0643. Jehovah-Ropheca
Jehovah-Ropheca
"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 brought upon the Egyptians: for I am (Jehovah-ropheca), the Lord that healeth thee" (Exo_15:26).
The Word of God gives special promise to Israel. Among these promises, is included the one man considering. Israel, however, could not claim Christ as their healer, unless he obeyed the conditions of the promise.
In all discussions of Divine healing, it is absolutely important that those who accept Christ as their healer, should observe strict laws of hygiene. When saints dare to cast themselves down from any "pinnacle of the temple" expecting the angels to bear them up in their hands, they must first be assured that it is God Who is prompting them, and not the devil.
Let us notice some of the conditions under which Christ promised to be Jehovah-ropheca.
1. "If thou wilt hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God." Certainly one could not expect God to prosper them and to keep them in health, more than their soul prospered. The one who does not hearken to God, cannot expect to receive anything from God.
2. In the same passage where Jehovah proclaims Himself Jehovah-ropheca, the waters were healed, when upon the command of the Lord, a tree was cast into them. Certainly taking "Christ for our healer" does not conflict with remedial precautions. One could not ruthlessly drink stagnant water, and claim Christ as healer. It is necessary first to cast in the tree for the healing of the waters we drink. Faith missionaries in India or Africa or China should certainly boil foul water, before they drink it.
3. The laws given unto Israel, included laws of sanitation; laws for the isolation of diseases; laws of cleansing; laws of dietetics and hygiene; laws of rest and of worship; and, laws of exercise.
The wonderful promise in Psalms 103, "Who forgiveth all thine iniquities, and Who healeth all thy diseases," does not, on the one hand, excuse the forgiven sinner from turning from his sins, nor does it, on the other hand, forbid the physically-healed believer, from pursuing the Mosaic laws of health, and the prevention of disease.
4. In the New Testament, the Gospels present Christ as healing the sick, cleansing the leper, curing the blind; all of this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Prophet, "Himself bore our sicknesses, and carried our pains." However, the miraculous healings of Christ lend no excuse for the abuse of the body.
5. In Jam_5:13-17, the believer, who is sick, is commanded to call for the elders of the Church, that they may anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord, and pray for his healing. When this is done, the promise is given: "And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he hath committed sins they shall be forgiven him." For our part, we believe in obeying this injunction literally. Who can doubt the power of Christ to heal? However, let none of us presume upon God; let none of us tempt Him. We have no right, under any circumstances, to disobey the sensible, the natural, and the commanded laws of hygiene as set forth in the Pentateuch. If we do, until our sin is forgiven, we cannot take Christ as our healer. In other words, Divine healing is no excuse for laxity in living.
6. One other thing should be said. When God commands, clearly, the doing of any task, He will always give the needed strength. We should keep the laws of health, but we should remember that God is greater than His laws. He can break the power of any serpent that may cling to our hand, or of any disease that may grip our body, when we are in His plan–He is Jehovah-ropheca still.
7. And, if we sin, and suffer thereby, with the sin confessed and our faith truly centered in our Lord, He will forgive the sin and raise us up.
Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR