WHO IS BEHIND COVID-19? THE DEVIL? GOD?

At the time of this writing, the world’s focus is transfixed on the current global corona virus pandemic. All across the planet, fear has gripped the hearts of people. Even within the Christian community there is much speculation about the Covid-19 pandemic. Christians are struggling to make sense of it. Who is behind it? The devil? God? Poor human hygiene? Political negligence?

THE BIBLE PROVIDES THE ANSWERS WE SEEK

The Bible provides the answers we seek. Daniel wrote,

“I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven were stirring up the great sea, and four great beasts came up from the sea…”  (Daniel 7: 2-3).

And these four beasts went on to wreak havoc and create great calamities on the earth. 

Note, it was heaven that initiated the stirring of the waters, causing the beasts to emerge on the earth – not the devil. The calamities on the earth are the initiative of heaven. God Almighty is sovereign over the nations and everything that befalls them. The devil is not. And even if God chooses to utilize his destructive services, the devil, by himself, is unable to operate unilaterally or independently of the Almighty One.

GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY OVER THE EARTH

God’s sovereignty over the earth is also illustrated in Hebrews 2: 5 :

“For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels”

This verse shows us that God is sovereign over the affairs of the world. He chooses what to do with the world and whom to put it in subjection to. It is His prerogative to subject the world to whomever or whatever He chooses. The ultimate right to permit or sanction anything in this world rests solely in Him.

In Job 38: 22-23, God reveals how He operates by asking an interesting question,

“Have you entered the treasury of snow, or have you seen the treasury of hail, which I have reserved for the time of trouble, for the day of battle and war?”

God Himself has ordained and reserved disaster for specific interventions in human history. These may include war, calamities, disaster and disease. In Isaiah 54: 16, God Himself says,

“Behold, I have created the blacksmith who blows the coals in the fire, who brings forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the spoiler to destroy.”

The New American Standard Bible says “…I have created the destroyer to ruin”. Ultimately, God controls the enemy’s activities on the earth, and this is made quite clear in the Scriptures. 

Some Christians struggle to understand how a good and loving God can allow the current Covid-19 pandemic with the loss and disaster it brings. One thing we have to remember is that the world has always been in a state of disaster ever since the fall of man. Man forfeited his God-given authority over the earth from the time of his original sin, sending the earth on a destructive downward spiral ever since. Disease, destruction and loss was no fault of God’s. So, it’s not that God causes disease, disaster or destruction. But, the very fact that He could prevent them shows that we need to face squarely the fact that natural disasters and diseases like Covid-19 happen within God’s providence.

God has always been sovereign over the nations. He remains sovereign over them presently. And He will continue to rule sovereignly over them until the fulfillment of ages. The HISTORY of the nations has always been HIS STORY of the nations.