“‘Now, therefore,’ says the Lord, ‘Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.’ So rend your heart, and not your garments; return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; and He relents from doing harm.” (Joel 2:12-13)
The Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland calls its members to observe Saturday 28th March as a day of solemn fasting so that we might humble ourselves before the Lord and plead for Him to lift this recent judgement from our land. It is evident that Covid-19 is a pestilence sent from God and we must heed His voice. “Before Him went pestilence, and fever followed at His feet.” (Habakkuk 3:5) We call on the Church, our nation, and our leaders to repent of their sins and bow the knee to King Jesus (Philippians 2:10).
While we do not know exactly why pandemics come into the world in the providence of God, yet they bring a universal call to repentance that must not be evaded (Luke 13:1-5). Our sins against the Most High have been flagrant and the Judge of all the earth does right. This judgement while severe is only a foretaste of the wrath which is to come.
We call on individuals, families, and churches to confess their own sins before our God. We have reason to confess that “our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens” (Ezra 9:6). In particular we confess our lack of steadfastness and zeal, our lukewarm devotion to God, our worldliness, our omissions, and transgressions.
We call on our nation to repent of breaking its historical covenants (National Covenant 1638 and Solemn League and Covenant 1643) which began our apostasy from God and from the achievements of the Reformation; to repent of its disregard for the Law of God to pass heinous laws; to repent of the desecration of the Sabbath Day; of its lack of compassion for the weak and vulnerable, particularly in slaughtering the unborn in the womb; for its abuse of the Biblical institution of marriage; and numerous other grievous sins. Our nation has become a hater of God and an inventor of evil things (Romans 1:30).
“O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies. O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name.” (Daniel 9:18-19)
On behalf of Presbytery,
Rev. Stephen McCollum
Moderator
