Contemplative Bible Reading

Exodus 32:35 (New Living Translation)

35 Then the Lord sent a great plague upon the people because they had worshiped the calf Aaron had made.

This is part of the (hi)story of the people’s journey from Egypt to the land promised them by God. Moses had gone up the mountain to receive the agreement and law from God. The people were restless. Aaron, to calm the crowd before a riot erupted, fashioned a golden calf statue similar to what the people had seen in Egypt. They worshiped the golden calf.

The LORD sent a great plague upon the people.

I’ve looked for definitions of a plague. Most are like, “a contagious bacterial disease characterized by fever and delirium, typically with the formation of buboes ( bubonic plague ) and sometimes infection of the lungs ( pneumonic plague ).”

There is a contagious bacterial disease. Different bacteria cause different things. Most cause this thing called delirium. Delirium is defined as, “an acute, fluctuating disturbance in attention, awareness, and cognition that develops rapidly over hours or days. It is a temporary, often reversible state characterized by confusion, disorganized thinking, and potential hallucinations, commonly caused by underlying medical conditions, infections, medication side effects, or withdrawal.”

Gosh. Imagine a million people suffering such. I don’t want to be in the neighborhood.

Enough definitions. God caused the plague. Hmm. At some times, in some places, with some people, in some situations God sends a plague on people. Here it is in black in white in the Bible.

Uh. That’s not nice. Uh. That is reality. Oh what horror and terror it is to fall at the hands of God.

Pray for forgiveness. Pray for guidance. Please God, help me in my unbelief.