Exodus 15:25-26:
And he [Moses] cried to the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them.
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.
Notes on Exodus 15:25-26:
First Moses healed bitter waters by throwing in a tree. The tree, of course, would be unable to make the water fit to drink under ordinary circumstances. Modern men do not treat bad water by throwing trees into it. In fact, throwing trees into water would generally make it worse. Thus, this had to be a sign to the people. It is fitting that a tree was used because Jesus was hung on a tree for our healing. Then God declared to the people that He was the Lord Who Heals You. Some translations read “The Lord your Physician,” which is also correct because the Hebrew word rapha can mean either “heal” or “doctor.” This was contingent upon honoring Him; it was not a blanket promise. This is the first foreshadowing of being redeemed from poisoning as we have been today (Mark 16:17-18).
Because this is a declaration of who God IS, not just a declaration of what He would do, it must be an eternal statement because God never changes (Malachi 3:6, James 1:17). If God revealed Himself as The Lord Who Heals You, He still must be The Lord Who Heals You today. Otherwise, God has changed, and His declaration today would have to be I WAS The Lord Who Heals You. That is plainly ridiculous. Jesus is “The mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises” (Hebrews 8:6). Our New Covenant would not be better if the Israelites could be healed of any disease by The Lord Your Physician, but now The Lord Who Is Not Your Physician Anymore won’t heal you. He is the great I AM, not the great I WAS.
If you need healing, you need to remember that God never said that He is The Lord Who Will Get Around to Healing You Someday or The Lord Who WILL Heal You in the Future. Act on His Word that He is The Lord Who Heals You right now. He is the great I AM, not the great I WILL BE.
You need to be cautious when applying Old Testament Scriptures in the New Covenant. Notice the condition that you had to listen diligently to God and obey Him to be healed under the Law of Moses. Your works played a vital part in whether or not you got healed. Remember that under the New Covenant, God still is the Lord Who Heals You, but now healing is already provided for you in Christ irrespective of your works because of His finished work. There’s a big difference. Remember which side of the cross and the resurrection you’re living in! You have a much better covenant than the one that the Law of Moses described.
God’s declaration that He is your Physician does not do away with the need for human physicians. Luke was never told that his profession (physician – Colossians 4:14) was sinful. Jesus said that the sick need a doctor and that is still obvious today. Whether you make an appointment with the Divine one, a human one, or both, you do need a doctor if you’re sick, and it is not a sin to go to a human one.
See also:
The Baseball Diamond of Healing
Forgiven People Can Be Healed
Healing and Atonement
Job Explained
Why You Can Believe in Divine Healing and Not Get Healed
Some of God’s Promises Have Conditions
Why Does Exodus 15:25-26 Talk About God Putting Diseases on People?
Is It a Sin to Go to the Doctor or Take Medicine?
Can I Get Healed of Injuries from Accidents as Well as Diseases?
How Could Jesus Heal the Sick Based on His Future Atonement?
Objection: God Does Not Heal All Because He Didn’t Heal Isaac or Jacob of Bad Eyesight
Objection: We Are Supposed to Thank God for Everything, Which Would Include Sickness (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
Objection: God Uses Sickness to Draw Us Closer to Himself
Objection: God’s Healing Covenant in the Law of Moses Was Only for the Jews
Objection: We Cannot Demand Healing from God Because God Is Sovereign
Objection: If We Are Subject to Death, We Are Subject to Sickness
Objection: If God Wanted Us to Enjoy Perfect Health NOW, He Would Have Already Given Us Immortal Bodies
Objection: Exodus 15:26 Only Applies to You If You Keep the Whole Law of Moses
Objection: God Works in Mysterious Ways, His Wonders to Perform. We’ll Never Know Why God Lets Some People Stay Sick.
Objection: My Trials Only Come to Make Me Strong
Objection: God Creates Dumb, Deaf and Blind People (Exodus 4:11)
Objection: Jesus Could Not Have Borne Broken Bones on the Cross Because Not One of His Bones Was Broken (John 19:36)
Objection: Getting “Healed by Faith” Is Too Difficult
Objection: The Word for HEALETH in Psalm 103:3 Means to Heal the SOUL
Objection: Psalm 103:3 Is Poetic Hyperbole
Objection: 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Is About Avoiding Fornication and Should Not Be Used as a Healing Proof-Text
Objection: There WERE Feeble People Among Israel’s Tribes (Deuteronomy 25:17-18), So We Cannot Use Psalm 105:37 to Claim That None Should Be Feeble Today
Objection: Jesus Said That the Sick Need a Physician, Not a Healing Evangelist
Objection: Jesus Said to Say, “Thy Will Be Done,” Instead of Demanding Healing
Condition: Anything Else Not Listed Here