Jan 24, 2020

Plagues: Their Cause, Purpose And Remedy

A lesson of how God deals with people and nations.

A lot can be learned about how God deals with nations, believers and nonbelievers by studying how he dealt with them in the Bible, and what would trigger a plague.

The first mention of a plague, in the Bible, is the result of Abram's lie to Pharaoh that his beautiful wife, Sarai, was his sister. He was afraid if Pharaoh knew she was his wife, Pharaoh, being all powerful, would kill him for her.  So Pharaoh took Sarai for himself ... and God slammed his entire house with a plague.   It is very revealing , of God's ways, that He did not punish Abram for lying to protect his life, but hammered Pharaoh's whole house and family for kidnapping, and who knows what else, with Sarai.  The scales are not balanced here. God does not deal with the lost world in the same way He deals with His people.

God will plague an unbelieving King or a nation for abuse of his imperfect but believing people.

God sometimes spares believer's homes from the plagues He puts upon their nation. Exodus 12:13.

God gave His people 113 verses of methods and rules for dealing with plagues in Leviticus 13. 

God sometimes plagues His own people because of their sins and disobedience.  In the case below He warned them of  the consequences of going back to their sins and disobedience after His deliverance of them.            

"And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins." Leviticus 26:21.

Strangely, in spite of the pain and loss of their plague experience, again they would backslide into sins and disobedience. Its recorded in Num.11:33, 14:37 and 16:46-47.  But it seems that every time a plague came upon God's people, He raised up a man of obedience who would make a symbolic "atonement" mirroring the power of their coming Messiah's perfect atonement for sin, and the plague would be removed.


"And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people. And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed." Num.16:47-48.

Throughout the Old Testament, when God's people ... or their enemies reached a point of wickedness so perverse that God was no longer willing to show them grace, but judgment, He sent another plague. These plagues would last until, as in the case of Moses and Aaron above, and later of David, a man stood up with God between the dead and the living and made that reflection of Christ's atonement for the peoples wickedness.
"And David built there an altar unto the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the Lord was intreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel." 2 Sam.24:25.
Then the final and fulfillment of those atonement types, templates and patterns, came down from heaven to earth to save and deliver God's imperfect people from their sins, plagues, and consequences of their disobedience. Then came Jesus and made the perfect atonement for our sin and its consequences. Then came Jesus and stood between the dead and the living and gave himself the atonement for our sin.

"And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight." Luke 7:21.

"And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement." Rom.5:11.

Now, in the end of days, as recorded in the Revelation, unshackled plagues are revealed, as determined by God, upon unshackled and unspeakable sin upon earth, just prior to and during the Tribulation Period called Jacob's trouble.  The Tribulation will turn the Jews to Christ, their Messiah. That is its purpose.

"Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be saved out of it."  Jeremiah 30:7


"And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.  In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon." Jer. 12:10-11.
The beginning of a cascade of plagues ... Rev.9:20, 11:6, 15:1, 15:6.

Today's example begins in China...
but where does it end? 


https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-7923913/Shanghai-Disney-closed-Saturday-help-prevent-spread-virus.html


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