Where Do We See Plagues in the Bible?

Plagues can be seen and understood through two lenses, the noun and the verb. When defining the noun, the dictionary says, “a contagious disease that spreads rapidly and kills many people, an unusually large number of insects or animals infesting a place and causing damage; a thing causing trouble or irritation” and the verb’s definition is, “cause continual trouble or distress to; pester or harass (someone) continually.” When looking for plagues in the Bible then, it can be a disease, a swarm of pests like insects, or anything which causes continual distress or harm to a person or people group.

The first place people think of in the Bible when considering plagues is the ten plagues of Egypt. Moses, acting as a prophet, called on the Pharaoh of Egypt to let the Hebrew people go to the wilderness to worship their God, and he refused. God sent ten plagues, one for every time Pharaoh refused.

The ten plagues were:

1. The Nile River turned to blood

2. Frogs left the river and swarmed the land

3. Lice or gnats

4. Flies

5. Disease upon the livestock

6. Boils

7. Hail and fire

8. Locusts

9. Three days of darkness

10. Death of every firstborn

These plagues are indicative of the plagues that would reappear in the Bible. They are pests and disease, as well as supernatural catastrophic events. They followed the pattern of how they happen as well. A person or people group sinned against God, a prophet came to warn them of the consequences of their behavior, if they do not repent, the plague comes. 

Examples of plagues other than the ones in Egypt include:

- The prophet Amos prophesied a plague of locusts to destroy the crops (Amos 7)

- There were three years of famine after King Saul violated an ancient covenant of Israel with their neighbors the Gibeonites (1 Samuel and Joshua 9)

- There were seven years of famine during the days of Elisha the prophet to punish the people for their sins (2 Kings 8)

- God sent famine and wild beasts against Israel during the days of Ezekiel the prophet, as well as illness and war (Ezekiel 5)

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In the Old Testament particularly, the plagues were a way for God’s wrath to exact justice for sin. Often the plagues that fell upon Israel were because they turned away from God and began worshipping idols. This pattern occurred regularly over the course of the history of Israel.

One period that serves as a good example is after the reign of King Solomon, who married hundreds of foreign brides who did not want to give up their false gods. Many of the kings after Solomon allowed idol worship, leading to the plagues. God sometimes dealt with Gentiles in this way. Jonah was sent to Ninevah to call them to repent, or God would wipe them out – possibly by a plague – but they repented. The more supernatural plagues, like the hail and fire on Egypt or the destruction of Sodom and Gammorah in a similar fashion, served this purpose.

Of course, not every plague was an act of God. Sometimes they were the byproduct of natural systems. Tornados, hurricanes, famines, and infestations of pests happened all over the globe during Biblical times because the world is broken due to sin. “For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for the adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies” (Romans 8:22-23).

Unless specified, most plagues in both the Biblical days and today, such as the one that happened in Egypt during the days of Joseph, were the result of sin, rather than the wrath of God.

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It can be easy to point to the Old Testament, especially the plagues of Egypt in Exodus, and read into modern plagues. Is this country experiencing famine because of their sin? Has this disease taken away so many because God has turned His back on us? However, there is little evidence in the Bible to suggest that all plagues after the Resurrection play the same role as they did before.

In the Old Testament, plagues usually follow a pattern. A people group does something that offends God, a prophet warns them, they do not repent, and the plague happens. For centuries God had not sent a prophet to Israel before the birth of John the Baptist, and today He does not use prophets the way He did because He no longer acts out His justice and wrath; those are tempered after the death of Christ until the Tribulation. “Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and amazing, seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last for with them the wrath of God is finished” (Revelation 15:1).

Until the Tribulation, plagues will still happen, but as portents of the wrath to come. Jesus spoke of this in the Olivet Discourse, as recorded at the end of Matthew, “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains” (Matthew 24:6-9). The wrath of God is temporarily stayed while people are given time to turn to Jesus for grace and forgiveness. In the meantime, war and plague will remind the world of its sin, and to turn to the Lord.

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When confronted with the devastation after a disaster, it can be difficult to reconcile the idea of a loving God with the suffering. God seems far away and invisible, and the pain and hurt is visible and tangible. One of the hardest lessons to learn in life is that there is a lot of pain that does not make sense on this side of eternity, but God is still good, and loves humanity.

There are many verses that remind people that the Lord is good, steadfast, loving, and merciful. One verse in Psalms says, “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” (Psalm 34:8). Because God granted people free will, and did not just end the world when sin entered it, there will be plagues and other disasters - the birth pains. 

However, He wants to be there to comfort and love those who are hurting. The third person of the Trinity is even called the Comforter. While there is suffering in this world, God wants to show His love by comforting and strengthening people.

One day there will be no more suffering, no more crying, no more death, and no more plagues for those who love the Lord. In Heaven, there will be perfect peace, an eternity in the presence of God. In this world, plagues will continue to leave havoc and pain, though they are no longer a specific indication of God’s wrath. When they happen, calling out to God and taking refuge in His love gives the strength to bear the pain. Seek the Lord in the hard times, because one day, there will be joy forever.

Sources

Dictionary.com 

Schnittjer, Gary Edward. The Torah Story. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006.

Wilmington, H.L. Wilmington’s Guide to the Bible. Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, 1981.

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