Blog Series Part 4: Nine Names of God {The Healer + Beginning to End}
This has been such a fun series to work on over the last few months! In case you haven’t read the first few posts, start here…
Part 1: The Creator + The I AM (Click HERE!)
Part 2: The Father + God Most High (Click HERE!)
Part 3: God Who Sees + The Provider (Click HERE!)
There are so many names of God in scripture, more than I would be able to cover on this little blog, but these are the names that mean the most to me in this season of life.
Each week that I work on this series I am reminded of the many facets of His character. Holy Spirit reminds me that I can’t put Him in a box or think I’ve arrived at all of who He is.
This week I soaked in the names of my Healer and my Beginning to End. Instead of coming to Him with my preconceived notions, I am learning to allow Him to come to me instead. He reveals the truth of who He is through the truth of His Word.
And I’m learning to trust Him and take Him at His Word.
Because why would I argue? As my Father, my Abba, my Papa, He assures me that He was before all and will remain after everything I see comes to pass. And He is my healer; His very body the elixir that healed my physical and spiritual wounds when He poured out His blood on the cross (Isa 53). He became a curse for me, dissolving the curse from my life (Gal 3:14).
I feel like I’m getting ahead of myself, though. Let’s dive in!
Jehovah Rapha - He is the “Lord Who Heals You,” or “My Healer.” This is such a personal, intimate name for God. My husband reserves the place as my closest companion, my closest friend, yet still there is one who is closer. He heals my body in every sense of the word.
Depending on which version you look at, the word heal can be found up to 300 times in the Bible! Healing has always been part of His plan and His character. He’s the God who restores and brings His children back into full healing. Jesus healed every person who came to Him. He didn’t always do it in the same way - sometimes with a word, sometimes with a touch, sometimes in person, sometimes from afar, sometimes out of compassion, and sometimes with an authoritative command, just to name a few. Regardless of how He healed, the fact remains that He healed all who came close to Him. Crowds frequently gathered so large that it was almost impossible and darn right dangerous to get through, but they were desperate for His touch. The Word says that He carried a supernatural power in His hands (Luke 6:19). He could’ve done anything with this power, and what did He choose to do with it? Heal people!
One of the translations of the word heal is “to serve.” (Matthew 12:15 - he healed [restored, served] all who were ill in the crowd.) The Creator of the universe loves us so much that He wants to serve us by healing our physical bodies and our hearts.
After He was baptized and the Holy Spirit came upon Him, His ministry began. He boldly proclaimed that His mission (and the Father’s mission) was to preach the gospel to the poor, heal the brokenhearted, set captives free, open blind eyes, bring freedom to oppressed people, and proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor (Luke 4:18-19). Preach. Heal. Bring freedom. Proclaim joy. His mission is our mission, too. Can you imagine what our world would be like if we were more like Jesus and less like Christians? Preach the good news, heal broken people, break chains, and proclaim JOY and freedom! I’m in! It’s no wonder that people were drawn to Him by the thousands. Our ministry should still be this attractive…this hope-filled, this love-driven!
Jer 30:17 “For I will restore health to you, and your wounds I will heal, declares the Lord, because they have called you an outcast: ‘It is Zion, for whom no one cares!’”
Is 53:4-6 “Yet he was the one who carried our sicknesses and endured the torment of our sufferings. We viewed him as one who was being punished for something he himself had done, as one who was struck down by God and brought low. But it was because of our rebellious deeds that he was pierced and because of our sins that he was crushed. He endured the punishment that made us completely whole, and in his wounding we found our healing. Like wayward sheep, we have all wandered astray. Each of us has turned from God’s paths and chosen our own way; even so, Yahweh laid the guilt of our every sin upon him.”
Is 57:18-19 “‘Even though I’ve seen their ways, I will heal them. I will guide them forward and repay them with comfort, giving mourners the language of praise. I offer peace to those who are far from me, and I offer peace to those who are near, and I will heal their deepest wounds,’ says Yahweh.”
The Word: Exodus 15:22-26, 2 Chronicles 7:14, Psalm 6:2, Psalm 34:17-22, Psalm 41:4, Psalm 103:3, Psalm 147:3, Isaiah 19:22, Isaiah 30:26, Isaiah 57:18-19, Jeremiah 3:22, Jeremiah 17:14, Jeremiah 30:17, Matthew 8:7, Matthew 10:1, Luke 4:18, 1 Peter 2:24
Prayer: Father, you are so good! By your grace you saved me, but you didn’t stop there. Your desire is complete healing and restoration to your original plan - the perfect creation you intended in the garden. Father, reveal the places that need healing in my life. By the stripes of Jesus I was healed; He doesn’t need to go to the cross again. Fill me with the power of your Holy Spirit to remind myself that in the spirit realm, I am completely healed and seated with you. Fill me with love and compassion to listen to the hearts of those you’ve placed in my life who are broken, blind, and enslaved, in desperate need of a healing, loving touch. My Healer, My Redeemer, My Restorer…thank you, Jesus! Amen!!
If you Google, “Alpha and Omega,” many things will come up, but you’ll have to scroll down pretty far to find the truth of what or who this is referring to (spoiler alert - it’s God!) We find this name for God explicitly stated three times in the book of Revelation (1:8, 21:6, and 22:13). In the more implicit sense of the word, we find several passages in scripture where He is the God who is before all, in all, through all, above all, and after all.
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband; and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away." And he who sat upon the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." Also he said, "Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true." And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the fountain of the water of life without payment. He who conquers shall have this heritage, and I will be his God and he shall be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, as for murderers, fornicators, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their lot shall be in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur, which is the second death. (Rev 21: 1-8)
Do you hear the heart of the Father in John’s vision? He’s talking about family. About relationships. About fathering a people. He wants to be with His people. He wants to take pain out of the equation, to heal our hearts. He wants to quench our thirst with an everlasting fountain - without payment! He wants to be the Father of sons and daughters who thirst for Him. And when God says, “It is done,” then it’s done, friends! It’s been decided. There’s no more disputing it. He’s the Beginning and the End. He’s “Before the Beginning” and “After the End.” He cannot be constrained by our time and space. He is outside of it. We can’t even comprehend it! His word is the only one that matters.
“He existed before anything was made, and now everything finds completion in him. He is the Head of his body, which is the church. And since he is the beginning and the firstborn heir in resurrection, he is the most exalted One, holding first place in everything. For God is satisfied to have all his fullness dwelling in Christ. And by the blood of his cross, everything in heaven and earth is brought back to himself—back to its original intent, restored to innocence again! (Col 1:17-20)
The Word: Revelation 1:8, Revelation 1:11, Revelation 21:6, Revelation 22:13
Prayer: Father, you are the root AND the descendant of David. Both are true. You are before and after everything I see. It’s beyond humbling to read Revelation and to see your power, your judgement. But also to see your heart - that you want to spend eternity with your children. There isn’t one person you created that you don’t want to spend forever with. Father turn our hearts back to you. Awaken souls by the power of your Spirit that we might know that You are the Beginning and the End. We were not an accident or a mistake. We were made for a purpose - to love you and to love others. Teach us how to love more like you everyday. Amen!
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All posts in this series:
what a beautiful name
By: hillsong worship
You were the Word at the beginning
One with God the Lord Most High
Your hidden glory in creation
Now revealed in You our Christ
What a beautiful Name it is
What a beautiful Name it is
The Name of Jesus Christ my King
What a beautiful Name it is
Nothing compares to this
What a beautiful Name it is
The Name of Jesus
You didn’t want heaven without us
So Jesus You brought heaven down
My sin was great Your love was greater
What could separate us now
What a wonderful Name it is
The Name of Jesus Christ my King
What a wonderful Name it is
Nothing compares to this
What a wonderful Name it is
The Name of Jesus
What a wonderful Name it is
The Name of Jesus
Death could not hold You
The veil tore before You
You silence the boast of sin and grave
The heavens are roaring
The praise of Your glory
For You are raised to life again
You have no rival
You have no equal
Now and forever God You reign
Yours is the kingdom
Yours is the glory
Yours is the Name above all names
What a powerful Name it is
What a powerful Name it is
The Name of Jesus Christ my King
What a powerful Name it is
Nothing can stand against
What a powerful Name it is
The Name of Jesus
I’m so glad you’re here, friend. I’m not sure how you found this post, but I continue to be amazed by the internets. It brings us together in such beautiful ways and reminds us that we’re more alike than different. More united than divided. Whether you spend a minute or an hour on this page, know that Jesus loves you like crazy. Like CRAZY. I’d love to hear how I can pray for you. Would you let me know here?
