Sermon Tone Analysis

Why do the Righteous Suffer?

The advantage that one who reads the story of Job has over Job is that the Bible tells us what is going on behind the scenes; Job did not know what was happening just as those who are suffering now do not know why they are suffering.

John Walvoord writes similarly in /The Bible Knowledge Commentary, /

“Many individuals can identify with Job, whose distresses were agonizingly prolonged and so seemingly unfair...

For /anyone,/ suffering is hard to comprehend, but especially so when it strikes the undeserving.

When pain does not seem to be punishment for wrongdoing, it is puzzling.

The Book of Job addresses the mystery of unmerited misery, showing that in adversity God may have other purposes besides retribution for wrongdoing.”[1]

There are devastating things that will happen to unbelievers and believers alike that they will not be able to understand.

The book of Job allows all to be able to see some of how God is working and a little of why, but it is not meant to completely answer the mystery of why God allows suffering.

I.  Suffering and its causes

        A.

Suffering is ultimately a result of the curse and sin

The fall of Adam and Eve was the beginning of suffering in this present world.

The curse is found in Genesis 3:15-19 when God places a curse upon humanity.

Paul writes in Romans 5:12, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.”

As a result of Adam and Eve’s sin all men are guilty sinners and under the judgment of God as Romans 6:23 says.

All men are therefore doomed to future suffering in hell for eternity which makes any suffering of this world pale in comparison.

(Matthew 13:42)  Jesus suffered the ultimate sacrifice that all may be saved (John 3:16).

The tragic suffering that is found in this world according to Dr. Harry Nonnemacher in

his class on Job both moral evil (a result of man’s choices example murder) and natural evil (suffering due to naturally occurring circumstances like tornadoes, typhoons) is a result either directly or indirectly of sin and the curse.

The third type of evil Dr. Nonnemacher called maximum evil which is innocent or righteous suffering this is suffering that comes upon those who are seemingly undeserving of God’s wrath.[2]

As was previously stated all evil is allowed by God.

B.

Suffering can be the result of personal sin.

Suffering can be the direct result of sin in a person’s life.

In Acts 5:5 one finds an example of this when, “And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.”

Ananias and Sapphira were lying to the Holy Spirit about the money they were giving the church, and they were both separately struck dead.

This is a very severe case, but it is nevertheless a possibility that one’s suffering can be a result of personal sin.

Clearly Job’s friends felt that this was the reason that Job was suffering as Eliphaz says in Job 15:20, “The wicked man travaileth with pain all/ his/ days.”

Eliphaz was implying that Job was that wicked man and that was why he was suffering.

Arthur Peake addresses this in /The Problem of Suffering in the Old Testament, /“The teaching of his [Job’s] day regarded great misfortune as a sign of great sin, and an evidence of the anger of God.”[3][brackets mine]  Because of the context of having the whole story one can know that Job’s suffering was not the result of his being a wicked man.

Therefore one can conclude that one’s suffering may or may not be the result of sin that is between each person and Almighty God.

C.

Suffering is allowed by God.

Nothing happens in this world without the permission of an almighty, sovereign God.

According to Francis Anderson in /Job An Introduction and Commentary/, “Throughout the Old Testament the Lord is represented as the Creator and Ruler of the universe, which is inhabited by a numerous community of beings, its ‘host’.”[4]

God’s rule over the universe is unfathomable as Job discovers in the end of the book.

The book of Job gives a brief glimpse at the throne room of God and a peak at the inner workings of heaven.

In Job chapter one and two Satan and the angels come before God at a specific time to report on their deeds, and before Satan can attack Job he must first get permission from God.  Satan would like to think that this was completely his brilliant plan.

But as is noted in /The Expositor’s Bible Commentary /written by Elmer, “On the contrary, God suggested Job to the Accuser (1:8; 2:3) in the first place.

All Job's suffering was part of the divine purpose, as God says in 38:2.”[5]

Job recognizes this when he says in Job 2:10b, “What?

shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?

In all this did not Job sin with his lips.”

Job was stating that it is God’s sovereign right to do with His creation as He sees fit.

This is a perfect example of God’s control on every aspect of one’s life.

Satan is given permission twice to attack Job, but both times God limits him.

John Hartley expounds on this truth in /The Book of Job /saying, “The Satan functions as God’s servant, solely an instrument in the testing.”[6]

God is so great and powerful that He can use Satan to accomplish His purposes.

God who is omniscient and sovereign knows exactly what is going on and is in control of the situation; therefore, one can trust Him.

Comfort can be found in the fact that God is bigger than any suffering as Romans 11:33-36 says,

“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable/ are/ his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?

Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?

For of him, and through him, and to him,/ are/ all things: to whom/ be/ glory for ever.

Amen.”

God says in Isaiah 55:8-9, “For my thoughts/ are/ not your thoughts, neither/ are/ your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

For/ as/ the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

God’s ways are not always the way that one would choose, yet God can be trusted because He knows best.

Job is a great example of this as Larry and Lawrence Richards in /The Teachers Commentary /point out, “/God did not explain./

Job was left without answers, to simply trust a God whose motives and purposes no human being can fully know.”[7]

Job never knew fully why these things happened, but he did know that he could trust God.

II.

Suffering results ultimately in God’s glory

A.     Suffering can be for the vindication of God

            Job’s story is unique in that one knows what is going on behind the scenes in heaven.

This allows one to understand what God was accomplishing by allowing Job’s suffering at least in what manner is revealed in scripture.

The accusation of Satan is found in Job 1:11, “put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.”

Satan was basically accusing Job of serving God for the things that God had blessed Job with.

God allowed Job’s suffering for God’s glory, and Job never did curse God.

Job vindicated God in His confidence in Job.

B.

Suffering can be for an unknown sovereign reason

Although one can see that part of the reason for Job’s suffering was that God might be vindicated; it is impossible that one might know all that God was accomplishing through Job’s trial.

/The Pulpit Commentary: Job/ by H. D. M. Spence-Jones states, “That the afflictions of Job had some other purpose than merely to respond to Satan’s appeal, none will deny; but what the purpose was is not stated in words.”[8]

It is the same thing with suffering today; one may not know until heaven why certain things happened.

C.

Suffering can be used of God to work greatly

Truly it is wonderful when God takes a tragic situation and uses it bring glory to himself.

No one would argue that the story of Job is anything less than tragic, but in the end God is vindicated by Job’s faith.

In the end of the book 42:2 Job says, “I know that thou canst do every/ thing/, and/ that/ no thought can be withholden from thee.”

Here Hartley explains in his commentary on Job, “Job’s concession means that he believers that everything occurring on earth takes place within the framework of the divine wisdom.”[9]

This is something that Job struggles with throughout the book after the arrival of his friends in chapter two, and in the end he recognizes what he knew at the beginning which was God knows exactly what he is doing.

There are other examples in the Old Testament of God using tragic situations (suffering) to work His ultimate plan.

The children of Israel and their bondage is a good example.

Another more recent example is those who were martyred for the cause of Christ which has historically spawned great growth in the church.

As Tertullian once said, “The blood of the martyr is the seed of the church.”

God is so awesome He can use a bad situation to produce amazing masterpieces in His divine plan.

D.     Suffering can be for the purpose of restoration      

Suffering can also be brought into the life of an individual to turn them to God.

This is the chastisement of God.

Just as a parent punishes a child for misbehaving, so God must at times punish his children to bring them into fellowship with himself.

Hebrews 12: 5-8 explains,

“And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.”

Christians can take comfort in the chastening of the Lord.

Job and his friends’ challenge was that they felt Job’s suffering was a result of chastisement from God for sin, but the problem arose in that Job swore to his innocence.

Their difficulty was in their limiting of God by their narrow theology.

Spence-Jones in /The Pulpit Commentary/ states,/ /“The very suffering is a sign of God’s present care.