A Christian Response to the Coronavirus
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Introduction
Introduction
The coronavirus now dominates the news. It has now been classified as a pandemic. Extreme actions are being taken by governments to contain the spread of this disease. It is driving the stock market down. Unfortunately, it is part of the political dialogue. It is affecting commerce, travel, entertainment, and sports. You know that it is serious when Americans will close sports events. The Friday before last, President Trump declared this crisis a national emergency.
The primary concern is not the current sickness and death count; it is the potential devastation this disease could cause. The influenza pandemic that struck in 1918 affected one-third of the world’s population. That would be 2 ½ billion people in today’s population. It is estimated to have killed 50 million people when the population was much less than it is today.i Some estimates are as high as 100 million.ii To put that in perspective, the total fatalities in World War II are estimated at 70-85 million.iii One source said, “This flu killed more people in 24 weeks than the HIV/Aids killed in 24 years.”iv These statistics explain why governmental responses to the current pandemic are so dramatic.
The Bible has a lot to say about plagues, and we can draw counsel from the word of God as to how we should respond to the current situation. As Christians, what should we personally do about the current crisis?
Be Prudent and Act With Common Sense
Be Prudent and Act With Common Sense
When Satan tempted Jesus to jump off the temple, Jesus countered the suggestion by quoting Deut. 6:16.
“You shall not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah.
Jesus said, “You shall not tempt the Lord your God” (Luke 4:12).v To force God’s hand by doing something so foolish is to tempt or test God.
G. Campbell Morgan wrote, “The moment we do something to prove God, we are proving that we are not sure of God. Trust never employs tricks to find out whether the one trusted is trustworthy.” It is one thing to take a bold step of faith in obedience to God; it is another to initiate the same action for our own purposes as Satan suggested.
In John 8 the Jews picked up stones to throw at Jesus to kill Him. Jesus’s response was interesting. He could have worked a miracle. He could have paralyzed those people. He could have struck them down dead. What did He do? He hid Himself. He slipped through the crowd and got away.
So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.
We see something similar in Paul’s life when the authorities were trying to arrest him. He did something very practical. In a conversation about humility, Paul told the story including how he escaped.
but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands.
Surely God could have done something more impressive. No, in this case Paul was to use the practical means available to him.
My point is this: in the absent of a divine command to do otherwise, we simply act with
prudence. We do not act in presumption. Presumption is driven by subtle pride. Faith acts in
humble obedience.
What are some practical things we can do in the face of the current pandemic? Doctors and
governmental authorities are providing some guidance. (1) We should be more diligent than
usual about washing our hands, wiping them off with sanitizers, and avoid touching our face
after touching public facilities. (2) We should minimize exposure to large crowds when practical.
We may have to cut back on our entertainment activities. We may have to limit unnecessary
travel. We carry on our lives, but we simply use common sense. (3) The medical profession is
recommending we keep about 3 foot distance from others in public when possible. (4) We may
eat at home more instead of going out to restaurants so much. (5) If we get flu-like symptoms we
may consult our doctor quicker than we normally would. (6) We may store a few more supplies
in case there are shortages as a result of all this. These are a few practical suggestions we can and should follow.
Two extremes should be avoided. One is the presumption that because we’re a King’s Kid that
we would not have to deal with any of this. Belonging to God does not exempt us from the
human experience. God will take care of us as we trust and obey Him. But we are still in mortal
bodies. Our complete salvation has not yet arrived. We are looking forward to being clothed with
a glorified body. In the meantime, we do some groaning along with the rest of creation (Rom.
8:23). The other extreme is panic. God has not given us the spirit of fear
for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
Listen to David’s confidence
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall.
Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident.
One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.
For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock.
If you feel yourself becoming anxious, go to passages like this and let the Holy Spirit bring
assurance and comfort to your heart. The fruit of the Spirit is not fear, but faith and peace.
You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.
Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.
We do not have to react to problems the same way the world reacts. God is with us. If we will
look to Him as our source and protection, we will be fine.
II. Call Upon The Lord And Seek His Counsel
II. Call Upon The Lord And Seek His Counsel
Every crisis is a call to seek God! Sometimes events happen as a wake-up call. Israel was God’s chosen people. But at times in their history they would become very slack in their service to Him. They would presume upon His goodness—sometimes even delving into idolatry. Rather than immediately wiping them out for their disobedience, God would send enough trouble to get their attention. In between those events was opportunity to repent. God gave enough of a crisis to get their attention, then gave opportunity to seek Him and get things right. Israel failed to seize those opportunities. These things were written for our admonition (1 Cor. 10:11).
My greatest concern for America is that we would respond to the current crisis with all our resources but fail to seek the Lord. It is one thing to have confidence trusting in the Lord. It is another to pridefully think we can handle the matter because of our great scientific advancements and experience. It was comforting to hear President Trump declare last Sunday as a National Day of Prayer. We should be praying today and everyday for God’s wisdom and protection. We should look to the Lord for victory and not assume that we can handle it without Him.
Prior to 1918 the world was boasting about its scientific achievements, especially in the field of medicine. “For over a century, the booming science of medicine had gone from one triumph to another. Researchers had developed vaccines for many diseases: smallpox, anthrax, rabies, diphtheria, meningitis.”vii The advances in microbiology had led “to the thought of invincibility.”viii It was in that context that the world was hit with something they were ill-equipped to handle. It was near that time when people were boasting they had built a ship that could not sink. That ship was the Titanic and you know the rest of the story.
Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
That principle holds true for nations, just like it does for individuals. You have heard me speak often of the promise God gave in 2 Chronicles 7:14. We get a better sense of the context for that verse when we read the verse that precedes it.
When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people,
if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place.
The passage begins with a situation in which trouble has come. In fact, the word translated pestilence in verse 13 could be translated plague.ix What is the response God is looking for?
(1) It begins with humbling ourselves. It may sound courageous to stand up to a crisis and say, “We can defeat this!” If we do that with the same mindset Caleb had at Kadesh-Barnea, it’s a good thing. Caleb added to his boast, “the Lord is with us” (Num. 14:8). He preceded it by saying, “If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us. . . .”
Whether it is explicitly stated or not, that must be our mentality. The influenza of 1918 struck a severe blow to the pride that had developed through scientific discoveries which had been made.
In a crisis, we should be humbling ourselves, not boasting in our self-sufficiency. A pandemic should remind us of our mortality and our need for God.
(2) We must pray.
do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
There we’re given the promise of peace if we will do what? pray with thanksgiving; let our requests be made known to God; speak to God out of our dependence upon Him. When the church forsakes her calling to be a House of Prayer, God sends something to turn her back to that. The early church is an example for us. When trouble came, they prayed. Daniel also exemplifies this. When trouble came, he prayed. He got his friends to pray with him. As he prayed God worked in his behalf.xi I hope we do more than put on masks and wash our hands; I hope we seek the Lord for His solutions. We need His wisdom, His guidance, and His power to work in our behalf. He can turn this for the furtherance of the gospel.
(3) We must seek His face.
We must seek right relationship with God. It’s not just that we tell Him what we want. We also submit ourselves to Him and pursue His will.
In 2016 we were facing an assault against our religious liberties. On the front lines were large Christian organizations like Focus on the Family and Hobby Lobby. But most of us realized it would get down to us if something didn’t happen. With a sense of urgency, we prayed. Franklin Graham led prayer meetings at each state capital. God heard our prayers and gave us a reprieve from that oppression. I believe it was a reprieve—an opportunity for the church to start praying instead of entertaining. I believe the future depends far more on what the church does than what the politicians do. Jesus is walking among the candlesticks as He did in Revelation 2-3, assessing the condition of the church and pronouncing judgement based on what the church does. What will happen in November? Will we get further reprieve, or will we get what we deserve? If a remnant will pray and seek God, He will hear and heal our land. Did you notice that phrase in 2 Chronicles 7:14? In answer to prayer he “will forgive their sin and heal their land.” He can heal the land of unjust judges. He can heal the land of unjust laws. He can heal the land of economic chaos. And He can heal the land of viruses!
The danger is that we would look at the coronavirus with purely humanistic eyes. Certainly, compassion for those suffering from the disease should be included in our response. But we must not think in purely humanistic terms; we must not leave God out of the picture. Perhaps God has brought us to the kingdom for such a time as this. Perhaps this world-wide wake-up call is the opportunity of a lifetime. Oh, that multitudes would turn to Him and find, not only temporal help, but eternal salvation. “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Mark 8:36). May we be empowered by the Holy Spirit to bring healing and salvation to others (Acts 4:31)
(4) The last condition in 2 Chronicles 7:14 is that we would turn from our wicked ways. Your wicked ways may not be the same as mine. But they are all a departure from the commandments of God.
When God struck Egypt with plagues, He was not just dealing with people. He was also striking their gods. It demonstrated the weakness of their idols. God’s judgment devastated Egypt’s economy. As I watch the current impact of the coronavirus, I am amazed at the impact it is having on economies. How much of the world’s commerce is driven by greed? How much confidence are people placing in their retirement accounts and savings? What will they do if the bottom falls out from under all that? Will they trust the Lord, or will they jump out of a 20-story window? Sometimes God shakes things to bring us back to the basics. That happened at the end of the roaring 20’s during the depression. At times God says to us: “We can do this the easy way, or we can do this the hard way.” He always wants us to do it the easy way.
In Amos God pleads with His people. In chapter 4 He rehearses the chastening He sent, all designed to bring them to their senses. Yet they did not repent. Listen to what God said to them.
“I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and lack of bread in all your places, yet you did not return to me,” declares the Lord.
“I also withheld the rain from you when there were yet three months to the harvest; I would send rain on one city, and send no rain on another city; one field would have rain, and the field on which it did not rain would wither;
so two or three cities would wander to another city to drink water, and would not be satisfied; yet you did not return to me,” declares the Lord.
“I struck you with blight and mildew; your many gardens and your vineyards, your fig trees and your olive trees the locust devoured; yet you did not return to me,” declares the Lord.
“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.
“I overthrew some of you, as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were as a brand plucked out of the burning; yet you did not return to me,” declares the Lord.
“Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel; because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel!”
He worked to bring them in right relationship with their creator. Can you hear the sadness in God’s heart as He repeats the words, “Yet you have not returned to Me”? Someone might say,
“God wouldn’t do all that, He’s a good God.” Oh, but He does all that because He is a good God. It is all designed to bring them in right relationship with Him—and nothing is right if that is not right. Their eternal relationship with Him is far more important than their temporal comfort.
Nothing could be more sobering than the words: “Prepare to meet your God.”
III. Our Trust Must Be In Christ
III. Our Trust Must Be In Christ
When we are walking in the light, we are surrounded by God’s protection. And He is able to work all things together for our good. He is able to redeem any situation and turn it toward His purposes.
If a crisis causes people to turn to God and receive eternal life, something very good has come out of it. We seek the Lord for His mercy, protection, and healing. At the same time, we know the most important issue for everyone is where that individual will spend eternity. I was encouraged to read how the Christians in Wuhan China were going out on the streets proclaiming Christ when everyone else was hunkering in and afraid to go out. They are an example for us. I’ve been praying for a great harvest of souls there. Very often it is in times of trouble that people become more open to hear about God. When those opportunities come, we will, by the grace of God, set aside our own self-preservation and proclaim the gospel to the lost.
When we are in the center of God’s will, there is nothing to fear. If you drink any deadly thing it will not harm you (Mark 16:18). That promise is given in the context of proclaiming the gospel. Paul was on a mission from God when he was bitten by a deadly viper. He shook it off in the fire and was not harmed by it (Acts 28:3-5). That supernatural event got the attention of the pagans on that island.
For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day,
nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.
A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.
You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked.
Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place— the Most High, who is my refuge—
no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent.
For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.
On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.
He is able to shield us if we will look to Him for that protection. God used the first three plagues in Egypt to do a work in His people as well as judge Egypt. But when that work was done, He made a distinction between His people and the Egyptians (Ex. 8:22). He protected His people from the destruction. For the Egyptians those plagues meant destruction. For God’s people they resulted in their redemption. The key factor in the last plague was the blood on the doorposts—a type of the blood of Christ applied to the believer’s heart. When God saw the blood, He passed over His people as a protection, and they were not harmed. “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the Lord our God” (Ps. 20:7).
Make sure the blood of Christ has been applied to your heart. Make sure you have surrendered your life to Him. Make sure you’re walking in the light. Then trust Him to watch over you and even empower you by His Spirit to minister peace and healing to others.