“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” (Ex. 15:26).
This was God’s first healing covenant with His people. Some Hebrew scholars say this verse should be translated in the permissive tense – “I will allow” instead of “I will put,” in which case it would read, “I will allow none of these diseases upon thee, which I have allowed upon the Egyptians.”
God finishes by saying, “For I am the Lord that healeth thee.” The Hebrew says, “I am Jehovah Rapha.”
Two or three million children of Israel had left Egypt believing God. They went out of Egypt with silver and gold, and the Bible says there wasn’t one feeble person among them (Ps. 105:37).
But God put a few conditions on this covenant between Himself and His people: “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….”
You see, even back then in the first healing covenant, there was a correlation between hearing and being healed. One of the conditions for receiving the healing benefits of Jehovah Rapha is giving ear to His commandments. There is a direct connection between hearing and being healed.
Also, notice God didn’t say, “I will be the Lord that healeth thee,” or “I was the Lord that healed thee.” He said, “I am the Lord that healeth thee.”
We find in James 1:17 that God never changes. James said there is “no variableness, neither shadow of turning” with God. If He was the Lord who healed His people back then, He is the Lord who still heals His people today. He is still saying, “I am the Lord who heals you. I am Jehovah Rapha.”
I am in covenant with Jehovah Rapha, the God who
heals me. Therefore, I live in divine health!
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers
For over 40 years, Pastors Mark and Janet Brazee have traveled throughout the world sharing the Word of God and the Spirit of God. Together they've shared the powerful truths of faith and healing in more than 50 nations.
Today Mark and Janet pastor World Outreach Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where they base their ongoing outreach to the world. The Brazees still travel as the Lord leads, and they are raising up a congregation who share their passion to reach Tulsa and the world.