Is God Judging the World?

If COVID-19 is God's judgment upon our world, then God's intentions are redemptive. He longs for relationship with His highest creation: humanity.

I do not know what your current trial is, but I do know that God sees; He cares; He knows, and He will move mightily to come to your rescue. Is God Judging the World? "O Lord, I have heard Your speech and was afraid; O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy." (Habakkuk 3:2) After our niece's wedding in South Africa, we got an Uber driver to pick us up and take us back to the house in which we were staying. This African Uber driver said hello, and after that, one of the very first things he said to us was, "God is judging the world with this virus." I was startled by his statement because he had no idea who we were. My response to him was as follows, "You may be right. God has judged this world before (Egypt and Israel), and He will judge the world in the future for sure (Revelation)." I am still pondering this man's strong assertion that God is judging the world. What do you think? There are actually some positives we see coming out of this very horrible COVID-19 pandemic. Even though there are many hardships being created, some positives are that parents are getting extended time with their children, especially dads. Our grandbaby, Claire, is greatly enjoying hanging out with her dad. People are getting to know their neighbors. In our neighborhood, there is actually a planned walk that anyone can join in. The mandated ten-person limit is a bit of a challenge, but it is a praiseworthy effort. Neighbors are helping neighbors. On our way to our local HEB grocery store, we stopped and asked our neighbor, Ann, if we could get her anything while we were out. She was delighted and gave me a list of items she needed. Ann is almost 80 years old and has quarantined herself pretty thoroughly. Another potential benefit of this current outbreak is that many people are much more open to spiritual matters. Gone are many of the hobbies (some of which could even be called idols) that usurp our time. On Sunday, there are no more sporting events for the kids to attend, for example. If this coronavirus is God's judgment upon our world, then God's intentions are redemptive. He longs to have a relationship with His highest creation: humanity. I have always loved the last phrase in Habakkuk 3:2 when the prophet cries out to God: "In wrath remember mercy." One commentary on this verse reads: The last request involves the mercy of God. "Wrath" and "mercy" are picturesque words. "Wrath" comes from a root word which means "to tremble" or "to shake." "Mercy" comes from a word associated with the womb, indicating the compassion and tenderness which Habakkuk requested from the Lord. This clause can mean that the prophet wanted God (1) to show mercy even in the midst of his anger with Israel, or (2) to show mercy to Israel even when God was angry with Israel's enemies. The former interpretation seems to fit the situation in Judah better than the latter. Roberts notes the "disturbing ambiguity in the concept of God's work" for God had called out the Babylonians to discipline Israel (1:5–6). "Thus while asking for the fulfillment of the promised vision, the prophet qualifies it with the request that it be accompanied by mercy. He wants a renewal of God's work, but his early work of deliverance as in the exodus and conquest, not that of his more recent work against Jerusalem" (cp. Isa 10:12; 28:21). (Barker, K.L. (1999). Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah (Vol. 20, p. 356–357)) Your answer to the question of whether God is currently judging our world may be a resounding, "No!" Or maybe you instead answer with an unequivocal, "Yes!" For me, I think it is a bit premature at this point to answer either way. I think we will know eventually, though. In the midst of these very troubled days, please trust God and allow Him to use you to be light in a dark world which is groping for hope and longing for peace and relief. Let us speak and live the Gospel before them, even in the midst of our hurt and questions. Podcast of the Week Word for the Week: Faith Pastor Danny begins a new episode series entitled, "Word for the Week", where he will dedicate each episode to breaking down the deeper meaning of a particular word and providing practical applications to our daily walk with Christ. The word for this week is "faith". Download on iTunes Listen on Stitcher Watch on YouTube Facebook Twitter Instagram Website Spotify SoundCloud Share Tweet Fwd Copyright © 2020 Danny Forshee Evangelistic Association, All rights reserved.