered Israel from Egypt
Read 13-18 - what confidence in God
Read 22-27 - what a change
only three days
Hot
Thirsty
See water
Deprived
still, only three days
only a little brackish water
God comes to them
Gives them water
Gives them instruction
Gives them a new name
This is the name we will look at today. The LORD who heals you - Jehovah Rophe I. Who is Jehovah Rophe
A. Jehovah Rophe is the One who heals
1. What God calles Himself here
2. Word is used more than 60 times in the OT
3. Always associated healing
a. To cure
b. To restore
4. He is the LORD our Healer
B. Jehovah Rophe is the One who diagnoses illness
1. Everyone needs a check up from time to time
a. Go to the doctor who runs a series of diagnostic tests
b. Sometimes go because of an obvious problem
(1) flu
(2) allergy
(3) emergency
c. Even when there is no obvious problem, important to have a periodic check up
(1) clean bill of health gives peace of mind
(2) early detection of a problem means quicker treatment
(a) prevents pain and suffering
(b) hastens the restoration of health
d. Whether there are obvious symptoms or the illness is hidden, no dr. can begin treating a problem until he has diagnosed the problem
2. God brought Israel to Marah to run His diagnostic tests
a. Every test has a purpose
(1) A doctor runs tests to discover illness
(2) God runs tests to reveal illness
(a) He already knows what is wrong
(b) He tests so that we can see what He sees
b. They gave the typical response
(1) Israel was suddenly faced with a discouraging situation
(2) they reacted the same way most of react when faced with major disappointments
(a) they began to complain
(b) they began to question God
(c) they thought the test was for God
i) to see if He could deliver
ii) to see if He would keep His promises
iii) they were so quick to forget
a) forgot the promises and answers to Abraham
i) a great nation - several million
ii) deliverance from Egypt
b) forgot the resent Red Sea protection
iv) we are so much like them
a) we encounter difficulties
b) we get discouraged
c) we put God to the test
i) played out nationally after 9/11
ii) plays out individually as well
i) lose a job
ii) bills arise
iii) relationships get rocky
c. This is the wrong response
(1) God is never the one being tested
(a) He never changes
(b) He is always Holy
i) always good
ii) always just
iii) always right
(2) God is always the one doing the testing
(a) this is what God explains in verse 25
(b) means “to subject to difficulty to measure the quality”
i) like biting gold to see if it is real
a) often gold plated lead slugs
b) harder gold survives the test
ii) God needs no testing of His quality
iii) But we do
a) our deeds
b) our character
d. God gives His test results
(1) their praise was insecure
(2) their faith was shallow
(3) they had a serious heart condition
C. Jehovah Rophe is the One who cures illness
1. Ancient world littered with idols who were depicted as cruel, heartless bullies
2. Jehovah Rophe is a compassionate healer
a. He hears their cry
b. He diagnoses the problem
c. He provides the cure
(1) provides for their immediate physical need first
(a) gave them the water they so desperately needed
(b) always able to meet our physical needs
i) throughout the OT
a) in next chapter, mannah
b) shortly, heals Miriam of leprosy
c) even healed Namaan - a foreign general
ii) continue in the NT
a) Jesus was God in the flesh - Jehovah Rophe incarnate
b) often healed those He met
i) centurian’s servant
ii) Jarius’ dauhter
iii) blind Bartemeus
iv) Peter’s mother-in-law
iii) Jehovah Rophe is the true miracle healer
a) can heal when no one else can
i) changed bitter water to sweet
ii) woman with the 12 year issue of blood had seen many doctors
b) able to turn the most bitter circumstances into something sweet
(2) more concerned about the spiritual needs
(a) here, he did not even talk about the physical need
i) simply met the need and moved on
ii) focused attention on the heart issue
(b) Prophets often use healing metaphorically to deal with the heart
i) Isaiah 1:1-6
ii) Isaiah 1:16-20
(c) Jesus also prioritized spiritual healing over physical
i) Peter’s mother in law
a) healed her
b) word got out
c) many came for healing
d) he left them to go preach in other towns
ii) why He often told those he healed their sins had been forgiven
a) not because sin always directly caused the ailment
b) because heart healing was always more important
D. Jehovah is the One who prevents illness
1. Made sure the immediate need was met abundantly
a. Took them to Elim
b. 12 wells of water
c. Set up camp
2. Instructed them how to prevent future illness
a. Gave a statute
(1) a law
(2) provided direction
(3) set boundaries
(4) these were the conditions health
b. Gave an ordinance
(1) not redundant, different word entirely
(2) explained the sentence attached to the statute, the judgement
(3) this was the consequence of breaking the statute
c. Made Himself explicitly clear
(1) refers to the Egyptians
(a) they had received the same kind of diseases He was warning Israel about
(b) their plagues were sent because of the hardness of their hearts
(2) not giving a universal good health card
(a) sickness is the result of sin in the world
i) Egyptians had boils before and after the plagues
ii) Egyptians died before and after the plagues
(b) this was the way to avoid the plagues - God’s judgement
i) God has used physical illness in this way in other instances as well
ii) once with David
a) numbered the people
b) three choices of punishment
i) three years famine
ii) three months destroyed by enemies
iii) three days pestilence
c) David begged God to make the choice
d) pestilence came - killing 70,000
iii) Paul mentions the same
a) Writing to Corinthians
b) describing ill use of the Lord’s table
c) tells them many are sick, some even dead in punishment
II. What response does Jehovah Rophe desire
A. See your need for healing
1. Israel had no realization of their condition
2. The great physician has diagnosed the problem of mankind
a. Everywhere you look there is evidence of man’s need to be healed
(1) hospitals and clinics abound
(2) newspapers chronicle the rapid appearance and spread of one terrible illness after another
b. Yet, our need for physical and emotional healing is small in comparison to our need for spiritual healing
(1) violence has invaded our homes and our schools
(2) prison populations are exploding
(3) the wickedness of mankind is obvious
c. Society lies when it says we are basically good
3. We are broken spiritually
a. Remember Isaiah 1
(1) there is no part healthy
(2) we are spiritually sick
b. Paul tells us in Romans we are all sinners
(1) none righteous
(2) all born with a sin nature
(3) all choosing to rebel against God eventually
(4) the Bible teaches were are totally depraved
(a) means crooked or perverse, not standing the test
(b) there is not one part of our nature that is pleasing to God naturally
i) not that we commit every sin individually
ii) but that there is no part of our nature that is not affected by our sin condition
4. You cannot receive healing until you recognize how sick you are
B. See that God alone is the source of healing
1. The people were at the end of their resources
a. Water was expended
b. They were stranded in the desert
2. God provided in a miraculous way
a. Did not have them dig a well
b. Had them throw a tree in the water
(1) not a special tree with magical powers
(2) not a special reaction that could be explained scientifically
(3) not a unique kind of tree
(4) just the tree that God said to use
3. There is no healing apart from God
a. He alone knows how to treat physical sickness
b. He alone can cure the ailments of the soul
c. The cure is still found in the tree
(1) not physicians
(2) not therapists
(3) not scientists
(4) only in Jesus
(a) once there was another tree God chose
i) nothing magical about the wood
ii) but it was the tree that God chose to use
iii) the healing He provided with that tree was also miraculous
a) turning death into life
b) turning sorrow into joy
c) turning condemnation into acceptance
(b) but this healing is only found in Jesus
i) not in the works of our hands
a) doing good works
b) attending church faithfully
c) giving liberally to the poor
ii) but in the renewing of our heart
a) God says we are dead in trespasses and sins without Christ
b) but the Holy Spirit can quicken, or give life, to our dead hearts
C. Stop putting God to the test
1. Responding to difficult situations with questions or accusations
2. Doubting God
a. Motives
b. Ability
c. Authority
3. God does not have to prove anything to us
4. Simply trust Him
a. Give Him the benefit of the doubt
b. Assume He is all that He says He is
(1) rest assured that there is no situation that He cannot see you through
(2) that difficulties arising in life are measuring you, not God
(3) that doubt provokes judgement
(a) this is how the writer of Hebrews described the situation here in the wilderness
(b) we are told that the adults God brought of Egypt, except three men, refused to place their trust in God
(c) even though He invited them time after time
(d) finally, they provoked God to judgement through their unbelief
(e) and he left them to die in the wilderness
i) never to see the promised land
ii) never to allow Him to heal their wicked hearts
5. Jehovah Rophe does not offer to heal those who will not trust Him completely
D. Give yourself to God
1. Give ear
a. More than listen, hear
b. Take what he has to say to heart
c. Make His word your possession
d. Accept what he has to say completely
e. Open your heart to his instruction
2. Heed
a. Obey what He says
b. Do what is right
(1) not what you think is right in life
(2) what God says is right
(a) I heard a debate last night between to people
i) one was a preacher denouncing homosexuality
ii) one was a lesbian priest in the episcopalian church defending her sexual choices
iii) the first quoted the bible to explain his position
iv) the second refused to discuss what the Bible says on the issue, she only wanted to talk about the parts she liked
(b) God has given is very clear directions regarding right and wrong
i) you cannot pick and choose the parts you want to accept
ii) to reject any of it calls the whole thing into question
3. Wholeheartedly turning to the LORD your Healer
a. Diligently seeking truth
(1) willing to work to acquire truth
(2) searching without skepticism
(a) not to weigh its worth when you find it
(b) determining its worth before you see it
(c) because it is God’s truth
b. Storing it under lock and key
(1) keep or guard
(2) treasuring it
(3) making it secure in your heart and life
c. Not a smorgasbord faith - picking and choosing what you are comfortable with
Close
God has given us everything we need to live lives that are pleasing in His sight right here in the Bible. The most important thing He has taught us is how to deal with our terrible sin problem. That is always the first things Jehovah Rophe heals. According to the Bible
we all have a sin problem,
there is only one cure
Jesus is the answer
Once we have settled our sin debt with God, the rest of the Bible becomes relevant to us. God begins to use the difficulties in life to shape us. As we obey, we grow, when we disobey, we are chastised.
I told you about the Vaughn’s at the beginning of the message, but only part of the story. John and Debbie have spent the last 20 years explaining the process God used to test them. How they failed to measure up at the time, and how God has used that fire to help them grow.
John is still the Pastor of faith baptist church in Greenville SC today. Because of Becky’s condition, John was instrumental in starting the finest school I have seen dedicated to working with kids who have disabilities. Becky is a college graduate. I have met John and Brenda and Becky. They would never tell you they enjoyed the fire or the results, but they are thankful for the way God has used that terrible night in their lives. God has taken the bitter waters of Marah and made them sweet for the Vaughns.
Have you been to Marah lately. Is there bitter water in your life? Don’t get side tracked there. God is ready to turn the bitter waters sweet, but only when you are ready to listen to Him. Will you listen to Him today. Will you confess your doubts, your lack of faith as sin, and ask Him to heal you. Will you trust Him, will you give yourself to Him.
