By Jason Charles on 9/22/2017 (7 years 97 days ago) Theology & Religion
People on both sides of the political fence love to point at the latest spat of natural disasters ripping across our nation in the form of hurricanes, earthquakes, and fires as proof of God's wrath against their opposition.
Just this week Hollywood starlet, Jennifer Lawrence said that the hurricanes that hit the U.S. are "mother nature's rage" and blamed Trump, while outspoken Christian actor Kirk Cameron made the statement,
“When he puts his power on display, it’s never without reason. There’s a purpose. And we may not always understand what that purpose is, but we know it’s not random, and we know that weather is sent to cause us to respond to God in humility, awe and repentance.” (AVClub)
No matter what ideological or theological bent, there is a keen awareness throughout humanity that when disaster strikes in large, devastating ways that what we are witnessing is God's vengeance on humanity for the evil we perpetually do. This sense is found in pagan religions as well as the Bible. There is something deeply engrained in the human psyche that natural disasters are a sign of God's wrath.
Yet so many people get ridiculed for attributing natural disasters with God's wrath due to the secular indoctrination that says nothing has a supernatural cause.
God is the God of Nature
In the Declaration of Independence Thomas Jefferson who is traditionally thought of as a deist, appealed to 'nature and nature's God', as a lawgiver and creator that endowed men with rights and freedoms. In his declaration he expressly appealed to God's providence and blessing on the coming war for independence.
"When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them" (USHistory.org)
Benjamin Franklin, another a-typical Christian argued to institute prayer at the opening of every congressional session. He cited God's providence over nature as well as over the affairs of men as why congress should pray for divine protection. It was an acknowledgement of God's sovereign authority over America. He noted that the smallest of sparrows as well as nations exist only with His aid and allowance.
"God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid?" (American Rhetoric)
These men believed God was the God of nature and also presided over the affairs of men. That there was inherient dignity and morality in the nature of mankind. They believed it enough to stake their lives on it. So when they heard stories of how nature and God's providence consistently came to the aid of General George Washington's Army, I am sure it deepened their faith considerably. A perfect example of this was when a fog descended over the Colonial army allowing them to escape certain destruction by the British army.
"Major Ben Tallmadge, a member of the Continental Army, wrote: At this time, a very dense fog began to rise, and it seemed to settle in a peculiar manner over both encampments. I recollect this providential occurrence perfectly well. And so very dense was the atmosphere that I could scarcely discern a man at six yards’ distance. We tarried until the sun had risen, but fog remained as dense as ever.
...
General George Washington recognized God’s hand on his life during the Revolutionary War
“I was but the humble agent of a favoring Heaven, whose benign influence was so often manifested in our behalf and to whom the praise of victory alone is due.” (CBN)
For the British this fog was a curse, and may have cost them the war; while the Colonial army perceived it as a blessing sent by God. The benefactor is the one that stay's inside the will of God.
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10 Biblical Examples of God's Use of Nature
The Great Flood
Noah is told by God in Genesis 6:12-13 that "And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth." That phrase "I will destroy them with the earth" certainly places God as controller of nature. This verse distinctly says God will use the forces of nature within the earth as a means of judgment for the corruption of mankind.
Sodom and Gomorrah
In Genesis 19: 24-24 We see God in an awesome spectacle judging the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah with fire from heaven. "Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven; And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground."
Moses and the Egyptian plagues
In Exodus we read how God sent plagues to devastate the Egyptian Pharaoh who had enslaved His people the Israelites. In Exodus 12:12 specifically God says not only is He judging Egypt but also the gods of Egypt for their wickedness. Many of the plagues dwelt exclusively with Egyptian gods who supposedly ruled over the Nile, fertility, harvest, etc. These plagues were a definitive display of God's providence over nature and the false gods of Egypt who claimed supremacy over nature.
For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. Exodus 12:12
Earth swallows Moses' opposition
In this instance the mutinous Korah and all who followed him against Moses were swallowed up in a giant sink hole or localized earthquake. Needless to say God was very protective of His servant Moses giving very real meaning to 'Touch not my anointed' in 1 Chronicles 16:22. "And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation" Numbers 16:32-33
Joshua asks God to cause the sun and moon to stand still
In Joshua 10 we read how God kept the Sun from setting over a raging battle for Joshua so he might thoroughly destroy the Amorite army. "Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel." Joshua 10:12-14
Hornets are used by God to drive the Amorite Kings out of Canaan
God literally fought for Joshua and the Israelites with nature as His weapon to the point they didn't even have to lift a sword. "And I sent the hornet before you, which drave them out from before you, even the two kings of the Amorites; but not with thy sword, nor with thy bow." Joshua 24:12
God sends Elijah to cause a drought as Judgment against King Ahab
The prophet Elijah in 1 Kings Chapter 17 demonstrates God's three-fold power over nature. God is causing a drought, He is causing a miracle of food and oil provision for Elijah and an old woman's household, and also miraculously brings the soul of a dead child back to his body. God truly is master over nature.
"And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the Lord, and said, O Lord my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again. And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived." 1 Kings 17: 21-22
God sends a she bear to rend Elisha 's tormentors
Punk kids exist in every generation, again don't mess with God's anointed.
" And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head.And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them." 2 Kings 2: 32-24
God Kills 70,000 of King David's men to avert war
Many attribute King David's adultery with Bathseeba as his greatest sin, but in the sight of God it was late in David's life when he attempted to marshal his men towards an unjust war that was the greatest. God was so enraged that he gave David a choice of 3 punishments. David choose a plague which cost the lives of 70,000 Jews. Unjust, aggressive war in God's eyes is the epitome of wickedness.
"So Gad(the prophet) came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days' pestilence in thy land? now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me. And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man. So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men. 2 Samuel 24: 13-15"
Sea calms after Jonah thrown into sea for disobedience
Jonah hated the Ninevites so much he would rather rebel against the Lord rather than warn them of impending destruction. In chapter 1 he is on a boat in the middle of the storm that God had sent. Knowing that he was the cause Jonah told the sailors to cast him overboard and the storm would be calmed.
"So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging. Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the LORD, and made vows." Jonah 1:15-1
These are the best examples of how God has always used nature as a means to judge nations. God is the creator of nature, we are a part of nature so it stands to reason that God uses nature to impart His sense of justice on the world.
Conclusion
It also stands to reason that when God came into the world in human form that he too would show an ultimate authority over nature. Jesus was able to turn water to wine, heal lepers, make the blind to see, he raised people from the dead, walked on water, calmed seas and more. At His death according to Matthew 27:50-51 there was a major earth quake, that modern scholars feel they actually have real evidence for it taking place.
We have to realize that in our natural state as humanity we have become objects of God's wrath.
Ephesians 2:1-5 “As for you, you were dead in transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions.”
At one point America was within the blessing of God, and he allowed this nation to rise up. Now we are well outside His blessing preferring Hollywood perversions, aborting our children, sexual deviancy, violence, materialism, a blood lust for wars abroad and therefore again have become and object of God's wrath. So don't be surprised when the earth quakes, or forests catch fire near towns and homes, tornadoes rip apart cities or hurricanes flood entire metro areas like Houston. God is expressing his displeasure in America and I am sure it will just get worse. Please subscribe to Wake the Church and like us on Facebook.
I believe the Bible, I believe God has used nature in the past and that he still does to judge humanity. Fortunately through His word he has warned us of the consequences of our nations sin, he doesn't do things without warning. Will you heed the trumpets blast warning of impending judgment?
"Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it? Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets" Amos 3: 6-7
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