Knowing God

by Garry D. Pifer

When I have presented material on Faith and referenced it to the subject of Healing the reaction has  been basically the same in every case.  And, that has been that since we aren’t seeing healings taking place it must not be God’s will to heal.  Some express that healing was for the time of Christ and the early Church, but is not for now; healing “every sickness,” healing “all” who came.  Some want to see the Scriptures that reveal God’s will to heal today.  To many “healing” means an instantaneous miracle.  Some healings are and were miracles, but the Bible refers to miracles and the gift of miracles separately from healing and the gift of healing.  Healing is in many cases a process, as Mark 16:18 says, “and they shall recover.”  I do want to share with you many of the very powerful and revealing Scriptures which show God’s will, His desire, to heal us and to have us in good health.  But before I go through that I want to ask a question.

Why does it seem strange, or foreign, or unreasonable to believe and expect God to heal our physical bodies?  Especially if we KNOW the God we worship and serve.  Perhaps we only think of and concentrate on Him coming to rule, to straighten out the mess we have gotten ourselves into. 

Jesus said, “Before Abraham was, I am.” (John 8:58).  He was referring of course to the name He had revealed Himself by to Moses and others.  He had told Moses “I am that I am.”  As an aside, it is revealing that He said “I Am” and not “I was” or “I will be.”  He functions in the present, it is always today, right now.  He is always the same, yesterday, today and forever.  We know the “I Am” is the one that always exists, will always be.  The Hebrew word, hayah, #01961 in Strong’s, is the root word for YHVH, or Y@hovah, #03068.  YHVH is defined as the existing one and in combination it indicates “I Am, such and such.”  Notice some examples.

Psalms 23:1 “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.”  Here we have YHVH in combination with raah, shepherd.  Raah is translated feed 75 times, shepherd 63 times, pastor 8 times and as herdmen, keep, companion and several miscellaneous ways.  The lexicon gives as definitions, to pasture, tend, graze, feed.  Also, to tend, pasture; to shepherd; of ruler, teacher.  And, also means to associate with, be a friend, to be companions, to be a special friend.  Maybe we have never really grasped that God is the “I AM, the one who shepherds you, feeds you, pastors you.  I AM is the one who is your ruler, your teacher and your special friend.”

Abraham saw and knew God.  Because of the God he saw he named a place YHVH jireh, (Gen. 22:14) which means YHVH sees.  He knew and understood that God was “ I AM that sees and will provide.”

David saw and knew God intimately.  Read the Psalms and you will see God as David knew Him;  the Merciful, the Gracious, the God of Refuge, etc.

As mentioned God had revealed Himself to Moses as “I Am that I Am.”  Three days journey after crossing the Red Sea and not finding water, the Israelites came to Marah.  (This is another study but the event we are about to look at took place on the last day of Unleavened Bread.)  The water at Marah was bitter, and could not be used for drinking.  God showed Moses a tree which when it was cast into the water it became sweet.  Then (Ex. 15:26) God made an ordinance and a statute and proved them there (vs. 25).  God entered into a covenant agreement with them.  He told them IF they would hearken to His voice, do those things which were right in His sight, listen to His commandments and keep all of His statutes He would not put any of the diseases upon them which He had brought upon the Egyptians.  The word “diseases” in the Hebrew indicates “sickness” and “disease.”  Then notice what He reveals to the entire nation of Israel.  “For I Am the Lord that healeth thee.”  YHVH or Y@hovah , rapha.  He revealed Himself as “I AM, the One who heals.  I AM your physician.  I AM the giver of health.”

In the New Testament we find all of the names and attributes of God are wrapped up in the statement made by the Apostle John in 1 John 4:8, 16; God is love, agape.  He IS mercy, provider, refuge, righteousness, shepherd, salvation, healer. 

But the greatest attribute and name was revealed by Jesus Christ.  He revealed to mankind The Father. (Luke 10:22) We are able to have a father-child relationship.  If we have ever been a parent we know the desire a father has to give and provide his child with good things.  Notice what Jesus said about that very thing.

Matthew 7:7-11  Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:  For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.   Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?   Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?   If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? 

Again I ask, why does it seem strange, or foreign, or unreasonable to believe and expect God to heal  our physical bodies?