In the biblical context, famine is often depicted as a severe shortage of food resulting from various natural and supernatural causes. Among these causes, "blasting" and "mildew" are frequently mentioned as divine judgments or natural calamities that lead to agricultural failure and subsequent famine.

Blasting and Mildew in Scripture

The terms "blasting" and "mildew" are used in the Bible to describe specific agricultural afflictions. "Blasting" refers to the scorching or withering of crops, often due to harsh winds or extreme heat. "Mildew" denotes a fungal disease that affects plants, leading to decay and spoilage. Both are seen as instruments of divine retribution or warning, emphasizing the dependence of humanity on God's provision and favor.

In Deuteronomy 28:22, as part of the blessings and curses pronounced upon Israel, the Lord warns of these afflictions: "The LORD will strike you with wasting disease, with fever and inflammation, with scorching heat and drought, with blight and mildew, which will plague you until you perish." . This passage underscores the conditional nature of Israel's covenant with God, where obedience brings blessings, and disobedience results in curses, including agricultural devastation.

Prophetic Warnings and Historical Accounts

The prophets frequently invoked blasting and mildew as symbols of divine judgment. In Amos 4:9, God reminds Israel of past judgments: "I struck you with blight and mildew; the locust devoured your many gardens and vineyards, your fig trees and olive trees, yet you have not returned to Me," declares the LORD. . Here, the afflictions serve as a call to repentance, highlighting the spiritual dimension of physical calamities.

Haggai 2:17 also reflects this theme: "I struck all the work of your hands with blight, mildew, and hail, yet you did not turn to Me, declares the LORD." . The prophet Haggai addresses the returned exiles, urging them to prioritize the rebuilding of the temple and to recognize the connection between their spiritual state and material prosperity.

Theological Implications

From a theological perspective, blasting and mildew as causes of famine illustrate the sovereignty of God over creation. They serve as reminders of the consequences of sin and the need for repentance and reliance on God. The biblical narrative consistently portrays these afflictions not merely as natural phenomena but as part of a divine economy where physical realities reflect spiritual truths.

In the broader biblical canon, these themes are woven into the fabric of God's redemptive plan, where judgment serves as a precursor to restoration. The ultimate hope lies in the promise of a new creation, free from the curses of sin, where famine and its causes will be no more.Amos 4:9
I have smitten you with blasting and mildew: when your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees increased, the palmerworm devoured them: yet have you not returned to me, said the LORD.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Haggai 2:17
I smote you with blasting and with mildew and with hail in all the labors of your hands; yet you turned not to me, said the LORD.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Smitten in Vain
... it to rain upon one city, and caused it not ... 9. I have smitten you with blasting and
mildew ... To Amos, famine, drought, blasting, locusts, pestilence, and probably ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture a/smitten in vain.htm

Sovereignty of God in Administration
... In such a case there would be a world-famine of wheat ... caused it to rain upon one
city, and caused it not ... I have smitten you with blasting and mildew: when your ...
/.../pink/the sovereignty of god/chapter three sovereignty of god.htm

The World, Created by God, Still Cherished and Protected by Him. ...
... God himself threatens living creatures with famine, does he ... In the wilderness God
caused a south wind to blow ... he had smitten the people with blasting and mildew ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 16 the world created.htm

A Treatise of the Fear of God;
... Why, says he, "mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts" (Isaiah 6:5).
But do you think that this outcry was caused by unbelief? ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/a treatise of the fear.htm

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