Covenant Names
Covenant Names
By: tomvermillion.com, Categories: faith,healing,Names of God, Comments Off on Covenant Names

The names of God as they are revealed in scripture are always incredibly significant and find expression under both covenants. He is not “the God who provides” under one covenant and then “the God who no longer provides” under another. The reason is that these names reveal not just what God does but more importantly who he is. They simply reveal what he consistently does as an expression of his divine nature.

 

In his book, Christ the Healer, F.F. Bosworth makes a great point regarding healing and the name of God. He first lists the names and then makes a point about healing under the new covenant. I will try to summarize what he said.

 

The following are the seven redemptive names of God which includes the entire Trinity:

 

  • JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH is translated “The LORD is there,” or present, revealing to us the redemptive privilege of enjoying His presence. He says, “Lo, I am with you always.” That this blessing is provided by the sacrifice of Christ is proven by the fact that we are “brought near by the blood of Christ” and that his actual presence lives in us.
  • JEHOVAH-SHALOM is translated “The LORD our Peace” and reveals to us the redemptive privilege of having His peace. Accordingly Jesus says, “My peace I give unto you.” This blessing is in the sacrifice because “the chastisement of our peace was upon him” when He “made peace through the blood of his cross.”
  • JEHOVAH-RA-AH is translated “The LORD is my Shepherd.” He became our shepherd by giving “his life for the sheep,” therefore this privilege is a redemptive privilege, purchased by his sacrifice. The Good Shepherd laid down his life for his sheep and we hear his voice.
  • JEHOVAH-JIREH means “The LORD will provide” an offering, and Christ was the offering provided for our complete redemption. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
  • JEHOVAH-NISSI means “The LORD is our Banner,” or “Victor,” or “Captain.” It was when, by the cross, Christ triumphed over principalities and powers that He provided for us, through his death and resurrection. By his sacrifice, we have become more than conquerors.
  • JEHOV AH-TSIDKENU is translated “The LORD our Righteousness.” He becomes our righteousness by bearing our sins on the Cross. Therefore, our redemptive privilege of receiving “the gift of righteousness” is an atonement blessing. Jesus became sin that we might become the righteousness of God.

 

No one would deny that God has done these things for us under the New Covenant because Jesus paid the price for each of these things and reconciled us to God by his blood. As a Father, he is glad to be these things to us and do these things for us because we are sons and daughters in his house. We would also say that God is always pleased to be our provider, our banner, our shepherd, our peace and so forth and that the only thing that would stand between us and those blessings would be our own sin or unbelief. But what about healing?

 

JEHOVAH-RAPHA is translated “I am the LORD thy Physician,” or “I am the LORD that healeth thee.” This name is given to reveal to us our redemptive privilege of being healed. This privilege is purchased by Christ’s sacrifice. Bosworth says, “ The redemptive chapter of Isaiah declares, “Surely he hath borne our sicknesses and carried our pains.” … The fact is, that the very first covenant God gave after the passage of the Red Sea, which was so distinctively typical of our redemption, was the covenant of healing. It was at this time that God revealed Himself as our Physician, by the first redemptive and covenant name, Jehovah-Rapha, “I am the LORD that healeth thee.” This is not only a promise, it is “a statute and an ordinance.” And so, corresponding to this ancient ordinance, we have, in the command of James 5:14, a positive ordinance of healing in Christ’s name. This is as sacred and binding on every church today as the ordinances of the Lord’s Supper and Christian baptism. Jehovah-Rapha is one of His redemptive names, sealing the covenant of healing.” Christ, could no more abandon his office as Healer and escape his nature as he could escape being our shepherd, our peace, our victory, or our provider.

 

The point is simply this. Healing is part of every believer’s birthright and should be expected because it is a reflection of the heart of the Father and of Jesus. It has been paid for and when we deny that God heals today as he did in “Bible times,” then we leave on the table much of what Jesus suffered to purchase for us. In that sense, we devalue his sacrifice. Our faith and expectation for healing today honors his sacrifice and his heart. If you are an athlete you want to compete. If you are a teacher you want to teach. If you are a singer you want to sing. If you are a healer you want to heal. Jesus is a healer. Ask and expect because healing belongs to you.