Why does God allow plagues?

The plagues were signs as well as judgments — they were sent to prove who Jehovah was, in a land which once knew sufficient of God to restrain it from idolatry, but which "did not like to retain God in" its "knowledge," and which consequently had sunk into the grossest idolatry; and very particularly were they sent to teach Israel that Jehovah alone is God.

In the plagues which ensue, God would instruct us in the true moral character of the world that we might be desirous of answering intelligently to the thoughts of His own heart as those born of Him, resulting in complete moral separation from a "world that lies in the wicked one" for "He that has been begotten of God keeps himself and the wicked one does not touch him" (1 John 5:18-19).

The character of the plagues displays the wisdom of God, as specially suited to bring about the humiliation of Egypt and its king. It was not merely an infliction on the land, with its consequent pain and anguish to the people, but it was a solemn contest between Jehovah, the true God, and the false gods of Egypt. It was upon these false gods which the Egyptians worshipped that the judgment of God was directed, staining their vaunted glory, and making them an object of loathing and detestation.

The answer surely is this: His ways and judgments are always right, yet He so acts as to manifest their rightness before His intelligent creation. Being omniscient, He knew that all nine plagues would not subdue the stubborn heart of Pharaoh; but the angelic principalities and powers in heavenly places are not omniscient, nor are men upon earth. So by testing Pharaoh, and giving space for repentance as plague succeeded plague with increasing severity, no one could rightly question the final stroke when it came. The same thing may be said as to the judgments of seals, trumpets and vials of the Book of Revelation, preceding the final destruction of the power of the adversaries at the glorious appearing of Christ.

In the case of the Egyptians, first of all, it is inflicted as punishment for sin — the oppression of Israel.

The Lord had sent different chastisements upon them at different times. There had been famines, drought; yea, it had rained here and there, while lots of ground received rain others remained parched, so that they might recognize in it the hand of God. He smote them with mildew and blasting; the locusts came and devoured vegetation; there were frightful pestilences and other judgments, but they did not return unto Him. Five times in this paragraph we find the same statement, "Yet have ye not returned unto Me." They were an impenitent nation and hardened their hearts as Pharaoh did. They were incorrigible, though they knew that through His mercy they were "as a firebrand plucked out of the burning."

The great locust plague and the drought were a punishment of Jehovah. Already Moses and Solomon had prophesied such forms of judgement (Deut. 28:38-39 and 1 Kings 8:37). But the people of Israel would not recognize the hand of Jehovah in it. This is why, in chapter 1, the prophet calls the old men and the priests to lamentation and to repentance.

We learn this lesson surely from this, that in the discipline of the Lord we cannot detect the cause of the chastisement from the nature of the chastisement. Trouble may come, and this may be governmental for some positive sin allowed, as at Ai. So the famine in David's reign. So sickness and death on Christians for the state of the assembly (1 Cor. 11), or for personal sin (1 John 5:16). But the same thing may fall upon him, and yet the saint be able to say with the apostle, "I know nothing against myself." Doubtless there is a reason for the suffering. If we think of the defeats of righteous Israel by sinful Benjamin, in Judges 20, we can see there was a reason for Israel's repeated humiliation, yet it was not want of integrity. I suppose the loose state of the nation had made the sin of Benjamin possible, and Israel was probably self-righteously indignant. They certainly got into a humbler spirit before God, and a softer one towards Benjamin, under their defeats; but they did not turn back from what they were about; namely, the judgment of the sinful tribe in which they, were right in the main. This is instructive, as showing us that the Lord may have our general state before Him, which needs correction by chastisement, while there may be perfect integrity of heart, and the path that one is in when one meets the suffering may be the right one. This I suppose will be true of Israel in the latter day, and to which I believe this psalm prophetically points.

The Lord Himself has told us that sword, famine, and pestilence are but the beginning of the sorrows called down by the wickedness of mankind. He knows, however, how to humble and try and bless His own people by their means, as He surely has done and does.

The Lord Himself has told us that sword, famine, and pestilence are but the beginning of the sorrows called down by the wickedness of mankind. He knows, however, how to humble and try and bless His own people by their means, as He surely has done and does.

Certainly God hears his prayer, but there must be some governmental results from the wrong-doing of man of authority. God therefore sends the prophet Gad to David to ask him to choose one of three alternatives, either seven years of famine in the land, or three months of Israel's retreating before their enemies, or three days of a deadly plague in the land.