Coronavirus and Providential Permission
Dear Phil,
Why did God allow the coronavirus to attack us?
Ken
Why did God allow the coronavirus to attack us?
Ken
Dear Ken,
I appreciate the way you phrased your question. All things that happen are either planned or permitted by God. There is no such thing as “luck” or “chance.” God is sovereign over COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2), as he is over all things (Ps 103:19; Eph 1:11).
Any time we ask why God does or permits something in our world, we should remind ourselves of Deuteronomy 29:29 and Proverbs 25:2–3. Moses says, “The secret things belong to Yahweh our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” Solomon says, “It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out.” Sometimes God doesn’t tell us what he’s doing, and there’s no way for us to know for sure.
With that said, God does say a good bit about calamity in Scripture. Here is a sampling. First, God asserts his sovereignty over all calamities: “Does disaster come to a city, unless Yahweh has done it?” (Amos 3:6b; cf. Isa 45:7). Second, God uses calamity for multiple purposes. God uses calamity as a display of his power (Exod 9:15–16) and of the vanity of all other gods (Isa 57:13). God uses calamity as judgment to end the earthly life of some wicked persons (Jer 25:31). God uses calamity as a means to bring his children to heaven (Phil 1:20–23). God uses calamity as redemptive discipline to turn the wicked from their sins (Amos 4:4–11; Jer 26:3). God uses calamity as refining discipline to reveal and remove what is not godly from the lives of his people (Ps 66:10). God uses calamity as constructive discipline to build godliness into his people (Rom 5:3–4; 8:28–29). God uses calamity as an opportunity for his people to serve others through good works (2 Cor 8:1–7; 1 John 3:16–18), intercessory prayer (Ezek 22:29–30; Dan 9:3–19), sharing the gospel (Phil 1:12–13), and discipling believers about how to respond to difficulties (James 1:2–12; Phil 4:11–13).
Of all the passages I just cited, Daniel 9 seems frequently overlooked. Daniel fasts and prays a prayer of national repentance for sins he did not personally commit. God holds nations to account just as he does men (Gen. 15:16). Intercessory confession, asking for divine mercy in withholding judgment and in renewing our fear of God, is surely something God wants from us.
God is allowing the coronavirus calamity for all these reasons, and probably more besides. In the hands of our all–wise God, calamity is a multi–purpose tool, addressing the many facets of the human condition.
Two books have been helpful to me during this prolonged challenge: John Piper, Coronavirus and Christ; and N.T. Wright, God and the Pandemic. As you might expect, there are a variety of places where I don’t read Scripture in the same way as these two brothers. Nonetheless, both contributed meaningfully to my thinking during this year. Here’s a nugget from each.
N.T. Wright hit me between the eyes of my heart when he said that a Christian response to pandemic should be to look for ways to actively help those in need. He mentioned the surge of volunteers that England experienced when hospitals and healthcare facilities made known they were short–handed. He is right. Christians don’t first protect their earthly lives and only reach out when risk is minimal. Jesus–followers tread the Savior’s steps of self–sacrifice for the good of others. I needed to repent of seeing in COVID-19 primarily inconvenience, controversy, and personal safety concerns rather than gospelsharing, gospel–living opportunities.
John Piper stirred valuable reflection by his comments on the ways in which the pandemic exposes subtle idols. Comfort and convenience easily morph into idols when we love them more than we love others. How can we say, “I’m done with being inconvenienced, when we may be asymptomatic transmitters of deadly disease to others whose comorbidities we don’t know?” Love for God is revealed by love for others. If we will not suffer inconvenience to protect the vulnerable, how dwells the love of God in us?
Blessings,
Phil
I appreciate the way you phrased your question. All things that happen are either planned or permitted by God. There is no such thing as “luck” or “chance.” God is sovereign over COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2), as he is over all things (Ps 103:19; Eph 1:11).
Any time we ask why God does or permits something in our world, we should remind ourselves of Deuteronomy 29:29 and Proverbs 25:2–3. Moses says, “The secret things belong to Yahweh our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” Solomon says, “It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out.” Sometimes God doesn’t tell us what he’s doing, and there’s no way for us to know for sure.
With that said, God does say a good bit about calamity in Scripture. Here is a sampling. First, God asserts his sovereignty over all calamities: “Does disaster come to a city, unless Yahweh has done it?” (Amos 3:6b; cf. Isa 45:7). Second, God uses calamity for multiple purposes. God uses calamity as a display of his power (Exod 9:15–16) and of the vanity of all other gods (Isa 57:13). God uses calamity as judgment to end the earthly life of some wicked persons (Jer 25:31). God uses calamity as a means to bring his children to heaven (Phil 1:20–23). God uses calamity as redemptive discipline to turn the wicked from their sins (Amos 4:4–11; Jer 26:3). God uses calamity as refining discipline to reveal and remove what is not godly from the lives of his people (Ps 66:10). God uses calamity as constructive discipline to build godliness into his people (Rom 5:3–4; 8:28–29). God uses calamity as an opportunity for his people to serve others through good works (2 Cor 8:1–7; 1 John 3:16–18), intercessory prayer (Ezek 22:29–30; Dan 9:3–19), sharing the gospel (Phil 1:12–13), and discipling believers about how to respond to difficulties (James 1:2–12; Phil 4:11–13).
Of all the passages I just cited, Daniel 9 seems frequently overlooked. Daniel fasts and prays a prayer of national repentance for sins he did not personally commit. God holds nations to account just as he does men (Gen. 15:16). Intercessory confession, asking for divine mercy in withholding judgment and in renewing our fear of God, is surely something God wants from us.
God is allowing the coronavirus calamity for all these reasons, and probably more besides. In the hands of our all–wise God, calamity is a multi–purpose tool, addressing the many facets of the human condition.
Two books have been helpful to me during this prolonged challenge: John Piper, Coronavirus and Christ; and N.T. Wright, God and the Pandemic. As you might expect, there are a variety of places where I don’t read Scripture in the same way as these two brothers. Nonetheless, both contributed meaningfully to my thinking during this year. Here’s a nugget from each.
N.T. Wright hit me between the eyes of my heart when he said that a Christian response to pandemic should be to look for ways to actively help those in need. He mentioned the surge of volunteers that England experienced when hospitals and healthcare facilities made known they were short–handed. He is right. Christians don’t first protect their earthly lives and only reach out when risk is minimal. Jesus–followers tread the Savior’s steps of self–sacrifice for the good of others. I needed to repent of seeing in COVID-19 primarily inconvenience, controversy, and personal safety concerns rather than gospelsharing, gospel–living opportunities.
John Piper stirred valuable reflection by his comments on the ways in which the pandemic exposes subtle idols. Comfort and convenience easily morph into idols when we love them more than we love others. How can we say, “I’m done with being inconvenienced, when we may be asymptomatic transmitters of deadly disease to others whose comorbidities we don’t know?” Love for God is revealed by love for others. If we will not suffer inconvenience to protect the vulnerable, how dwells the love of God in us?
Blessings,
Phil