Download a printable copy .
The sudden onslaught of COVID-19 poses a colossal impact on our lives with major challenges and changes in the world we live in. All activities in this increasingly globalized society, from personal life, family life, education, work, economy, and government, even to our church life, are greatly affected. Every new update on the pandemic gives stimulus to fear rather than peace. As the people in this world are panicking and fearfully groping in the dark, how should we believers react and respond to these pandemics, which the Bible referred to as pestilence or plague?
As the whole world gets enveloped by fear, there are 365 verses in the Bible that tell us “Do not fear” or “Do not be afraid.” This means that we have one reassuring promise a day from the Lord throughout the year to tell us not to be afraid even in times of crisis. He even specifically promised that He shall deliver His people from pestilence (Psa. 91:3, 6), and that no plague shall come upon us if we take heed to His word (Exo. 12:13; 30:12).
Unlike the worldly people, we need not be afraid of pestilence because we know that it has a role in God’s economy. Throughout history, outbreaks of pestilences such as the Bubonic Plague, cholera epidemic, Spanish Flu, SARS, MERS, Avian Flu and now, COVID-19 are not accidental or coincidental; rather, they are sovereignly allowed if not sent by God to chastise this corrupt and unrepentant world.
Pestilence in the Bible
In the Old Testament, in His reproof on the house of Jacob whose heart had turned away from God, Jehovah said, “I have sent among you pestilence after the manner of Egypt” (Amos 4:10a). The word “pestilence” first occurred in the Bible in Exodus 5:3 when Moses and Aaron negotiated with Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of Egypt “otherwise He will fall upon us with pestilence or sword.” Eventually, plagues in the form of pestilence in many instances befell the Egyptians as a result of the hard-heartedness of Pharaoh in not heeding to Jehovah’s word.
In the four Gospels, as the Lord was identifying the signs of His return to His disciples, He forewarned them that there will be “in various places famines and pestilences; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven” (Luke 21:11), and “these things are the beginning of birth pangs” (Mark 13:8b) preceding the end times.
In Revelation, in the fourth of the seven seals that the apostle John saw in the heavenly vision of the things which are about to take place on the earth, he unveiled to us a pale horse [or, pale green, signifying the facial color of those stricken with the plague (footnote 1 of Rev. 6:8, Holy Bible – Recovery Version)], and the rider whose name is “Death; and Hades followed with him. And the authority was given to them over the fourth part of the earth to kill with the sword and with famine and with death [or, pestilence (footnote 3 of Rev. 6:8, Holy Bible – Recovery Version )] and by the beasts of the earth (Rev. 6:8).
Warnings of punishment by pestilence were likewise sent by Jehovah to those who disobey the ordinances of God (Lev. 26:15, 25) and upon those who set their faces to go to Egypt (Jer. 42:17).
God’s Twofold Use of the Plagues
In the following portion, Brother Witness Lee explained how God uses plagues for His purpose:
“Because the people of the world were hindering God’s people from fulfilling His purpose, God came in to judge the way of living in Egypt. Not even the children of Israel understood the true nature of Egyptian life. They also needed a revelation of the nature, the living, and the result of life in Egypt. The more the Egyptians were judged, the more the children of Israel were enlightened regarding the living of Egypt. Therefore, God used plagues to accomplish two things: to punish the Egyptians so that they might release His people and to open the eyes of the children of Israel to the nature of the life of usurpation in Egypt. The enlightenment they received through the plagues made them willing to flee out of Egypt and to go into the wilderness where, at the mountain of God, they could receive God’s revelation concerning His dwelling place.”
(Life-study of Exodus, chapter 18, section 2)
The series of plagues that befell the Egyptians consisted of pestilences upon both men and their animals, so in the same section, Brother Lee further pointed out to us:
“The principle of implication applies today. If we love the Lord and serve Him under His blessing, everything related to us will be blessed also. Even such things as animals or material possessions will be blessed. If we love the Lord, even our environment will be blessed. Our relatives, friends, and neighbors will be positively implicated in the blessing that is upon us. Under God’s righteousness, we who love the Lord become a factor of blessing to others, even to society as a whole. Those who do not know the Lord may enjoy the benefits of such a positive implication.”
Precious Lessons to Learn
We can and should learn some invaluable lessons from both God’s judgment of the Egyptians and the failures of the Israelites which invited the wrath of God in sending pestilence even among God’s people. The following lessons below can apply both to our personal life and church life:
- God has a marker of separation between the Israelites, His people, and the Egyptians (Exo. 9:4, 6). In times of pestilence, God takes care of His own people outwardly, and ministers peace into them inwardly.
- We are not of the world (John 17:16); we must rid ourselves from the love and preoccupation of the world (1 John 2:15), offering ourselves as a living sacrifice, holy, well pleasing to God, which is our reasonable service (Rom. 12:1), and not be fashioned according to this age (v. 2).
- We need to stand by faith (2 Cor. 1:24), have the same spirit of faith (4:13), walk by faith, not by appearance (5:7), and love Him in faith (1 Pet. 1:8). [Cf. Num. 14:11-12, 37]
- We must obey the Lord’s leading directly and through His delegated authorities (Heb. 13:17, 1 Pet. 5:5; 1 Cor. 16:16), which is vitally necessary in the church life under the government of God (fn. Heb. 13:171). [Cf. Num. 16:49]
- We must guard ourselves from all idols and idolatry (1 John 5:21; 1 Thes. 1:9; 1 Cor. 10:7, 14) and all forms of fornication (Num. 25:1-2; 1 Thes. 4:3; 1 Cor. 6:18; 10:8; Rev. 2:14). [Cf. Num. 25:9]
- We should wait for the Lord’s command in everything we do regarding the saints, His chosen people (Exo. 30:12), and should fully trust in Him. [Cf. 1 Chron. 21:3-4; 27:23-24]
Not Fearing Pestilence but Fearing God
If we know the Lord’s heart, then we have no need to fear of any pestilence coming upon us as there is no fear in love, and perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18). Even as the whole world is now gripped with fear from this virus—from the world leaders and celebrities, down to the general public—we have nothing to fear because we have the Lord, we know His will, and we walk according to His word. However, we Christians should have a different fear—a healthy fear—that we might come short of the promised rest. This is spoken of in Hebrews 4:1 where it says, “Let us fear therefore, lest, a promise being left of entering into His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it.”
With the community quarantine and impending curfew in Metro Manila, this should give the saints adequate time to reflect and ask the Lord, “Lord, how much do I fear You? How much fear do I have of being left out of Your promise to enter into your rest?” Unto those who fear Him, the Lord’s mercy is unto generations and generations (Luke 1:50). This is a wonderful comforting word to us who fear the Lord, His mercy is upon us and upon our children and children’s children!
Our Church Life Today
Regarding our church life, COVID-19 is our wake-up call from the Lord. May we all rise from our sleep so that Christ can shine in us (Eph. 5:14). In Matthew 24:32, the Lord tells us that as soon as the branch of the fig tree becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, we know that summer is near, so also when we see all these things—earthquakes, wars, famines, lawlessness, the shaking of the heavens and the gospel of the kingdom being preached to all the inhabited earth—then know, that it is near, at the doors. When we see and hear of calamities and epidemics of global proportions, it serves to remind us that the Lord is coming back soon. He is coming back not only to judge the earth and his enemy Satan, but He is coming back to take with Him what is precious. His advent is like a thief coming to steal what is precious (Luke 12:39-40; 2 Pet. 3:10). May we all have a healthy fear of our Lord, lest we be counted unworthy for Him to steal at His appearing. May we heed the moving of the Spirit in the environment and within us in these critical times to rise up and love the Lord from our whole heart and from our whole soul and from our whole mind and from our whole strength (Mark 12:30).
Our church life in the past consisted of many meetings, big or small. However, in view of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and in compliance to the government directive for social distancing, we acknowledge that for the saints to come together to meet is essentially impossible. Nevertheless, we can still heed the apostle Paul’s exhortation to us in Hebrews 10:25 that we should not “abandon our own assembling together.” While Satan is trying to frustrate the church from coming together for the fellowship in the Body unto its building up, we can still make use of today’s mobile devices and various internet platforms made available to us from God to have many virtual meetings. Now is the best time and opportunity to apply the day-by-day (Acts 2:47) meeting and everyday (5:42) church life, where there is no limit in time or in space for the saints to meet up. Although we cannot do this in person physically, nonetheless we can do it virtually or over the phone. Finally, as the Lord has designated those who lead us and shepherd us in the churches, aside from observing proper hygiene, social distancing, and the guidelines laid out by the health authorities so that we will be protected from COVID-19, for the Lord’s sake and for His interest on the earth, we would also do well to follow the fellowship of the elders of the church (Heb. 13:17) where we meet on how we should best conduct our spiritual pursuit and how our church life would continue in alternative modes during the community quarantine period. May the Lord bless and keep all the saints and churches during these times of trials and testing. Amen!
Co-workers in the Philippines