As we ponder the threat of catching COVID-19, and as we modify our lives to the impending realities, we must ponder our greatest threat.

In the Bible, plagues are real and they kill lots of people. They come upon a people for specific historical reasons and for divine purposes. But the plagues are also symbols. They are illustrations of deeper truths that go beyond the demise of bodies.

The Bible presents the plagues of the earth, as pictures of a greater threat, a greater plague – the plague of sin. Plagues, by their invisible armies, enter the body and attempt a takeover. They are illustrations of sins of the heart and of the body.

If you look carefully at the quarantine and cleanliness laws in the Old Testament, you will find that they often include allusions or even explicit mentions of the dangers of sin in the heart.

In the Old Testament, where the illustrations/types/pictures are, the outward cleansing is conducted in the context of Temple worship. The outward cleansing is figurative of the inward cleansing for sin. In this sense, the plagues of the earth are all a reminder of a greater plague.

Solomon, in his prayer for the dedication of the temple, makes it plain that in the world, we will have tribulation, but our occupation in these times is best directed in examining the sin of our own hearts and repenting. In a time of plague, we must remind ourselves that GOD is trying to get our attention to the fact that the plague of our own hearts is the most serious plague.

An example of this appears in 1 Kings 8:37-39,

So, as we practice better hygiene, and biblically ordered quarantine, we must also take these as direct messages from God, in the form of illustrations, to our souls to examine ourselves, as we do in the Lord’s Supper. As we identify remaining sin, let us identify and repent and be cleansed of the plagues of the heart.

As we ponder the threat of catching COVID-19 and as we modify our lives to the impending realities, we must ponder our greatest threat. In the Bible, Plagues are real and they kill lots of people. They come upon a people for specific historical reasons and for divine purposes. But the plagues in the Bible are also symbols. They are illustrations of deeper truths that go far beyond the demise of bodies.

The Bible presents the plagues of the earth as pictures of a greater threat, a greater plague, the plague of sin. Plagues by their invisible armies enter the body and they attempt a takeover. And they are illustrations of sins of the heart and of the body. If you look carefully at the quarantine and the cleanliness laws in the Old Testament, you'll find that they often include illusions or even explicit mentions of the dangers of sin in the heart. In the Old Testament where the illustrations or types or pictures are, the outward cleansing is conducted in the context of temple worship.

The outward cleansing is figurative of the inward cleansing for sin. So in this sense the plagues of the earth are all reminders of a greater plague, the plague of sin. Now, Solomon, in his prayer for the dedication of the temple makes it plain that in the world, we will have tribulation, but our occupation in these times is best directed to examining the sin of our own hearts and repenting. In time of plague, we must remind ourselves that God is trying to get our attention to the fact that the plague of our own hearts is the most serious plague. So an example of this appears in 1 Kings chapter 8 verses 37 through 39.

So as we practice better hygiene and biblically ordered quarantine, we must also take these as direct messages from God in the form of illustrations to our souls to examine ourselves as we do in the Lord's Supper. As we identify remaining sin, let us identify and repent and be cleansed of the plagues of the heart.