Did God send this virus into the world

[Daniel9v9]

God does send pestilence - that is, punishing sinners and allowing (not creating!) evil for the purpose of good - and we can even see an example of our Lord Jesus threatening to send sickness on the woman referred to as Jezebel in Thyatira (Revelation 2).

Plagues, sickness, natural disasters, ageing and death are all consequences of our sin. The world is broken and it's our doing. Judgment is what we deserve, and they are continuous reminders of a far greater judgment for all who reject the grace of God, through His Son, Jesus Christ.

There are many places in the Bible where we can see God sending sickness, but I think perhaps the most insightful text is the book of Job, where we see both God and Satan operating, but for entirely different purposes; Satan intends destruction for evil, but God allows for evil in fixed boundaries and uses it for good.

So, what we should learn from all of this is that knowing that no one cares more about love, life and righteousness than God, we should be humbled, we should intercede for our neighbours, we should trust in God, knowing that all things work out for the good of those who believe in Him. This does not mean that Christians will never get sick, for we do, but it means we should be longsuffering in this evil world as our Lord is longsuffering, bearing with us in our sin, bearing with evil, bearing with injustice, for a time. Until Jesus Christ returns again to restore and make all things new.

 

[ZNP]

My Bible tells me that God casts unrepentant sinners into hell, it also tells me that God hates certain people. So I would be a liar if I told them that God loves them, because I don't know who God loves and who He hates. That's his private business.
Jesus never taught us to go out into the whole world and preach, God's unconditional love for everyone. He told us to preach the Gospel which includes, sever punishment in an eternal hell for those who reject it.
The Gospel tells us that we are all desperately wicked before our conversion, and we know that God hates wickedness and sin so much that He punishes it with the harshest possible punishment.

Wow! My Bible tells me that Jesus died to save sinners, even the chiefest of sinners. My Bible also tells me that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son to die.

 

[ZNP]

There are many places in the Bible where we can see God sending sickness, but I think perhaps the most insightful text is the book of Job, where we see both God and Satan operating, but for entirely different purposes; Satan intends destruction for evil, but God allows for evil in fixed boundaries and uses it for good.

I think the 5th seal is a crucial place to look. The cause of this seal being opened was the unrighteous murder of people not being dealt with properly by human government. That is a violation of the covenant God made with Noah. We see this as the same motivation for the plagues God sent to Egypt because they were killing the Hebrew babies. Granted the 5th seal is not a plague, but the 4th seal is, and sets the stage for the 5th seal to be opened.

 

[YouAreAwesome]

I do believe that God is sovereign over all of His creation. And nothing happens apart from His predetermined will.

Well I'll be blunt. If your foundation is built on"nothing happens apart from his predetermined will", then unbelievers are justified in accusing and blaming God for the virus no matter what the cause (whether it be human created or otherwise). To put your thoughts into one sentence, "The virus happened as a part of God's predetermined will". I can not accept this based on the life of Jesus as I will explain below.

I found this very hard to accept, until I realized that I was trying to conform God to my own image.

There is wisdom in trusting God. But it's better to not blame Him for the evil works of mankind and the devil.

I can't think of the Bible passages right now, which say that God has only revealed a very limited amount about Himself to us at this time.

He's revealed Himself in Jesus. If you can't imagine Jesus doing it, it's probably not God. Did Jesus ever send a virus? Did He ever curse someone with leprosy? Nope. He just heals. And loves. And cares.

But He will reveal a lot more in eternity so as hard as it is, we just have to keep trusting in Him.

It is noble to trust Him. There is merit in trusting Him despite what it appears in the present. But we shouldn't misrepresent Him by placing responsibility on Him for evil. The Bible teaches that "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him" (Acts 10:38). There's is no confusion here at all, Jesus ONLY healed "Jesus spoke and the demons left them, and he healed all the sick" (Matthew 8:16). He never hurt anyone. Not once. Not with His fists and not with a disease. And the Bible clearly teaches Jesus WAS GOD, "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word" (Hebrews 1:3).

So where did the virus come from? Let's be clear that some things that occur in the earth were never thought of by God as Jeremiah writes, "They built high places for Baal in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molek, though I never commanded--nor did it enter my mind--that they should do such a detestable thing and so make Judah sin" (Jeremiah 32:35). It is quite possible that covid never entered God's mind before it unleashed on the earth. The Bible is packed with examples of men doing evil things without God's permission. Sometimes God repents of making mankind when He sees how evil things can get (Genesis 6:6).

Don't blame God. Blame sin and blame the devil.

 

[ZNP]

He's revealed Himself in Jesus. If you can't imagine Jesus doing it, it's probably not God. Did Jesus ever send a virus? Did He ever curse someone with leprosy? Nope. He just heals. And loves. And cares.

Good point.

You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell?

 ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them “Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.

Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea.

“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ “ ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ ”

 

[JacksBratt]

How can God allow anything? It's like saying he allows water to freeze in the winter.

Nothing happens on this earth... unless God allows it.

 

[Dave L]

Nothing happens on this earth... unless God allows it.

Unless God causes it. Nothing can move unless he moves it. Nothing can sustain itself unless he sustains it. Nothing can exist unless he created it.

 

[JacksBratt]

How do we answer unbelievers who ask Christians, why our loving God would (allow or send) this microscopic enemy to reek such devastating havoc on the world.

There's a lot of disagreement among professing Christians on, whether God sent this virus or whether it was manufactured in a lab and sent out to be used as a weapon of war. Or whether it's neither of those and it's just a random quirk of nature.

I'm not claiming to know the exact origin, but I do believe that God is sovereign over all of His creation. And nothing happens apart from His predetermined will.

So even if it was created by someone will evil intentions, God still uses evil to accomplish His good purpose. I found this very hard to accept, until I realized that I was trying to conform God to my own image.

I can't think of the Bible passages right now, which say that God has only revealed a very limited amount about Himself to us at this time. But He will reveal a lot more in eternity so as hard as it is, we just have to keep trusting in Him.

No God did not "send" this virus. There are virus's in this world due to the fact that it is a fallen world.

What do we tell non believers?

You tell them that God intended the world to be perfect. However, we sinned and allowed all of this to enter.

However... at the end of time on earth, those that have been faithful will have an eternity with their creator in a perfect, sinless world with no sickness, no pain, no tears, no worry.....

Then ask them if they would like to enjoy that type of eternity.

 

[JacksBratt]

Unless God causes it. Nothing can move unless he moves it. Nothing can sustain itself unless he sustains it. Nothing can exist unless he created it.

So..... you agree that nothing happens unless God allows it?

 

[Dave L]

So..... you agree that nothing happens unless God allows it?

He created all leading up to the end of the world. Everything involved. Nothing produces itself.

 

[JacksBratt]

He created all leading up to the end of the world. Everything involved. Nothing produces itself.

So..... you agree that nothing happens unless God allows it?

 

[Dave L]

No God did not "send" this virus. There are virus's in this world due to the fact that it is a fallen world.

What do we tell non believers?

You tell them that God intended the world to be perfect. However, we sinned and allowed all of this to enter.

However... at the end of time on earth, those that have been faithful will have an eternity with their creator in a perfect, sinless world with no sickness, no pain, no tears, no worry.....

Then ask them if they would like to enjoy that type of eternity.

He sends viri to punish the fallen world.

 

[Dave L]

So..... you agree that nothing happens unless God allows it?

You need another God to create something before God can allow it.

 

[JacksBratt]

He sends viri to punish the fallen world.

Actually, I respectfully disagree.

He "will" send such things in the Great Tribulation. However, right now.. He is not "sending" anything to punish anyone..

We are living in a broken, fallen, sinful world. As a result, bad things happen. They are not punishments.. They are just part of life.

He allowed my wife to be in a car accident. He spared her life. He allowed her some life changing limitations to what she can and cannot do.. He then allowed her to go through breast cancer... again, sparing her life and, through prayer, it was a very trying time but with the best results that could have been and she is cancer free..

None of this is "punishment" toward my wife or our family.

None of this is the result of bad things we did..

Bad things happen to good people...

However, God gives us the strength to get through, no matter what the end is.. We have hope for a life in paradise after all is said and done.

 

[JacksBratt]

He sends viri to punish the fallen world.

No, He doesn't. The fallen world contains virus's, thistles, stinging insects, rust, mold, decay, death.... all are part of this world due to sin... Not sent here to punish.

 

[Dave L]

No, He doesn't. The fallen world contains virus's, thistles, stinging insects, rust, mold, decay, death.... all are part of this world due to sin... Not sent here to punish.

Who created weeds and sickness?

 

[Dave L]

Actually, I respectfully disagree.

He "will" send such things in the Great Tribulation. However, right now.. He is not "sending" anything to punish anyone..

We are living in a broken, fallen, sinful world. As a result, bad things happen. They are not punishments.. They are just part of life.

He allowed my wife to be in a car accident. He spared her life. He allowed her some life changing limitations to what she can and cannot do.. He then allowed her to go through breast cancer... again, sparing her life and, through prayer, it was a very trying time but with the best results that could have been and she is cancer free..

None of this is "punishment" toward my wife or our family.

None of this is the result of bad things we did..

Bad things happen to good people...

However, God gives us the strength to get through, no matter what the end is.. We have hope for a life in paradise after all is said and done.

You have a one-sided view of God that misrepresents him. And it might be an idol.

 

[JacksBratt]

You need another God to create something before God can allow it.

If I lose my job, not due to my lack of proper action.. but just due to economy or company events... then.. God allowed it.

If someone is prayerfully looking for a job.. and they are offered one.. God allowed it.
If you cannot land an interview... God is not allowing you to have one.
If they are given the choice of two different jobs... God is giving them a choice.
If your wife has a miscarriage... God allowed it.
If your roof gets a leak.. God allowed it.
If your find $20.00 on the ground.. God allowed it.

If you get an ingrown toenail... God allowed it.

If you get a virus.. God allowed it.

If you don't get sick from COVID19... then.... God didn't allow you to get sick.

 

[JacksBratt]

Who created weeds and sickness?

God.... What's your point?

 

[JacksBratt]

You have a one-sided view of God that misrepresents him. And it might be an idol.

In your opinion.