Dr. Couch, you seem so certain about judgment falling on certain
cities as San Francisco and New Orleans. What about hurricane Rita
striking the Texas coast?
ANSWER: First of all, when judgment strikes a people, the righteous may also
suffer. While judgment may be pinpointed on a certain evil city, all of
America today is in an apostate condition. I believe in the absolute
sovereignty of God. Storms do not happen by accident. So if a San
Francisco, Los Angeles, or New Orleans (Big Easy) is hit, what would
your answer be? Simply happening by accident?
Storms should humble everyone—the sinner who is lost, and the Christian!
Job says "God makes the nations great, then destroys them; He enlarges
the nations, then leads them away" (12:23). He "restrains the waters,
and they dry up; and He sends them out, and they inundate the earth" (v.
15) He sends the lightning bolt, and with this it is said to mankind,
"the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom" (28:26-28). (In my opinion
America is being "led away" right now!)
God sends storms and "by these He judges people; and [by the storms]
gives food "in abundance" (36:28-33); He sends storms to do "great
things which we cannot comprehend" (37:5); He sends the "downpouring"
and tells the rain, "Be strong!" (v. 6). And by this, every man cannot
work because God "seals the hand of every man" (v. 7). When the storms
come, the animals go into their dens (v. 8). "With moisture He loads the
think cloud and disperses the cloud of His lightning" (v. 11). He
commands the storms "That it may do whatever He commands it on the face
of the inhabited earth," (1) "for correction," (2) "for the benefit of
His world," (3) or "for lovingkindness, He causes it to happen" (vv.
12-13).
Notice that Job said He sends the storms "for correction" (v. 13)!
Our Evangelical world today, for the most part, denies the absolute sovereignty of God. I do not!
Thanks for asking!
Dr. Mal Couch
