The tenth plague
Was classically biblical, the firstborn. The firstborn is a recuurent theme in the OT, lord knows. It was, as we might suppose, the “Plague to end all plagues”
I am of the opinion that the Creator is done with plagues, and he expects us to fix our own problems. I expect, like a lot of other preconceptions about the creator, that I am wrong. He tells us himself, Isaiah 55:
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts: nor your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
For as the heavens are exalted above the earth, so are my ways exalted above your ways, and my thoughts above your thoughts”
Let’s hope so.
Pascal seems to think the time is right for another plague, and posits that Ebola may be it. I don’t know, he may be right. He’s a lot more likely to know than I am.
But it dawns on me that we may already be in the midst of the 11th plague; Islam.
Like the other plagues, it is disagreeable. Like the other plagues, it is relentless. And like the other plagues, the Pharoah considers himself to be more powerful than G-d.
Like the other plagues, we have to mark ourselves so that we may be passed by; and “Passed by” will not mean what it did for Dathan and the others.
I keep praying the same prayer. “Lord, make me an instrument of your will”. I know exactly what that means and what it entails.
When I first saw this post’s title, I thought of Pascal and his expectation.
It just occurred to me that the Black Plague or the Influenza of 1917 might qualify, though, as 11 an 12.
Rumors of plagues and wars…
I like the lords prayer myself. I usually end a meal prayer with bless this food to out bodies and our bodies to your service.
Keep your powder dry.
Just like most people and all other living things, bacteria and virus change and grow. What was benign or even nonexistent as a threat yesterday is dangerous today. (And vice versa.)
Here’s an example: The virus that causes AIDS has been found to have been living in the ape population for hundreds of years before it came to man. (And it came to man far earlier than you would believe, like in the 1800s. It was just confined to remote corners of Africa until we invented frequent flying.)
The very fact that it’s possible to be one place today and thousands of miles away tomorrow makes transmission of everything, good and bad, much more of a happening thing.
And it’s not just people; infectious outbreaks often start in other populations — birds, swine, rats.
Is this G-d’s plan? I don’t think the Big Guy Upstairs sits around thinking “Heck, I’m bored, I’ll throw a little Ebola on their asses, just because.” And for sure I don’t think anything like that is inflicted on the world because some segment of the population has brought it on simply because they are wicked. We’re all wicked. Not all of us are infectious.
Jenny
I hope im not smart enough to know G-d’s plans. I imagine they are beyond my comprehension.
“Lord, make me an instrument of your will”
The scariest prayer you can ever pray. Because when you give yourself to God, he’s going to use you. And he allowed his own Son to be brutally tortured and murdered for the world to live, so what do you think he’s going to do with YOU?
Still needs to be done. Just with open eyes, and the knowledge that what comes next might not be pleasant at all.
We’re having a plague of dragonflies here but I don’t consider it to be biblical so far.
If they were the fire breathing type, possibly