PART 1: Pestilence as a sign of God’s judgment on a nation or a group of people
We face many calamities/diseases/pandemic ( presently Covid-19) in our life. The normal tendency of human is to figure out why this calamities are coming in our life. In Bible, we have seen many instances which shows that plague/calamities/war had happened with Israel, the chosen people of God. It is very important that we get refined every time we face such situation. Instead of pondering why this has happened to me, we should learn from this putting our faith on God.
There are 3 reasons why calamities/pestilence come in our life
- Pestilence as a sign of God’s judgment on a nation or a group of people
- Pestilence to accomplish God’s righteous purposes on earth
- Pestilence as a sign that described the end times
In this article, we are going to learn what we should not do or do to keep ourselves out of this calamities/pestilence. This article is divided into 3 parts:
PART 1: Pestilence as a sign of God’s judgment on a nation or a group of people
We will look into various condition presented to us to learn from it.
A )Noah and the flood(Genesis 6)
CAUSE: Earth was filled with wickedness
JUDGEMENT : Flood
CASUALTIES : The whole earth other than Noah and his family and animals in the ark was destroyed.
- Fallen angel who rebelled against God from heaven took women as wives.Adultery between unlike species. (Genesis 6:2)
- Wickedness of man was great and every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually (Genesis 6:5)
- All flesh had corrupted their way on the earth (Genesis 6:11)
- Violence was filled on earth (Genesis 6:11)
We learn the following lessons from the flood that came at Noah’s time
- Do not commit adultery (Matt 5:27-28)
Jesus raised the bar of committing adultery in New Testament and commanded not to even look at a women with lustful desires
2. Let your thoughts be noble, right ,pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy. (Phil 4:8)
When apostle Paul writes to the saints in Philippi , he asks them to meditate on these things.Character and conduct begin in the mind. Our actions are affected by the things we dwell on in our thoughts.
3. Put off your former corrupt conduct (Eph 4:22-24)
When apostle Paul writes to the saints in Ephesus, he asks them to put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
4. Do not commit violence . Whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also (Matt 5: 38,39)
Old testament had the law of retaliation to protect the offender from punishment harsher than his offense committed. Jesus forbids revenge at all instead teaches us to show good against evil.
B) David’s sinful census (2 Samuel 24)
CAUSE : David pridefully considered Israel belonged to him .
JUDGEMENT: Plague
CASUALTIES: 70, 000 men
- As God’s belongings, David did not collected ransom from the children of Israel.
In those times as commanded by Moses , a man only had the right to count or number what belonged to him (Exodus 30:12). Israel did not belong to David; Israel belonged to God.If David counted he should receive a ransom to “atone” for the counting from each person.
- David pridefully considered numbers of men as his strength momentarily.
The issue for David and for Israel had never been how many fighting men there were. The strength was not in numbers, but in the Lord who went into battle with them.
1. God is sovereign over all. (Colossians 1:16-18)
All things were created in heaven and earth by God.All things were created through Him and for Him. Never consider the growth that you see in your life as your belonging. All things are given to men by God.
2. Man should not act prideful so as to display that he controls world and can achieve all. (James 4:14)
Our strength is in God alone as our life is like a vapour. We do not even know what will happen tomorrow. In this age, human being should not think to dominate the creation of God by intelligence and technology
C) Rebellion Against Moses and Aaron (Numbers 16)
CAUSE : Korah , Dathan and Abiram along with 250 leaders dishonored Aaron and Moses’ leadership and later the whole congregation of Israel
JUDGEMENT: Earth opened up and swallowed, consuming fire and then Plague
CASUALTIES: Family of Korah , Dathan and Abiram died- Earth opened up and swallowed.
250 leaders burning incense died- Consuming fire.
14, 700 died- Plague
- Dishonor of God’s appointed (Numbers 16: 3)
God divinely appointed Moses as the political leader and Aaron and his descendants as the worship leader superior to the Levities.
Korah was against Aaron and Dathan & Abiram against Moses. It is a religious as well as a civil rebellion. They considered that all the congregation was holy and Lord was among them and there was no need for Moses and Aaron to exalt above the assembly of God.
- All the 250 leader who offered unworthy incense were burned alive.(Numbers 16: 35)
The 250 leaders who were burning censers were considered profane. They did not understand te significance of the ministry of burning incense. The bronze censers used were hammered out as a covering on the altar.
1.Honor God’s anointed (Psalm 105:15)
We should not stand against God’s anointed. The ministry performed by the God’s anointed should not be taken lightly. When we rebel against the Lord’s appointed leaders, we rebel against the divine authority.
2. Be a vessel ready to lead people to the atonement made by Jesus.
Atonement refers to the needed reconciliation between sinful mankind and the holy God. This reconciliation is possible through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, as expressed in Romans 3:25, Romans 5:11, and Romans 5:19.
When Aaron took the censer and put fire in it from the altar, put incense on it and took it in the midst of congregation and made atonement, the plague stopped. The Lord honored the legitimate offering of Aaron in contrast to those He destroyed earlier who had offered unauthorized incense.
D) Israel was joined to Baal of Peor (Numbers 25)
CAUSE : Israel was joined to Baal of Peor
JUDGEMENT: Plague
CASUALTIES: 24, 000 died
- Israel was joined into idol worship ( Numbers 25:1-3)
Now Israel began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab. They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. As per the second commandment, Israelites were commanded not to make any graven images nor to bow down before them.
1. Do not allow anything to be idol in your life to steal God’s place. Do not be lovers of yourselves (2 Timothy 3:1-2)
Anything that takes the place of God in your life is idolatry. Christ reigns over all and until you realize that you will be running around searching for things that will never complete you. 2 Timothy 3:1-2 tells us that, “In the last days terrible times will come. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy.”
So to summarize, we learn that at times God brings pestilence in our life as a punishment of our sins. From, the above instances from the Bible we learn that:
- Do not commit adultery (Matt 5:27-28
- Let your thoughts be noble, right ,pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy.(Phil 4:8)
- Put off your former corrupt conduct (Eph 4:22-24)
- Do not commit violence . Whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also (Matt 5: 38,39)
- God is sovereign over all. (Colossians 1:16-18)
- Man should not act prideful so as to display that he controls world and can achieve all. (James 4:14)
- Honor God’s anointed (Psalm 105:15)
- Be a vessel ready to lead people to the atonement made by Jesus (Romans 5:11)
- Do not allow anything to be idol in your life to steal God’s place. Do not be lovers of yourselves (2 Timothy 3:1-2)
As true believers of Christ, we should check that we are leading a right life with God. We should repent and make our path straight with God.
We have learned from,
PART 1: Pestilence as a sign of God’s judgment on a nation or a group of people
We are going to see more about,
WHY DO PESTILENCE COME IN OUR LIFE ?
PART 2 : Pestilence to accomplish God’s righteous purposes on earth
PART 3 : Pestilence as a sign that described the end times
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