Does God Ordain People to be Mute, Deaf, and Blind?

“The Lord says to Moses, “Who gives speech to mortals? Who makes them mute or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?” Exodus 4:11

People, because of Reformed thinking, take this passage to mean that God ordains some people to be mute, deaf or blind. Thus it becomes God’s will and makes it His fault that people, especially innocent people, have infirmities and diseases. In light of the New Testament, we see that Jesus came and healed all kinds of diseases and infirmities and not once did he attribute these as the Father’s doing or part of His plan. If it were the Father’s will for such misery and suffering, then what we have is Jesus at war with his Father and fighting against His will! No, we understand that the result of these diseases and infirmities are of Satan’s doings and Jesus healed and delivered them.

Where it concerns the passage in Exodus 4:11, God Almighty just demonstrated to Moses all the signs he could do to try and convince the Hebrew people he was sent by God. Moses doesn’t think he can do the job because he is “slow of speech and slow in tongue” (Exodus 4:10). Moses had a problem being an appointed agent for accomplishing Israel’s deliverance. The LORD’s anger was kindled against Moses and out of frustration He RHETORICALLY asks Moses, “Who gives speech to mortals? Who makes them mute or deaf?” The passage is not saying that God decides to touch a baby in the womb of its mother and decides what individuals will be born with disabilities. We live in a world under decay and some disabilities are not the result of Satan’s activity but can also be caused from chromosome malfunctions or a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

This also does not deny that God can make a person mute, deaf, or blind to further His cause to deliver or strike rebellious people. (Example Genesis 19:11) He can even make an animal speak if He so desires (Numbers 22:28).

Some may believe that Satan is the cause of all birth defects or because of the sin of the parents.  I personally don’t attribute every illness or sickness to Satan. I believe such things, as in the case of birth defects, is not always attributed to what the mother does or her sins, but can also be caused from chromosome malfunctions or a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

We also live in a cursed creation in which aging is the primary sickness of humanity. Jesus was under the same elements. He grew older, had cells that died and reproduced, got hungry and thirsty, lost hair and grew new hair, etc. etc. If he had lived to be an old man, he would have died an old man. We get older, we get wrinkles, our muscles get shorter, we get weaker, slower, some may need glasses, but eventually we all die. Whether one is righteous or unrighteous, we are all subject to sickness and diseases but I don’t believe all sicknesses and diseases are all the result of Satan. It can be no fault of the person or his parents (as in the case of the blind man John 9:2) and yes, it can be for making wrong choices and can some can be blamed on Satan. Timothy suffered from frequent stomach problems (1 Tim. 5:23), but it is never said Satan was the cause of it. Elisha suffered illness and died a sick man (2 Kings 13:14). I could probably find other examples.