Some thoughts about the Covid-19 pandemic
Here are a few observations from Scripture to keep in mind as we seek to respond appropriately, that is, faithfully , to the Coronavirus pandemic. First, biblical law empowers governing authorities to impose quarantines to protect public health. In ancient Israel, if someone developed a suspicious spot on the skin, he was to be brought before the priest to be examined. If the spot met certain criteria, he was pronounced “clean” and allowed to go his way. If it met certain other criteria—we need not go into the details here—he was “shut up” (quarantined) for seven days and examined again. Depending on his condition, he might be quarantined for another seven days (if there were no changes in the spot), pronounced clean (if the spot was improving), or pronounced unclean (if the spot was growing). In the last case, he was to make his dwelling “outside the camp” for a prolonged, perhaps permanent, quarantine (see Lev. 13:1-46). [1] The po...