In a crisis like the present one it is often to be expected that some will say that God is judging us. Sometimes the pronouncements get rather extreme. Still others will say just the opposite; that this is just a random thing that happens and is common in our world.
So which is it? Is God judging us or is this just 'time and chance' that has happened, or something in between? In answering that question there are some things that we can look at in principle and understand how God deals with both his people and those that reject him.
Blessings for obedience, curses for disobedience.
Dueteronomy 28:1-2;15, "If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you this day, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God. (v15) However, if you do not obey the Lord your God and do not carefully follow all his commands I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you."
These were the words that Moses spoke to the Israelites just before they renewed the covenant and were to enter the promised land. This began the Israelite history of a chronic cycle of disobeience, losing the covenant blessings, crying out to God, deliverance through a Godly leader, repeat cycle.
Even though the Israelites repeatedly broke the covenant, God repeatedly gave them opportunities to come back to him. When they would cry out to him, being oppressed by the other nations and enduring the plagues he sent, he would hear them and deliver them. Finally, God's judgment came on the nation of Israel around 700BC...about 700 years after they entered the promised land. The Jewish nation was judged about 150 years later.
The covenant curses the Israelites faced earlier is probably better understood as a warning that they needed to repent or ultimate calamity (judgment) would come, rather than judgment itself.
Application for today
There are a few things to keep in mind:
1. God's holiness demands perfect obedience.
For those who think they've been basically 'good people', remember that all it took for Adam and Eve to be banished from the Garden of Eden was to eat a piece of fruit.
2. There are no random events from God's point of view. Matthew 10: 29:
"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of the Father."
So this COVID-19 is NOT simply a random event. This all fits into God's plan and his purposes. And he is using it in some way for his glory.
3. Romans 8:28:
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose."
A couple of points about this verse:
A. God works in ALL things, not just some.
B. It is for the good of those who love God and are called. This does not apply to unbelievers. As Dr. Martin LLoyd Jones said in a sermon, "The gospel has one message for the unrepentant sinner, Judgment awaits." The gospel indeed does have a message for those who reject God. That message is judgment. The fact is, the gospel message begins by warning of the impending judgment to all men and calls us to repent, that is to turn from our disobedience and follow him. The message the disciples preached on that first Pentecost was one of warning;
"Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." (Acts 2:40)
Conclusion
So is Covid-19 God's judgment on the world? I believe the answer is NO. I believe that God is using everything, including this virus for his purposes, and that is in bringing many sons to glory. I remember immediately after 9-11 that the churches had standing room only. That only lasted a short time and many of us have lamented that it didn't last. But did it last? For some it did. There were those who came to saving faith in jesus Christ as their personal savior in the aftermath of 9-11 who are still walking and growing in their faith today.
The same thing will happen in this case too. There will be a soul harvest from this. Of course there will be many who come and then when the crisis is over, and it will end, will go back to their old ways. But there will be some who will be brought into the fold. It will also wake up those who are believers who have perhaps allowed their love to 'wax cold'.
It will also separate out many who claim to be saved and really aren't. It will also make one thing very clear. Without God, there is no hope. The government can't save you. The medical community can't save you. Don't count on a vaccine for this. There are other coronaviruses out there and we've never been able to develop a vaccine for them because they mutate so quickly.
So who are you going to trust.
If you are a believer and your faith is wavering and your are living in fear, God is calling you back into the fold.
If you are not a believer and this is resonating with you, then God is calling you to repent and believe in, and trust the one he sent, Jesus Christ, who died in your place. You don't need to repeat some nice prayer. You simply need to surrender your life and will to Him.
I pray that God will keep you healthy and that you will be richly blessed by what you have just read.
