Hallowed Be Your Name, A Study of the Names of God - Part 5: Jehovah Rapha

REVIEW
 
Hallowed be His Name! That’s exactly what we’ve been doing over the past month where we have been specifically focusing on the Names of God in an attempt to get to know Him better.
 
You see, as we made the point of in the beginning of this series, in Bible times, a person’s name told you a lot about that person.  Oftentimes, people were named things that the one naming them desired to see in their lives or what God specifically was prophesying that they would become. So a name represented the person’s character, person, and behavior. Likewise, God’s Names specifically reveal to us His person, character, and attributes.  
 
So, if you and I want to come to know God better, studying His Names is a great way to do so. And what will this produce? It will yield more confidence, assurance, and boldness in how we approach God and do things in His Name.
 
So, we started off looking at His first, general Name for “God”— the name Elohim. This describes God as the all-powerful, sovereign, creator of the heavens and the earth whom we must give an account to in the future as our Ruler and Judge. This is a good, healthy way to know God initially. However, we ought not stop there as so many of God’s children do.
 
We need to come to know ALL of His Names in order to have the complete picture of who He is revealed to us. And we then started looking at how “God” was more than just the all-powerful One but that He is the One who is Most High, All-Seeing, and our All-Sufficiency – three of those “El” names of Elohim.
 
But what I wanted to spend the majority of the time doing in this series is focusing on the covenant-keeping, Jehovah names of God in the Old Testament – the Names He revealed Himself by to Israel. In my opinion, these names show us very clearly what the LORD has promised to be to us, His covenant people.
 
Speaking of LORD, we spent a week talking about this term because all of these other names stem from it – the Name Yahweh. And we learned how this Name is the relational Name of God.   
 
You see, it’s all about relationship with Yahweh. In fact, this name of His is a very relational name as it’s used when God gets involved with His creation and shows us His redeeming power. Yes, Yahweh is God’s covenant keeping name and what He “exists” to do on our behalf.
 
I intentionally used the word “exist” there because, at its root, Yahweh means “to be.” We learned that this is why, when Moses asked God to give him His name, that He said to tell the children of Israel that “I Am Who I Am” had sent him to them. So Yahweh’s full meaning is – “The One who was, who is, and who is to come” – which is what Jesus revealed Himself as to the apostle John (Revelation 1:8).
 
But we also learned that Yahweh was the name that God had intended to reveal Himself as to the children of Israel – a name that was not fully realized by even Abraham and the rest of the patriarchs (See Exodus 6:1-8). In other words, Yahweh/Jehovah was going to be the name that God was going to use to further expound on His nature & character through the covenant He would establish with Israel.
       
Which leads us to what we began looking at last week – the Yahweh/Jehovah names of God that further amplify what our God is, was, and ever more shall be, our Lord who always keeps His covenant, and who will do what He promised for those He is in relationship with.
 
Yes, these names are the fulfillment of what God meant in Exodus chapter 6 when he said that He was going to reveal His name as Yahweh to His people and they would REALLY come to know Him in a way that the patriarchs never did. Thereby, Israel would be able to obtain the promises that escaped the patriarchs.
 
Now as I said last week, I am going to use the name Jehovah for all of these names because that is how I learned them as an English-speaking American, but you are free to substitute Yahweh for Jehovah on each of these names if you so desire. 
 
So last week, we began with the name God revealed Himself through in Ezekiel 48:35 – Jehovah Shammah.   
 
We learned that Jehovah Shammah means “The LORD is there” and thus denotes – Yahweh is present. So we saw that this Name of Yahweh reveals God’s nature to always be there and present with His people.
 
So we looked at a lot of Scriptures that echo this part of His Person where we learned that God is our ever-present help in a time of need and that He has promised to never leave or forsake us.
 
You see, church, God’s character is that of faithfulness, and being faithful means you are consistently there for the one’s you love. So the LORD’s nature is to always be present and there for us, the objects of His love. Which He took to another level under this new and better covenant that we have with Him because now Christ is in us.
We saw this illustrated in the first verse of the Bible that Shammah was used in when Genesis 2:8 says, “The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed.”
 
The picture that was painted here is of God planting a garden and then placing the man whom he created “there” (i.e. Shammah). So when you and I were saved, a garden was planted in us – our old, stony heart was taken out and new, soft, cultivated spirit was placed in us. Then the “Man” was put in THERE. That’s the Lord Jesus Christ, the Last Adam. Glory!
 
So if Christ abides within us, then you and I can’t have the Lord any more “there” than that, amen? Likewise, the Holy Spirit has filled our temples if we’ve received Him. So that’s another member of the Godhead “present” and He was promised to abide with us forever. Amen! 
 
But oh, how often do God’s people feel like God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit have left them and forsaken them? It’s more than it ought to be – because if we’ve got these exceedingly great and precious promises of Him always being with us, why would we let the way we feel get in the way of what He has promised?  
 
Yes, saints, God is with us and will never not be – all because He is Jehovah Shammah and He always will be present, whether we feel Him or not.
 
THE ORIGIN OF RAPHA
 
Now the next name of God that I would like us to look at is probably one of the most well-known “Jehovah names” of God – the Name “Jehovah Rapha.” Not that it’s meaning is embraced and esteemed by the majority of the Lord’s church in terms of believing in and trusting Him for it, but this name is certainly more commonly recognized than the LORD’s other names.
 
This Name of God is mentioned first in Exodus 15:26. Let me give you just a little background of it …
 
Immediately following the miracle at the Red Sea where God parted the waters, the children of Israel passed through it on dry ground, and the pursuing Pharoah was drowned in it, the LORD brought them into the Wilderness of Shur. So after three days of wandering in this wilderness, the Israelites were in desperate need of water. Then they discovered a river called Marah, but its waters were too “bitter” to drink.
 
Interestingly enough, the word used for “bitter” here was also used to describe the attitude of bitterness. So to me, this describes the “attitude” we should have toward bitterness – that we should never drink of it like we would never drink of bitter waters like Marah.
 
You see, church, there are certain vices like bitterness, unforgiveness, offense, etc. that we need to have zero tolerance towards. In fact, these little foxes are what will spoil our vines the most (Song of Solomon 2:15). So I hold to the standard that I have zero tolerance of these particular sins just like I would stealing, killing, adultery, etc.
 
So as the children of Israel complained against Moses for leading them out into the wilderness with nothing to drink, he cried out to the Lord and the Lord showed him a tree – and not just any tree, but this was a special tree that provide the cure/remedy for the water’s bitterness. (Is the Lord talking to anybody in this place today?)
 
So when Moses cast that particular tree into the waters of Marah, we are told that the bitter waters were made “sweet”—that is, good and pleasurable.   
 
So following this miracle, we are told that God made a statute and an ordinance for them after testing them there. And so then we come to Exodus 15:26 where He declared Himself as Jehovah Rapha to His people …
 
He said, “If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.” (Exodus 15:26)
 
This promise was obviously a gesture of assurance from God to the children of Israel – calling it a statute and an ordinance – who had witnessed the plagues that God had released over all of Egypt prior to their release from slavery. However, the timing and connection here to the bitter waters of Marah being made sweet by the tree is what is interesting to me – for this seems to just come out of the blue.
 
But I don’t think that’s the case – I believe the waters being “healed, cured, and remedied” is the cause for our introduction to Jehovah Rapha because this is what Rapha describes. Let me explain …
 
I AM YOUR HEALER
 
So before we get into anything else, let’s look at this name God gave Himself at the end of Exodus 15:26 – Jehovah Rapha. 
 
Now the Hebrew word “rapha” literally describes to heal or make healthful, but it also describes curing, mending, or repairing.
 
But again, let me remind you that the name/term “Jehovah” has come from the Hebrew word Yahweh and at its core, Yahweh describes the One that “Be.” We learned that this is why, when Moses asked God to give him His name that He said to tell the children of Israel that “I Am Who I Am” had sent him to them. So Yahweh’s full meaning is – “The One who was and who will be. Therefore, He is the One who IS.
 
Therefore, when we have these names of God that begin with Yahweh/Jehovah, they were prefaced with – “The LORD is ….”
 
That means that like when “Shammah” was added on, God’s Name is – “The LORD IS There.” So here when “Rapha” is included, the LORD’s name is – “The LORD IS Healer.” Yes, He’s the One who Cures, Mends, Repairs, Makes Whole, and HEALS!
 
And if you’ve spent any time objectively studying the Scriptures, you’ll see that this is most certainly who He was, is, and evermore shall be – The LORD our Healer!
 
Let’s look at some of the Scriptures that clearly reveal God to us as our Healer …
 
Now like it was with Jehovah Shammah where we saw that there are boo coo’s of Scripture that echo God’s Name of “I AM THERE,” there are also a whole lot of Scriptures that echo Jehovah Rapha. And this shouldn’t surprise us – for if these are His Names, then they are core characteristics of His divine nature and, therefore, will be laced throughout the Scriptures. Amen?  
 
So let’s take a look at some of the verses that describe God as the LORD our Healer, beginning in the Old Testament …
 
ü  Exodus 23:25 – “So you shall serve the Lord your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take sickness away from the midst of you. No one shall suffer miscarriage or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days.”
 
ü  Deuteronomy 7:15 – “And the Lord will take away from you all sickness, and will afflict you with none of the terrible diseases of Egypt which you have known, but will lay them on all those who hate you.”
 
ü  Psalm 103:3 – “Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases,”
 
ü  Psalm 107:19-20 – “Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses. He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.”
 
ü  Psalm 147:3 – “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”
 
ü  Isaiah 53:4-5 – “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.”
 
ü  Jeremiah 17:14 – “Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; Save me, and I shall be saved, for You are my praise.”
 
ü  Jeremiah 30:17 – “For I will restore health to you and heal you of your wounds,’ says the Lord …”
 
So Yahweh was certainly a Healer in the Old Testament, but what about the New Testament?


Well, Jesus was sent to us as the “express image of God” (Hebrews 1:3). He said that if we have seen Him, we have seen the Father (John 14:9). Why? Because the Son came to declare Him when no man can see God on their own (John 1:18).
 
So I say all of this to say, if we want to learn about God’s “Name” then just look at Jesus because His works reveal to us the true nature of God.
 
Now in Jesus ministry, we have a lot along the lines of Him being a Healer …
 
ü  Matthew 4:23 – “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.”
 
ü  Matthew 9:35 – “Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.”
 
ü  Matthew 10:1 – “And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.”
 
ü  Mark 16:17-18 – “And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name … they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
 
ü  Acts 10:38 – “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.”
 
Then toward the end of the New Testament, we have one of my personal favorite verses that reveals God’s desire for us to live healthy lives …
 
ü  3 John 2 – “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.”
 
So through all of these verses, it is crystal clear that the LORD is our Healer! Amen? Yes, He was in the healing business in the Old Testament. And is in the healing business in the New Testament. And guess what? He always will be in the healing business. Yes, He has always been in the healing business and He’s not going out of business anytime soon! Amen!
 
THE LORD OUR PHYSICIAN
 
But when it comes to the Hebrew word “rapha,” there is something about this word that I believe is extremely important to note: Next to be translated as “heal” in the original King James Version, the second most used translation of this word rapha is the term “physician.”
 
In fact, when we look at how “rapha” is defined, we can see how a physician or doctor could come from it – for the word means to heal or make healthful, and also included to mend, repair, and cure – all of which are things that someone from the medical community have devoted their lives to do. Amen!
 
One example with this word “rapha” is used in the Old Testament, where there was a specific connection being made between a person’s disease and how they went about being healed: This was the story of King Asa in Second Chronicles 16:12 where we are told – “And in the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa became diseased in his feet, and his malady was severe, yet in his disease he did not seek the Lord, but the physicians.”
 
The word used for “physicians” at the end of this verse is the Hebrew word “rapha.” So what do we see happening here in this story? We see the Scriptures giving us a warning that when it comes to healing, it’s important to our Great Physician that we seek Him first for it.
 
I’d compare it to this – Say you have a doctor already, but then when you have an issue, you go to another doctor. Well, if your doctor learned that you did that, it might be little offensive to them, right?
 
You see, the LORD does not want us turning to anything or anyone above Him, and this certainly applies to the needs we have in our lives like healing. He wants to be our source! He desires for us to seek Him first, not second, third, fourth, etc. This is important to our Great Physician. 
 
Now don’t hear what I’m not saying: The Lord is not against us going to doctors, having surgeries, or taking medicine. In fact, sometimes He will lead one to do these things. Why? Because both our Great Physician and the physicians of this world are fighting the same battle. My point is simply that when it comes to the care for our bodies, the Lord wants us to turn to Him first and see how He wants us to handle it – all because again, He is our Great Physician.
 
So this is why you probably have heard God referred to as our Great Physician. This comes from Jesus’ words – both when He said that those who are sick are the ones in need of a physician, obviously referring to Himself (See Luke 5:31), and also when others would quote the proverb to Him, “Physician, heal yourself!” So Jesus was obviously referred to as a Physician (See Luke 4:23).
 
Now I’d like to walk us through the example we have in this world of going to our doctors and the process of getting help from them because the LORD has shown me that there are a lot of parallels there to how we receive from Him.  
 
You see, if God is our Great Physician, the true expert in this profession of health and healing, then it would behoove us to go to our “Doc” and let Him lead us into our healing. Amen?
 
So let’s look at this natural example of us going to our physicians and the steps that are taken to help lead us into healing …
 
STEP #1 – GOING TO THE DOCTOR
 
So what’s the first thing that we have to do to allow our physicians to help us with our health? Well, I think the obvious answer to that is you have got to go to them!
 
You see, so many people don’t ever make appointments to see their doctor until it’s an absolute emergency. But wisdom would be to prepare for healing before there’s ever an issue, right?
 
So getting in the presence of the physician is obviously the first step. Likewise, getting in the presence of our Great Physician is a vital part of receiving His healing.
 
You see, there are a lot of us Christians who go to God with the same frequency that we go to the doctor – meaning, sure, we go to Him when there’s an emergency, but other than that, we rarely seek the Lord. How many of you know that shouldn’t be the case? We don’t need to just seek God when we are in tough spots. We ought to seek God and come to Him regularly.
 
Now I can give you plenty of Scripture on the need for us to come to the Lord …
 
For one, on almost every healing that Jesus performed during His ministry and that was recorded in the Gospels, the sick & infirm came to Him. Of course, there are times where someone came on behalf of the sick like say the Centurion with his servant and Jairus with his daughter, but the fact is, the person with the authority in that household came to the Great Physician. There were a couple of instances where Jesus seemed to initiate the healing/miracle, but the vast majority of people who got healed in Jesus’ ministry had to come to Him to initiate it themselves. And the good news is that every person we see that came to Him in faith got what they came for!
 
Now we might have to make an appointment with our doctors here on the earth, but none of these folks did. They just oftentimes showed up at Jesus’ office and barged in. So it’s obvious that our Great Physicians policy is “No appointments necessary!” Yes, come as you are, says the Lord! As Isaiah 55:1 says, “Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; And you who have no money, Come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk Without money and without price.” So not only is the Lord saying that no appointment is necessary, but He also says that He’s not expecting payment either. Just simply draw near to Him and He will draw near to you. He doesn’t need us to clean our act up; He just needs us to repent – which is to turn unto Him and away from anything that is contrary to Him. Amen!  
 
So simply going to the doctor is the first step to receiving the help we need. Perhaps this is why we see passages of Scripture like the 91st Psalm, that promise Him delivering us from the perilous pestilence and taking away the plague from our dwelling, starting off with dwelling in the secret place of the Most High and abiding under the shadow of Shaddai. It’s because living in Jehovah Rapha’s presence will do nothing but help yield healing in our lives.
 
Psalm 91:1 reads: “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” So what this verse is saying is that it is the one who dwells in the secret place of the Most High (El Elyon) that shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty (El Shaddai) and thus receive Elohim and Yahweh’s promise of provision and protection, including healing. 
 
You know, that wise saying – “You become like who you hang around” – certainly applies to God as well. Yes, just maintaining a good, healthy relationship with Him and staying close to Him will yield the fruit of His Name more times than not. For example, if God is a blessing, then hanging out with Him will produce blessing in our lives. Likewise, if God is a Healer, then sticking around Him will produce healing in our lives as well. Amen?
 
So hopefully you can see just how important getting in the presence of the Physician is. Oftentimes, just getting to the Door is the first step. 
 
STEP #2 – SPEAK THE TRUTH
 
But like it is with us going to the Doctor, that’s usually not enough. When you’re there, there are other things that must be done to get the help that you need …
 
Now this part needs to be said – What is usually the first thing we have to do when we get to the doctor’s office? WAIT! Yeah, you might have to wait for an amount of time that your flesh ain’t too comfortable with.
 
And sometimes it feels that way when spending time with the LORD. Yes, we might have to wait on the Lord, and do it when it doesn’t feel like He is there with us.
 
But what have we learned already? He’s always there! So you got to do it by faith sometimes and wait for the manifestation of His presence. Wait on the Lord, I say.
 
Now once your name gets called in the waiting room, the next thing you have to do is ultra important: When one of the doctor’s techs or nurses come into the room and start asking you all of their questions, you have to be honest and disclose everything!
 
Yes, when we go to the doctor, the first thing they usually do is ask us some questions by doing an assessment and then the doctor themselves will ask you certain questions when they see you. Well, if you don’t give them all the information and disclose all your symptoms, history, etc. it’s going to be more difficult for them to diagnose your problem.
 
So how does this relate to us with our Great Physician? Well, you have to be truthful with Him. You can’t hide things (not that you could ever hide anything from Him anyway).
 
Did you know that sometimes healing simply comes as you are willing to be transparent? I have personally experienced how, as being the “preacher,” that people try to hide their weaknesses, faults and shortcomings from me. They will hide their cigarettes when I approach them. They will clean up their language when I am around them. But what we need to understand is that if we are not willing to put our struggles & weaknesses on the table, then the Lord is going to have a harder time taking them from us. We must walk in truth and transparency – being willing to acknowledge and deal with our stuff in order to have it eradicated from our lives.
 
This certainly applies to the Lord – our Physician and Counselor. He wants us to walk in the truth with Him, to be open and transparent.
 
STEP #3 – LETTING THEM RUN DIAGNOSTICS
 
Another thing that happens as we go to the doctor and they do their assessment is that after they gather their information, they oftentimes will do diagnostic tests – that is, they will do labs, x-rays, ultrasounds, etc.
 
And why do they do this? It’s because there are a lot of things that cannot be determined with the naked eye. They have to go deeper and find out what is going on beneath the surface to be able to nail down what the real problems are.
 
Well, how does this relate to the Lord, our Great Physician? It’s simple – the Lord obviously sees deeper than we can. He is said to be the One whom no creature is hidden from His sight, but that all things are naked and open to Him (See Hebrews 4:13). Yes, His Word is able to cut deep down and discern the thoughts and intents of our hearts (See verse 12).
 
So my point is that our Physician knows how to run some diagnostics. He knows better than anyone what is our true condition deep down in our hearts. Therefore, He always comes to the correct conclusion when it comes to the root causes of all of our infirmities and also knows the correct course of action.
 
And this is why we need to go to our Divine Physician first – because even our best doctors can’t see everything. Yes, they can miss it. God, on the other hand, knows what the root cause of everything and sometimes the physical problems we have are a result of spiritual issues. Therefore, going to Him and letting Him look deep into our lives is critical, as He is omniscient.
 
Now that leads me to the next thing …
 
STEP #4 – BEING REFERRED TO A SPECIALIST
 
One of the things that happens when we visit our doctor is that, based on the issue that we are having, he or she will have to direct us to a specialist. Like for example – if our primary care physician sees that our issues are likely heart related, they might refer us to a heart specialist (i.e. a cardiologist). If our doctor believes that our physical symptoms are being caused by neurological issues, they will refer us to a neurologist. You get the point.
 
So I say this to say that when we go to the Lord, our Great Physician, there is a chance He might “lead” you to go this person or that person to get the help you need. That might be you going to your pastor. It could be you going to a particular meeting where your answers lie. It could be listening to a certain teaching that contains your answer. The possibilities are endless. My point is that sometimes the Lord will “refer” you to something or someone else that might specialize in the issues you are having, and you and I need to be open to that.
 
It's not that the Lord doesn’t have all the answers and can’t give them to you, but you’ve got to understand something – It’s not always about what He can do; it’s really about what we can receive. And that certainly relates to healing.
 
The bottom line is the Lord wants us well, so if we are going to best receive by having a certain person speak truth into our lives, then He will lead you to that. We just have to remain open.  
 
STEP #5 – FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS & FILLING THE PRESCRIPTION
 
Then finally, one of the most important things that one must do is that, when the doctor gives you instructions, you gotta do what he or she says and not despise the counsel the doctor gives you!
 
You see, sometimes our physicians might tell us that we need to shed some of that excess weight through exercise. Sometimes they might tell us to make some dietary adjustments by eating more of this or less of that. And sometimes (which today seems more like most of the time) they will prescribe you with medicine of some kind.
 
And I understand – when it comes to our natural doctors, we might not trust their instructions. We might be leery of the medications they are prescribing to us. But when it comes to our Great Physician, you can and should always trust His prescriptions.
 
For example, He might prescribe you some “Psalmex” – saying, “Take Psalm 91 and call me in the morning!” He might call you in some “Romanol” and have you taking a concentrated dose of your righteousness in Christ. He might have you taking some “Philippian” and focusing on your joy levels.   
 
There are a lot of options and direction He might take to cure your particular ailment, but this is why its important to get in His presence and let Him give you the proper diagnosis.
 
This is what I like to call taking God’s “medicine,” which actually has a Scriptural basis.
 
So, let’s turn in our Bibles over to Proverbs 4:20-23 where Solomon writes – “My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.”
 
Notice, first of all, that Solomon is referring to His sons (and daughters) by saying, “My son…”
 
Now, although Solomon was the man who penned this, we know that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God. Therefore, this is God communicating with us, His sons and daughters. So, let’s read this that way—not just as black letters on white pages but as it is in truth, God speaking to us His children.
 
Now we also made the point last week that exhortations like these to give attention to His Words, etc. are done solely in love just like we tell our children things like - “Now make sure you brush your teeth, take your vitamins, etc.” Now why do you tell them things like that? Because you understand things they don’t yet - that doing certain things are for their own good and you are trying to make their lives more healthy and prosperous. Amen?
 
Well, this is why God tells you things too. Jesus said that if we being evil know how to give good gifts (including instruction) to our children, how much more does our Father in heaven know how to give good gifts (including instruction) to His children? Amen! Yes, saints, God is not trying to get something through you; He is trying to get something to you. He loves you so much that He gives you specific instructions like this to make your life better. Thank you, Lord!
 
Now notice down in verse 22 that HE (the Holy Spirit through Solomon) says, “For they (They what? They—His Words and His sayings) are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.”
 
But I want you to notice that the latter part of verse 22 does not say that God’s Word is “healing” for all our flesh. No, it says that His Words are “health” to all our flesh. In fact, the Hebrew word used for “health” here describes “medicine.” Yes, if you look in the margin of your Bible, you will see that the word “health” literally describes “medicine.” This word comes from the Hebrew word “marpe” which is defined as “restoration of health, remedy, cure, medicine.” This word occurs 13 times in the Old Testament, coming from our word “rapha” (the verb) which, like we said, means to heal, cure, or repair.
 
So, what this Scripture is stating is that God’s Word is medicine, a remedy and a cure to all of our flesh! Amen!
 
Now it is important to understand that medicine does not always produce an instant cure. Sometimes you have to take it for days before it takes effect. Well, God’s Word is like that. But here is the great part: It will work every time because it is a spiritual law and His Word is packed full of life and healing remedies, like a capsule or pill has contained within it what you need to be healed.
 
Now let me say that if God’s “Words and Sayings” will heal you and bring health to your body, then how could it not be God’s will for everyone to be healed? Let me ask it this way, if God told us here how to get health to all our flesh, then shouldn’t this be clear that God’s will is to heal? Someone will say, “How does this prove to us that it is God’s will to heal, Trey?” Well, aren’t God’s Words for everybody? Would you say that it is not God’s will for you receive any of His Words? Of course not! If anyone said that you would call them a heretic, right? No, friends, God tells us how to receive health and healing to all our flesh and it is through receiving His Words. So if His Words are for everyone, then healing and health must be for everyone, for His Word is life to those who find them and health to all their flesh. Amen! On top of that, why would God tell you how to get something like life and health and it not be His will for you? No, if He tells you how to get it, then it most certainly is to be “gotten.” Amen!
 
Now we are not just talking about healing verses in the Bible. This Scripture does not specifically say that His promises of healing are health to all our flesh. No, all of God’s Word is life to those who find it and health to all our flesh.
 
For example, God’s Word is food for our spirit, and just like we do not have to know what the molecular structure of a piece of corn or the complete makeup of a grain of wheat, we can still partake of it and receive all the benefits. In other words, you don’t have to know everything about what you put in your body—whether it be what you drink or what you eat and even the medicine that you take. All you have to do is take it, and it will perform what it is programmed to perform.
 
Brother Kenneth E. Hagin used to say that when he was a little boy, he used to wonder how a brown cow could eat green grass and produce white milk which when churned became yellow butter; but all the time, while he was trying to figure it out, he was enjoying the butter and drinking the milk. Hallelujah!
 
Friends, just put God’s Word in you. You don’t have to understand it all. You don’t have to have a theological degree and understand the original Greek and Hebrew. Just take God’s Word—take it at face value and let His medicine become health to all your flesh! Amen!
 
 
 
So if God’s Words and Sayings are medicine to all our flesh, then do you reckon God has a prescribed formula of how to take His medicine? In other words, if His Word is our medicine, then does God’s Word also give us directions on how to take it?
 
You see, our Great Physician has given us a prescription - which is an instruction written that authorizes us to be provided a medicine or treatment. Well, that would most certainly be God’s Word: It contains the prescription that authorizes you and I to obtain His medicine. Hallelujah! So we already have the prescription! It’s waiting at the pharmacy, with our name on it! Our health insurance—the stripes of Jesus—have already paid for our prescription. Amen! No, in God’s kingdom, there is no co-pay. There is no deductible that needs to be met. It’s already been paid for 100% by our Great Physician!
 
So it’s not God’s fault if we aren’t taking our medicine - He’s already made available what to take and He’s already paid for it! So there are no more excuses. We don’t have to wait for the gifts of the Spirit to be in operation to receive healing and health. C’mon somebody!
 
All we have to do is follow His directions for taking His medicine, and those directions are listed right here, in Proverbs 4:20-21. Yes, God’s directions for taking His medicine – which is health to all our flesh – are listed here in Proverbs 4:20-21. Amen!
 
Yes, these verses contain the directions for taking God’s medicine so that it can take full effect in our body! Amen!
 
First, we need to give our full attention to His Words—that is, using both our ears and our eyes. Second, we need to incline our ears to His Words—that is, putting ourselves in the best position to hear. Third, we need to keep God’s Words ever before our eyes by meditating on them day and night. And, last but not least, by following these first three directions – His Words will enter into the midst of our heart. Then it is our job to keep them there. And we do this through giving even the more earnest heed to the things we have heard. Amen! 
 
If you follow these four directions that are on God’s medicine bottle, it will be impossible for any sickness, weakness, disease, etc. to remain in your body - because this is some potent medicine! It will work for everyone – regardless of who you are or what you’ve done. Amen!
 
Again, if you, following these specific directions, will take enough of God’s Word for long enough, you will be healed! Amen and amen! 
 
Church, this is the prescribed formula that our Great Physician has given to us that works every single, solitary time. But we first have to go to Him. We have to wait on the Lord in His presence. Then we need to be honest and transparent, and then let Him examine us. After that, if He sends you to a certain “specialist,” by all means go! And finally, if He calls you in some specific meds, take them. God’s way is always perfect, saints! You’ll never find a better Physician than Him.