Is God Judging Haiti with Earthquakes?
Haiti earthquake: Port-au-Prince rocked by 7.0 quake; buildings collapse, thousands feared dead
by Pastor B.A. Shields
So the headlines read around the world when the earthquake hit Port-au-Prince last week, and another quake which hit today south of the first.
The destruction has been terrible, and the loss of lives and devastation to those who lost loved ones is immeasurable.
Many from around the world have stepped forward to send help and aid to these poor people, who have endured a week of hell on earth. As they continue to struggle with no government, no food, no clean drinking water, lost loved ones, dead littering the streets, no doctors or medicine, nothing but complete torment.
Then, as people often do, to add insult to injury, I’ve heard some (including those who “claim” to be followers of Christ) attributing this devastation and destruction to the judging hand of God upon these people.
It’s at times like these when most show their true colors. Like Job’s friends stepping forward to offer, not their help, consolation, comfort, or any of a million other acts of kindness one would expect from someone, especially claiming to be “religious”, but to tear him down while he was at the height of his suffering.
Is this earthquake really God’s judgment because Haiti is so sinful?
Has God tired of their continual disobedience and disregard for the one and only thing that is important to God, people?
Have they become so sinful that even God views them as “un-savable”, and decided to destroy them as a lesson to the rest of the world of His love for us?
Whether you are a believer or not, this idea of God destroying Haiti (or any other country) right now because of His judgment comes from those who claim to have an understanding of the Holy Bible.
But what does the Bible actually say about judgment and when it is coming?
First of all, Jesus Himself said in John 12:47 that if anyone does not believe in His word, that He does not judge him because He did not come into the world to judge it, but to save it.
This does not mean there is not going to be a day of judgment, Jesus continues in verse 48 that there is a day of judgment, what it means is, this is not the time of God’s judgment on man.
In Luke 13:1-5 we see that there were eighteen people who were killed in Siloam when a tower fell on them. Jesus asked the question in verse 4-5, “…think ye that they were sinners above all men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, No: but, except you repent, you shall likewise perish.”
Jesus makes it clear here, there is a day of judgment for sin, but it isn’t here and now. We see from this scripture that bad things happen in this world. Sometimes people get hurt, and even die. But for us to make the leap from natural disaster (and man made disaster as in the case of the tower), to judgment from God because someone was a sinner, is un-scriptural.
In fact, as a proof scripture, take this into consideration, in Luke 9:51-56, “51As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. 52And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; 53but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. 54When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?” 55But Jesus turned and rebuked them, 56and they went to another village.”
When met with opposition, the disciples not realizing that Jesus had come to bring God’s love, forgiveness and salvation to the world, wanted to destroy the city, and Jesus rebuked them for the thought.
Why? because as Jesus said, He came not into the world to judge it, but to save it.
So looking at Jesus’ own words, we can see that there is a judgment coming, but it is not now, and it is not upon those who are sinning, for we are all sin and fall short of the Glory of God.
Jesus asks the question in Luke 13, do you think they are sinning more than anyone else?
If God was destroying countries right now with natural disasters, wouldn’t a country that has already murdered over 50,000,000 unborn babies be top of that list?
The truth of the Holy Bible is this, The judgment day is coming, but will not arrive until the tribulation.
In the entire New Testament of the Bible, it is ONLY in Revelation where we read of any judgment taking place on earth, being poured out from heaven.
We need to remember that Jesus said we are to love our neighbors as ourselves (Galatians 5:14), love our brothers (1 John 4:19-21) and love even our enemies (Luke 6:27; Luke 6:35).
Matthew 25:40 “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”
Should we help those in Haiti? Yes.
Is this disaster a judgment on them from God? I don’t believe there is any scriptural evidence of this.
If you would like to help the people of Haiti, there are many good charities out there who have been around for a long time.
World Vision is one of them.
