Are Pastors Who Obey the Order to Close Church Hypocrites?
There are some preachers who claim that those who obey the civil order to shut down their church services do not have faith to believe God for healing, even though they preach divine healing.
But healing and prevention are not the same.
Moreover, while Christians may have strong faith not to become sick with the virus, they could be carriers and not even know it, since they are symptom-free. They could infect others who are non-believers and do not have the same protection of healing faith we have. Should we not care about them?
God told His ancient people of Israel: “I will put none of the diseases upon you which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that heals you” (Exodus 15:26). (Jehovah-Ropheka).
Yet afterwards, God told Moses what to do if an Israelite came down with the infectious disease of leprosy. He was to be pronounced unclean with plague by the priest AND SHUT UP FOR SEVEN DAYS. Then he was to be examined again by the priest, and even if it WAS NOT SPREADING, he was still to be SHUT UP SEVEN MORE DAYS.
Afterwards, he was to wash thoroughly, to wash his clothes, to be anointed by the priest, and then was pronounced clean. But if he continued to be contaminated with the leprosy, he was “to dwell without the camp all the days of his life” (Leviticus 13).
It is not a sign of unbelief to quarantine, and we are commanded to obey civil government: “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether it be to the king as supreme, or unto governors…” (1Peter 2:13-15). “Be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work” (Titus 3:1).
Now if we are commanded to deny our faith in Christ, then we must disobey civil authority. But we are not being commanded to deny our faith in Christ. Everyone, sinners and saints alike, is being commanded to stay home.
When I posted this article on Facebook, one pastor aptly commented: “There will always be those who have super faith and are critical of others, but those same people will lock the doors and turn on the alarm system when they leave.”
There are some who errantly mix faith with presumption.
When you ask me, “Where is your faith?” (like yours is greater because you defy the order to close your church), I ask you, “Where is your obedience to civil authority?”
Meanwhile, I will keep my confidence in the Lord that He can and will “deliver me from the noisome pestilence” (Psalm 91:3). The Hebrew word for “noisome” means “calamity,” and “plague” refers to contagious disease and diseases without a cure. David prayed in Psalm 57:1:
“Be merciful to me, O God, my soul trusts in you. Yea, in the shadow of your wings will I make my refuge until these calamities pass over.”
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