Biblical Living in an Age of Covid

Biblical Living in an Age of COVID

Biblical Principles for Community Living in a Global Pandemic

F. Wayne Mac Leod

Light To My Path Book Distribution

Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia, CANADA B1V 1Y5

Biblical Living in an Age of COVID

Copyright © 2022 by F. Wayne Mac Leod

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission of the author.

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Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations from The Authorized (King James) Version. Rights in the Authorized Version in the United Kingdom are vested in the Crown. Reproduced by permission of the Crown’s patentee, Cambridge University Press.

Contents

Preface

Chapter 1 – Plagues in the Bible

Chapter 2 – The Law and Leprosy

Chapter 3 – Addressing Uncleanness

Chapter 4 – Medicine in Israel

Chapter 5 – Community Thinking

Chapter 6 – Respect for Our Physical Bodies

Chapter 7 - Respecting Authorities

Chapter 8 – Traditions and the Law’s True Intention

Chapter 9 – Freedom of Religion

Chapter 10 – Differences between Sincere Believers

Chapter 11 – Living with Differences

Chapter 12 – The Redemption of our Trials

Light To My Path Book Distribution

Preface

As I write, the world has struggled for over two years with the effects of COVID-19 and its various mutations. Millions of people have lost their lives to this dreaded virus. Lives and culture have changed, and our economy has suffered.

Government restrictions have been met with diverse and sometimes divisive opinions. Some people believe the whole thing to be a conspiracy. Others see the vaccine as the mark of the beast described in the book of Revelation.

Regulations imposed on us have transformed how we worship or celebrate holidays. Masks and social distancing have affected the mental health of our children. Those who object to the vaccination requirements have lost jobs or been banned from attending social and religious events. There is no question that COVID-19 has changed our lives.

What is our responsibility as believers in the Lord Jesus? Are there any Biblical precedents or principles that can guide us through this pandemic? While I am aware that I am treading on divisive territory here, I want to base my response to this worldwide pandemic on the clear principles of Scripture.

I trust that this brief reflection will help us examine what the Bible has to say. As believers, this is our one true guide in all matters. While not everyone will agree with my understanding of the passages I will examine, may the study at least direct each reader to seek the wisdom of the Scriptures in their response to this difficult worldwide crisis.

God bless,

F. Wayne Mac Leod

Chapter 1 – Plagues in the Bible

While the Bible does not speak directly about COVID-19, it does talk abundantly about plagues and contagious diseases. Consider, for example, the story of the ten plagues inflicted on Egypt at the time of the exodus. These plagues began as an answer to prayer. The children of Israel cried out in their bondage, asking for deliverance. God demonstrated His power and authority through a series of plagues that brought Egypt to its knees. The intention of God in these plagues is evident in Exodus 7:5 when God says:

(5) The Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring out the people of Israel from among them." - Exodus 7:2-5 ESV

Egypt was brought to its knees as God poured out one pestilence after another upon it. The nation’s economy was devastated. Apart from the Israelites, no family in the country escaped death and disease. Egypt would never again be the same.

Plagues were not limited to foreign nations, however. In Exodus 32, Aaron fashioned an idol in the form of a golden calf. The people then bowed down and worshipped it. Notice the response of God in Exodus 32:35:

(35) Then the LORD sent a plague on the people, because they made the calf, the one that Aaron made - Exodus 32:35 ESV

This plague fell on those who worshipped the golden calf. It was God’s means of punishing Israel for bowing down to another god.

A similar event took place in Numbers 11. Israel complained about the food God had given them in the wilderness. In response, God sent flocks of quail into their camp. Those who had been grumbling gorged themselves on this meat. Listen to the account of what took place that day:

(33) While the meat was yet between their teeth, before it was consumed, the anger of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD struck down the people with a very great plague. (34) Therefore the name of that place was called Kibroth-hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had the craving. - Numbers 11:31-34 ESV

According to Numbers 11, the Lord sent a plague among the people, striking down the discontent in their midst. This was such a significant event in the nation's history that she named the place Kibroth-hattaavah, which means graves of the craving. This was in remembrance of those who grumbled about the manna God provided.

As Israel travelled through the wilderness, Moses sent spies into Canaan to explore the land and bring back a report. When they returned to camp, they reported that the people of the land were too powerful for them to conquer, discouraging the people from entering the land God had promised them. Notice the response of God in Numbers 11:36-37:

(36) And the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation grumble against him by bringing up a bad report about the land— (37) the men who brought up a bad report of the land— died by plague before the LORD. - Numbers 14:36-37 ESV

Once again, the Lord sent a plague to kill these spies who brought back this negative report.

Later in Numbers 16, a man named Korah led a group to revolt against Moses and his authority. God responded in anger and sent a plague among the people. Numbers 16:49 tells us that 14,700 Israelites died as a result:

(49) Now those who died in the plague were 14,700, besides those who died in the affair of Korah. (50) And Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the tent of meeting, when the plague was stopped. - Numbers 16:41-50 ESV

Numbers 25 details how Israel turned from God to sexual immorality with Moabite women and Baal worship. Once again, the result was a plague that killed twenty-four thousand Israelites:

(9) Nevertheless, those who died by the plague were twenty-four thousand. - Numbers 25:9 ESV

When David allowed his pride to get the best of him and he took a census of his people, the Lord determined to punish the nation because of his actions. He sent a pestilence on Israel, and 70,000 men died as a result:

(15) So the LORD sent a pestilence on Israel from the morning until the appointed time. And there died of the people from Dan to Beersheba 70,000 men. - 2 Samuel 24:15 ESV

The book of Revelation describes a time of great pestilence on the earth. A fourth of the world will be devastated by sword, famine, pestilence and wild beasts:

(7) When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, Come! (8) And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth. - Revelation 6:7-8 ESV

In Revelation 8, John saw a great star falling from the sky to the earth, poisoning the waters of the earth so that many people would die:

(10) The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven, blazing like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. (11) The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from the water, because it had been made bitter. - Revelation 8:10-11 ESV

Revelation 9 recounts the blowing of seven trumpets releasing plagues on the earth. According to these verses, one-third of humanity will be destroyed by the plagues unleashed by these trumpets:

(13) Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God, (14) saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels