Title: Jehovah Rapha
Jehovah Rapha
Exodus 15:22-26
1. Introduction
According to today's text, the people of Israel came out of Egypt, crossed the Red Sea, and passed through the wilderness of Shur for three days. If the water is bitter, it means that the water has been contaminated by the poison of dead animals or rotting wood. The people, who were on the verge of dying of thirst, complained bitterly against Moses. Then Moses was so desperate that he cried out to God, and God instructed a tree to be cut down and put into the water. The poison of the water was gone, and all the people were refreshed.
Then God established laws and ordinances and said to the people of Israel, If you obey these laws and ordinances that I have set, you will not bring 10 plagues and diseases on the Egyptians. And he said, “I am the LORD, who heals you.” In Hebrew, he said, “Jehovah Rapha.”
2. A world full of various diseases
Buddhism, which viewed life in a negative way, calls life 生老病生. It is said that he began to grow old from birth, suffered from various diseases, and eventually died. Whether in the past or now, people are suffering from various diseases. We all have one or two diseases. In my case, my eyesight is very poor, my left arm and leg are uncomfortable with a herniated disc since last March 6, and there are signs of high blood pressure. Although it is different for each person, we are living with worry and suffering from various diseases as much as the number of medical subjects posted in hospitals.
During the reign of King Yeongjo of the Joseon Dynasty, Hong Ryangho (1724-1802), who lived to be 78 years old, who could be said to have lived a long life in that era, wrote a poem called Life 縱使百年 (The Four Hundred Years of Life).
百年眞如 中煙(Hundred Years Jinnyeo) 除却疾病與憂患(various disease foxes) Geum-A-Bulak-Ha) - A hundred years of life is a smoke that is scattered in the wind. If we subtract disease and illness from 100 years of life, how many days will we spend laughing and chatting happily? How can I not live a happy life today, since it is rare for people to complete that hundred years?
It feels like nothing has changed in 100 years for us living in the era of Ryangho Hong, who lived 200 years ago, or the era of medical revolution. Rather, 200 years ago, death was accepted as a natural operation and it was fate, but today, it seems that the time of impatience and anxiety only increases with the results of numerous tests today.
3. Lessons from “Jehovah Rapha (the God who heals us)”
first. There are two categories of diseases. One is an objective disease (symptoms-symptoms-external disease) whose name is revealed by a doctor's diagnosis, and the other is an internal-spiritual-subjective disease of the patient himself that has been identified by the doctor's diagnosis but cannot be recovered by objective treatment alone. . The Bible declares that all diseases of these two categories are “Jehovah Rapha”.
* Then your light will shine like morning, and your healing will be swift... When you cry out, you will say, ‘I am here’ (Isaiah 58:7-9) * Forgive me, Lord, and restore my health before I am gone. (Psalm 39:13) *When their souls hate all kinds of food and are near the gates of death, he sends his word, heals them, and delivers them from awe (Psalm 107:17-21) *who fears my name The sun of righteousness will rise for you, with its healing rays, and you will leap like calves out of the stall (Malachi 4:2) *The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. will be forgiven (James 5:13-18)
And a third of the Gospels are full of healing miracles, in which Jesus heals those who suffer from disease.
second. Objective disease treatment is handled by doctors and pharmacists. In the past, it was thought that the only treatment for patients was medicine. But since the 1990s, doctors have discovered that patients with strong beliefs recover surprisingly faster than those without faith in the course of their treatment. Thus, a course was established in the medical school to study the effects of religion and spirituality on patient care. In the case of the United States, it is thought that 3 places in 1993, 30 places in 1998, and now almost all medical schools have this course installed (Reference: Classical Artifact No. 255 of the Fountain of the Word, Paradigm Change in Modern Medicine).
Modern medicine was forced to admit that “Jehovah Rapha” works even in the treatment of objective diseases.
third. Subjective disease treatment requires not only medicine but also Jehovah Rapha's treatment. Various psychogenic diseases (insomnia-heart disease-anorexia-anxiety...) are psychological-internal-spiritual problems that are deeply hidden in the patient's consciousness-unconscious world (hate-resentment-conflict-anger-shame-rejection-disgust, etc.) In most cases, the true cause of the revealed disease cannot be resolved by the objective treatment of the doctor alone. In other words, a complete cure is possible only when the problem of sin is solved.
Therefore, God constantly tells me to return to me (Amos 4:6-11; Jeremiah 3:11-22). Come, let us argue with each other (Isaiah 1:18-20). Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden (Matthew 11:28-29). This is because the rays of Jehovah Rapha begin to shine when you go out before God with your hands up.