Natural Disasters and the God of the Bible
We live in an age when even the church has tried to become politically correct. We have tried to candy coat God into a nice little good God who loves and never hurts anyone. He never gets angry at sin, or judges or condemns anyone -let alone send them to hell. In our efforts to sell God to the world we have sugar coated the awesome reality of God, and then we question why people don’t take Him or the Bible seriously. Why there is no fear of God in the world. In our efforts to get converts we have told only of God’s Love and have avoided his burning holiness and his fearsome wrath. We have left it in the OT as if God has changed (evolved) into a kinder, gentler God, who over looks our sins, and just wants to bless us. Church we are in for a rude awakening. We can’t keep avoiding the bible passages that speak of God’s wrath, and pretend like they don’t exist. If we do we are spiritually and morally negligent.
I The Fact of Natural Disasters
(rarely can they be blamed on man directly)
September 21, 1989—Hurricane Hugo strikes the southeastern coast of the United States. Over 25 people are killed, and over $10 billion worth of damage results. One month later—October 17, 1989—an earthquake registering 7.1 on the Richter scale strikes the San Francisco Bay area in California. At least 62 people are killed, and damage estimates are placed at well over $1 billion. August 24, 1992—Hurricane Andrew hits three counties in southern Florida. More than a dozen people lose their lives, and damage estimates are set at over $20 billion. A year later, on September 11, 1992, Hurricane Iniki devastates the Hawaiian islands. At least four people die, and damage is set at over $1 billion. In June 1993, huge portions of numerous states along the Mississippi River and its tributaries experienced the worst flooding in their history. Entire cities were covered with water measured not in inches, but in feet. At least 47 people died, and more than 25,000 were evacuated from their homes.
Do these types of natural disasters represent merely isolated, infrequent events? Hardly. Throughout history, man has recorded many such tragedies. In 526, an earthquake hit the country now known as Turkey and left 250,000 dead. A similar earthquake in China in 1556 killed over 830,000 people. Another quake in India in 1737 annihilated 300,000, and quakes in Central China in 1920, 1927, and 1932 killed 200,000, 200,000, and 70,000 people respectively. In 1889, the famous “Johnstown Flood” occurred in Pennsylvania. The dam of the South Fork Reservoir, twelve miles east of the city, burst during heavy rains. Over 2,000 people were killed, and property damage was estimated to be over $10 million. In 1969, Hurricane Camille killed more than 250 people in seven states from Louisiana to Virginia, leaving behind over $1.5 billion in damage. In 1983, Hurricane Alicia struck near Galveston, killing 21 and causing over $2 billion in damage.
It is rare indeed, it seems, for a single generation in a given locale to be spared at least some kind of natural disaster. Without warning, tornadoes sweep down from the afternoon sky and destroy in a moment’s fury what took decades or centuries to build. Floods cover “old home places,” and remove forever any vestige of what were once storehouses of hallowed memories. In a matter of seconds, earthquakes irreparably alter once-familiar landscapes. Hurricanes come from the sea, demolish practically everything in their paths, and then dissipate as if they never had existed. Each time humanity suffers. And each time there are those who ask “Why?” Why them and why now?
From “DO NATURAL DISASTERS NEGATE DIVINE BENEVOLENCE?” by Bert Thompson, Ph.D.
An old woman in a devastated village in Southern India’s Tamil Nadu state, wailed: “Why did you God do this to us? What have we done to upset you?” (From Dec. 2004 Tsunami)
II The Struggle to Understand a Good God and the Fact of Natural Disasters
a. Original Sin cursed the world (Genesis 3)
b. Mans Persistent unconfessed Sin opens the way for disaster to strike.
-gives Satan a place to establish a stronghold
c. Man’s sin takes him out of God’s protection (Especially Christians)
(An Umbrella can show us something of God’s protection. To be covered and protected we must walk close. If we walk out from under the umbrella we are no longer protected.)
d. There is an element of freedom in the natural world
-Not every body is 98.6 temp
III The Record of God -and his place in Natural Disasters
a. He is not in every storm (He allows them -in that he don’t stop them from Happening)
b. He is in some storms (He causes some)
c. Time and Chance happens to all (Eccl.)
To be completely honest we blame alot of disasters on the devil, but the biblical record shows very few times when he was personally responsible (example Job). However, very often God says I sent this disaster and here is why.
God is on Record
Joseph’s Gen 41 ff (God’s plan to enlarge his people in Egypt)Famine in Egypt Ps 105:16 caused by God
Deuteronomy 32:19-25
1. 19 "The LORD saw this and was filled with loathing. He was provoked to anger by his own sons and daughters. 20 He said, ’I will abandon them; I will see to their end! For they are a twisted generation, children without integrity. 21 They have roused my jealousy by worshiping non-gods; they have provoked my fury with useless idols. Now I will rouse their jealousy by blessing other nations; I will provoke their fury by blessing the foolish Gentiles. 22 For my anger blazes forth like fire and burns to the depths of the grave. F48 It devours the earth and all its crops and ignites the foundations of the mountains. 23 I will heap disasters upon them and shoot them down with my arrows. 24 I will send against them wasting famine, burning fever, and deadly disease. They will be troubled by the fangs of wild beasts, by poisonous snakes that glide in the dust. 25 Outside, the sword will bring death, and inside, terror will strike both young men and young women, both infants and the aged.
David’s 2 Sam 21:1 -Sauls sons the reason
David’s Choice 2 Sam 24:13 Because of sin
1 Kings 18:2 Elijah -Ahab - Because of Ahabs sin
Solomons Words 1 Kings 8: 37 "If there is a famine in the land, or plagues, or crop disease, or attacks of locusts or caterpillars, or if your people’s enemies are in the land besieging their towns – whatever the trouble is – 38 and if your people offer a prayer concerning their troubles or sorrow, raising their hands toward this Temple, 39 then hear from heaven where you live, and forgive. Give your people whatever they deserve, for you alone know the human heart. 40 Then they will fear you and walk in your ways as long as they live in the land you gave to our ancestors.
Philistines judged with Is. 14:30 30 I will feed the poor in my pasture; the needy will lie down in peace. But as for you, I will wipe you out with famine. I will destroy the few who remain.
Jer 5:11-12 11 The people of Israel and Judah are full of treachery against me," says the LORD. 12 "They have lied about the LORD and have said, ’He won’t bother us! No disasters will come upon us! There will be no war or famine!
Jer. 14:11 God sends 11 Then the LORD said to me, "Do not pray for these people anymore. 12 When they fast in my presence, I will pay no attention. When they present their burnt offerings and grain offerings to me, I will not accept them. In return, I will give them only war, famine, and disease."
Jer. 24:8-8 "But the rotten figs," the LORD said, "represent King Zedekiah of Judah, his officials, all the people left in Jerusalem, and those who live in Egypt
10 I will send war, famine, and disease until they have vanished from the land of Israel, which I gave to them and their ancestors”.
Amos 4:6-13
1. 6 "I brought hunger to every city and famine to every town. But still you wouldn’t return to me," says the LORD. 7 "I kept the rain from falling when you needed it the most, ruining all your crops. I sent rain on one town but withheld it from another. Rain fell on one field, while another field withered away. 8 People staggered from one town to another for a drink of water, but there was never enough. But still you wouldn’t return to me," says the LORD. 9 "I struck your farms and vineyards with blight and mildew. Locusts devoured all your fig and olive trees. But still you wouldn’t return to me," says the LORD. 10 "I sent plagues against you like the plagues I sent against Egypt long ago. I killed your young men in war and slaughtered all your horses. The stench of death filled the air! But still you wouldn’t return to me," says the LORD. 11 "I destroyed some of your cities, as I destroyed F7 Sodom and Gomorrah. Those of you who survived were like half-burned sticks snatched from a fire. But still you wouldn’t return to me," says the LORD. 12 "Therefore, I will bring upon you all these further disasters I have announced. Prepare to meet your God as he comes in judgment, you people of Israel!"
Rev. 6:8 1/4 of earth killed with famine , sword, disease, wild animals
EARTHQUAKE
Jonathan 1 Samueal 14:15
1. Suddenly, panic broke out in the Philistine army, both in the camp and in the field, including even the outposts and raiding parties. And just then an earthquake struck, and everyone was terrified
Revelation 11:13
And in the same hour there was a terrible earthquake that destroyed a tenth of the city. Seven thousand people died in that earthquake. And everyone who did not die was terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven
PLAGUE
Gen 12:17 But the LORD sent a terrible plague upon Pharaoh’s household because of Sarai, Abram’s wife.
Golden Calf -Ex. 32 And the LORD sent a great plague upon the people because they had worshiped the calf Aaron had made.
Numbers 25:8 and rushed after the man into his tent. Phinehas thrust the spear all the way through the man’s body and into the woman’s stomach. So the plague against the Israelites was stopped,
Duet 28:58 "If you refuse to obey all the terms of this law that are written in this book, and if you do not fear the glorious and awesome name of the LORD your God, 59 then the LORD will overwhelm both you and your children with indescribable plagues. These plagues will be intense and without relief, making you miserable and unbearably sick. 60 He will bring against you all the diseases of Egypt that you feared so much, and they will claim you. 61 The LORD will bring against you every sickness and plague there is, even those not mentioned in this Book of the Law, until you are destroyed. 62 Though you are as numerous as the stars in the sky, few of you will be left because you would not listen to the LORD your God.
1 samuel 5:6 Then the LORD began to afflict the people of Ashdod and the nearby villages with a plague of tumors.
1 Samuel 6:9 If they cross the border of our land and go to Beth-shemesh, we will know it was the LORD who brought this great disaster upon us. If they don’t, we will know that the plague was simply a coincidence and was not sent by the LORD at all."
2 Samuel 24:15 So the LORD sent a plague upon Israel that morning, and it lasted for three days. Seventy thousand people died throughout the nation.
Psalms 78:49 49 He loosed on them his fierce anger – all his fury, rage, and hostility. He dispatched against them a band of destroying angels. 50 He turned his anger against them; he did not spare the Egyptians’ lives but handed them over to the plague.
A Good and Holy God cannot set idly by as his creation self destructs, ignores his Laws, and follow the Devil straight to hell. God does not buy Tolerance -letting people live anyway they want with no consequences. WE have no rights or freedom that our creator hasn’t given to us. WE are his creation, not our own, and we must answer to him ultimately for our lives he has given us. If He did nothing while we self destructed he could not be loving.
IV Why does God Allow Natural Disasters
a. Ten Reasons God Allows Natural Disasters
God has power and authority over the earth, so why does He allow all the destructive storms, plagues, and disasters? The answer to why we have natural disasters is found in the first few chapters of Genesis. God created everything perfect and beautiful. When Adam and Eve sinned He placed a curse on the earth and everything became broken and degraded. Although, the curse brought conflict, disease, and death, much of the original beauty can still be seen in God’s creation. It continues to show His power, wisdom and design ability.
But why do Christians suffer? We are children of a loving, caring Father who sent his Son to die for us, so why do we have to suffer? Could not God protect us from the powers of evil? The answer is YES, He could. He protected the nation of Israel in Egypt from most of the plagues and he could still do the same today. Whenever trouble falls on us we must ask the question, WHY? Following are some reasons why He allows us to go through times of suffering.
1. To Make Us Realize that We Are Totally Dependence on God:
Jesus taught us to pray, "Give us today our daily bread." (Matthew 6:11) With we have all we need, we tend to forget this prayer and God’s ability to answer it. This is a reason why God keeps many of us poor. If we had all we wanted we would become independent and turn from a close relationship with our Father.
2. To Cause Us to Call Upon God in the Day of Trouble:
Our troubles give God an opportunity to keep His promises, otherwise we forget we are dependent upon God for everything. God says, "Call on me in the day of trouble. I will deliver you, and you will honor me." (Psalm 50:15)
3. To Make Us Realize that We Need Each Other:
God’s ultimate goal for all of us is to experience and demonstrate genuine love. Love is built on a recognition of mutual need and a joy in giving to that need. "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13)
4. To Remind Us That Life Is Short:
Life is like a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Then there is eternity that is without end. The purpose of this brief life is to prepare for eternity. "Inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once, and after this, judgment." (Hebrews 9:27)
5. To Sort Out Our Priorities:
During a time of disaster, we realize that relationships are more important than things - especially our relationship with our heavenly Father through belief in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul said, "Yes most assuredly, and I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and count them nothing but refuse, that I may gain Christ." (Philippians 3:8)
6. To Remind Us of the Curse of Sin:
When God created the earth, it was a beautiful paradise, but man’s sin brought a curse upon the earth and the freedom for Satan to kill and cause great destruction through natural disasters, such as hurricanes. Satan’s ability to do this is documented in the Bible. (See Job chapter one.)
7. A Call to Repentance- Disasters serve as a walk up call to repentance for mankind. Disasters can have a sobering effect upon the human mind. When War breaks out, or an earthquake destroys countless lives and property, or a drought burns the crops and dries up the water supply, or an epidemic disease victimizes millions of persons, many people call out to God either in curse or prayer.
CS Lewis wrote that “pain is God’s megaphone to a deaf world.”
-It was an earthquake caused Philippian jailer to exclaim, “What must I do to be saved?” Acts 17:30
-It was a famine sent King Ahab searching everywhere for the prophet Elijah. 1 Kings 18:10
-It was a plague that brought Pharaoh to his knees confessing before Moses: “I have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you. Now therefore, forgive my sin, I pray you, only this once, and entreat the Lord your God only to remove this death from Me.” Exodus 10:16-17
Jesus Predicted that certain calamities will occur before His Return. Because of their nature and function , we can call these calamities “signs of divine judgement.” Matthew 24:6-8
6And wars will break out near and far, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must come, but the end won’t follow immediately. 7The nations and kingdoms will proclaim war against each other, and there will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. 8But all this will be only the beginning of the horrors to come.
The manifestation of divine judgement through calamities is intended to summon people to repent. The Prophet Joel, for example describes a disasterous drought and fire which would destroy the harvest, the pasture, and the trees and dried up the water brooks. In the context of this calamity, the prophet calls for the people to repent: Joel 1:5, 14
5Wake up, you drunkards, and weep! All the grapes are ruined, and all your new wine is gone!
14Announce a time of fasting; call the people together for a solemn meeting. Bring the leaders and all the people into the Temple of the LORD your God, and cry out to him there.
8. An Announcement of the Coming Final Judgement
They also announce God’s final judgement , called the day of the Lord in the OT. They are to remind us that the Day of the Lord is nearing. Joel 1:15. They are to remind us that the Judge of all mankind is standing at the doors (James 5:9). Ellen White states, “Every report of calamity by sea or land, is a testimony that the end of all things is at hand.”
9. A Pledge of the Certainty of the End.
They serve to point to the certainty of the approaching end. Jesus spoke of wars, earthquakes, famines, and pestilences as disasters occurring not exclusively at the very end but during the whole time preceding His return. He said don’t be alarmed this must take place, but the end is not yet. This signs are to represent the “beginnings of birth pangs” Matthew 24:8, Mark 13:8
So they do not pinpoint, but point to the approaching end. They constitute a pledge that the End will surely come.
10. To Show God’s Power to Restore: (ALL Natural Disasters are Redemptive in Nature)
Our Father wants what is best for us. We do not know the future. God does and will shape events to bring true the promise; "All things work together for good to them who love God." Knowing that our Father will work out for us the best deal in town we do not need to worry when bad times come. (www.abetterhope.com/victory/disasters.html) Copyright 2002, 2003, 2004.
India
So I wrote in my journal, describing the aftermath of the October 1999 cyclone whose 200 mph winds and 30-foot tidal surge devastated the coastal areas of Orissa , India . Originating in the Bay of Bengal , the storm killed an estimated 100,000 people and domestic livestock, mostly by drowning. Government officials called it the costliest cyclone in Orissa’s history.
On January 26, 2001, an earthquake measuring 9.7 on the Richter scale jolted the state of Gujarat , India . In my journal, I described the epicenter at Bhuj: "The massive rubble of collapsed buildings looked like a bombed-out war zone." When an Indian Christian leader and I surveyed the area for a follow-up ministry of compassion, the people told us that more than 100,000 had died.
The tragedy of these consecutive disasters in India, like the horror after 9/11, leads us to a deeper contemplation of God’s purpose. Did God use these disasters to awaken people to their deeper spiritual needs? Can He use tragic events to create opportunities for local believers and missionaries to witness?
For decades we have prayed for an opportunity to enter the world’s second most populated nation. India ’s cyclone and earthquake have opened a door for ABWE to begin ministries of compassion to hurting people, allowing us to partner with dedicated Indian Christians in evangelism and church planting. In the three years since we began partnering with national believers in Orissa, 700 churches have been formed! Indian leaders decide to form a small church once twelve families have followed the Lord in baptism-prior to that they are called "prayer groups." ABWE’s continued goal is to assist national believers in sharing the gospel message so that God might turn tragedy to triumph, terror to trust. By Jay Walsh
American Baptists for World Evangelism (www.abwe.org) 2005
V WE NEED a Prophetic VOICE to Tell us How God is in our storms, and which storms he is not in.
At a recent pastor’s refocus meeting our leader Dr Danny Gordon asked us, "How God figured into the Tsunami Disaster." My prayer was God give us a prophetic voice to declare you intentions.
a. India (God’s Wrath on Persecutors)
So I wrote in my journal, describing the aftermath of the October 1999 cyclone whose 200 mph winds and 30-foot tidal surge devastated the coastal areas of Orissa , India . Originating in the Bay of Bengal , the storm killed an estimated 100,000 people and domestic livestock, mostly by drowning. Government officials called it the costliest cyclone in Orissa’s history.
A few months earlier, in January 1999, Hindu extremists led by Dara Singh had vented their anger against Christianity by burning alive Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons as they slept in their van near a village in Orissa. News of this disturbing event made world headlines, causing alarm and embarrassment to the government of India .
The recently published account of the Staines ’ deaths, Burnt Alive, lists 86 attacks in northern India against Christian activity. However, attacks are not confined to Christians alone. During 2002, fanatical Hindu militants in Godhra, Gujarat , perpetrated a "Muslim Holocaust," slaying up to 30,000 Muslims. Their intention was to establish Hindutva , a theocracy void of non-Hindus, by eliminating all non-Hindu minorities. It is clear that there is a great spiritual darkness in Orissa and Gujarat . The recent natural disasters can be seen as God’s response to this darkness: moving the very earth, rebuking the sea, in order to proclaim His presence and draw global attention to the great needs of these people. Jay Walsh
b. Henry Blackaby -On Tsumani
Blackaby says natural disasters can point to God’s judgment
By Ken Walker
Baptist Press
LEXINGTON, Ky. - The author of the bestselling "Experiencing God" study thinks divine retribution was at work in the tsunami that struck southern Asia in late December.
Henry Blackaby, speaking at a Kentucky pastors’ conference here in mid-January, said he didn’t fully appreciate the significance of the widespread destruction until he saw a map published by the Voice of the Martyrs depicting the most intense regions of Christian martyrdom worldwide.
Blackaby said he noticed that the tsunami hit many of those same regions.
He told a workshop audience that most Christians don’t realize that 400,000 to 450,000 believers are killed annually for their faith, and that many regions of persecution shown the map "match to the T" the tsunami’s swath of destruction.
"(But) if you read the Old Testament, especially, God is very concerned how the nations treat His covenant people," Blackaby added. "The nations that persecuted, offended and killed His people, God came down and destroyed them. And He’s the same God today. He’s just as concerned about His people."
Blackaby acknowledged the secular world is likely to "jump all over" such statements, either condemning them or saying that they wouldn’t want to serve a God who would bring that kind of devastation.
He said his response to critics would be, "You ought to see what hell is like. It’s going to be an eternal judgment of God on all people. The final judgment will be more severe than this."
However, such warnings aren’t restricted to Asia, Blackaby said. He noted that the news media had summarized 2004 as an unprecedented year for natural disasters in this nation.
Each time God sends hurricanes, floods or other calamities He is speaking to His people, Blackaby said.
While not expecting unbelievers to connect anything with God because they don’t think He exists, Blackaby said he expects God’s people to be paying attention, and for the most part they aren’t.
"Many of the pastors never connected 9-11 with God’s warning to people in America -- that He’s beginning to remove the hedge of protection from America because of the sin of God’s people," Blackaby said. "But God’s people never make the connection with their sin."
As examples of this wrongdoing, he listed:
1. Divorce.
Malachi 2 says God hates divorce; what God hates we ought to hate, Blackaby said.
Instead, there are as many or more divorces inside the church than outside: "Divorce in Oklahoma way outdoes any other state in the union. And I’d say, ’But that’s where we have some of our strongest work.’ Is God indifferent to divorce?"
Division among God’s people.
Churches are splitting right and left, but nothing is done about it, Blackaby said. Nor do God’s people deal with the anger and bitterness in their hearts, he added.
Poor use of finances.
God’s people have more resources to accomplish His work than at any other time in history yet are increasingly selfish, Blackaby said.
"So we build our buildings and let the world go to hell. That’s a sin against God."
Lack of love.
While people generally don’t think of lack of love as a sin, when David repented of adultery he confessed that he had sinned against God alone, Blackaby said.
Recently, Blackaby said, the director of a statewide network of abuse centers in Texas told him the majority of people coming for help are the wives and families of religious leaders.
"I said, ’You’ve got to be kidding,’" Blackaby said. "And he said, ’No.’"
Adultery, embezzlement and stealing occur among Christians outside church environments, too, he said.
"I look at people in government, education and you name it who are ... members of churches (and) we’re not holding them accountable for what they do," Blackaby said. "I think we’ve lost the fear of God.
"And when you lose the fear of God, you lose the fear of sin. When you lose the fear of sin, you lose any sense of accountability. We just don’t believe God will hold us accountable."
Blackaby said the average church is full of sin, from gossip to broken relationships -- among all denominations, not just Southern Baptists.
The situation has gotten so bad that many leaders are crying out to ask what they can do to stop sin among God’s people, he said.
As the first step, Blackaby suggested pastors return to a vital relationship with God.
"The average pastor would not be able to tell you the last time (he) heard from God," Blackaby said. "How many pastors boast that they get their sermons off the Internet, or books of sermon outlines? But they’re not bringing a word from God."
Pastors also need to do a better job of demonstrating unity within their families and teaching their children about the honor of serving God, Blackaby said.
Blackaby said he is astonished at the large numbers of pastors’ children who don’t want to have anything to do with church or any kind of ministry.
c. The Bible provides many examples of God’s use of natural phenomena to arrest the attention of believers and non-believers: the universal flood, the fire and brimstone of Lot ’s generation, the three years of drought summoned by Elijah’s prayer, the noonday darkness on crucifixion day, and the resurrection earthquake. In Nahum 1:3-5, the prophet illustrates God’s command over the events of nature, "The Lord hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers. The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence."
Conclusion
GOD IS IN CONTROL OF WORLD EVENTS
Natural disasters are a humbling reminder that there is a GOD.
Isaiah 13:13-"Therefore I will make the heavens tremble; and the earth will shake from its place at the wrath of the LORD Almighty, in the day of His burning anger."
Joel 2:31-"The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD."
Amos 4:13-"He who forms the mountains, creates the wind, and reveals His thoughts to man, He who turns dawn to darkness, and treads the high places of the earth-the LORD God Almighty is His name."
