For this past month, and this past week especially, I noticed a disturbing trend among many church leaders and churches across the country. I saw many church leaders downplaying coronavirus and hospitals; and many churches were avoiding governmental orders and have continued to keep their churches open despite the danger this poses for their congregants. I understand that the church believes in the supernatural healing and protection power of Jesus, but the Bible also tells us to walk in wisdom during these events as well. And telling the church that hospitals are not needed during a GLOBAL PANDEMIC is NOT walking in wisdom. Letting your doors remain open in the mist of an AIRBORNE, CONTAGIOUS, flu-like virus with NO CURE is NOT walking in wisdom. I know it seems like closing your doors seems like you're doubting God and his power; but when we dive into The Word we'll see that this is not the case. And we can start by looking in the book of Proverbs. Proverbs 22:3 states:
Sensible people will see trouble coming and avoid it, but an unthinking person will walk right into it and regret it later.
Proverbs 22:3 GNTD
This verse is telling us to be prepared for the things headed our way. God wants us to trust Him, but He also wants us to prepare for treacherous times so that we can help to lessen the blow by the enemy. Its great that we trust God, but God wants to trust us as well to be sensible in these situations and not to go in blindly.
We can also look into the Word to see what it says about holding church. I know some people feel as though God only moves at church, or if people go to church; but that's not true, and that can be found in the book of Acts. Acts 17:24 states:
God, who made the world and everything in it, is Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples made by human hands. Nor does he need anything that we can supply by working for him, since it is he himself who gives life and breath and everything else to everyone.
Acts 17:24-25 GNTD
This verse shows that God doesn't need anything provided by human beings. He is God and He can move in any way He sees fit. He is not bound be human constraints or constructs.
Another thing that the word disproves, is the notion that hospitals or healthcare is "not necessary". Hospitals and healthcare are especially necessary during this time and that is shown in the book of James. James 2:14-17 states:
My friends, what good is it for one of you to say that you have faith if your actions do not prove it? Can that faith save you? Suppose there are brothers or sisters who need clothes and don't have enough to eat. What good is there in your saying to them, “God bless you! Keep warm and eat well!”—if you don't give them the necessities of life? So it is with faith: if it is alone and includes no actions, then it is dead.
James 2:14-17 GNTD
This verse shows that we need to help people in the spiritual AND natural realm. We have to show that we believe by taking the proper steps to take care of ourselves and one another by taking people to the healthcare professionals that God put on this earth to help in the healing process.
Lastly, we can look to the bible to provide examples of this scenario, and how to act in this event. A similar event to this can be shown in Exodus when God sent the last plague in Egypt. God promised to protect His people from this terrible event BUT they had to listen to Him by putting blood on the doorway and by STAYING INSIDE. With these two actions taking place God then protected them because they listened and followed directions.
Moses called for all the leaders of Israel and said to them, “Each of you is to choose a lamb or a young goat and kill it, so that your families can celebrate Passover. Take a sprig of hyssop, dip it in the bowl containing the animal's blood, and wipe the blood on the doorposts and the beam above the door of your house. Not one of you is to leave the house until morning. When the Lord goes through Egypt to kill the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the beams and the doorposts and will not let the Angel of Death enter your houses and kill you.
Exodus 12:21-23 GNTD
If God protected His people from a plague when they stayed inside the house, then He can do the same for us in this day and age. We just need to listen and walk in wisdom.
