Here in Dallas County, we are under shelter-in-place orders as part of the plan to slow the progress of the global coronavirus pandemic.1 Many are working from home. Others have been laid off or are in fear of losing their jobs. For the time being, it seems as if the world has come to a screeching halt. As we sit at our dining room tables bent over our laptops and tablets wondering when things will get better, let us remember the One who sits in a far more important position and who never had to wonder about anything.
For fifty years, ICR’s purpose as a creation science ministry has been to point people to Jesus as both Creator and Savior. This is precisely the message people need to hear in a time of crisis.
In Psalm 8, King David marvels at the wonders of God’s creation and shows amazement that God cares for individuals who seem insignificant compared to the vastness and beauty of the universe.2 Yet God does love people and has given them dominion over the earth.3
In these times, a right understanding of Scripture can be extremely comforting. As the Apostle Paul reminds us, “For He [Jesus] must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.”4
Paul understood biblical theology. He knew that the “son of man” who receives dominion over the earth in Psalm 8:4-6 is not Adam who sinned and brought death and disease into the world, but the Last Adam, Jesus, who brought salvation and eternal life and will one day make all things new.5
When we are confronted with death, suffering, and pain, let us remember that death is an intrusion into the good world that God created. As Revelation says, one day “there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”6 Why hasn’t that day come yet? Because God is patient, giving people an opportunity to repent of their sins and trust in Jesus.7
The coronavirus is a result of sin. It will bring death to some and suffering of one sort or another to almost everyone on earth. It is a reminder that we are not invincible. All things do not, as some scoffers claim, “continue as they were from the beginning of creation.”8 May we “worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water”9 while we have the opportunity. Let us pray that God shows mercy by stopping the progress of COVID-19, healing people, restoring lost income, and preserving life. Let us pray even more fervently that God shows mercy by granting people “eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”10
References
1. Cardona, C. and Y. Gavino. Shelter-in-Place Order Issued for Dallas County. NBC News. Posted on nbcdfw.com March 22, 2020, accessed March 24, 2020.
2. Psalm 8:3-4.
3. Psalm 8:6; Genesis 1:26.
4. 1 Corinthians 15:25–26.
5. Psalm 110:1; 1 Corinthians 15:45; Revelation 21:5.
6. Revelation 21:4.
7. 2 Peter 3:9.
8. 2 Peter 3:4.
9. Revelation 14:7.
10. Romans 6:23.
*Will Perry is an Event Coordinator at the Institute for Creation Research.