Drought, a prolonged period of insufficient rainfall, is a recurring theme in the Bible, often depicted as a divine instrument of judgment or a call to repentance. The Scriptures provide numerous accounts and teachings related to drought, emphasizing its spiritual significance and the human response to such trials.

Divine Judgment and Warning

Drought is frequently portrayed as a consequence of disobedience to God's commandments. In Deuteronomy 28:23-24, the Lord warns the Israelites of the repercussions of turning away from His statutes: "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." This passage underscores the connection between covenant faithfulness and the blessing of rain.

Similarly, in 1 Kings 17:1, the prophet Elijah declares a drought upon Israel as a direct result of 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, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.'" This event highlights the role of prophets in communicating God's judgment and the power of prayer in ending the drought, as seen in 1 Kings 18:41-45.

Call to Repentance

Drought serves as a catalyst for repentance and turning back to God. In 2 Chronicles 7:13-14, the Lord speaks to Solomon, saying, "If I shut the sky so there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send a plague among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land." This passage emphasizes the conditional nature of divine intervention based on the people's response.

The prophet Joel also calls for repentance in the face of drought and other calamities. Joel 1:12-14 describes the desolation caused by drought and urges the people to "declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly. Summon the elders and all who live in the land to the house of the LORD your God, and cry out to the LORD."

God's Sovereignty and Provision

Despite the severity of drought, the Bible affirms God's sovereignty and His ability to provide for His people. In Psalm 65:9-10, the psalmist praises God for His provision: "You attend to the earth and water it; with abundance You enrich it. The streams of God are full of water, for You prepare our grain by providing for the earth. You soak its furrows and level its ridges; You soften it with showers and bless its growth."

The account of Joseph in Genesis 41 illustrates God's providence during a time of famine, which often accompanies drought. Through divine revelation, Joseph interprets Pharaoh's dreams and implements a plan to store grain, ensuring the survival of Egypt and surrounding nations.

Faith and Trust in God

Believers are encouraged to trust in God's faithfulness during times of drought. In Habakkuk 3:17-18, the prophet expresses unwavering faith despite adverse conditions: "Though the fig tree does not bud and no fruit is on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though the sheep are cut off from the fold and no cattle are in the stalls, yet I will exult in the LORD; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation!"

The Bible's teachings on drought remind believers of the importance of obedience, repentance, and trust in God's provision, even in the face of natural adversities.Genesis 31:40
Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from my eyes.
Nave's Topical Index

1 Kings 17:18
And she said to Elijah, What have I to do with you, O you man of God? are you come to me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?
Nave's Topical Index

Jeremiah 14:1-6
The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah concerning the dearth.
Nave's Topical Index

From the Close of the General Conference of 1828 to the Beginning ...
... attack upon our doctrine, discipline, and general economy, which ... translated in the
sacred Scriptures, to foreordain ... in what is written concerning the Sodomites ...
/.../chapter 10 from the close.htm

Want of Universality in the Knowledge and Reception of ...
... face of the globe scorched by drought or even a ... The general character of the works
of nature is ... affected by the impression which the Scriptures themselves make ...
/.../paley/evidences of christianity/chapter vi want of universality.htm

Acacius, Bishop of C??sarea, Dictates a New Form of Creed in the ...
... he did not state that it was the drought of a ... as expressions which are not found
in the Scriptures; but we ... places in the assembly, that in a general council a ...
/.../chapter xl acacius bishop of caesarea.htm

The World, Created by God, Still Cherished and Protected by Him. ...
... one time, excessive heat, combined with drought, burns up ... Ps.146:9), extols the general
providence of ... Scriptures moreover, the better to show that every thing ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 16 the world created.htm

The Great Shepherd
... attended his flocks himself, in the drought by day ... solid and extensive knowledge
of the Scriptures; and the ... the day of that solemn and general visitation, when ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/newton/messiah vol 1/sermon xiii the great shepherd.htm

Spoken in Antioch in the Old Church, as it was Called...
... of each one will bring some general and intolerable ... full of such examples, and the
Scriptures abound with ... they were thirsty and wearied with drought, and found ...
/.../chrysostom/on the priesthood/homily ii spoken in antioch.htm

Sozomen as Author.
... a man intimately acquainted with Sacred Scriptures and the ... which is correct enough
as a general principle; but ... the inundations of the Nile; the drought and the ...
/.../sozomen/the ecclesiastical history of sozomenus/part ii sozomen as author.htm

Instructions to Converts.
... warrant keeping persons back, that no general rules can ... points, the divine authority
of the scriptures, the necessity ... it is only in seasons of drought that you ...
/.../lectures on revivals of religion/lecture xix instructions to converts.htm

1 Cor. xv. 11
... are produced, and repugnant to the Scriptures, when one ... A drought once overtook our
city, and all were trembling ... and its effects, than to the general result of ...
/.../homilies on the epistles of paul to the corinthians/homily xxxix 1 cor xv.htm

Acts II
... land should be desolated by locusts, insects, and drought. ... is rejected by the Protestant
sects in general. ... in the inspiration of the Old Testament scriptures. ...
/.../mcgarvey/a commentary on acts of the apostles/acts ii.htm

What is the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal? | GotQuestions.org

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Drought: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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