As all have likely heard, the coronavirus has resulted in the shutdown of all major sporting events in the USA as well as many other places in the world. The present situation leads us to ask a couple of questions: first, who or what is causing this? Is it just a random act of nature? Bad luck, as some would say? Or, is the virus and all of its negative consequences done by the will of God? In other words, has God sent the virus to the world? And if it was sent by God-and this leads into our second question: why? for what reason?

Bible believers, of course, are fully aware that God is in control of all circumstances and events that happen in this world. And when evil things come, when disasters come, whether its a hurricane, tornado, earthquake, famine, plague, or a lethal virus, God’s elect people are indeed fully aware that it is God and His will that has caused the disaster to happen:

Isaiah 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

God does not create nor cause the evil that sinful people do. No, man’s evil thoughts, words, and deeds all belong to and are the full responsibility of man himself. But, the evil that God creates are the aforementioned disasters that occur as a result of the curse the Lord placed on the creation after the fall of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. So, this answers our first question: who caused it? The answer the Bible gives is-God caused it.

Our second question was-why? For what reason has God caused a virus to afflict practically the entire world?

The answer to this is that God, undoubtedly, has numerous reasons for it. However, we can pinpoint and discuss one in particular. We all know that the world has long been rebellious against God. And often done the very contrary thing than the law of God found in the Bible says should be done. For example, God’s Word tells us that Sunday is His holy day. And that man is to remove his foot (his will) from that holy day and do the things of God and NOT do things that seek after his own pleasure:

Isaiah 58:13 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:

14 Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

One of the major ways that the world has done its own way and sought after its own pleasure on God’s holy day, as been through professional sports. Many are probably not aware, but about an hundred years ago many professional sports teams did not play on the Lord’s day (Sunday). Professional baseball, for example, was not played in Philadelphia (in the national league) for several decades until the 1930’s or 1940’s. But slowly the league played more and more games on Sunday. Other professional sports did also. God winked at these things for some time. Patiently, He allowed the world to go its way in its sin while He worked out His salvation program on the earth. But the time for God’s longsuffering patience with the world has now passed. For some time now, we’ve been living in a world that is the object of the wrath of God. And in particular, the object of God’s wrath is--the world’s idols:

Jeremiah 51:52 Wherefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will do judgment upon her graven images: and through all her land the wounded shall groan.

The modern idols of man, are not carved out of wood and stone, although these types of idols still exist in some places. But for the most part, the idols of modern man are things that involve entertainment, games, sports. These sports will probably be back at some point. But the reason for the suspension of them at this time ought not to be missed. There will be no games played this Sunday, and maybe for several Sundays to come, because it is the will of God that they not be played. Yes, God always possessed the power to stop them. He’s always possessed the power and ability to stop all the sinful activities of wicked men in this world. Only, it was never the proper time and season for Him to do it in time past. We see now, how the Almighty God of the Bible can simply send a little thing, something invisible to the naked eye, and yet, easily bring the world to its knees.

Isaiah 2:8 Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made: 9 And the mean man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself: therefore forgive them not.

10 Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty.

11 The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.

12 For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low:

17 And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.

18 And the idols he shall utterly abolish.

19 And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.

20 In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats; 21 To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.

22 Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?

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