Topical Bible: Famine: Often Followed by Pestilence

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Topical Encyclopedia

Famine, a severe shortage of food resulting in widespread hunger, is a recurring theme in the Bible, often depicted as a divine judgment or a consequence of human sin. In the biblical narrative, famine is frequently followed by pestilence, a deadly epidemic disease, as part of a sequence of calamities that serve as both punishment and a call to repentance.

Biblical Instances of Famine and Pestilence

1. The Egyptian Famine (Genesis 41-47): One of the most notable famines in the Bible occurred during the time of Joseph. Pharaoh's dreams, interpreted by Joseph, foretold seven years of abundance followed by seven years of severe famine. Joseph's wise administration saved Egypt and surrounding nations from devastation. While pestilence is not explicitly mentioned in this account, the narrative sets a precedent for divine intervention in times of famine.

2. David's Census and Resulting Calamities (2 Samuel 24; 1 Chronicles 21): King David's decision to conduct a census of Israel led to divine displeasure. As a consequence, God offered David a choice of three punishments: three years of famine, three months of fleeing from enemies, or three days of pestilence. David chose pestilence, resulting in the death of 70,000 men. This account illustrates the close association between famine and pestilence as instruments of divine judgment.

3. Elijah and the Drought (1 Kings 17-18): During the reign of Ahab, Elijah prophesied a drought as punishment for Israel's idolatry. The resulting famine was severe, leading to widespread suffering. Although pestilence is not directly mentioned, the drought and famine were part of a broader context of divine retribution, often accompanied by other calamities.

4. The Siege of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 14; Lamentations 4): The prophet Jeremiah warned of famine and pestilence as consequences of Judah's unfaithfulness. During the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem, the city experienced extreme famine, leading to desperate conditions. Jeremiah 14:12 states, "Although they fast, I will not hear their cry; although they offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Instead, I will finish them off by sword and famine and plague."

5. Ezekiel's Prophecies (Ezekiel 5:12, 6:11-12): Ezekiel prophesied that Jerusalem would face a triad of judgments: sword, famine, and pestilence. Ezekiel 5:12 declares, "A third of your people will die by plague or be consumed by famine inside you; a third will fall by the sword outside your walls; and a third I will scatter to every wind and unleash a sword behind them." This passage underscores the interconnectedness of these calamities as expressions of divine wrath.

Theological Significance

In the biblical worldview, famine and pestilence are not merely natural disasters but are often portrayed as instruments of God's judgment. They serve as a call to repentance, urging the people to turn back to God and seek His mercy. The sequence of famine followed by pestilence reflects the escalating severity of divine discipline, intended to awaken a wayward nation to its spiritual condition.

New Testament Context

In the New Testament, Jesus alludes to famine and pestilence as signs of the end times. In Matthew 24:7 , He warns, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places." Similarly, in Revelation 6:8 , the fourth seal reveals a pale horse, symbolizing death, with authority to kill by sword, famine, plague, and wild beasts.

Conclusion

While the Bible presents famine and pestilence as divine judgments, it also offers hope for restoration. Repentance and turning to God can lead to healing and renewal, as seen in numerous biblical accounts where God relents from sending disaster when His people humble themselves and seek His face.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Jeremiah 42:17
So shall it be with all the men that set their faces to go into Egypt to sojourn there; they shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: and none of them shall remain or escape from the evil that I will bring on them.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Ezekiel 7:15
The sword is without, and the pestilence and the famine within: he that is in the field shall die with the sword; and he that is in the city, famine and pestilence shall devour him.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Matthew 24:7
For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Of the Fourth Seal.
... with his family, and also sonic friends who had often given him ... for lie means that
which preceded the pestilence,) "both war and famine followed, which we ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mede/a key to the apocalypse/of the fourth seal.htm

The Worship of the Synagogue
... about us; keep far from us the enemy, the pestilence, the sword, famine, and affliction ...
The reading of the prophets was often followed by a sermon or address ...
/.../edersheim/sketches of jewish social life/chapter 17 the worship of.htm

The First vision "On Earth"
... Corn, oil, and wine are three words often linked together ... to kill with the sword,
and with famine and with ... "Pestilence," thus personified, is followed by the ...
/.../bullinger/commentary on revelation/the first vision on earth.htm

The Wilderness
... And the Master would often say that as man was made at first in the ... And thus did
it prove to be when the famine came, and the pestilence followed, when the ...
/.../bevan/three friends of god/chapter xxxi the wilderness.htm

Prophets and Prophets. (xxiii. 9-32, xxvii-xxix, Etc. )
... This is followed by a similar Oracle to Sedekiah himself, 12 ... great kingdoms of war
[and of famine (?) and pestilence ... which and metre proper it is often hard, as ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/jeremiah/2 prophets and prophets xxiii.htm

The Tangled Web
... city to abandon one idea, the next that followed found a ... Famine in some quarters
of the city reached appalling ... them which are sent unto thee, how often would I ...
/.../miller/the city of delight/chapter xvii the tangled web.htm

The Poet.
... XV.1-2, prose is followed by a couplet ... So much for the varied and often irregular
streams of ... Drought, famine, pestilence and especially war sweep over the land ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/jeremiah/lecture ii the poet.htm

Johann Valentin Andrea
... in the next two years there followed the usual ... marked the course of the war,"famine,
pestilence, and the ... pregnant thought in trenchant but often harsh and ...
/.../winkworth/christian singers of germany/johann valentin andrea.htm

Life in the Villages
... hospitality, pressed to extend our visit, and followed on our ... villages now returned
to waste land: "Famine year," he ... For the first time I heard, often in the ...
/.../cable/the fulfilment of a dream of pastor hsis/chapter v life in the.htm

Letter cxxvii. To Principia.
... She often quoted with approval Plato's saying that philosophy ... Next followed the
confutation set forth by my supporters ... by the sword and by the famine and by the ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/letter cxxvii to principia.htm