Topical Bible: Dew: Absence of

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In the biblical context, the absence of dew is often associated with divine judgment, drought, and a call to repentance. Dew, a vital source of moisture in the arid regions of the Near East, is frequently mentioned in Scripture as a symbol of God's blessing and provision. Its absence, therefore, signifies a withdrawal of divine favor and a manifestation of God's displeasure.

One of the most notable instances of the absence of dew is found in the narrative of Elijah the prophet. In 1 Kings 17:1, Elijah declares to King 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." . This pronouncement of drought was a direct response to Israel's idolatry and the worship of Baal, a Canaanite deity associated with rain and fertility. The absence of dew and rain served as a powerful demonstration of the LORD's sovereignty over nature and a call for the nation to return to Him.

The absence of dew is also mentioned in the context of covenant curses. In Deuteronomy 28, Moses outlines the blessings for obedience and the curses for disobedience to God's commandments. Among the curses, it is stated, "The sky over your head will be bronze, and the earth beneath you iron. The LORD will turn the rain of your land into dust and powder; it will descend on you from the sky until you are destroyed." (Deuteronomy 28:23-24). The imagery of a sky like bronze and the absence of rain and dew underscores the severity of divine judgment upon a disobedient people.

In Haggai 1:10-11, the absence of dew is again linked to the people's neglect of God's house. The prophet Haggai conveys the LORD's message: "Therefore, because of you, the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth has withheld its crops. I have summoned a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the oil, and whatever the ground yields, on man and beast, and on all the labor of your hands." . Here, the absence of dew serves as a divine response to the people's misplaced priorities, urging them to rebuild the temple and honor God.

The absence of dew, therefore, is a recurring motif in Scripture that highlights the relationship between human behavior and divine response. It serves as a tangible reminder of the consequences of turning away from God and the urgent need for repentance and realignment with His will.

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1 Kings 17:1
And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.
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Library

Communion Again Broken --Restoration
... have been largely unconscious of her declination; self-occupied and self-contented,
she scarcely noticed His absence; she was ... For My head is filled with dew,. ...
/.../taylor/union and communion/section iv communion again brokenrestoration.htm

Date and Place.
... genius seems highly improbable; nor, were it not for its absence from the ... Water,
showers, dew, cold, frost, snow, [12] sea, rivers, fountains, all that move in ...
/.../daubney/the three additions to daniel a study/date and place.htm

What Messiah did the Jews Expect?
... [796] The consequences appeared not only in the political condition of Israel, but
in the land itself, in the absence of rain and dew, of fruitfulness and of ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter v what messiah did.htm

Israel Returning
... mine anger is turned away from Him.5. I will be as the dew unto Israel ... Mere negative
absence of 'evil' is not all that we should desire or exhibit; there must ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture a/israel returning.htm

Fresh Supplies of Power.
... wondrous One who is "alongside to help" will be by the atmosphere of His presence
to you and to me as the dew is to ... The absence of a spirit of loving sympathy. ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/gordon/quiet talks on power/fresh supplies of power.htm

Of the Loving Recollection of the Soul in Contemplation.
... the faithful, that having received the Divine Sacrament which contains the dew of
all ... they close and unite while the sun shines, but in its absence they spread ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/chapter vii of the loving.htm

His Public Life.
... MINISTRY. ABSENCE OF ALL OSTENTATION AND WORLDLY GREATNESS. ... life. He retained
the dew of his youth upon him: he never became an old man. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/schaff/the person of christ/his public life.htm

Over the Mountains. "My Beloved is Mine, and I am His: He Feedeth ...
... that now He will come to us in like fashion, like the dew which refreshes ... comfortably
conclude that He will draw near to us who mourn His absence so bitterly. ...
/.../spurgeon/till he come/over the mountains my beloved is.htm

Fruits of Recognized Union
... and come away; to tell her that His "head is filled with dew," His "locks ... Interesting
as is this thought, and well as it would explain the absence of reference ...
/.../taylor/union and communion/section v fruits of recognized.htm

Writings of Rufinus. Preface to the Commentary on the Benedictions ...
... from one so likeminded as yourself is a great refreshment, like the dew which revives ...
How can I gain any proficiency in a foreign tongue in the absence of him ...
/.../writings of rufinus preface to.htm