The term "ravages" refers to the destructive effects or severe damage caused by various forces, whether natural, human, or spiritual. In the biblical context, ravages often depict the consequences of sin, divine judgment, or the actions of enemies against God's people. The Bible provides numerous instances where the ravages of war, sin, and divine retribution are evident, serving as both historical accounts and moral lessons.

Ravages of War

The Old Testament frequently recounts the ravages of war experienced by the Israelites and their neighbors. The conquest of Canaan, as described in the Book of Joshua, involved the Israelites executing God's judgment on the Canaanite nations, resulting in widespread destruction. Joshua 11:20 states, "For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts to engage Israel in battle, so that they would be completely destroyed without mercy and be annihilated, as the LORD had commanded Moses."

The ravages of war are also evident in the repeated invasions and attacks on Israel and Judah by foreign powers. The Assyrian conquest of the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem are prime examples. In 2 Kings 17:6 , the fall of Samaria is described: "In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported the Israelites to Assyria." Similarly, the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem led to the city's destruction and the exile of its people, as recorded in 2 Kings 25:9-10 : "He burned down the house of the LORD, the royal palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem—every significant building. And the whole army of the Chaldeans under the commander of the guard broke down the walls around Jerusalem."

Ravages of Sin

The Bible also speaks of the ravages of sin, which bring spiritual and physical destruction. The account of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19 illustrates the severe consequences of rampant sinfulness. Genesis 19:24-25 recounts, "Then the LORD rained down sulfur and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the LORD out of the heavens. Thus He overthrew those cities and the entire plain, including all the inhabitants of the cities and everything that grew on the ground."

The Book of Judges provides another example, where the cycle of sin, oppression, and deliverance highlights the destructive power of turning away from God. Judges 2:14 states, "Then the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He handed them over to raiders who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist."

Ravages of Divine Judgment

The prophetic books often describe the ravages of divine judgment as a response to the unfaithfulness of God's people. The prophet Joel speaks of a locust plague as a symbol of impending judgment, urging repentance. Joel 1:4 describes the devastation: "What the devouring locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten; what the swarming locust has left, the young locust has eaten; and what the young locust has left, the destroying locust has eaten."

Similarly, the Book of Revelation portrays the ultimate ravages of divine judgment upon a sinful world. Revelation 6:8 describes one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: "Then I looked and saw a pale horse. Its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed close behind. They were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill by sword, by famine, by plague, and by the beasts of the earth."

Ravages and Restoration

Despite the ravages depicted throughout Scripture, the Bible also emphasizes God's power to restore and redeem. The promise of restoration is a recurring theme, offering hope amidst destruction. Isaiah 61:4 speaks of this restoration: "They will rebuild the ancient ruins; they will restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations."

The ultimate restoration is found in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, who conquers sin and death, offering eternal life to all who believe. Through Christ, the ravages of sin are overcome, and believers are promised a new creation where "there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain" (Revelation 21:4).7722. sho -- perhaps a ravage
... 7721, 7722. sho. 7723 . perhaps a ravage. Transliteration: sho Phonetic
Spelling: (sho) Short Definition: ravages. Word Origin from ...
/hebrew/7722.htm - 6k

The Mediaeval Church in Great Britain and Ireland
... In AD787, the Church of England began to suffer severely from the ravages of the
heathen Danes or Northmen; but, by the wisdom and valour of the good King ...
/.../a key to the knowledge of church history/chapter xii the mediaeval church.htm

Drunkenness.
... Let the teacher tell of its ravages; let the minister proclaim its curses; let the
poet sing it; the painter paint it; the editor report it; the novelist ...
/.../judy/questionable amusements and worthy substitutes/ii drunkenness.htm

The Seven Trumpets.
... ruined countries of Thrace and Dacia, and he resolved to seek a plentiful harvest
of fame and riches in a province which had hitherto escaped the ravages of war ...
/.../bliss/a brief commentary on the apocalypse/the seven trumpets.htm

How John Tyrannized Over the Rest; and what Mischiefs the Zealots ...
... time they overran the neighboring countries, aiming only to procure to themselves
necessaries; for the fear they were then in prevented their further ravages. ...
/.../chapter 7 how john tyrannized.htm

Severinus in Germany.
... pretended that he was only guided by solicitude for the welfare of the inhabitants
of the city, wishing to save them from the sword or the ravages of the ...
/.../neander/light in the dark places/severinus in germany.htm

Christ
... He saw the ravages of disease, the shame of sin, the tragedies in life.
He knew there was torture in body and anguish in spirit. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/haldeman/christ christianity and the bible/christ.htm

Sin and Grace
... Sin is the Pandora's box from which all evil has come to mankind. See
what ravages death has made; its hillocks are everywhere. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 54 1908/sin and grace.htm

The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs.
... a passage in the Testaments, where Benjamin thus addresses his children: [208]
"I shall no longer be called a ravening wolf on account of your ravages, but a ...
//christianbookshelf.org/deane/pseudepigrapha/the testaments of the twelve.htm

The Children of the Poor.
... There is no essential difference in starvation, whether it ensues from
the ravages of an invading host or from the lack of means. ...
/.../chapin/humanity in the city/discourse vii the children of.htm

The Burning of Athens.
... of the hostile feelings which they entertained toward the people immediately south
of the pass, into whose territories Xerxes would first carry his ravages. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/abbott/xerxes/chapter x the burning of.htm

Ravages (4 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Ravages (4 Occurrences). ... (See NAS RSV NIV). Psalms 80:13
The boar out of the wood ravages it. The wild animals of the field feed on it. ...
/r/ravages.htm - 7k

Ravage (9 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) Desolation by violence; violent ruin or destruction; devastation; havoc;
waste; as, the ravage of a lion; the ravages of fire or tempest; the ravages...
/r/ravage.htm - 9k

Grasshopper (12 Occurrences)
... The former family includes the Western grasshopper or locust (Caloptenus spretus),
noted for the great extent of its ravages in the region beyond the ...
/g/grasshopper.htm - 12k

Locust (25 Occurrences)
... While these four words occur in Joel 1:4 and 2:25, a consideration of the book as
a whole does not show that the ravages of four different insect pests are ...
/l/locust.htm - 34k

Lice (4 Occurrences)
... A terrible list of examples they have collected of the ravages of this and closely
allied parasitic pests." The plague of lice is referred to in Psalm 105:31. ...
/l/lice.htm - 10k

Gang (1 Occurrence)
... iniquity of Ephraim is uncovered, also the wickedness of Samaria; for they commit
falsehood, and the thief enters in, and the gang of robbers ravages outside. ...
/g/gang.htm - 7k

Famine (99 Occurrences)
... They were generally caused by local irregularities of the rainfall, by destructive
hail storms (Exodus 9:23, 11, 32), by ravages of insects (Exodus 10:15 Joel 1 ...
/f/famine.htm - 49k

Ravageth (1 Occurrence)

/r/ravageth.htm - 6k

Ravagers (2 Occurrences)

/r/ravagers.htm - 7k

Ravager (2 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (n.) One who, or that which, ravages or lays waste;
spoiler. Multi-Version Concordance Ravager (2 Occurrences). ...
/r/ravager.htm - 7k

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