Topical Bible: Herbs: Destroyed by Drought

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In the biblical context, herbs often symbolize sustenance, healing, and the natural provision of God. However, the destruction of herbs by drought serves as a poignant reminder of the consequences of disobedience and the fragility of life without divine favor. The Bible frequently uses agricultural imagery to convey spiritual truths, and the withering of herbs due to drought is no exception.

Biblical References:

1. Jeremiah 14:1-6 : The prophet Jeremiah vividly describes a drought in Judah, where the land mourns, and the herbs are destroyed. "Judah mourns, and her gates languish; they wail for the land, and a cry goes up from Jerusalem. The nobles send their servants for water; they go to the cisterns but find no water; their jars return empty. They are ashamed and humiliated; they cover their heads. The ground is cracked because no rain has fallen on the land; the farmers are ashamed; they cover their heads. Even the doe in the field deserts her newborn fawn because there is no grass. Wild donkeys stand on barren heights; they pant for air like jackals; their eyes fail for lack of pasture." This passage illustrates the severe impact of drought, where even the basic herbs and grasses fail, leading to widespread suffering.

2. Joel 1:10-12 : The prophet Joel also speaks of a devastating drought, where the fields are ruined, and the land mourns. "The fields are ruined; the ground mourns, for the grain is destroyed, the new wine is dried up, and the oil fails. Be dismayed, O farmers; wail, O vinedressers, for the wheat and barley, because the harvest of the field has perished. The vine is dried up, and the fig tree is withered; the pomegranate, palm, and apple—all the trees of the orchard—are withered. Surely the joy of mankind has dried up." Here, the destruction of herbs and crops is a metaphor for spiritual desolation and the loss of divine blessing.

3. Isaiah 15:6 : In Isaiah's oracle against Moab, the prophet describes the desolation caused by drought: "The waters of Nimrim are dried up, and the grass is withered; the vegetation is gone, and the greenery is no more." This imagery underscores the totality of the drought's impact, where even the most basic forms of plant life, such as herbs, are obliterated.

Theological Implications:

The destruction of herbs by drought in the Bible often serves as a divine warning or judgment. It reflects the consequences of turning away from God and the resultant spiritual barrenness. In a broader sense, these passages remind believers of their dependence on God's provision and the importance of remaining faithful to His commandments.

The imagery of withered herbs also calls to mind the transient nature of life and the futility of relying solely on earthly resources. As herbs wither without water, so too do human endeavors fail without the sustenance of God's word and presence. This theme is echoed in the New Testament, where Jesus speaks of Himself as the living water, essential for spiritual life and growth (John 4:14).

In summary, the biblical depiction of herbs destroyed by drought serves as a powerful symbol of judgment, spiritual desolation, and the necessity of divine sustenance. It calls believers to reflect on their spiritual state and to seek the life-giving presence of God in all aspects of life.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Isaiah 42:15
I will make waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs; and I will make the rivers islands, and I will dry up the pools.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

How Ahab when He had Taken Jezebel to Wife Became More Wicked than ...
... and to the brooks, that if any herbs could be ... the Hebrews, and was the occasion of
the drought they lay ... threatened to kill him, as he had destroyed her prophets ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 13 how ahab when.htm

The Voice of Stern Rebuke
... Through the long years of drought and famine, Elijah prayed ... thy foot, as a garden
of herbs: but the land ... down upon thee, until thou be destroyed." Deuteronomy 28 ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 10 the voice of.htm

The World, Created by God, Still Cherished and Protected by Him. ...
... be replenished with all kinds of herbs and fruits ... at one time, excessive heat, combined
with drought, burns up ... hard as iron, the crops are destroyed by mildew ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 16 the world created.htm

The Death of Cyrus.
... sometimes from being parched by perpetual drought, which produced ... who lived on roots
and herbs, and who ... was found to be almost wholly destroyed; the remnant ...
//christianbookshelf.org/abbott/cyrus the great/chapter xii the death of.htm

The Life of S. Hilarion.
... a sort of broth from meal and bruised herbs, food and ... closed and the land had suffered
from drought, and it ... them and their town be utterly destroyed, they made ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/the life of s hilarion.htm

The Creation of Luminous Bodies.
... it had caused many kinds of herbs to germinate ... What signs of rain, of drought, or
of the rising ... subject to gradual deterioration, and is destroyed by diminution ...
/.../basil/basil letters and select works/homily vi the creation of.htm

The Nile and Egypt
... A half-veiled woman, bearing a bundle of herbs upon her ... and they absorb it freely,
even where drought seems to ... race which it drove back or destroyed; and there ...
/.../chapter i the nile and egypt.htm

The First Stages. Ch. 9:51 to 13:21
... Pharisees for tithing the small garden herbs while neglecting ... which will never be
stolen or destroyed; and as ... as to predict correctly rain or drought, but they ...
/.../erdman/the gospel of luke an exposition/a the first stages ch.htm

The Immaculate Conception
... Promised Land withered and parched with drought, and I ... the daughter of Raguel, who
were destroyed by Satan ... buildings were made entirely of herbs, flowers, and ...
/.../emmerich/the life of the blessed virgin mary/ii the immaculate conception.htm

The Water of Life;
... not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among ... continually, and satisfy thy
soul in drought, and make ... and that instead of bringing forth herbs meet for ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the water of life.htm