“…for I am the LORD, your healer.”
(Exodus 15:26)
You and I suffer from a fatal disease—one we inherited from our first parents, Adam and Eve. We were born under the curse of the law, guilty before a holy God, separated from Christ, and utterly without hope (Eph. 2:12). Sin corrupts every faculty of our being; it darkens our understanding, pollutes our affections, and makes us spiritually dead.
And yet, long before we were ever born with this disease, God provided the cure.
Before the world was formed—before Adam ever breathed his first—God had already ordained the means of our redemption (Rev. 13:8, Acts 2:23). In His infinite wisdom and mercy, He provided the only remedy that could heal our sin-sick souls. He gave His only Son, His prized Lamb, to be handed over to wicked men to be slaughtered, to bear the weight of divine wrath, that sinners might be redeemed (John 1:29, Acts 2:23).
The shedding of innocent blood has always been God’s appointed means of atonement.
When Adam and Eve rebelled, their sin left them exposed—naked not only before one another, but before the all-seeing eyes of God. In their shame, they fashioned fig leaves to cover themselves (Gen. 3:7), but their man-made attempt to deal with guilt was wholly inadequate because no amount of self-righteousness can ever cover sin.
So God, in His mercy, did for them what they could not do for themselves.
He provided a covering—not with leaves, but with the skins of an innocent animal (Gen. 3:21). Blood was shed that day when death entered the world, not by the stroke of divine justice against the sinners but by the death of a substitute—a true foreshadowing of what was to come.
Francis Roberts said rightly, “In the valuable virtue of Christ’s death, it extended and reached backward towards the foundation of the world.”[1]
This is the gospel in its earliest form—a merciful God covering the naked sinner with the righteousness of Christ, which is to say the skin of the perfect Lamb whose innocent blood was shed for our redemption (John 1:29, Gal. 3:13, 2 Cor. 5:21).
Under the Old Covenant, the blood of animals provided only temporary forgiveness. The sacrifices had to be repeated both daily for some sins and yearly for others, because no lamb, no bull, no goat could ever fully remove sin. These were but shadows of a greater sacrifice, a greater priest, a greater atonement to come (Heb. 9-10).
But when the blood of God’s own perfect Lamb is applied to our hearts, we are healed once and for all. Our sins are washed away and our guilt is forever removed. Therefore, when we stand before God on the Last Day, we will not be found naked and ashamed; rather, we will be clothed in the perfect righteousness of Christ.
This is why we adore God now, and why we will adore Him for all eternity—for the wounds of Christ, for the blood of the Lamb, and for the sacrifice that procured our peace.
“But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5)
Contemplations:
- The Fatal Disease of Sin. Lord, do I truly see my sin for what it is? It is not a mere weakness or slight imperfection—it is a fatal disease, a sickness that has left me spiritually dead in trespasses and sins. Do I mourn over my sin as I should? Or have I grown dull to its horror? Let me never treat lightly what cost Christ so much.
- The Only Remedy for My Soul. Father, if I stood before You in my own righteousness, I would be utterly consumed. My best efforts to cover my sin are as worthless as Adam’s fig leaves. But have I truly cast aside my self-righteousness? Do I wholly rest in Christ alone as my righteousness? Let me be found trusting solely in Him.
- The Innocent Blood That Covers Me. Jesus, Your stripes have healed me, Your wounds have brought me peace, Your blood has washed me clean. Strengthen my faith, that I may never doubt the completeness of Your sacrifice.
- The Reverence of Redemption. The blood of bulls and goats could never fully remove sin, but You have done it once for all. Never let me take for granted the cost of my salvation, Lord, that I may be ever grateful for the price you paid for me.
- The Promise of Eternal Healing. Father, when I stand before You on the Last Day, I do not want to be found naked and ashamed. I long to be clothed in Christ’s righteousness. But am I preparing my soul for that day by setting my affections on things above? Help me fix my eyes on eternity, that I may walk in holiness now.
Prayer:
O Lord, my Healer, my Redeemer, my Atonement—I come before You in awe and wonder at the grace that covers me. If You had not provided a sacrifice for my sins, I would be forever lost, condemned, without hope. Yet before the foundation of the world, You had already ordained the cure. You gave Your only Son to be crushed in my place, that I might be restored to You.
I confess, Lord, that my heart is slow to grasp the horror of my sin. Too often I minimize its weight, failing to see how desperately sick I am apart from Christ. Forgive me for my blindness. Open my eyes, that I may see my sin rightly—not to despair, but to flee to Christ all the more.
I thank You, Father, that You did not leave me in my shame. Like Adam, I tried to cover myself with the rags of self-righteousness. Like Israel, I sought cleansing through empty works. But You stripped away my worthless coverings and clothed me in Christ’s righteousness. Now I stand before You, not in my sin, but in His holiness. What mercy! What grace!
Lord Jesus, You were wounded for my transgressions. You bore the wrath that should have fallen on me. The punishment that brought me peace fell upon You. How can I ever thank You? Help me live a life that reflects the price of my redemption so that I don’t take for granted Your blood that was shed. I pray that my life be marked by gratitude, reverence, and obedience.
O Spirit of God, keep these truths ever before me. Let me daily adore the Lamb who was slain. Let me walk in holiness and fear, knowing that I have been bought with a price. And let me long for the day when I will stand before the throne, fully healed, fully glorified, worshiping the One who bore my stripes that I might be made whole.
In the name of my Great High Priest, Jesus Christ,
Amen.
Further References for Exodus 15:26:
Isa. 53:5; 1 Pet. 2:24; Rev. 13:8; Acts 2:23; John 1:29; Gal. 3:13; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 9-10.
[1] Francis Roberts, Mysterium & Medulla Bibliorum the Mysterie and Marrow of the Bible, (London: R.W. for George Calvert, 1657), 562.
