David and the Plague…Biblical Perspectives of Covid-19.
Was there a plague similar to the Corona virus (COVID-19) three thousand years ago in Israel during the reign of King David?
In this installment of Ancestry. Jesus “David ~ In the Midst of a Plague”, we will deeply analyze how David’s sin of taking a census for his personal gain had abysmal effects on the Jewish people.
As a result of David’s sin, God acted upon the nation of Israel by sending a just punishment. Of interest is that He allowed David to choose between the punishments of times of pestilence, famine, or being pursued by his enemies.
Pestilence, (or plague) was David’s choice as judgment for his sin.
Interesting choice, as biblical scholars exegete the reason for David’s choice was because he knew that to be in the midst of a plague was to be in the hands of God.
With the other choices given to him by God, David knew that he would be subjected to the will of man, so he instead, chose pestilence. Knowing that even though the judgment of having to endure pestilence was harsh, David took comfort in knowing that he would ultimately be in the hand of the Lord and would experience His mercy.
During the devastating times of the plague, David put himself and his people’s fate back into the hands of the Lord, leading to God averting the plague from the land.
Ultimately as a result of the plague, God’s glory and grace were revealed with the purchase of a site of land from the Jebusites on which the Temple would be built.
Reliving the consequences surrounding David’s decision to take a census of the people of Israel to assess his military might, we will see parallels to the times we are facing today during the COVID-19 viral pandemic.
The symbolism between David’s plague that occurred three thousand years ago, and the COVID-19 viral pandemic we are experiencing today is striking. Even though the events are separated by over three millenniums, it apparent from Scripture what we should do today after realizing how David turned back to God to save his people.
Now more than ever during the COVID-19 pandemic, we, as individual people, and as nations, must turn to God and put our faith in Him.
Just as David realized during the plague, perhaps we should consider that while experiencing the viral pandemic, we are actually in the hands of the one, true God.
Putting David’s story into context is imperative to understanding the meaning behind the unfolding of events during the plague that David faced. Of interest to the reader to help with the context is the book describing David’s life, Ancestry. Jesus: Behind the Scenes with David and Bathsheba.
In the installment of Ancestry. Jesus Behind the Scenes with David and Bathsheba, we journeyed back to antiquity, nearly three thousand years ago when God first chose David, the youngest and most-ignored son of Jesse to establish His dynasty.
Then, through thorough examination of Scripture, we experienced David’s many trials as he, the newly anointed king of Israel, slowly and determinedly traveled the rocky journey to ascend to the throne.
Most significantly, with the Lord choosing His anointed one, God established His Covenant with David. The Covenant God made with David, being the Davidic Covenant, was of insurmountable importance, as this covenant was an integral part of God’s eternal plan of salvation of humanity.
The Davidic Covenant is why David’s offspring play such an important role in God’s promise of a coming Messiah. As was promised by God, from the lineage of David would come the ultimate Messiah, our savior, Jesus Christ.
In the book of Revelation, Jesus Christ has the following to say about his earthly ancestral descent from David,
“I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”
(Revelation 22:16)
David, because of God’s promise through the Davidic Covenant, became the center of the genealogical ancestry of Jesus Christ, and was therefore pivotal in the Divine Masterplan of salvation for humanity.
Psalm 89:2-4
“For I said, Steadfast love will be built up forever, in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness.
You have said, I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant;
I will establish your offspring forever, and build your throne for all generations.”
Of interest is that through examination of the life of David in Ancestry. Jesus: Behind the Scenes With David and Bathsheba, we saw that God did not choose David to be front- and-center in the plan of salvation because he was the perfect, ideal person.
Far from it!
However, the Lord was always with David, as David was truly a man of faith with a heart for God.
Although David was a man of great faith in God, his life’s journey was not an easy, walk-in-the-park to become the King of Israel. Nor did David always make the right choices.
Brimming with drama and suspense, David’s life was a rollercoaster of trials and obstacles to be overcome. Experiencing David’s life allows one to soar to the heights of reliving his triumphs and feats, as well as plummet to the depths of his abysmal, sinful endeavors.
Nothing goes untouched in David’s story, as he runs the gamut from being a pure, young, Divinely-anointed king-to-be, to orchestrating a murder for his own selfish needs.
Throughout David’s life we saw how his faith in God would swing to-and-fro, similar to a pendulum. But David’s faith always moved back towards God as he repents and seeks forgiveness and direction.
With the redeeming quality of his willingness to confess his sins, David, time and time again asked for forgiveness from God. In His mercy, God always forgave David. Similarly, David also forgave the many throughout the years who avenged him.
David’s choices he made during his life to obey God’s will, or to go against it, are applicable to all individuals. David, just like you and me, had faith swings in his life, leading him on a tumultuous, confusing road of swinging to and from fully trusting God.
We all face tests and trials in our life, and we, like David, must ultimately make the intentional choice to follow God’s direction in order to fully realize the purpose He has for us.
In this book, Ancestry. Jesus: David ~ In the Midst of the Plague, the overarching theme of turning back to God is exemplified. As we study God’s Word, may we discover the truth behind what God is trying to tell us through the details of the story of David’s walk in the midst of a plague
To Download an Ebook, Click Here
Other Ebooks by Dr. Jana Jones McDowell
Rahab, the Amorite Prostitute……Behind the Scenes
Ruth and Boaz, the Redeemer and the Moabite
David and Bathsheba, Behind the Scenes
“The Promise” Behind the Scenes with Abraham and Sarah
“David ~ In the Midst of a Plague” Biblical Perspectives of COVID-19
Noah and the Ark~Behind the Scenes
Cultivating the Christ….From the Seed to the Tree
About the Author
Jana Jones McDowell DVM, DAVCA, DAVECC has spent a lifetime practicing Veterinary Medicine and former Professor at a College of Veterinary Medicine.
A Christian, Dr. Jones began her research into Biblical studies a number of years ago, focusing on “context.”
Her research revolves around the “context,” with the study and application of the Judaica Books of the Prophets and the Hagiographa (A new English translation of the Hebrew Masoretic text and commentaries by Rashi and other Rabbinical scholars), and the books of the Midrash Rabbah. The basis of this was the exegesis of the Hebrew bible with application to the origins of Christianity.
Now retired, Dr. Jones spends time researching and applying the depth of her studies into books and as a student of the Israel Bible Center, studying deeper into Jewish context and the application to Christianity.
Dr. Jones and her husband, reside in the southwest with their horses, bengal cat named Ravi and their border collie, Sarah.
