Current Events

In the past several years, the world has seen many natural (not man-made) disasters. Most recently we have witnessed the following: the earthquake in Haiti which claimed in excess of 100,000 lives; the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and subsequent tsunami which took the lives of over 200,000 people; the earthquakes in China which have taken untold lives; and here in the United States, the devastation and destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina where more than 1800 people lost there lives as a result of the storm and its subsequent flooding.

Although the scientific community may try to give a “reason” for these disasters, those who have even a passing knowledge of God’s Word will accept the fact that these are the judgments of the Lord upon the earth. There have even been some ministers who have stated that specific disasters have come upon a people because of the greatness of their sins. We have heard that a southern minister claimed that the earthquake in Haiti was the result of the Haitian people having made a “compact with the devil” in order to obtain their freedom from slavery; others have claimed that Hurricane Katrina was a direct punishment upon New Orleans because of the open, sinful lifestyle in that city.

There are many examples in the Bible where the Lord directly punished a people or nation for their sins. Just think of Sodom and Gomorrah, Pharaoh and his hosts at the Red Sea, and the flood in the days of Noah. On the basis of these and many other examples, we are quick to point the finger and piously claim that these people were expressly the objects of Gods anger because of the greatness of their sins.

Are we, and others, right in passing such a judgment upon those who have been affected by such disasters?

Were the sins of these people greater than ours and those of our children? When we make such comments, is our reasoning according to what is written in God’s Word or is it as is written in Matthew 7:3 that we see the mote in our brother’s eye but do not consider the beam in our own eye?

How pointed are the words of Christ in Luke 13:1-5:

“There were present at that season some that told Him of the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay; but, except ye repent, ye shall likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower of Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt at Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay; but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”

Many years ago, during harvest time in the Netherlands, it rained day after day so that it was impossible for the farmers to go out into the fields to reap their grain. Several of God’s people came together to plead with the Lord for deliverance. The Lord showed them that it was their personal guilt that had brought this calamity upon them. There they bowed before God’s justice and confessed their sins, and... the Lord heard. The windows of heaven were closed, and the farmers were able to again go out into the fields.

May we learn a lesson from this example, and may we personally become the guilty ones before a holy and righteous God who gives no account of His doings but demands that all mankind would bow before Him.

— ERN

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