Plagues and epidemics have always been
a part of human history. A comprehensive list can be obtained from Wikipedia.[1]
A terrible plague struck the Greek
city of Athens in 429-426 BC.[2],
claiming up to 100,000 lives.[3] The plague spread rapidly and killed fast –
its symptoms beginning with fever and spreading through the body.
Towards the end of World War I, in
January 1918, a new strain of flu began making its way across the globe. The
origin of the virus remains unknown. As the virus spread, the heavily censored
press suppressed the news of the outbreak in fear that it would damage morale.
In Spain, the uncensored press was free to publish news of a deadly disease, which
led to the virus being given its name: Spanish
Flu. This deadly flu spread at a
time when the world was becoming increasingly
interconnected, Troops coming to and from the front lines easily spread the
disease to civilians. The Spanish Flu thrived in urban population centers and
soon spread to the countryside, leaving few places in the world untouched. Businesses
and schools closed. Quarantines were enforced. People wore face masks. After three waves over the course of 18
months, an estimated third of the world’s population was affected, with as many
as 50 million people dead.
THE BIBLE AND EPIDEMICS
Let’s turn to Numbers Chapter 25. I am going to use this text illustratively as a launching pad for our deliberation on our subject, “God and Epidemics”. This text needs to be seen in context and ultimately we need the full weight and support of the whole Bible to make the point that Numbers 25 makes:
(i) God hands people groups and nations over to plagues and disasters to punish them for disobedience. The fact that Israel had a covenant relationship with God does not exempt her.
(ii) In this God frequently extends mercy when
atonement is made or when people are repentant of their sin (25:8,11). Illustratively then, here in Numbers 25 we
find an account of a plague in which 24 000 people of Israel died (25:9). The plague was stopped by the
action of Phineas who acted in righteousness. The story needs some re-telling.
When Israel left Egypt, they spent 40 years wandering in a desert. That wilderness wandering itself was a judgement from God. Again, a reminder of this portion of history is needed. Upon their arrival at Kadesh Barnea, which bordered the Promised Land of Canaan, Israel under Moses sent out twelve spies to survey the land and its people (Num. 13:18-25). When they returned after forty days ten of the spies brought a negative report: “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are…All the people we saw were of great size…We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes” (Num. 13:31-33). Only Joshua and Caleb gave positive reports (Num. 14:6-7).
Sadly Israel believed the majority report and so they “raised their voices and wept aloud,” grumbling against Moses and Aaron, saying, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this desert! Why is the LORD bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword” (Num. 14:1-2). God, in turn said to Moses, “How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed among them? I will strike them down with a plague and destroy them” (Num.14:11). Moses interceded for his people and turned away the wrath of God (Num. 14:13-20). Although God did forgive them, He decreed that “not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their forefathers. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it” (Num. 14:23).
And so they would wander in the wilderness for
forty years, one year for each of the forty days they explored the land (Num.14:34). Furthermore, God would give
them what they asked for: “I will do the
very things I heard you say: In this desert your bodies will fall, every one of
you twenty years old or more” (Num.
14:28-29). Additionally, the ten men who had given the bad report were
struck down and died of a plague before the Lord (Num.14:37). Only Joshua and Caleb survived, the two faithful spies
who believed God’s promise to give the land over to them.
With this in mind we find Israel (in their 40 year wanderings) steadily on the move towards the land promised to them on oath. Because God is with Israel, no one can essentially stand before them. Powerful and significant kings are defeated by them.
The Canaanite king Arad who lived in the Negeb was defeated (Num.21: 1-3). Then follows the story of the rebellion, when Israel became impatient, grumbling against God and Moses (Num. 21:4-9). God judges them by sending a plague of venomous snakes among them so that many die. Upon confession of their sin, Moses intercedes and God forgives.
Thereafter, Sihon, king of the Amorites (Num.21:21-30) and Og, king of Bashan (Num. 21:31-35), on the threshold to the promised land are conquered.
When Balak, king of Moab sees this, he knows
that they are next in line. He hires Balaam
a powerful diviner to send curses upon Israel, only to find that he can do
nothing against Israel. Then follows Chapter 25 in which we find Israel in the
territory of Moab. And we read that, “Israel began to whore with the daughters
of Moab… bowed down to their gods… so
Israel yoked himself to the Baal of Peor and the anger of the LORD was kindled against
Israel” (25:1-3). It all culminates
in the plague in which 24 000 were killed. This is illustrative of many such
accounts in the OT, where we read
of plagues falling on
nations in response to God’s
judgement. Every judgement is from God.
The Law
Deuteronomy
32:23-24 (Context –the Song of Moses- a warning) 23 “And I will heap disasters upon them; I will spend my arrows on them; 24 they shall
be wasted with hunger, and devoured by
plague and poisonous pestilence;
I will send the teeth of beasts against them,
with the venom of things that crawl in the dust.”
The Historical Narratives
1
Chronicles 21:7-12 (David’s census which displeased the Lord) 7 But God was displeased with this thing, and
he struck Israel. 8 And David said to God, “I have sinned greatly in that I
have done this thing. But now, please take away the iniquity of your servant,
for I have acted very foolishly.” 9 And the Lord spoke to Gad, David's seer,
saying, 10 “Go and say to David, ‘Thus says the Lord, Three things I offer you;
choose one of them, that I may do it to you.’” 11 So Gad came to David and said
to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Choose what you will: 12 either three years of
famine, or three months of devastation by your foes while the sword of your
enemies overtakes you, or else three days of the sword of the Lord,
pestilence on the land, with the angel of the Lord destroying throughout all
the territory of Israel.’ Now decide what answer I shall return to him who
sent me.”
The Major Prophets
Isaiah
45:7
“I
form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the
Lord, who does all these things.”
Jeremiah
14: 11-12 11 The Lord said to me: “Do not pray
for the welfare of this people. 12 Though they fast, I will not hear their cry,
and though they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept
them. But I will consume them by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence.”
Ezekiel
7:14-15 (concerning the Day
of the Wrath of the Lord) 14 “They
have blown the trumpet and made everything ready, but none goes to battle, for my
wrath is upon all their multitude. 15 The sword is without; pestilence
and famine are within. He who is in the field dies by the sword, and him
who is in the city famine and pestilence devour (see also Ezekiel 5:16-17- God’s wrath of
Jerusalem).
The Minor Prophets
Amos
4:10 “I sent among you a pestilence
after the manner of Egypt; I killed
your young men with the sword, and carried away your horses, and I made the stench of your camp go up into
your nostrils; yet you did not return to me,” declares the Lord.”
Habakkuk
3:5
”Before him went pestilence, and plague followed at his heels.”
THE NEW TESTAMENT
Jesus, in His sermon on the Mt. of
Olives foretells, “There will be great
earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences…”(Lk.21:11;Matt.24:7).In Revelation 15 John mentions 7 plagues
which in Ch. 16 become 7 bowls of God’s wrath[4]. Plagues are destined for Babylon, which in the
book of Revelation symbolically represents all evil (Rev. 18:8).
In his letter to the Romans, Paul says
that, “the wrath of God is being revealed
… against all ungodliness and unrighteousness” (Rom.1:18). The wrath of God takes on many forms, including plagues.
In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul uses Old Testament
patterns of judgment as “types,” “examples to us”- to heed (1 Cor. 10:1–12) When rebuking the
Corinthians for abusing the Lord’s Supper, Paul warns, “that is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.” (1 Cor. 11:30). There he
labels sickness and death as a “judgment”
(v. 29).
SO WHAT ARE WE HEARING?
Are biblical pandemics sent from God? Yes!
What is the reason for these chastisements? To rebuke people
(especially God’s people) when they sin and go against created order) and to restrain
sin.
What
is God’s motive for these chastisements? God’s motive is redemptive. He wants to bring His people back to
righteousness. He has no pleasure in
punishing His people. Ezekiel 33:11 “11 Say to them, As I live, declares the
Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked
turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why
will you die, O house of Israel?” The same applies to the church. Hebrews
12:5-6[5],
makes the same point, “do not regard
lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the
Lord disciplines those who he loves, and chastises every son whom he
receives.... for the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant”
(Heb. 12:5, 11). This discipline does not exempt Christians.
Events like the coronavirus make it clear that one’s piety does not prevent
Christians from disaster.
So then, is the Spanish flu, the Covid pandemic, AIDS, Ebola, a judgment of God against
our society? Many people have great difficulty with reconciling this with what
they believe about God. How can a good
God allow evil stuff? And a related question- if this is not of God, then why does He allow it? Both these questions assume that God is like
us (the domestication of God). They both ignore that God is uniquely His own.
He is holy. He is good. He is above evil (and infinitely beyond the devil). He
is sovereign. He will not be usurped in any way. He will conquer evil. He has the ability and authority to use the
evil that Satan, demons and men design, and to turn that upon themselves. Just
think how God turned the cross upon Satan!
He turns that which sin has brought into this world to chastise this
world. In Romans 1:18ff Paul
describes this as the process of handing people over to their own evil
designs and life choices, and to chastise them, so that they can perhaps come
to their senses. In the midst of all this He has the ability to deliver His
people (who live in this sinful world) even through martyrdom and death by
taking them to heaven. God works this evil system to His glory!
WHAT THEN MUST WE DO?
When confronted with calamities the Bible calls us to look to God for both, comfort and self- examination.
Our response should not be to point fingers at others, and to figure out this evil world system and its conspiracies, but to lament and repent, with prayers like Daniel 9:3–19, in which we own and confess “our sins” and plead with for God to forgive us (2 Chron. 6:36–39, 7:12–14).
And every outbreak of pestilence, should force the question upon us, “Am I ready for Christ’s return? Will I be put to shame at His appearing?’’ The coronavirus should impress upon us afresh that this world is passing away, that history is not going round in circles. It is heading towards a great and terrible Day of Judgment.
It should
drive us to pray and witness to this world
with ever greater urgency.
AFFIRMATIONS
1.
We affirm that God is in control in the midst of calamity. (Psalm 46)
2. Whilst being responsible and mindful of others,
we must beware of engaging in unreasoning,
paralyzing, despair-provoking fear that robs us of all hope, peace, and
confidence in God.
3. COVID-19
does not release us from our obligations as Jesus’ followers. Our
discipleship is not contingent upon circumstances.
4. The
Christian life is one of sacrifice. Christ commands his followers to
take up their crosses daily. We must be the ones who set the example for
others. Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892) admired the Puritan ministers who stayed
behind to care for the sick and dying during the Great Plague of London in 1665. In 1854, a major cholera
outbreak occurred near the church. How
did his church respond? 1. They adjusted meetings, but continued meeting. 2. They
cared for the sick. 3. They were open to new evangelistic opportunities. 4.
Spurgeon entrusted his life to God.[6]
5. We are promised eternal life. We are
NOT promised an earthly life free of sickness, discomfort, or pain. We are not promised
long life on this earth. In fact, sometimes to be obedient to Christ means
risking our very lives.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_epidemics
[2] https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1535/thucydides-on-the-plague-of-athens-text--commentar/
[3] the
historian Thucydides (l. 460/455-399/398 BC), an Athenian who had the disease
and survived
[4]
Revelation 16: 2 painful sores ; 16:3 the sea becomes like the blood of a corpse and every
living thing died in the sea; 167:4 rivers and springs turn to blood; 16:8 fierce
heat of the sun scorches people; 16:10; darkness ; pain , sores 16:12 Euphrates
river dries up
[5] quoting Proverbs 3:11,12
[6] Geoff
Chang, "Five Lessons from Spurgeon’s Ministry in a Cholera Outbreak,"
The Gospel Coalition
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