Causes of suffering
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· 17 viewsThe ultimate cause of suffering is sin, which has brought violence, disease and death into the world. All suffering, however, is under the sovereign purpose of God, who is able to use it for his glory.
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The ultimate cause of suffering is sin
The ultimate cause of suffering is sin
And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
It need not be the result of particular sins:
It need not be the result of particular sins:
Job 1:1; Jn 9:1–3
Job 5:6–7; Ro 5:12–14
Suffering as a result of human wickedness
Suffering as a result of human wickedness
Murder
Murder
And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.
See also Ge 49:5–7; 1 Sa 18:10–11
Injury
Injury
Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands,
Hatred
Hatred
They compassed me about also with words of hatred;
And fought against me without a cause.
See also 2 Sa 13:15; Tt 3:3
Jealousy
Jealousy
And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.
See also Ge 4:4–5; Ge 16:6; Ge 21:8–10; 1 Sa 18:8–9; Mt 27:18
Persecution
Persecution
Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
See also Je 38:6; Da 3:4–6; Da 6:7; Mt 5:10–12; Mt 10:35–36; Re 6:9–11
Cruelty
Cruelty
Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked,
Out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.
See also Jdg 1:7; Ps 54:3; Am 1:13; Mt 2:16–18; Lk 10:30
Rioting
Rioting
2 Ki 7:17; Ac 16:22
Warfare
Warfare
A sound of battle is in the land,
And of great destruction.
See also Ge 14:1–2; Ge 14:11–12; Ex 13:17; Jos 6:20–21; Jos 10:22–26; Jdg 1:4–7; 1 Ki 22:35; 2 Ki 17:5–6; Zec 14:2; Lk 21:20–24; Re 6:4
Injustice
Injustice
Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness: for they say, The Lord hath forsaken the earth, and the Lord seeth not.
See also Ge 39:19–20; 1 Ki 21:11–14; 2 Ki 21:16; Ps 58:1–2; Ps 64:6
Oppression
Oppression
So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.
See also Ex 1:11; 1 Ki 12:1–4; 1 Ki 12:12–14; Ps 12:5; Jas 5:1–6
Adultery
Adultery
2 Sa 12:9; Mal 2:14
Theft
Theft
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
See also Ge 31:19; Job 1:14–15; Job 1:17; Job 24:2
Broken relationships
Broken relationships
Job 19:14–19; Ps 27:10; Pr 16:28; Ac 15:39
Suffering as a result of misfortune
Suffering as a result of misfortune
Accidents
Accidents
2 Sa 4:4; 2 Ki 1:2; Lk 13:4
Sickness
Sickness
And it came to pass after these things, that one told Joseph, Behold, thy father is sick: and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
See also 2 Ki 20:1; Job 2:7; Ps 42:10; Mt 8:6; Ac 28:8; Php 2:27; 2 Ti 4:20; Jas 5:14
Hunger and want
Hunger and want
Ge 12:10; Job 30:3; Is 5:13; Mt 25:42–43
Natural disasters
Natural disasters
1 Ki 22:48; Job 1:16; Job 1:18–19; Is 29:6; Joe 1:4; Zec 14:5; Mt 24:7; Ac 27:18–20
Suffering through old age and death
Suffering through old age and death
Ageing
Ageing
2 Sa 19:34–35; Ps 71:9; Ec 12:1
Bereavement
Bereavement
Ge 23:1–2; Job 1:18–19; Lk 7:11–13; Jn 11:33–35; Jas 1:27
Suffering through anxiety
Suffering through anxiety
Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop:
But a good word maketh it glad.
See also Dt 28:65–67; Lk 21:26
Suffering through foolishness
Suffering through foolishness
Fools because of their transgression,
And because of their iniquities, are afflicted.
See also Jdg 11:34–36; Pr 10:1; Pr 11:15; Pr 14:1; Pr 23:29–30; Lk 15:17
Suffering through Satanic activity
Suffering through Satanic activity
The influence of Satan
The influence of Satan
Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
See also Job 1:12; Job 2:6–7; Lk 13:16; 1 Jn 5:19; Re 2:10; Re 20:7–8
Demon-possession
Demon-possession
Mt 8:28; Mt 12:22; Mt 15:22
Suffering brought about by God himself
Suffering brought about by God himself
All suffering comes within his will
All suffering comes within his will
Jn 9:3; Eph 1:11
Some suffering is for his immediate glory
Some suffering is for his immediate glory
This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.
Jesus Christ’s suffering produces salvation
Jesus Christ’s suffering produces salvation
Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief:
When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin,
He shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days,
And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
See also Ac 2:23
Christian suffering produces good fruits
Christian suffering produces good fruits
Ro 5:3–4; 2 Co 1:9; Heb 12:11; Jas 1:2; Jas 1:3
God’s people must be disciplined
God’s people must be disciplined
If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
See also Ex 32:35; 2 Sa 12:13–14; Ps 119:67; Ps 119:71; Pr 3:11–12; Heb 12:8–11
The wicked must be punished
The wicked must be punished
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
See also Ge 6:5–7; Jn 5:14; 2 Th 1:8; Re 9:4; Re 20:15
Suffering accepted voluntarily
Suffering accepted voluntarily
By Jesus Christ
By Jesus Christ
For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
See also Is 53:3–5; Is 53:10; Lk 9:22
By his people
By his people
And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.
See also 2 Co 4:10–12; Php 3:10; Heb 11:35
For the good of others
For the good of others
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
See also Ro 5:7; Phm 18