My lessons from COVID-19 Part 4 – The Why aspect

Why COVID-19? In our previous writeup, we first asked, did God know about the pandemic and allow it to happen? Of course, he does, God is always on top of things, always in control. Nothing happens without his knowledge – he permits and ordains everything. Otherwise, he would be less than God and not God at all. So, we go to the second question – why?

We may never know the complete reasons why, until such time we meet the Creator himself, if we, by his grace and mercy, meet him someday, for those who were called according to his purpose. But there are lessons enough in life, in the Scriptures, and in the experience, we have during this pandemic, that we can surmise and praise God for his goodness. To many of us, to those who lost loved ones, we see COVID-19 as the face of evil itself, in the same way that we see the Holocaust, the World Wars, and the likes of natural calamities and disasters like typhoons, earthquakes, famines, pestilence, that cause the deaths of hundreds and thousands. To ask why the pandemic happened is asking why evil exists in a world created by God.

We read in Scriptures that God caused the plagues in Egypt against the Pharaoh to cause the exodus of the Israelites to the Promised Land. Oftentimes, God intervened against Israel’s enemies causing them to be victorious and enjoy God’s protection. Yet in other instances, he sent plagues to his people, as when he sent locusts and famine to Jerusalem as narrated in the Book of Joel. But when the people repented, God said, “I will give you back what you lost to the swarming locusts, the hopping locusts, the stripping locusts, and the cutting locusts. It was I who sent this great destroying army against you.” (Joel 2:25).

When God causes what we consider “evil” or bad to happen, it is always with the reason that he is totally, perfectly good, and with the purpose that he loves us and wants the best for us. He oftentimes causes suffering to discipline us. “… God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness.” (Hebrews 12:10). “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.” (v.11). And yet at other times, he sends plagues to call us to repentance. “Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning,” he said in the Book of Joel (2:12). “Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish. (v.13).

God ordains suffering, COVID-19 included, because of man’s sin, but also for our own growth. There are times that God accomplishes good through evil and suffering. Why God allowed and ordained COVID-19 to fall on man may be difficult to answer, but we can rest on the truth that God is, and will always be, good, and he loves us, and he is working out all things - including evil and suffering - according to the counsel of his will.