Haiti’s secret pact with the devil…never happened.
We have heard from irrelevant preachers that Haiti made this secret pact with the devil. You can find countless sources on the Internet dispelling this rumor (Look! Here is one now!) Many have pointed to this supposed “deal with the devil” as the reason for the earthquake which has taken so many lives and put the country in turmoil.
Many have asked, is this earthquake the work of an angry God?
This question has been debated and kicked around Twitter and blogs for the last several days. The biggest reaction came when Pat Robertson made the shocking statement stating the earthquake was “God’s judgment” on this country for their sins. Many have pondered if we have seen a return of “Old Testament God.” Some of the same questions were kicked around after the Tsunami a few years ago.
What I find interesting is, when this question was asked about the 9/11 tragedy, it could not possibly be God’s judgment on our self-righteous nation, but the work of bad men. Or Katrina. The hurricane was marginalized by most as just a freak storm which could not be God’s wrath poured out on us for our sins. But a little country like Haiti? Obviously it is the result of an angry God.
For the record, God is sovereign.
“Old Testament God” and “New Testament God” are the same. God does display His wrath in the NT. Many neglect the account in Acts 5 of Ananias and his wife, Sapphira. Because they lied to God, He took their lives. We neglect the book of Revelation where we see God pouring our His wrath on the earth. It is only by Jesus’ atoning death we can be spared His anger (do a study on “propitiation” to learn the depths of this). This makes us ask the question; “Was God so angry at Haiti that he took 50,000 lives?”
Romans 9:20-23 (hover your mouse over the verse to read it)
There is a chance God poured out His wrath on Haiti January 12th. There is a chance we saw God’s anger during 9/11, Pearl Harbor, hurricanes Katrina and Andrew, and even the Tsunami. Looking to Romans, we see we really have no right to rebelliously question the one who made us (see the ESV Study Bible notes, published by Crossway). It is not that we cannot go to God and ask why things happen, it is that we should not go to Him and question Him like we are His superior. We should not be pulling interrogation room tactics on God. He caused an earthquake for some reason. We may not know why, ever.
How can we respond?
One way not to respond is to pridefully point fingers at Haiti. As we should know, it is not always the result of sin that bad things happen (you heard me prosperity Gospel, shove it). John 9:2-3 explains all things, even the bad things, are there to show the power and glory of God (or, as in Romans 9:23, to show the riches of His glory for the vessels of His mercy). Our response should be one of mercy and love to a suffering people. This is a situation where an outpouring of the Gospel can take place. It is often during tragedy we see the Church come together to help those who are suffering. As long as we live in a this fallen and flawed (sorry Demian, I had to do it) world, we can expect bad things to happen. After all, we are sinners in the hands of an angry God. It is our job, as Christians, to bring His healing and comfort through His Gospel to those in need.
-Don-
Amen!
Man, I have not seen an "Amen" here in awhile!
Amen!
Amen, indeed!
I wonder how these individuals explain Jupiter's big red spot (which is essentially a hurricane), acid rain storms on Venus, whirlwind dust storms on Mars, and magnetic storms in the middle of space caused by solar winds. Is God also angry with these uninhabited planets?
The Earths plates shift, atmospheric pressure causes storms, and sometimes these processes make life difficult. Do I believe these things are caused by God? Yes, in a way, but not out of anger or malice.
Just as it is very unpleasent when an individual has excess intestinal gas, it would be even more horrible if that individual and no way to expell it. The gas is a by product of function.
Storms, Earthquakes, etc, all happen as a normal result of earths function. Is it possible that God determined at the begining of time that the decendents of people who were forced into labor would behave in a manor in which television evangelist would claim was against His will and He would be forced to punish them by making sure he put a fault line there four and a half billion years before it would be an issue? Well, anything is possible…but really?
Don, don't forget Luke 13:1-5!!
Were they more guilty? No, but unless you repent you also will all perish!
You are forgiven, Don. Have you read Don Miller's response?
http://donmilleris.com/2010/01/13/1513/
Good stuff.
I'm forgiven? But I have not even apologized yet! Wait…for what again?
I'm reading his response now. BTW.
I'll start with the disclosure that I am an Atheist, and I'm really confused by this post. I can understand the people who argue that 9/11 was the act of bad men, because it was a case of bad men seizing airplanes and causing mass destruction. In the case of an earthquake there was no "bad man" who set it off. If God is the cause of earthquakes what could anyone (Haiti, the US, the world in general) have POSSIBLY done to deserve this. Why does a God who does this deserve worship at all? I know you quote Romans 9 as saying that is a sin, but that feels like a horrible copout to me. It's like your parents telling you "Because I said so". A God that feels the need to show his power like this reminds me of an abusive spouse.
Anyways I don't mean to step on anyone's beliefs and I really like this blog, but this rubs me the wrong way.
Hey Andy,
I am not avoiding you, I will try and give you an answer here soon. Dont mean to keep ya hanging.
-Don-