Some weeks ago I posted a warnng about our seeming indiffrence to God in all the comments about the Corona Virus. Since then the number of deaths has reached over 103,000 (now 119,000 17 Feb) in the UK, and 2.42M worldwide, and yet still the Lord seems to be ignored in every quarter. I have yet to see comments by relgious leaders that this virus may well be the judgement of God upon the world for the most general rejection of Himself and indifference to His Son. It would seem that we just cannot think of the God of Heaven intervening in the earth in this way, while we recntly went through the ‘motions’ of celebrating the sending into the world of the Lord Jesus!
Today my thoughts centre on a word of prophecy in the Old Testament: “The LORD hath been sore displeased with your fathers. Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the LORD." (Zechariah 1:2-4).
When I look at what is afflicting mankind today the thought that the Lord might be sore displeased with us is an understatement, and although in His goodness vaccines have been developed, nevertheless our ardent and sincere prayer and repentance does seem to be missing. Alas, such an action does seem quite out of character with the modern age, far less a call to prayer.
The chilren of Israel spent 40 years in the wilderness because of their disobedience, another 70 years in captivity because of their idolatry; and have since spent the last two millennia scattered throughout the nations because of their treatment of God’s Son. During this time the Bible tells us that God is gathering out of the Gentiles a people for his name, but perhaps this period of God’s forbearance is drawing to a close.
The Apostle Paul writes a warning to us: "For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them. For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:” (Romans 11:13 to 20).
Let us therefore not be indifferent to this time of severe judgement upon us, but let us seek to intreat the Lord that he will have mercy upon us; and that we might change our attitude towards Himself and the Lord Jesus Christ through whole we can find redemption.