It is a terrible thing when people suffer from natural disasters, but it’s also a tragedy when we miss the point of them. Yes–there is a point, a sovereignly-designed point. As people in the south continue to deal with the damage caused by Hurricane Harvey and Irma looms on the horizon, what are we to think about why such things happen? Better yet, why does God allow these horrible events to occur? That’s the question everyone loves to ask, but is it the best question to ask? We’ll see, but thankfully we don’t have to stumble along in the dark. God’s Word is not silent on the issue.
When we see hurricanes or typhoons or earthquakes or any other natural calamity, as Christians we should think, labor pains. Labor pains of course imply there is a birth coming and in this case there is, the birth of a new world. Here’s what I mean.
One day this fallen world in which we live will give way to a new world, one in which Jesus will reign and all wrongs will be made right. Jesus himself described it as he spoke to his disciples in Matthew 19:28 saying, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” The words, “new world” (palinggenesia) literally means regeneration or new birth and is found only twice in the New Testament, the other being in Titus 3:5. In Titus, the term is used in a spiritual sense regarding the conversion process by which one becomes a “new creature” in Christ.
We get another clue from Jesus regarding this idea of the coming new world when he references the end times in Mark 13:8 (and this is also one place where I get the idea of labor pains). Jesus said, “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains.”
So in these two verses we find there will be a new world or “regeneration,” and prior to that there will be troubles which Jesus described as “birth pains.” While he doesn’t go into great detail about what all of this means, the apostle Paul fills in some of the blanks. But before we go further, after reading the passages above we might now ask our original question with a bit more detail, “Why does the creation have to experience the suffering of these ‘birth pains’?” We’re getting close to an answer, but let’s look at what Paul adds to our thinking and Romans 8:20-23 provides the clearest help.
20For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
First, note in verse 20 when Paul says “the creation,” he is referring to both the physical universe in which we live, as well as humanity (vs. 22 & 23 address each separately). Second, notice that creation, all of it including mankind, was subjected to “futility.” By whom? God. How do I know that? Because the creation was subjected “in hope” and neither Satan nor man can subject anything “in hope.”
But what does Paul mean by futility? From the surrounding context we see there are three other terms that are synonymous with or a response to this futility that help to see the meaning. One is “bondage to corruption,” (v. 21) another is “groaning together in the pains of childbirth,” (v. 22) and last is “groan inwardly” (v. 23). So we understand humanity as having been subjected to a corrupted or broken nature just the same as the physical world has been subjected to a flawed existence.
Both conditions scream for the need to be fixed, but neither the world nor human beings have the ability to self-correct. Thus, humanity and nature need to be born again, we need a “new birth.” Now if we keep everything together, we can pose our overarching question with the full force it deserves, “Why did God subject his once perfect creation to a futile condition that causes such horrible destruction and suffering?”
I believe that is a good question with right Biblical thinking behind it. So, what’s the answer? Well, let’s briefly go back to the beginning, that is, “In the beginning.” Genesis 3 describes what is rightly called, “the Fall.” Adam and Eve profaned the perfection of God’s creation by disobeying God and introducing sin into the world. And as the first man, Adam represented all of mankind before God, he was our representative head. Accordingly, when he sinned, all of humanity and creation fell. Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned” (Romans 5:12).
Listen to God address Adam and Eve after their sinful treason:
16To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.” 17And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life (Genesis 3:16-17)
Contemplate if you will, the effects of our first father’s sin. God could have wiped the slate clean right then and there and started over, but he didn’t. God, from before the ages began, planned to redeem the world, to redeem mankind, through the life, death, and resurrection of his son (Ephesians 1:4, 2 Timothy 1:9). And according to God’s timeline, until that mystery was to be revealed and his plan fully accomplished, the world would know through experience just how heinous sin truly is to God.
Think of Adam and Eve’s sin, but move on. Think of the whole world’s sin and darkness, but don’t stay there. Think of today’s culture of sin and debauchery, but keep going. Keep thinking about sin until your thoughts land squarely in your own lap, on your own sin, and in my own lap and on my own sin. Then and only then are we prepared to answer our question.
Whether we want to see it or not, the Bible teaches that the moral outrage of a perfectly just and righteous God over sin is in our face every day. God chose to give us touchable, see-able, feel-able object lessons, real-world parables, in the form of hurricanes and tsunamis and earthquakes to show us the way he feels about sin. And we will continue to experience these things until Jesus returns and makes all things new and the labor pains bring forth perfection once again.
I’ll end with two passages.
The first is John writing of a vision in Revelation 16:7-8. Read what he wrote:
“And I heard the altar saying, “Yes, Lord God the Almighty, true and just are your judgments!” The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to scorch people with fire. They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory.”
Scorched by fierce heat, they cursed God who had power over the fire. They missed the point.
Lastly, let’s turn again to Jesus’ words regarding a disaster of his own day. After having been asked questions that were likely very similar to our own regarding what seemed to be pointless suffering, he answers in Luke 13:4-5 saying:
“Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”
Don’t get caught up in thinking someone else’s sin is the cause of disaster. When we think like that we miss the point; Jesus wouldn’t hear of such thinking. “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” God is holy. We are sinful. This is a problem that can only be solved by a new birth. And God is continually reminding us of this reality.
(I originally wrote this in 2012 following Hurricane Isaac, but have updated and revised it.)
