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which I did not understand, things too
wonderful for me, which I didn’t know. You
said, ‘Listen, now, and I will speak; I will ques-
tion you, and you will answer Me’. I had heard
of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my
eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself, and
repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:1-6). The
American constitution guarantees all citizens
the right to the “pursuit of happiness”; and
this reflects the presumption of every man in
whatever time and culture. But the Bible
speaks of only one right- and that is to death.
Any experience of blessings and salvation from
death is not by right, but will be experienced
by grace alone- for those who can humble
themselves to believe in that grace. Nor
should we think that by good works can we
expect a life of blessing and absence from
suffering. “How could that happen to such a
good person?” is a question we frequently hear
and ourselves ask. But the Bible again gives us
an answer that makes us wince, and shuffle
our feet uncomfortably: “There is none good,
not one” (Rom. 3:23). All are serious sinners.
And the more so because the sinful world for
which we alone are responsible means that
little children also must die at times, in this
order of things. Others suffer the conse-
quences of our sins or those which we would
have committed had we had the chance and
place in time or space; and that
includes Adam’s sin.
Again and again - we don’t like
these responses. ‘It’s not for
you to ask these questions
about justice and suffering…
you can’t understand… you are
a sinner and need salvation
yourself, focus on that…
suffering is ultimately for the spiritual
maturing and perfection of those who trust in
Him’. But these are in fact God’s answers to
the questions about suffering. But because we
don’t like the answers, we think God is totally
silent about it. Job fell into this trap- he had
stacks of questions for God about suffering
and Divine justice. But Elihu, speaking on
God’s behalf, wisely comments: “Why do you
accuse God of never answering our
complaints? Although God speaks again and
again, no one pays attention to what he says”
(Job 33:13,14 GNB). The fact the answer isn’t
what we want to hear doesn’t mean that He
has made no answer. Elihu also perceptively
notes that Job’s anger with God over the ques-
tions of suffering arises from a false sense that
he is totally innocent: “Job claims that he is
innocent, that God refuses to give him
justice” (Job 34:5 GNB). Job kept on about his
own innocence. And the answer was that he
was not innocent; and he realized this and
broke down in confession of sin. So one impor-
tant perspective on these questions is that we
are sinners, and the wages of sin is death.
The Lord Jesus brought this out so clearly
when commenting on the fall of the Siloam
tower which had killed a number of people
beneath it. We can imagine the questions:
‘Why those people? Where was God in that!
Innocent people died!’. And we so often hear
this complaint- that innocent people suffer.
The Lord’s comment was: “Those eighteen,
upon whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed
them. Do you think that they were offenders
above all the men that dwell in Jerusalem? I
tell you No, but unless you repent, you shall
all likewise perish” (Lk. 13:4,5). Those 18
were not innocent; and neither are any of us.
So the question of ‘Why them?’ was declared
inappropriate. Suffering, the suffering of
death, is coming to our door- right up to each
and every one of us. The form of
death, whether in a building
collapse or from simple old age,
is in that sense not relevant.
The tragedy of the human posi-
tion elicits the question: ‘What
can I do to get out of it? Or to
help others avoid it?’. And the
answer is clearly given: Repent,
so that you do not perish. This
was the thrust of Peter’s appeal in Acts
chapter 2; and thousands of people saw the
point, and were baptized immediately.
Sin and Suffering
The wider problem of suffering and Divine
justice is well addressed in the book of Job.
He was a wealthy man, who earnestly served
the Lord. But he suffered terribly, lost every-
thing, wealth, family and health. His friends
held the view that obedience leads to
blessing, and disobedience nets suffering-
“I will praise thee; for
I am fearfully and
wonderfully made:
marvelous are thy
works; and that my
soul knoweth greatly”
Psalm 139:14