| DIVINE HEALING |
| DIVINE HEALING Medical science is limited. The skills and knowledge that doctors and nurses have are God given. They have natural God-given abilities that help restore healing to sick bodies. Doctors cannot heal. They can only assist the body to heal itself and this is all done through the natural realm. Healing from God through Faith is different � it is supernatural. It is beyond human ability. Doctors are limited in what they can do � God isn�t. God knows our bodies intimately. The bible declares that we are �fearfully and wonderfully made� � Psalm 139:14. Exodus 15:26 tells us � If you will diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD your God, and will do that which is right in His sight, and will give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon you, which I have put upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that heals you. Does God put diseases upon people? NO! But God will permit it because of disobedience. Hebrew scholars translated this passage in the �permissive sense� rather than the causative. The literal Hebrew should read ��I will permit none of these diseases� God revealed Himself to the Israelites progressively (a separate teaching) and when they had left Egypt God begin to show His people that He wanted them whole (free from the sicknesses of Egypt). God revealed Himself in this passage by His name �Jehovah Rapha� � God your Healer. It is God�s nature and character to heal. This scripture is often referred to as the Old Testament divine healing covenant because God made a promise or �agreement� (covenant) with these people. He called Himself their �doctor� or �physician� � one who heals. (Rophe or Rapha) � Hebrew Strongs # 07495 (for those of you who wish to study this subject in depth). The word Rapha means �to heal�. Jehovah is the Hebrew name of God which expresses His redemptive character. Redemption means deliverance of persons or property that has been sold for debt. It also means �to pay a ransom for�. Only God could redeem us from the effects of sin. Jehovah also means �self-existent one�. When Jehovah is put with another Hebrew name it gives us a deeper insight into God�s nature and character. Therefore Jehovah Rapha means �the self-existent one who heals� � showing us that it is the Lord�s nature to heal. His actions match His name. There is no disease or sickness in heaven. Sickness and disease came after the fall of man. Sickness and disease is from the devil and came into the world as a result of sin. In John 10:10 scripture tells us that �the enemy comes to kills, steal and destroy� The first recorded healing by God in the OT is in Genesis 20:2-17. God healed Abimelech because of His obedience to God. Remember the children of Israel in Egypt and God told Moses to tell Pharaoh to let His people go � Pharaoh refused and look what happened � d e a t h to the Egyptians. There were probably close to three million Hebrews (Jews) and many of them were probably sick and crippled because they were slaves in Egypt and treated very badly. God heard their cries for help and was about to deliver them. Exodus 12 :3-13. They obeyed and were protected from death by the �blood of the Lamb� (another separate teaching) and they were all physically healed by the eating of the Lamb. This was a two-fold redemption (a) deliverance from bondage and (b) physical healing. How do we know they were physically healed? Psalm 105:37 � He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes. The OT Passover is a picture of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who shed His blood that we might be free from slavery to sin and satan and by His stripes we were healed. 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. Notice it says �are� healed. How could we today have been healed 4,000 years ago. That�s our Jesus! The Israelites (Jews) healing was dependant on doing exactly what God told them to do. Obedience to God. They had to have faith in God�s Word just as we do today. In the book of Numbers Chapter 21 is the story how the Israelites were grumbling against Moses and God, because of sin and God sent fiery serpents to bite them. Again, this was a self-inflicted judgment. God �allowed� what they opened themselves up to, but when they repented, God again made a way for them to be healed. He told Moses to place a serpent on a stick so they could all look to it and be healed � what an awesome picture of Jesus on the Cross. How do we know this is true. John 3:14-15 � and as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. Today the medical profession uses that symbol universally of the snake on a pole. The Israelites (Jews) were completely dependent on Jehovah Rapha to not only heal them but to keep them in divine health. It is the desire and will of God to heal His people � we need only turn to Him and act on His Word. Psalm 103:2-3 � Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquities; who heals all your diseases. Psalm 107:20 tells us �He sent His Word and healed us. The Word is Jesus. Healing was a large part of the Ministry of Jesus. When Jesus was questioned about the validity of His being the promised Messiah by the followers of John the Baptist, notice what He said in Matthew 11:5 � The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. Luke 4:18 Jesus told why He had come � �to deliver and heal�. By healing and delivering them Jesus was showing the people the heart of Father God. �The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised. The Bible says that Jesus is the exact image of His Father in Colossians 1:15 � who is the image of the invisible God� . If this is so, then Jesus showed us by all the healings He did for this is the will of the Father. Jesus also said � I do nothing of myself, but as my Father has taught me� - John 5:19 and 8:28. Mark 1:40-41 Jesus said �I am willing� (a leper a looking to be healed) See Jesus� heart See Jesus� compassion He is always willing � His greatest desire is that we be healed (whole) Shalom. Shalom means �peace� in Hebrews. How can we have peace in sickness or fear, or lack or bondage? In Isaiah 53:4-5 we spoke earlier about �are healed� � that�s present tense. Healing was provided on the Cross of Calvary, we only have to receive it. When we celebrate communion we are not to take it lightly. 1 Cor. 11:28-30 tells us � but let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drink damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord�s body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. How do we ear and drink unworthy? By not remembering all that Jesus did on the Cross � He shed His Blood � He died for ME. In Isaiah 53:4, our griefs are �sickness� and our sorrows are �pain�. Jesus TOOK our sickness and pain, He bore the burden of them. Every sickness that was every placed upon man from the effects of sin were placed on Jesus on the Cross. By His stripes we are healed. He purchased our healing, bought and paid for with His blood and His broken body. He did all this and forgave us our sins. His death freed us from sin, sickness, bondage and curses. The scripture in Hosea 4:6 we refer to often �My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. The knowledge that Jesus died for all things. What a waste it would be if Jesus only died so that we could be saved. Or, what would be the point of being saved and remain sick, or dying. This is the knowledge the devil tries to steal from us. This knowledge comes from relationship with Jesus and is received by Faith in Him. Receiving your healing is �knowing� who you are �in Christ Jesus� 2 Corinthians 5:17 � therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. For an in-depth teaching on Divine Healing go to main page �Pastor�s Sermons� � Healing and Hindrances to Healing. |
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