Definition and Significance:
In the Bible, the lack of rain is often depicted as a divine response to the spiritual and moral state of the people. It serves as a tool for discipline, a call to repentance, and a reminder of humanity's dependence on God for sustenance and life. The absence of rain can lead to drought, famine, and hardship, emphasizing the need for obedience and faithfulness to God's commandments.

Biblical Instances:

1. Covenantal Context:
In Deuteronomy 11:13-17, God promises rain as a blessing for obedience and warns of its withdrawal as a consequence of idolatry and disobedience:
"So if you carefully obey the commandments I am giving you today, to love the LORD your God and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, then I will provide rain for your land in season, the autumn and spring rains, that you may gather your grain, new wine, and oil. I will provide grass in the fields for your livestock, and you will eat and be satisfied. But be careful that you are not enticed to turn aside to worship and bow down to other gods, or the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you. He will shut the heavens so that there will be no rain, and the land will yield no produce, and you will quickly perish from the good land that the LORD is giving you."

2. Elijah and the Drought:
In 1 Kings 17:1, the prophet Elijah declares a drought as a direct judgment from God upon Israel due to the nation's idolatry under King Ahab:
"Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, 'As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.'"

3. Solomon's Prayer:
During the dedication of the temple, Solomon prays for God's mercy in times of drought, acknowledging the people's sin and seeking forgiveness and restoration:
"When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, and when they pray toward this place and give praise to Your name, and turn from their sin because You have afflicted them, then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants, Your people Israel. Teach them the right way to live, and send rain on the land You gave Your people for an inheritance." (2 Chronicles 6:26-27)

4. Prophetic Warnings:
The prophets often warned of drought as a consequence of Israel's unfaithfulness. Jeremiah 14:4-6 describes the dire conditions resulting from a lack of rain:
"The ground is cracked because no rain has fallen on the land. The farmers are ashamed; they cover their heads. Even the doe in the field deserts her newborn fawn because there is no grass. Wild donkeys stand on barren heights; they pant for air like jackals; their eyes fail for lack of pasture."

Theological Implications:

· Divine Sovereignty:
The control of rain is a demonstration of God's sovereignty over creation. It underscores His authority to bless or withhold blessings based on the covenant relationship with His people.

· Call to Repentance:
The lack of rain serves as a call to repentance, urging the people to return to God and seek His forgiveness. It is a tangible reminder of the spiritual drought that accompanies disobedience.

· Dependence on God:
The reliance on rain for agricultural success highlights humanity's dependence on God for provision. It is a reminder that all blessings come from Him and that He is the ultimate source of life and sustenance.

Practical Application:

· Faithfulness and Obedience:
Believers are encouraged to remain faithful and obedient to God's commandments, recognizing that spiritual and physical blessings are intertwined.

· Prayer and Intercession:
In times of physical or spiritual drought, prayer and intercession are vital. Believers are called to seek God's face, confess their sins, and ask for His mercy and provision.

· Trust in God's Provision:
Even in times of scarcity, believers are reminded to trust in God's provision and faithfulness, knowing that He is able to restore and bless abundantly.Amos 4:7
And also I have withheld the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain on one city, and caused it not to rain on another city: one piece was rained on, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered.
Topicalbible.org

The Voice of Stern Rebuke
... During the wilderness wandering, God had assured them that He was guiding them
to a country where they need never suffer for lack of rain. ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 10 the voice of.htm

A Portrait Gallery
... Do the crops seem to fail for lack of rain, and the farmers, anxious and
worried, speak of the famine confronting them, and him? ...
/.../the fulfilment of a dream of pastor hsis/chapter vii a portrait gallery.htm

Answers to Prayer.
... So generously were these supplied that there was no lack. ... There was so little
rain during the hot months that things became dry and brittle. ...
/.../byrum/the value of a praying mother/chapter xviii answers to prayer.htm

Chapter xli
... two famines to be coincident, the one in Egypt, due to the failure of the annual
inundation of the Nile, the one throughout Syria, due to lack of rain, no doubt ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xli.htm

Interdenominational Readjustment
... the first drops of water on a placid lake at the beginning of a rain. ... The "union"
church usually begins with enthusiasm, but because of lack of outside contacts ...
/.../chapter viii interdenominational readjustment.htm

Smitten in Vain
... I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another ... Many a
man turns towards God, who, for lack of resolved perseverance, never so turns ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture a/smitten in vain.htm

The Coming Revival
... Let all who are burdened with the lack of spirituality, with the low state of the ...
the closet, with the door shut, that the sound of abundance of rain will be ...
/.../murray/the ministry of intercession/chapter xv the coming revival.htm

Joy and Peace in Believing
... our Lord tells us, He makes to 'fall on the unthankful and the evil.' His rain is
not ... is surging up its waves all round his closed domicile, so by lack of our ...
/.../romans corinthians to ii corinthians chap v/joy and peace in believing.htm

The Waterer Watered
... and draining the valleys are careful that the river shall know no lack, but shall
be ... The clouds of heaven when they are full of rain empty themselves upon the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/spurgeon/sermons on proverbs/the waterer watered.htm

Want of Universality in the Knowledge and Reception of ...
... globe scorched by drought or even a plant withering for the lack of moisture ... observation
which we have exemplified in the single instance of the rain of heaven ...
/.../paley/evidences of christianity/chapter vi want of universality.htm

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