My Duty During a Plague

With the spread of COVID-19, my mind goes to plagues I have read about in the Bible. There are several and I encourage you, dear reader, to study them out. For the sake of time, I want to just focus on three; the plagues upon Egypt, the plague after Korah was dealt with, and the plague after King David numbered the people. 

The Plagues upon Egypt
If my memory serves me right, the book of Exodus points out that the Israelites experience the first three plagues along with the Egyptians. There is no distinction that Israel didn't suffer the water turned to blood, the frogs, and lice plagues. God does clearly state that Israel did not suffer the 4th plague and those that followed. So why? Why did Israel have to endure those 1st three plagues? I know that the plagues attacked the false gods the Egyptians worshiped. Had Israel after living there 400 years fallen into worshipping these false gods too and the LORD was correcting His people? Or was it just life. The LORD makes it rain on the just and the unjust the Bible says. 

As a Christian, I need to examine my heart. Have I been worshiping false gods? Maybe not directly, but indirectly. What have I been putting before God?  He is a jealous God. 2 Chronicles 7:13-14 says "If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." Notice it was God's people who were admonished to humble themselves and turn from their wicked ways. It is a good thing for us Christians, so named called after Christ, to humble ourselves, look within our hearts, and turn away from our wicked ways. So one of my duties during a plague is to examine my life for sinful ways and then stop continuing in them. 

The Plague of Numbers 16: When Israel murmured after Korah was dealt with (14,700 souls died)
The people disagreed with how God had handled the situation with Korah and their anger was turned against Moses and Aaron. God's wrath is kindled. Moses instructs Aaron to quickly take a censure with fire from the altar and put on incense. Then to quickly go stand among the people making atonement for them. Aaron obeys and runs to the people. He stands between the living and the dead and the plague is stayed. Incense is often a symbol of prayer. Interestingly, Moses and Aaron had both been on their faces before God about the people who were seeking them harm. They pleaded for the lives of these stiff-necked and rebellious people many times. Our own country and world is not innocent; sin and rebellion to God is rampant. It is my duty during a plague to passionately intercede for the people, to pray and seek God on their behalf. 

The Plague of 1 Chronicles 21:When King David numbered the people (70,000 souls died)
A census wasn't the sin, it was King David's pride and selfish motives behind it. Interesting to me is that the LORD let him pick his consequence: three years famine, 3 months destroyed by their enemies, or three days of the sword of the LORD in the land. David chooses the sword of the LORD which is a pestilence. David said "...let me fall now into the hand of the Lord; for very great are his mercies.." Oh, yes, the LORD is very merciful. Exodus 34:6-7 tells us "And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin..." Lamentations 3:22-23 "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness." King David very well knew the mercy of God, and so he would prefer a plague used as an instrument of God over falling into the hands of his enemy. Another interesting fact in this passage is King David and another man named Ornan see the angel of the LORD with his sword drawn stretched over the city of Jerusalem. What a fearful sight! Yet King David had hope in the LORD's mercy. He saw the plague as more merciful than the other choices and trusted in the LORD's mercy upon his kingdom. It is my duty during a plague to remember God's mercy and hope in His mercy. 

As it is with scripture there are many truths we can glean from these passages and many ways to apply them to our lives. But I see my duty during a plague is to examine my own heart and turn away from any sins I know of, to passionately intercede for others, and to remember and hope in God's mercy. 

Chronicles 7:14 says "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."