HOW DO WE MAKE SENSE OF THIS PANDEMIC?

These days with the Covid-19 situation are unprecedented and none of us have seen anything like this in our lifetime. So-called experts cannot give us clear answers. How long will the lockdown last? When will a vaccine be available? But plagues are not new to the earth? Antonine Plague of 165 -180 AD 5 million died. Plague of Justinian of 541-542 25. Black death 1350s 75-200. Cholera in the 1800s killed millions. Russion flu of 1889-1890. Spanish flu of 1918 killed 20-50 million. Hong Kong flu of 1968. HIV 1976ff has killed 36 million. Great plague of 1665. Great Potato Famine 1845-1849. Small pox and measles . . . ||||
So this is not something new. Where do these plagues and viruses come from? Why have they been sent? And how do we deal with it? ||||
WHERE DO THESE PLAGUES COME FROM? Vs 13 The thought that God has anything to do with these terrible things upsets many. How could a holy loving God allow this? How do we answer such an objection? Let God Himself answer. Ex 7:1-4, Isa 45:5-7, Gen 6:6-7,13
Our God is sovereign and judges in righteousness. To question this is to deny the sovereignty of God. ||||
WHY DOES GOD SEND PLAGUES AND PANDEMICS? Why would a holy holy holy God do this? Because He is a holy God and He judges, and He deals with sin. 2 Chr 7:13-14. Vs 19, Gen 6:5-6, Jer 4:2-6, All the judgment that comes to our fallen world always comes from our thrice-holy God. In the midst of this Pandemic many governments on earth were busy passing laws to kill millions of babies.
Do we think our nation can escape jugdement after participating in such horror? The judgement will be felt now and in eternity. And we know that God’s wrath is real. Remember what happened on the cross. Isa 53. “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” ||||
We see the holy wrath of God was poured out on Jesus at Calvary, the place of justice and forgiveness. It was a place of redemption.
If He had not poured out His judgement on His Son, you and I would have to face God’s wrath. ||||
HOW ARE WE THE CHILDREN OF GOD TO DEAL WITH THIS PANDEMIC?
We too, God’s children, could get it. So what do we do about it? When God sends pestilence, we are called to pray. We need to be careful about how we use the text in 1 Chron 7:13-14, but the principle of prayer holds good. Because He has placed us in history for such a time as this. We are here at this time because of our sovereign God, as was Esther. To be salt and light. This is our role for this day. Obey the laws of the land. Bring help and comfort to people and present the glorious gospel of Jesus wherever possible. We are asked to pray for our government. Maybe we did not vote it in, but God did. We must be ready to give an answer to people to point them to Jesus when they ask us why we are not afraid. Why we do not worry. Why we do not fret. We are here to make Him known, and comfort people. This is our great day of opportunity. We have greater opportunity than saints have had before during previous plagues, with all this technology – to bring comfort and help, to those around us, and the truth of the gospel.
If the Lord tarries, this pandemic will pass. But all of us must die and face the judgment. If the virus does not take you, something else will. It is appointed unto man once to die. If you are not yet a child of God, the answer to your deepest need is to be found only in Jesus. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 English Standard Version (ESV) So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self[a] is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.