Some Thoughts on this Coronavirus Crisis
by Pastor Doug Sukhia
God is in Control of Plagues
The Lord is the Sovereign God who is in charge of all things. Anything that happens, “good “or “bad” from our perspective
[that is] comes ultimately from His hand.
Deut 32:39 "See now that I myself am He! There is no god besides me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and
no one can deliver out of my hand.
Plagues also are an expression of His sovereign will. They are not random, chance occurrences. They are not things that stymie God. He’s not at the mercy of microbes. Jesus said that not a sparrow falls to the ground apart from the Father’s will. He could have said not a virus reproduces apart from your Father’s will. In fact, plagues are specifically singled out in scripture as being under God’s control.
Hab 3:3 His glory covered the heavens and his praise filled the earth. 4 His splendor was like the sunrise; rays flashed from his hand, where his power was hidden. 5 Plague went before him; pestilence followed his steps. 6 He stood, and shook the earth; he looked, and made the nations tremble.
Multiple times it is recorded that God sent plagues as a punishment.
Deut 32:23 "I will heap calamities upon them and spend my arrows against them. I will send wasting famine against them, consuming pestilence and deadly plague...
Pharaoh eventually yielded to the will of God as a result of ten “plagues”. All were sovereign acts of judgment sent by God.
Ex 11:1 Now the Lord had said to Moses, "I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. After that, he will let you go from here, and when he does, he will drive you out completely.
As redemptive history unfolds, many times God sends plagues as disciplinary judgment on his people.
Ex 32:35 And the Lord struck the people with a plague because of what they did with the calf Aaron had made.
Num 11:33 But while the meat was still between their teeth and before it could be consumed, the anger of the Lord burned against the people, and he struck them with a severe plague.
2 Sam 24:15 So the Lord sent a plague on Israel from that morning until the end of the time designated, and seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beersheba died.
If we believe that this is true, that God is in control of plagues, virus, germs and microbes etc. then how should we view this corona virus outbreak? What should we as believers in the Lord and His Word conclude about this event?
1. We should not view it as a judgment for specific sins of specific people. These incidents, cited in Scripture, are always tied directly to specified transgressions of particular people [Pharaoh, Korah, David etc.] Of course we could say that all death and disease are a result of the general sinfulness of all humans.
Gen 2:16 "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."
Rom 5:12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned...
But, unless there is a clear and direct connection between a sinful behavior and a disease or death [ STD due to sexual immorality; alcohol poisoning due to alcohol abuse etc.] it is not right to label afflictions as God’s punitive judgment. That was the error of Job’s counselors. This virus is infecting the just and the unjust, the rich and poor, the righteous and unrighteous. But it is still another reminder that all have sinned and all need the Savior.
John 3:36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."
2. I think we can view this situation as a demonstration of our fragility, physically, and economically. These tiny microbes are bringing mighty nations to their knees. Millions are having their lives upended; wealth is evaporating, economies are failing; multitudes will be out of work; businesses will fail...all due to the reproductive ambitions of a tiny virus! This should humble us.
Prov 11:2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.
Everything we have is from God, including our health and wealth.
|1 Cor 4:7 For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you
boast as though you did not?
Everything in this post-fall world is tenuous, fragile, and unsecured. The Lord’s parable of the rich farmer is meant to teach the folly of assuming a prosperous, disaster free future.
Luke 12:18 This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." 20 "But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'
James also warns about planning on prosperity but disregarding God’s sovereign will.
James 4:13 Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that."
So this event should remind us to be humble and trust God for the future; to be thankful for daily mercies and health; to always be ready to die or plunge into poverty if, in His wisdom, that is his will for us.
3. This event is another opportunity to cast our cares on the Lord. We as believers should not allow fear to overcome or paralyze us.
We believe that God has chosen us, redeemed us, and made us his children. Therefore, whatever happens is for our good. Paul writes
as if this should be a “given” for believers.
Rom 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
As believers in this all powerful God who loves us in Christ, we are told not to fear and worry as if we don’t have such a God.
Matt 6:25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour
to his life?
There are approximately 365 admonitions in scripture for God’s people not to fear, one for every day of the year as it were, including this “day of the virus”.
Isa 41:10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you;I will uphold you with my righteous right hand...13 For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.
Jer 46:28 Do not fear, O Jacob my servant, for I am with you," declares the Lord.
Danger should cause us to pray and prepare but not to panic.
Phil 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Ps 94:18 When I said, "My foot is slipping," your love, O Lord, supported me. 19 When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.
1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
Ps 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear...
4. We should respond in love to our neighbors in this situation. Jesus said the second great commandment is love your neighbor as yourself. Paul repeats this as an ethical expectation for believers looking at love as a debt that includes to“do no harm”.
Rom 13:8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.
9 The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." 10 Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
The Westminster Larger Catechism points out the obligations required in the 6th Commandment [Do not murder].
Q. 135. What does the sixth commandment require?
A. The sixth commandment requires us to do our best to make every lawful effort to preserve our own life and the lives of others... Finally, we should provide aid and comfort to those in distress as well as protect and defend the innocent.
Loving our neighbor includes doing what we can to protect ourselves and all others from harm. This is why we should take precautions in regards to this pandemic, but also take risks to our own lives to help others when called to. There is a long history of Christians risking their own lives to care for each other and their neighbors. In AD 160 and AD 251 plagues hit the urban centers of major Roman cities. Most inhabitants who were able fled to the countryside abandoning their family members to die. But the Christians stayed and cared for the sick, keeping them clean and hydrated. This led to the recovery of many. Most historians think these were flu epidemics. The pagan world took notice of this sacrificial kindness and the church grew as a result. By 300 AD half of the population of the Roman Empire professed Christ.
Almost 500 years ago, in 1527, a case of the bubonic plague was found in Wittenberg, the small town where Martin Luther was based and taught. In answer to the questions raised by this dire situation Luther wrote a treatise to help Christians, especially pastors, to think through how to respond. He essentially advised all to follow their Spirit guided conscience. Some with obligations and duties should stay and assist, others could leave to protect themselves. To those who would choose to stay and assist (including himself) he wrote the following...
“I shall ask God mercifully to protect us. Then I shall fumigate, help purify the air, administer medicine and take it. I shall avoid places and persons where my presence is not needed in order not to become contaminated and thus perchance inflict and pollute others and so cause their death as a result of my negligence. If God should wish to take me, he will surely find me and I have done what he has expected of me and so I am not responsible for either my own death or the death of others. If my neighbor needs me, however, I shall not avoid place or person but will go freely as stated above. See, this is such a God-fearing faith because it is neither brash nor foolhardy and does not tempt God.”
-Luther’s works, Volume 43 p. 132. “Whether One May Flee From a Deadly Plague”
Conclusion: Christians should see this pandemic as a part of God’s wise providence and learn from it. All afflictions are a reminder of our sin and need of a Savior. It is another call to repent and believe on Christ. We should see our frailty and humble ourselves in light of our inherent weakness. We should not be overly anxious but pray and entrust ourselves to God’s loving care. We should respond in love to our neighbors as followers of Christ who gave Himself for sinners.
Titus 2:13 Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.