The Wall of the Plague and the altar

"The LORD sent the plague to Israel; and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men ... I will build there an altar to the LORD to ... let the plague be stopped." 1 Chronicles 21. 14-22

The plague has always been scary and its appearance has spread terror. It is a very serious infectious and epidemic disease. But the term also used to refer to any epidemic that caused very high mortality. The plague is very often mentioned in the Bible as a judgment coming directly from God (Exodus 9:15; 2 Chr. 7:13).

In 1720, a boat introduced the microbe of the plague to Marseilles. The epidemic spread rapidly in southeastern France. In October of the same year, to protect the rest of the country, the religious and civil authorities established sanitary barriers. Then in 1721, a 27-kilometer long wall was built with sentry boxes and sentinels along its route. This wall, called since the "Wall of Plague" and still partially visible today, did not prevent the terrible scourge of reaching the city of Avignon in late August 1721. A quarter of the population died. It was the same in other cities.

With the current medical and epidemiological knowledge, the effectiveness of the "Wall of Plague" can make us smile, but this story reminds us that human efforts and resources can never stop the judgment of God.

Because God is holy, his "wrath ... is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and iniquity of men" (Romans 1:18) ; "We know that the judgment of God is according to the truth against those who commit such things" (Rom 2: 2). There is no wall to stop this judgment.

In front of the terrible plague which ravaged his people for three days, David, by order of God, did not build a wall, but an altar, and "the wound was stopped" (2 Sam. To fight against the plague of sin, the altar of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross alone can stop the judgment of God for all who trust in Him.

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth him that sent me, hath eternal life, and cometh not in judgment ; but he has passed from death to life" (John 5. 24).

The wall of our works is ineffective, only the altar of the grace of God can save us !

Source (Pleasing the Lord)