THE 6 STOPS TO STOPPING THE COVID 19 PLAGUE
Plagues in the Bible were always attached to Rebellion in the earth. Such was the case with the Plague released in 2 Samuel 24:1-25 When David sinned in numbering the Camp. As we meditate on how David stopped the plague in Israel, I believe we can gain wisdom from God on how to stop this COVID 19 plague in the earth. As you read this account in 2 Samuel 24 and receive the points of emphasis out of these passages, let's pray to stop this virus in our regions. I'm naming this
THE 6 STOPS TO STOPPING THE COVID 19 PLAGUE
DAVID'S SIN IN NUMBERING THE PEOPLE
2Sa 24:1 And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah. 5.For the king said to Joab the captain of the host, which was with him, Go now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the number of the people.
THE LORD'S JUDGMENT OF DAVID'S SIN
2Sa 24:10 And David's heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the LORD, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O LORD, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.
2Sa 24:12 Go and say unto David, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee three things; choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.
2Sa 24:13 So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days' pestilence in thy land? now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me.
2Sa 24:14 And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man.
2Sa 24:15 So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men.
2Sa 24:16 And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, IT IS ENOUGH: RELAX YOUR HAND. And the angel of the LORD was by the threshingplace of Araunah the Jebusite.
2Sa 24:17 And David spake unto the LORD when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father's house.
David Builds an Altar
2Sa 24:18 And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite.
2Sa 24:19 And David, according to the saying of Gad, went up as the LORD commanded.
2Sa 24:21 And Araunah said, Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshingfloor of thee, to build an altar unto the LORD, that the plague may be stayed from the people.
2Sa 24:22 And Araunah said unto David, Let my lord the king take and offer up what seemeth good unto him: behold, here be oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing instruments and other instruments of the oxen for wood.
2Sa 24:23 All these things did Araunah, as a king, give unto the king. And Araunah said unto the king, The LORD thy God accept thee.
DAVID BUYS THE THRESHING FLOOR OF ARAUNAH
2Sa 24:24 And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
DAVID OFFERS A SACRIFICAL OFFERING
2Sa 24:25 And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD was intreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.
THE SIX STOPS TO STOPPING THE PLAGUE
There are Six things David did that our generation must STOP ignoring and/or STOP doing, in the expression of faith and authority during this day and time if were going to turn the tide of this COVID 19 Plague
1. STOP THE SIN OF DEPENDING ON NUMBERS IN THE 21st CENTURY CHURCH (Depending on the Arm of the Flesh)
2Sa 24:2 For the king said to Joab the captain of the host, which was with him, Go now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the number of the people.
The 21st century Church is presently in the midst of a discipline of the Lord for our Prayerlessness, Powerlessness and for depending on numbers as the measurement of success in ministry. . ..If were going to turn the tide in our nation as the Church as an agent of social change were going to have to REPENT for relying on the Arm of the Flesh, and NOT on the LORD.
The thing this Pandemic exposed in the church in why we were not seen as essential, were the 3 areas that were most needed, and that should now be our emphasis in repenting and rebuilding.
1. It was exposed that we had No Prayer services - (Isaiah 56:7; Matthew 21:10-16; Acts 2:1;4:29)
2. We're exposed that we had No home discipleship groups (Acts 2:42-46)
3. We were exposed that we had No food & clothing to feed and help the people during times of economic hardship- (Acts 6 Deacons to serve the needy)
2. STOP RESISTING THAT GOD STILL JUDGES NATIONS TODAY, SAYING PLAGUES CAN NEVER BE GOD'S JUDGMENT TODAY (False Grace)
2Sa 24:15 So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men.
Plagues in the Bible were always attached to Rebellion in the earth
GOD'S JUDGMENTS ARE ABOUT HIS LOVE FOR HUMANITY...NOT ABOUT HIS DISDAIN FOR HUMANITY.
For all you that try to protect God's character against His judgments that Kill a segment of humanity, saying that's a cruel God that would do such a thing, or God doesn't judge humanity anymore, because He placed our judgment upon Jesus on the Cross....firstly, Yes HIS THRONE IS STILL A THRONE OF MERCY AND JUDGMENT
....And the cross was Him giving us the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, for ALL who would believe and receive His blood and apply it to the door post of our lives.....making Him our Passover Lamb, and covering us under His blood, from His judgments that would transition the world to the age to come, the Kingdom, Millennial age.
But this view point that His judgments are Cruel and He no longer Judges with death until the End....Well, welcome to the beginning of the End, called in Scripture, the Beginning of Sorrows or the beginning of the Birth Pangs of the End (Matthew 24:6-8).
But, I will say, It's only cruel through the lense of this life being all there is to life....THIS LIFE IS NOT THE END OF LIFE....
REAL LIFE BEGINS with eternity...And because God loves humanity, it's His MERCY that gives mankind TIME, even in Judgment, to evaluate this life and make the choice to spend eternity with Him....Therefore He prayed for His Disciples...
FATHER THE HOUR HAS COME....Glorify YOUR SON (death by crucifixion) that He may Glorify You....I HAVE GIVEN THOSE WHOM YOU'VE GIVEN ME A REVELATION OF ETERNITY AND THIS IS ETERNAL LIFE, THAT THEY MAY KNOW YOU AND JESUS CHRIST WHO YOU HAVE SENT.....John 17:4
Because this Life is not all there is to life and Because Jesus uses the least severe means in His judgments to reach the greatest amount of people with His love....IT'S HIS MERCY THAT EVEN IN JUDGMENT HE GIVES PEOPLE TIME TO EVALUATE WHAT THEY BELIEVE ABOUT LIFE AND DEATH, and time to get right before they go into eternity...
IT WOULD BE CRUEL....For God to take the lives of a whole segment of Society INSTANTLY without giving us time to do a self evaluation about our life and get right...That's why His judgments always involve societal shaking that involve slow but impending death for some, and the fear and reality of the very real possibility of death for those that endure, with things like Famines, Plagues or War, where eternity and death stare man in the face for whole seasons at a time, giving man time and opportunity to turn to Him, beforehand.
BUT WITH THIS PLAGUE....HIS JUDGMENTS ARE HIS MERCY....As the plague/virus gives people forewarning that ETERNITY IS COMING TO BEAR ON HUMANITY.....WITH A PLAGUE, WHICH IN SCRIPTURE WAS ALWAYS ONLY RELEASED IN THE EARTH FOR MANS REBELLION AGAINST HIM OR HIS LEADERSHIP, THAT MOVES IN SLOWLY with Death being a low but real possibility for those who contract it.
People HAVE TIME TO REPENT....THEY HAVE TIME TO EVALUATE THEIR LIVES, PREPARE TO DIE IF THEY WOULD DIE, ETC
So even in Judgment He's loving in that He gives us time to evaluate what we believe about God and How to make him their Lord & Savior
Which is why the LORD PRAYED.....I PRAY NOT THAT YOU TAKE THEM (HIS PEOPLE) OUT OF THE WORLD, DURING THESE COMING TIMES, BUT THAT YOU WOULD KEEP THEM FROM THE EVIL ONE.
WE are the ones that are going to lead them to HIM....Which is really what this divine 40 day SHUT IN/quarantine in the wilderness, which was unto, transitioning the whole world into a new Era....The Beginning of Sorrows (Birth Pangs), I wrote about 5 years ago....
When we come out of this wilderness/quarantine
We're coming out of this wilderness/quarantine in the power of the Spirit with Signs wonders & miracles....to unleash on a fearful, confused world that will be ready for the true authentic POWER of God.....He's trying to get the church ready for the greatest harvest of souls we've ever seen in all the generations combined.....
GOD'S JUDGMENT ARE ABOUT HIS LOVE FOR HUMANITY...NOT ABOUT HIS DISDAIN FOR HUMANITY.
These are excerpts from my book, WHEN YOU PRAY, SAY....That speak about this in more detail, where I talk about How and Why we need Solemn Assemblies of Prayer for the times that are coming....HOW TO PRAY IN THESE TIMES AND WHAT TO SAY...to advert the judgment in some regions, to lessen it in other regions or NOT BECOME OFFENDED with what His judgments look like when many people die in other regions.
3. STOP IGNORING GOD'S APPOINTED TIMES AND SEASONS (Keeping the Sabbath Rests, Feasts)
2Sa 24:15 So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men.
The appointed times on God's calendar and timetable are often overlooked, not known, or ignored by the body of Christ today, but God has set appointments, both daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonal, where He sets to meet with His people. When we keep these appointments we receive from Him and are blessed, when we don't we are not.
At the release of the plague against Israel in 2 Samuel 24:16 He sent the pestilence upon them from morning until the appointed time.
Though the appointed time for this plague was 3 days, we can derive God's wisdom for the Coronavirus by understanding God's appointed times in the earth and declaring the word of the Lord during these appointed times.
What are the appointed times of God daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonally that God has made an appointment with His people? They are;
- Sundown and Sun up, He released Manna in the morning and quail in the evening in the wilderness and they were to commemorate this throughout the generations
- The 7th Day Shabbat they were to keep a Sabbaths rest unto the Lord, throughout their generations
- During the New Moon they were to celebrate the shifting into the new month. It was the beginning or head of the month. It was a time of spiritual renewal. All through the scriptural record, the New Moon was a day when the prophets heard from God, being a day designated for waiting upon God, for discerning His purposes and for prophetic revelation. Ezekiel 26:1; 29:17; Haggai 1:1 It is a heavenly cycle
- The Feast of the Lord were Given by God to commemorate the Lords' Passover, when He brought them out of the wilderness, Feast of Pentecost where He gave them the Law at Mount Sinai, and Feast of Tabernacles where He dwelt with them in the wilderness as a cloud by day and a fire by night.
Leviticus 23:4 These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons. 5 In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD'S
Passover. 8 But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the
LORD seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall
do no servile work therein.
Why Keep the Feasts
The Feasts of the Lord were times of encounter with the Lord, set
into the Hebrew economy, where the children of Israel were to
come together 3 times a year for holy convocations for 7 days with
the Lord. During these feasts, set at the three times of harvest each
year, they would bring a first fruits offering from their harvests
unto the Lord.
The New Testament Church of this generation has seemingly minimized the importance of understanding and keeping the feast observances in their seasons. Mostly because we
attribute these feasts to only the Jews, and not to the Lord.
However, the above scripture in Leviticus calls these feasts, The
Feast of THE LORD, not the feasts of the Jews. And if we are the Lords, belonging to Him, then they are feasts that we should know,
understand and observe also.
Another reason we minimize the
importance of understanding and keeping these feasts observances in their seasons, is because in the industrialized, technological nations of the West, we are no longer mostly
agriculturally based in our economies, growing our own foods.
Therefore, we are not dependent upon or aware of the seasons and
times of sowing, reaping, and first fruits, etc. We are not aware that
one of the reasons God gave them the feasts was to know, acknowledge and celebrate harvest/reaping times with a seasonal corporate celebration, worshipping the Lord as the Lord of the Harvest during the three seasons of Passover (Spring Harvest), Pentecost (Summer Harvest), and Tabernacles (Fall Harvest). Because, by in large, we are not farmers in the west, aware of the times of sowing and harvesting crops, we are unaware of the
seasons and the times that God has set in the feasts of the Lord, to
worship and acknowledge God’s blessings of rain and fruitfulness
upon our land three times a year in the feasts of the Lord.
Another and probably the biggest reason we minimize the importance of understanding and keeping these feasts observances in their seasons, is because we believe they are Old
covenant observances, not necessary to be kept by New Covenant
believers, because we believe they were done away with in Jesus,
mainly because of Paul’s admonition about not being bound to
sabbath days, new moons and holydays.
Colossians 2:16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink,
or in respect of a holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath
days: 17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of
Christ.
But notice, Paul says, these days are a shadow of things to come, and the consummation of the shadow is the body of Christ. Because you have the body, that doesn’t negate the calling to observe the seasons. It’s just meant to focus you on encountering
Christ, not just the symbolisms and the shadows of what the
ceremonial times were unto.
Notice Paul’s admonition in 1
Corinthians 5:8 8. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened
bread of sincerity and truth.
He does not tell them not to keep the feasts, but to keep the feast
according to the truth, and with sincerity of heart.
In God's wisdom in the APPOINTED times we can speak the Word of the Lord over our regions going from PRAYING to SAYING at these appointed times daily, morning and evening and into the Passover week, for this plague to be stopped.
4. STOP THE PLAGUE WITH THE WORD OF GOD (Priests/King Authority)
2Sa 24:16 And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD was by the threshingplace of Araunah the Jebusite.
Once David repented in verse 10 the Angel of the Lord that was released to destroy in the camp was commanded of the LORD, IT IS ENOUGH, RELAX YOUR HAND.
THIS WAS THE WORD OF THE LORD TO STOP THE PLAGUE IN 2 SAMUEL. AND GOD'S WORD SPOKEN IN REGIONS THROUGHOUT THE NATION, IT IS ENOUGH! RELAX YOUR HAND, SPOKEN IN FAITH AND FROM THE PLACE OF PRAYER IN THE SPIRIT, WILL STOP THIS PLAGUE IN THE APPOINTED TIMES.
IT IS ENOUGH, RELAX YOUR HAND
As you are praying let God lead you to the word of God to speak over this plague to add to those above
5. STOP BUSINESS AS USUAL IN THE CHURCH AND BUILD AN ALTAR OF PRAYER TO THE LORD AT THE THRESHING FLOOR IN HIS HOUSE OF PRAYER (Citywide 24/7 Worship/Prayer culture)
2Sa 24:18 And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite.
The threshing floor of Araunah was where God would stop the plague, and where David was directed to build an altar to the Lord and offer up a sacrifice unto the Lord.
The threshing floor was a place where the wheat was sifted from the tares. The Church is presently being sifted to weed out the tares by the fires of tribulation.
Building an altar of Prayer unto the Lord in the church is the only way we will get through this COVID 19 Plague, and have it stopped and its effects lessened in our regions .
God said my house shall be called a House of Prayer.
In second Chronicles God foresaw a time where His people would turn from Him and the prayers of the temple and assured them that when they did and He sent the Judgment of heavens being shut, locust being sent, and plague being sent, IF my people that were called by my name would humble themselves and pray towards the temple, He would hear from heaven, forgive their sins and heal their land.
Jesus said, after he begins cleansing His temple, “My house shall be called of all nations a HOUSE OF PRAYER, but you have made it a den of thieves. When the Church is not watching in Prayer she makes her house prey for the thief to come in and steal, kill and destroy. As a result of our culture of prayerlessness over the past century of the church’s existence, the thief has stolen our values, our doctrines and our mission.
What we have allowed to be stolen from our foundations, walls and gates through our prayerlessness has displaced the church and left her incapable of being ready to be a bride adorned for her husband, and to stand against her adversary during the unique dynamics of the end-times.
Therefore, as in John‘s revelation to the seven churches of Asia, Jesus has somewhat against most of our churches, because we have allowed the thief in to steal, kill, and destroy our effectiveness through our prayerlessness.
However, before the Lord returns He is raising up watchmen and intercessors that will watch night and day until he makes his people a praise in the earth.
A night and day prayer watch is going to be the key aspect of the church being re-positioned and prepared for the unique dynamics of the end-times and for the Lord’s return. We must rebuild the tabernacle of David as is recorded in Acts 15:16 concerning the last days.
After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.
6. STOP RESISTING OFFERING UP SACRIFICIAL OFFERINGS IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD (Offerings for Storehouses for the Poor)
2Sa 24:24 And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
2Sa 24:25 And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD was intreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.
The System of Sacrificial offerings in both the Old Testament and New were a significant aspect of the children of Israel's blessing of favor, protection and open heavens over their nation.
Offerings in the New Covenant were taught by both Jesus and Paul as the release of God's abundance of both rains and grains
Lev 6:12 And the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it; it shall not be put out: and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order upon it; and he shall burn thereon the fat of the peace offerings.
Lev 6:13 The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out. 14 And this is the law of the meat offering: the sons of Aaron shall offer it before the LORD, before the altar.
2Co 9:6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
2Co 9:7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
2Co 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:
Php 4:15 Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. 16 For even in Thessalonian ye sent once and again unto my necessity.
Php 4:17 Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.
Php 4:18 But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God.
Php 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
To stop this plague we will need to do as David did, and the children of Israel and as the New Covenant saints did and offer up a sacrificial offering to the Lord on the altar of prayer, and keep the fire on the Altar burning that it shall never go out.
2 SAMUEL 24:25 THUS THE LORD WAS MOVED BY PRAYER FOR THE LAND, AND THE PLAGUE WAS STOPPED IN ISRAEL
CLICK TO DONATE A SACRIFICIAL OFFERING, FOR THE DEATH ANGEL TO PASSOVER OUR NATION AND THIS PLAGUE TO BE STOPPED
