The Power of Letters Part 2

Yesterday, we examined the power of Hebrew letters. We saw that each letter is both a number and a picture. Today, we will look at a Hebrew word for healing. Isaiah 53:5says: But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with his stripes we are healed. (RSV) The Hebrew word for "healed" is rapha. It is composed of the following letters: Reyesh, Alef, and Pey. The total number for rapha is 39. It is believed that the number of stripes inflicted by the Roman guards prior to crucifying their victim was also 39. We see the link between Yeshua's suffering and divine healing. I Peter 2:24 says: He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. (RSV) Some will argue that the verse in Peter refers to spiritual healing. I suggest that God desires us to be completely well. He desires our inner person to praise and worship Him; He also desires that our physical bodies be an instrument of that praise and worship.

The study of Hebrew opens the Scriptures to new heights. From Isaiah we can see that rapha is connected to the number 39 which is the number of stripes inflicted by the Roman soldiers. Rapha is "a verb meaning to heal, to make fresh. It describes the process of healing, being restored to health, made healthy, usable." Yeshua has paid the price by His stripes to enable us to be fresh and usable. It is difficult to be usable when one is ill. Healing is in the atonement, just like salvation. Sometimes that healing comes through our faith, through the faith of others, or doctors. The main point is that healing has been provided for by the stripes of Yeshua.

If you find yourself in need of healing, go the Father in the name of Yeshua, and stand on Isaiah 53:5 and 1 Peter 2:24. Read the Scriptures out loud. You need to hear them. As you do, faith will grow because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Remember that letters make up words and words have power.