The eruption of Mount St. Helens on May 18, 1980, claimed the lives of 57 people. Since March 16 of that year, small earthquakes as well as small eruptions had been occurring. Scientists expected and were predicting something big. What were the victims doing in harm’s way that morning? The stories vary, but one must be led to ask the question – Did they take the warnings seriously?
According to one man who has written about the victims, some of those who died on or near that mountain were busy working there that Sunday. Others were camping, while others were fishing. Another man was in a cabin near a gold and silver mine he was developing, and he had been hoping to strike it rich on their claim. Quite a few were there to take photographs of the mountain. One story tells of a photographer who hoped to profit well selling his photographs. Another man simply refused to leave because that had been his home for many years, and he would just as soon die there.
Surely there are lessons here for us about listening to God and heeding the warnings in order to be faithful and ready for the Lord’s return.
First, where are you on the Lord’s Day, the first day of the week, when the church comes together in one place? You should not be fishing, camping, etc., but you should be assembling with the church to worship. One of the victims is said to have been logging that day as a moonlighting job. He chose to work on the Lord’s day. Let us instead follow the command of Hebrews 10:24-25: “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Second, it becomes apparent from the stories of the victims that there was not an appreciation for the gravity of the situation nor a proper fear of the power of a volcanic eruption. The same is true today regarding the Lord’s return and final judgment. The Bible tells us there will be scoffers, who walk according to their own lusts and do not believe in the Lord returning in judgment nor in the destruction of the heavens and the earth (2 Peter 3:3-13). They have willfully forgotten – put it out of their minds – that by God’s power the world in the days of Noah perished. Many today lack reverence and godly fear, and as a result, they will be unprepared for the day of the Lord when He comes in judgment.
Without knowing what was going through the minds of the victims of the Mount St. Helens eruption, may I suggest some other reasons men will not be ready for the Lord’s return.
Just as it could be that some victims thought they would have time to escape if they left the moment the volcano erupted, allowing for a few quick pictures, many today do not obey the gospel of Christ because they think there will be time later to do it. But Proverbs 27:1 says, “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.” The day of one’s death or the Lord’s return will find many unprepared, many of whom had thought they would get ready at some point in the future, but they never did. Truly “now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).
Other victims of Mount St. Helens may have been “free spirits” who didn’t like authorities telling them what to do – to stay away from the area. Similarly, there are a lot of “free spirits” religiously today. They reject the authority of Jesus Christ, who has been given all authority in heaven and on earth. They may outright deny Him as Lord and Christ, or they may reject His authority by not obeying His law, His will. The latter are ones described by Jesus in Luke 6:46: “But why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say?” It is these to whom the Lord will say on the day of judgment, “I never knew you, depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness” (Matthew 7:23).
Fortunately, it does not matter much for you where you were, or if you had been born yet, on May 18, 1980. What matters is where you will be when the Lord returns. Will you be in Christ, faithful, and ready for His return? Listen to God! Heed the warnings!
-Larry Jones