Three opinions I've heard from those who read the Bible; one thought 'the vaccine' was of God, and thanked God for it despite some serious side effects. Another thought it wasn't of God due to the deaths and injuries, as God only does good. A third spoke of evils of vaccine segregation saying there was no faith or reverence of God in Churches as none were speaking up from the Bible. So let's go back to first principles.
Behold, is it not of the LORD of hosts that the people shall labour in the very fire, and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity? For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. (Habbakuk 2:13-14)
He is saying that until we immerse ourselves in the word of God and seek to know His Glory, we weary ourselves in things as light as air that don't matter.
Worse still as some argue with animosity with others over the matter. The use of the term 'the vaccine' is ignorant as there are at least 6 known vaccines for Covid-19 all different with different side effects, and at least one more Australian in development overseas struggling against red tape. Much is said these days vaccination as 'loving ones neighbour', but absolute benefit would need to be established over nil risk to even begin to make this argument, let alone opening a whole other debate about what is love. Love includes loving rebuke, where Christ's love was to call others 'whited sepulchers' and tell them they would die in their sins! Then too it opens the issue of the love in fulfilling the law including its provisions for sickness which feature isolation. As this tenet is used by nations such as Australia, NZ, Canada and China then some might also point to this action, as trumping vaccination, as true love for ones neighbour. If the reason for vaccination was to allow all to do as they wished, without consideration for ones neighour, how is this love for ones neighbour?
To take emotion out of it and put some context let us ask, 'Is the car and train of God?' If it is, it demolishes that argument that God's gifts aren't also deadly, as people die and are injured in, on and under trains and cars. But then again how many died getting to and from Meeting or Church on horseback, or in a carriage accident, or died walking in the snow? Deborah Watson of Northumberland, UK died walking in snow Sunday, 25 February 1762, what if she had had a car or been able to take a bus?
The question I ask, as to whether God gave us the car and train, is reasonable as we have some information in the Bible on travel.
But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. (Daniel 12:4)
Now the point to note from this is that our Creator did not directly tell Daniel that He Himself would change the world so that many would run to and fro, but rather that these things should occur. However to the flip side, it is of no little significance that most of the early work that led to the break though of transport on rail and road was done by people who were free to read the Bible and had read it so they knew it well. It cannot be any coincidence in terms of what was told Daniel that these inventions came with the move for Jews to return to their homeland.
It is even of greater significance that flight was directly spoken of in the Bible- and it is known that the first military campaign that used the new airplane and traditional land based forces was the British Push under Allenby to free Jerusalem in WW1. Not a coincidence. Who then gave us flight? Was flight of God?
Yet many now argue that so many flying about is killing the planet (except for the elite who fly in private jets to warn others about not doing as they do). Consider how many die each year, or are injured in plane crashes, or from cancer from handling jet fuel. And then we can find where the Bible in the context of the time of the open revealing of the Glory of Israel, asks directly,
Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows? (Isaiah 60:8)
At this point we may be thinking the answer to what is or isn't of God is already looking way more complex than we can even conceive. And I raise again point of wearying ourselves with matters 'under the sun' which are temporal matters of this transitory state. In all matters we must consider safety, would we travel on a train route or with an airline known for fatal accidents? Do we drive carefully and not drive faulty vehicles? Where is wisdom? Consider – where is wisdom as to the vaccine? Not which political 'side' we are on, not what our friends think or do, not what the government says who may send all the young to war while not lifting a finger. Not as advertising says, as, is there ever any truth in advertising? We know we ought not to trust in princes (Psalm 146:3). What if the vaccine is both of human invention and also of God to test people, whether they trust in Him or the vaccine?
What if the whole situation is of God to test an evil godless world and create a situation of distress?
He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels. (Psalm 78:49)
What if the recent vaccines won't work in a short time as is being revealed in Sweden and UK, and this goes on and on until there is utter distress of nations with no answer? What if it has happened to this generation because Jews rule all of a united Jerusalem and the nations are punished as if they were not fighting a virus, they seek to divide Jerusalem? This is Christ's prophecy of our time,
They (his people) shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles (non Jews), until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. (Luke 21:24-27)
What if 'the vaccine' solution is not a solution at all – and it gets worse as the bug breaks though, again and again and defeats all the different vaccines? Yes, it is complex, and there is a reason for it!
The God of the Bible wants us to think! He wants us to seek out a matter.
The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going. A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident. (Proverbs 14:15-16)
All vaccines are different, as there are many different vaccines and diseases, some diseases look very much like the curse of Adam and simple mortality, others are terrible. Some reject taking specific vaccines as a child or someone they know was harmed by it. One cannot assume that if harm both happened in the vaccine trial and we also know someone affected, that it won't happen to us. As it turns out, one vaccine type given to a generation of children was found to lead to increased cancer and for another generation it was discontinued, but at the time of use it seemed to have so little ill effect that nobody knew anyone harmed by it. We cannot know the future so any vaccine untested by time, may turn to be deadly long-term. God can know it, but we can't, we can be cautious and make risk assessments. It cannot be hearsay or emotional argument. It seems complex, yet we must seek truth in complexity with prayer and faith in God only.
Are the vaccines of God? Are the modern inventions of 'health care', pills and potions, all with side effects for some, of God?
What if we turn all the complexity on the head and ask another much simpler question – who gives life? What if we ask who has the greatest power over life, and then we can begin to ask where is the upper boundary of that power?
There is no point in serving a God that has no power. We have been shown the God of the Bible has great power –even into the modern world, as nobody could have predicted Israel's rebirth until it began to happen. That is only the beginning of modern miracles. The enmity of Iran to Israel while the Saudis have buried their enmity is another miracle that parallels the rise of Russia as ancient prophecies fall in place, one can only wonder at the great power that can overthrow regimes and thousand year hatreds, and make an implacable hatred where there had been none. We can ask questions of great matters under the sun, but not be told the answer, as we might suspect answers but we cannot know.
But what if we asked, 'will we personally be the beneficiary of the help of the Great Infinite Power?'
Who makes volcanoes, deadly storms, mudslides, waves, hurricanes and tornadoes - who made the world a dangerous deadly place? Who has our times in His hand (Psalm 31:15), that can make our body parts fail or heal us? Who gave Hezekiah fifteen extra years of life by miracle, yet took the life of Jehoram early? What are we to learn from these facts?
Now let us ask another question, that puts aside unresolved discussions about accident or incident of any sort, or being snared in an evil time, or events of 'time and chance'; 'Who gives eternal life?'
All else but the eternal is nothing, as it turns to dust with the millions who feared, hoped and struggled but who were not written in God's book of life, who are utterly forgotten (some even by their own great grandchildren). The question, 'Who gives Eternal life?' has a much simpler answer, than the question as to whether God gave us the vaccines and it readjusts the frame of reference!
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)
