What does God want us to learn from disasters?
The Bible is clear that we are meant to learn spiritual lessons, from what is happening in the world around us. Jesus confirmed this. It is all too easy to focus on the mechanisms for global warming and other disasters and how the physical causes might be corrected, but overlook what God wants us all to realise. Science is all to do with mechanisms but does not have much to say about purpose. The Bible teaches us that life on earth is finite, what matters is finding eternal life in Jesus. The God who created this earth remains all powerful. Jesus reminds us that disasters are meant to be understood as signs from heaven that we should learn from.
When there were two disasters in Jerusalem Jesus urges his listeners to look beyond the natural mechanisms and who is to blame. Instead people should learn the vital lesson that those who survive must repent and turn back to God.
Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered,
“Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” Luke 13:1-5
Yet today many think like Pharaoh of old did who said:
“Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and moreover, I will not let Israel go.” Exodus 5:2
Pharaoh's refusal resulted in a series of natural disasters,
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Rise up early in the morning and present yourself before Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, “Let my people go, that they may serve me. For this time I will send all my plagues on you yourself, and on your servants and your people, so that you may know that there is none like me in all the earth. For by now I could have put out my hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth. Exodus 9:13-14
The last book of the Bible makes it clear that God’s reaction to those who are determined to live independently of him is severe.
The first angel blew his trumpet, and there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, and these were thrown upon the earth. And a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up. Revelation 8:7
This has always been the lesson that God wants all people to learn,
‘If disaster comes upon us, the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before you—for your name is in this house—and cry out to you in our affliction, and you will hear and save.’ 2 Chronicles 20:9
Jesus warned us that before he returns there will be a series of disasters, some man-made and some natural.
As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumours of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. Matthew 24:3-9
Natural disasters in the Bible are often associated with a warning as the following examples demonstrate.
Flooding
Floods have always been a way that God demonstrates his anger at ungodly behaviour. After Noah’s flood Godpromised there would never be one of its kind. Yet floods are still meant to teach us something.
For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life under heaven. Everything that is on the earth shall die. Genesis 6:17
For he commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea. They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their evil plight; they reeled and staggered like drunken men and were at their wits' end. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. … Psalm 107:25-30
By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. Hebrews 11:7
If he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; 2 Peter 2:5
The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood.Revelation 12:15
Plagues
The Bible has so much to say about how God uses plagues to warn people of his displeasure, Noah’s flood and the plagues in Egypt are early examples. The book of Revelation stresses this repeatedly. Jesus also warned us about these, reminding us that these are signs from heaven.
There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. Luke 21:11
When the Children of Israel were wandering through the desert after leaving Egypt they moaned against God and God reacted,
Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. Numbers 21:6
In the book of Revelation plagues precede God's establishment of a new earth.
The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, Revelation 9:20
Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and amazing, seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is finished. Revelation 15:1
And out of the sanctuary came the seven angels with the seven plagues, clothed in pure, bright linen, with golden sashes around their chests. Revelation 15:6
And the sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the sanctuary until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished. Revelation 15:8
Then I heard a loud voice from the temple telling the seven angels, “Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.” Revelation 16:1
The third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood. And I heard the angel in charge of the waters say, “Just are you, O Holy One, who is and who was, for you brought these judgments. ...h to say about how plagues demonstrate the judgement of God Revelation 16:5-6
And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider's name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth. Revelation 6:8
They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory. Revelation 16:9
Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues; Revelation 18:4
Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” Revelation 21:9
These are lessons repeatedly given in the Bible
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may show these signs of mine among them, and that you may tell in the hearing of your son and of your grandson how I have dealt harshly with the Egyptians and what signs I have done among them, that you may know that I am the Lord.” So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Exodus 10:1-20
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness to be felt.” So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was pitch darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the people of Israel had light where they lived. Exodus 10:21-23
For this time I will send all my plagues on you yourself, and on your servants and your people, so that you may know that there is none like me in all the earth. Exodus 9:14
“Then if you walk contrary to me and will not listen to me, I will continue striking you, sevenfold for your sins.Leviticus 26:21
Then the Lord will bring on you and your offspring extraordinary afflictions, afflictions severe and lasting, and sicknesses grievous and lasting. Deuteronomy 28:59
Woe to us! Who can deliver us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with every sort of plague in the wilderness. 1 Samuel 4:8
When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, 2 Chronicles 7:13
“Edom shall become a horror. Everyone who passes by it will be horrified and will hiss because of all its disasters. Jeremiah 49:17
Though they fast, I will not hear their cry, and though they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume them by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence.” Jeremiah 14:12
“For thus says the Lord God: How much more when I send upon Jerusalem my four disastrous acts of judgment, sword, famine, wild beasts, and pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast! Ezekiel 14:21
Shall I ransom them from the power of Sheol? Shall I redeem them from Death? O Death, where are your plagues? O Sheol, where is your sting? Compassion is hidden from my eyes.And you will hear of wars and Hosea 13:14
For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. Matthew 24:7
Fire
Fire is commonly used in the Bible as a sign of God’s holiness as well as his judgment.
By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed, by the fire and smoke and sulphur coming out of their mouths. Revelation 9:18
For this reason her plagues will come in a single day, death and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for mighty is the Lord God who has judged her.” Revelation 18:8
Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and amazing, seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is finished. And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire—and also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands. And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.” After this I looked, and the sanctuary of the tent of witness in heaven was opened, … Revelation 15:1-16:21
Drought
Elijah was a prophet in the days of Ahab, king of Israel. A terrible drought afflicted the region. Ahab was told that it was he and his ungodly household that were the root of the problem. To prove this Elijah confronted 450 prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel and God clearly chose to come down on his altar. After this victory the Lord permitted rain to return to the land (1 Kings 18).
This same lesson is again taught in the book of Revelation,
They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire. They have the power to shut up the heavens so that it will not rain . . . Revelation 11:6
Future peace in a new world is available
The message of God’s church is primarily that God hates rebellion against himself but that if people repent and return to him and his Son then eternal forgiveness is available.
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4
This in no way means that we should not do all we can to ameliorate problems we come against. The advances in modern science and medicine clearly have God's blessing but these do not have eternal value.
Lessons to be learned from disasters
Disasters, whether natural or man made, should bring us back to our senses and back to God. God remains intimately involved in his world – to prove this he sent his only Son into the world. Moses warned God’s people,
Your children who follow you in later generations and foreigners who come from distant lands will see the calamities that have fallen on the land and the diseases with which the Lord has afflicted it. The whole land will be a burning waste of salt and sulphur—nothing planted, nothing sprouting, no vegetation growing on it. It will be like the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboyim, which the Lord overthrew in fierce anger. All the nations will ask: “Why has the Lord done this to this land? Why this fierce, burning anger?” Deuteronomy 29:22-24
Solomon also told his people,
“When famine or plague comes to the land, or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers, or when an enemy besieges them in any of their cities, whatever disaster or disease may come, and when a prayer or plea is made by anyone among your people Israel—being aware of the afflictions of their own hearts, and spreading out their hands toward this temple— then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Forgive and act; deal with everyone according to all they do, since you know their hearts (for you alone know every human heart), so that they will fear you all the time they live in the land you gave our ancestors. 1 Kings 8:37-39
Surely this must remain the central lesson of the church,
The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts. Revelation 9:20-21
The Lord does permit us to face serious problems in order that we should not forget God. When the Israelites were facing problems of hunger and thirst in the wilderness they were told:
He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. . . Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you. Observe the commands of the Lord your God, walking in obedience to him and revering him. Deuteronomy 8:3-6
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was surely right when he summarised the cause of the problems facing both Soviet Russia and the West with this epithet,
“Man has forgotten God.”
BVP
September 2021
