Dripping Springs Weekly Bulletins

Natural Disasters Just about the time we humans begin to think we have everything under control, the power of God’s creation puts us in our place. Man has constantly arrogated himself to positions of control or power that cannot be sustained, and that’s when we learn our lessons —usually the hard way. Many of us living today have observed the most momentous changes and advancements ever seen in history. We have “advanced” from the old muzzle-loaders to nuclear warheads; from carrier pigeons to the world-wide-web; from the horse and buggy to space travel. But we are still not in control of our universe, not even the local weather. We have seen terrible destruction and floods from hurricanes Charlie through Francis. The rumblings of Mt. St. Helen’s have reminded us again of the power of what man calls “nature.” Today we almost consider Tornadoes, earthquakes and forest fires as commonplace because of their frequency. Why Does God Allow Disasters Do good people not suffer along with the wicked at the hand of such natural disasters? Could God not have derived a better way to produce changes in the weather and the seasons? This intriguing question is asked, and deserves to be answered. God does not always explain why He does something, but we can learn some principles that lead us to the answers. For example, from Genesis 2:5 we learn that before sin entered the world, “God had not caused it to rain upon the earth.” At that time man was enjoying the blessings given in Genesis 1:28: “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” What changed all that? Sin Brought Great Changes Yes, man had been given a place of “dominion” over the earth, but sin caused him to be placed in a position of submission to the earth and what we call “nature,” Genesis 3:17-18. Before, they could eat of “every tree of the garden,” Genesis 2:16, but sin resulted in man almost having to fight “nature” to survive and provide the necessities of life. Note this text: “…cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;” Genesis 3:17-18. The “dominion” they once had enjoyed was removed, and instead God said everything man would be able to accomplish would be “by the sweat of thy face” Genesis 2:19. Changes in Earth’s Climate As already stated, before sin was committed, rain was not known. Another means of watering the earth was given. But when Noah was commanded to build the Ark, written in Genesis 7:4, he was told: “I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights.” From a position of “dominion,” man now faced not only “thorns and thistles,” but an enormous change of climate, evidently all over the globe. The “flood” that came resulted from not only the new phenomenon of rain, but evidently something more powerful, never before seen by man. “In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened,” Genesis 7:11. Science has puzzled for years over the discovery of fossil remains of animal life in the Arctic Circle in which such animals could not live today. Why were the fossils of creatures that can prosper only in a more tropical climate found in the arctic? The answer, according to many scientists, is that at one time the earth had a uniform climate, but someone or something modified it. The “windows of heaven” being opened signaled the origin of today’s weather patterns, including changes of pressure, temperature and winds. Don’t you think Genesis gives us a reasonable solution to this puzzle? Weather and Natural Disasters Did God deliberately allow the possibility of natural disasters as a means of reminding us of our puny strength in contrast to His great, omnipotent power? Well, God did use evil men to be the instrument of Israel’s discipline, Jeremiah 25:9. Does the occurrence of a natural disaster cause pain and hardships for some? Yes, but why not consider this very important point: Our sojourn on this earth is only temporary, and we are in constant need of being reminded of our responsibility to prepare for an eternal home. When do we think of that fact? Is it when everything is going the way we want—or is it at the grave of a loved one, or when we are flat on our back in a hospital bed? Adversity has always been God’s way of getting our attention— but are we really listening? Perhaps that is the solution to this whole issue. What do you think? Carl B. Garner

“Calamity is the perfect glass wherein we truly see and know ourselves.” William Davenant “Calamity is the test of integrity.” Seneca “Prosperity is a great teacher; adversity is a greater.” William Hazlitt “Success shows us but one side of the world; adversity brings out the other.” Charles Caleb Colton “Now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly…for he hath prepared for them a city,” Hebrews 11:16.

The Rationale for Evaluating Political Leaders Jeroboam II was the 13th ruler of the northern kingdom of Israel. He reigned for some forty-one years (793-753 B.C.), during those days when both Jonah and Amos were doing their prophetic work. His reign was one of the most prosperous in the 250 year history of northern Israel. He successfully conducted wars against Syria, and he recaptured territory that Israel had not possessed since the days of David. During this era, Israel was very stable economically. Trade routes developed and wealth poured into the nation. The upper classes especially, prospered, with certain families growing very wealthy in the acquisition of both land and money. In view of his remarkable success as a political leader, one would think that Jeroboam’s considerable abilities would have been heralded enthusiastically in the Old Testament record. But such was not the case. As able as the ruler was in regal affairs, the Bible largely ignores his administration. The writer of 2 Kings records Jeroboam’s entire regime – forty-one long years – in just seven verses (2 Kings 14:23-29). And this is his brief epitaph: “He did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah.” This account, as well as numerous others of similar import, clearly reveal the fact that the Lord does not evaluate political administrations in the same way that men do. Of a politician who has built roads, increased revenues, expanded boundaries, and created better living conditions, most would say, “He was a great leader!” However, it is not riches that make a great nation; it is righteousness (Proverbs 14:34). It is not fortune, but faith. It is not smooth highways, but spiritual homes! It is interesting to reflect upon how Americans generally evaluate national leaders today. It is superficial in the extreme. We want to know this. Can he lower taxes? Not, can he reduce moral corruption? Will he generate jobs? Rather than whether he will attempt to initiate a regeneration of the nation’s ethical policies. Can we expect a higher standard of economic living? – regardless of the fact that it may mean a lower, sleazier level of laws that accommodate debauched lives. What each citizen needs to be asking about potential leaders are inquiries of this substance. Does he acknowledge God as the sovereign over the nation? Does he seek to help the innocent and down-trodden find a fair level of justice? Does he value the sacredness of human life; of humanity as being in the “image” of the Creator? (See Genesis 9:6). Does he act on principle, or is his approach the way of political pragmatism? Will he labor for the stability of the human family (the divine arrangement), or will he cater to special interest groups who craft their own values from the perversity of their self-indulgent lifestyles? Any individual who is swayed more by economic stability than moral stability has revealed a library of information relative to the content of his own character. Such folks are oblivious to the truth that prosperity is the result of goodness, not evil. Wayne Jackson