[Curious]

Hi I decided to enter this debate on weather this is a judgement of God or not. I find this preposition very black and white. Rather than discussing the views of John Piper, John McArthur, John Rameraz, or any other ‘John’ in the Christian world with an opinion to offer, I’m going to look at the testimony of history and the lessons of the bible, to think this issue through.

I’m going to start with king Nebuchadnezzer, just ‘cause I’ve been reading that recently. Did God punish him by driving him out to live like an animal for 7 years? Or was that necessary for him to achieve a full salvation of his own so that he would put God on the throne of his life properly and become a godly king, and go on to eternity in heaven? Certainly, old Nebbie had come to the place of respecting God, giving Him some honour and regard before his big ordeal happened, through Daniel’s interpretation of his dream, and the fiery furnace faced by the three. But his own giant ego needed to be brought down. It had to happen for Nebbie’s sake, not God’s. You can say it was the judgement of God that he had to suffer 7 years of insanity, but it was equally God’s grace to bring Nebbie to the place where he could receive the fullness of God’s blessings for him and though his kingly powers, to others. He was already on that journey but had reached the sticking point because of his greatness in power, reflected in his last observation before insanity overtook him. To me, God’s judgement IS ALSO His blessing, they are one in the same.

Now let’s look historically at the bubonic plague….if anyone wants to endure with me here further. At the time the plague arrived in Europe, Christianity had gotten stuck much like the current state of the LC today. It’s wording (terminology) and reference point were biblical but the interpretations of those ideas had reverted to paganism, through the exclusivity and domination of the Catholic Church. Examples of this: A pantheon of ‘saints’ (deities) and indulgence certificates (replacing seeking to live a godly and sincere life), submission to the priests (instead of living by faith that the bible instructs), Pope sitting in the place that Christ alone is qualified to, to name a few major aspects.

What was the result of that plague? First, it is considered today that about 1/3 of the population of Europe, from Greece to Iceland, was killed in the first sweep alone. The virus travelled from the Crimea straight to Greece on a boat and took off from there. It did not find its way to Russia or the Middle East or China. Though its origin was physically closer to those areas. Why did it hit the area of the world that had Christianity, albeit in a form that had been corrupted from its truth? Why not let God’s wrath fall on the pagan world? Well the ‘Catholic world’ was stuck much the same as Nebbie was, pride, power and control in the whole system had sabotaged God’s ability to work in and through the people of Europe, and they could not fulfil any purpose God could have for them to bring the gospel to the rest of the world, as it had been so corrupted.

To cut a long story short, the bubonic plague hit at a time referred to as the ‘dark ages’, in a closed system that had no way to grow or adapt, or teach or practice Christianity. True Christianity had been well and truly drowned in heresy. After the plague several important things happened, in my opinion as flow-on effects all begun by the cataclysmic changes and consequences that came from the effects of that plague. It set in motion changes in the social structure directly related to the shrinking of the population, especially of ‘Villeins’ (aka the peasant class, source of the word villain, and indicative of the attitude of judgement towards peasants), that brought about, over time; the Reformation of the church; the signing of the Magna Cater; the emergence of the rule-of-law (in early form known as ‘the King’s Peace’ and developing till the same concept became the ‘Constitution’ which forms the legal backbone in this magnificent nation!); the development of scientific exploration, amongst other accumulation of knowledge; the industrial revolution; the modern age. (Granted, that is a simplification, but if I had more room to pad this out, I could defend that conclusion more, I’m trying to be brief!).

Was that God’s judgement? or God doing what was necessary to forge the way to blessing? Are they two different things, or one in the same? Was there any point to destroy areas of the world that were lost in darkness (Asia, Middle East) or was it in God’s plan to create a way for the societies of Europe, through Protestant Christianity, to raise up enough avenue of truth that missionaries could go from these places and bring that message to the dark areas of the world? As well, to set up new societies using principles of the bible to create a higher level of justice, charity, freedom and security for their people, as Balaam had observed in the Israelites, just after their trials and before they settled in their own land?

I believe God’s eyes are always on the prize and the good that can come from adversity. That happens in our own personal lives, and also on a grand scale at times too. The Pharaoh of Moses’ time would not listen to God regardless of the pressures that came to bear through Moses’ warnings. Nebbie did respond in humility to God. That has to do with the heart of the individual responding to the adversity, either increasing their resistance against, or bowing to, the Holy One. The rest are side issues.

That is my opinion on the covid19 pandemic (plague) and God’s potential purposes in it. We each decide if it is His judgement or His blessing to us, the ball is in our court, individually as well as collectively. And even for those of us who love our Lord, don’t we all need discipline, (consequences) to buck up our ideas from time to time? I definitely do!