Tag Archives: Problem of suffering

In part 1, we looked at the story of Job and saw that his suffering as a righteous man was not caused by God, but rather by Satan, with God’s means of love on trial as the best way of running the universe.

But how did the story end?

Theological suffering

After loosing his health, children, possessions and property, Job has to endure the wisdom of his theologian friends, who insist that bad things only happen to bad people, so therefore Job must have some sin in his life.

Despite the Lord boasting in his servant (“Have you considered my servant Job?” – Job 1:18), his friends claim that:

He puts no trust even in His servants;

And against His angels He charges error. (Job 4:18)

Even though Job is described as “blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil” (Job 1:1), his friends assert:

“How then can a man be just with God?

Or how can he be clean who is born of woman?” (Job 25:4)

We are told in the narrative that Satan caused Job’s ruin, that the innocent do suffer “without cause” (Job 2:3), but his friends still protest:

“If you are pure and upright,

Surely now He would rouse Himself for you

And restore your righteous estate” (Job 8:6)

Unbeknown that Job’s sufferings were directly caused by Satan (Job 2:7), his friends insist:

“For [God] inflicts pain, and gives relief;

He wounds, and His hands also heal” (Job 5:18)

Job knew his God, both his character and his ways of working in the world, which is why the suffering caused him particular pain: is the Lord not not who I thought he was?  He wrestled with God, know that the Lord is good but not understanding the suffering he was experiencing.

Running the created universe

Job didn’t remain in a place of suffering for the rest of his life however.  Towards the end of the book, the Lord answers him out of a storm.

The Lord’s answer, which is actually just lots of questions directed at Job, can seem rather puzzling.  For several chapters, the Lord quizzes Job about the running of the universe.

“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?

Tell Me, if you have understanding,

Who set its measurements? Since you know.

Or who stretched the line on it?

On what were its bases sunk?

Or who laid its cornerstone,

When the morning stars sang together

And all the sons of God shouted for joy”  (Job 38:4-7)

He asks Job about the process of creation, the weather systems, controlling the oceans, the stars, about feeding all the animals, and about how all the different creatures in the world live and reproduce.  Job doesn’t have much of an answer.

What the Lord is doing is opening Job’s eyes to see the huge complexity of the created world: Job, have you tried running the universe lately?  In keeping everything going, there is so much to weight up, consider and keep in order.  It is easy to look at the pain or difficulty in our own lives and think that we could do a better job of ruling the cosmos.  Lovingly, the Lord is helping Job understand the sheer enormity of the task.

Trying to answer the ‘why’ question of suffering then becomes basically meaningless: the lines of cause and effect run far and deep.

Battling the powers

The Lord then turns to talk about the mysterious creatures Behemoth and Leviathan.

“Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook?

Or press down his tongue with a cord?

Can you put a rope in his nose

Or pierce his jaw with a hook?

Will he make many supplications to you,

Or will he speak to you soft words?

Will he make a covenant with you?

Will you take him for a servant forever?” (Job 41:1-4)

Some think he might be referring to a crocodile, or maybe some kind of dinosaur, but it is more likely that it is referring to spiritual powers.  Satan appears as a snake in the garden of Eden, but is called a dragon in the book of Revelation.

The spiritual powers that the Lord has created are wild and difficult to tame.  The Lord has a formidable foe (Satan), and bringing him into order, whilst not impossible, is not easy.

Fortunes restored

Having met with the Lord, Job has heard more questions than perhaps he has had answered.

“Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand,

Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know” (Job 42:3)

The Lord isn’t too happy with the unhelpful words of Job’s theologian friends, but Job prays for them and then his fortunes are completely restored – twofold!

It was as Job kept trusting that God is still good in the face of inexplicable suffering, that a victory over the enemy was won.  Job’s faithful love towards the Lord meant that Satan’s original charge (that people only love God for the blessings) was refuted.

Seeing Jesus

What is interesting is the parallels with the life of Jesus.

Jesus was the perfect man who lived a righteous life but yet still suffered.  With Job, Satan would have had some ground through sin if he did take Job’s life.  But with not with Jesus.  In taking Jesus’ life on the cross, Satan overstepped the mark, taking a life that he had no right nor authority to take.  The Lord can now justifiably and rightfully destroy Satan, which will happen when Jesus returns.  The wild monster of the deep has indeed been caught!

For a full study on the book of Job and these ideas, read ‘Suffering and the Love of God” by Roger Forster.

God has set up a universe where we have freewill to choose between good and evil.

Our actions have consequences – if we choose to do bad things, like lying, stealing or worse, we can expect bad consequences, like fractured relationships, prison, or even worse. On the other hand if God is good and there is justice in this life, then if we are honest, faithful and good, things should generally turn out better.

The problem comes when good people suffer terrible catastrophes: the godly couple who have prayed for years for a baby, only for the baby to die in childbirth; the missionaries whose plane fatally crashes into a mountain on the way back to the mission field; the faithful evangelist who loses his eyesight in a gang attack whilst sharing the gospel.  Why do bad things happen to good people?

This is often called ‘the problem of suffering’ and theologians have wrestled with finding a solution to it.  If God is meant to be all-powerful (in that he can do anything he likes) and and all-loving (in that he works for the good of others), why doesn’t he stop this sort of suffering?  Either he is all-powerful and could stop the suffering but doesn’t (and so isn’t all-loving), or else he is all-loving and wants to stop the suffering but can’t (and so isn’t all-powerful).  How can we resolve this?

The book of Job

The book of Job gives us a fascinating insight into this problem.

There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil. (Job 1:1)

Job is a good person, and the Lord prospers him with a large family, lots of livestock, servants and a good reputation.

But as the story begins, we glimpse behind the scenes into the spiritual realm, where the ‘sons of God’ (angelic beings) are gathered for a heavenly council meeting with the Lord.  Satan turns up, and God, who is really proud of his servant Job, can’t help pointing him out to Satan.

The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.” (Job 1:8)

Satan immediately levels an accusation against God: Job only loves You because of all the good things you lavish upon him and the protection you give him; take these away and he’ll soon curse You.

God runs the universe by loving it along, and wants people in it who will love him in return and enter a relationship with him.  But Satan doesn’t think much of this: he doesn’t think that love really exists.  Rather, sheer power is all there is and people only serve God because of the benefits they receive.  If there was no reward for serving the Lord, people would soon give up.

Now, the issue is that Satan’s point was valid: did Job really love God for who he was, or just for the benefits he got from him?  So what could God do about it?

Well, the Lord could just tell Satan to shut up and then zap him out of existence.  But the problem with that is that the Lord would cease to be good: he would just be acting like any other petty tyrant, rather than the just and good king of the universe.

So Satan’s accusation stands.  How can it be answered?

Then the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him.” So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord. (Job 1:12)

The only way to demonstrate that running the universe by self-giving love is better than self-serving  power is through suffering.  Will Job keep on choosing to love the Lord even if he only receives pain in return?  Is love still worth it even if just brings heartache?

Job’s Disasters

Job then starts to receive terrible messages about his family: marauding gangs have killed your servants, a firestorm has destroyed all your cattle and a whirlwind has killed all your children.

Job’s response is one of worship (Job 1:20), still choosing to love the Lord.

Satan then turns up again to the heavenly council.  The Lord is vindicated by Job’s actions and so boasts in him again.

The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil. And he still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause. (Job 2:3)

Satan may have incited the Lord against Job, but it’s clear that Satan has caused the catastrophes: stirring up violent men and triggering ‘natural’ disasters.  But Job is still standing with the Lord.

Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. However, put forth Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh; he will curse You to Your face.” (Job 2:4-5)

Again, Satan’s accusation stands, and so the Lord just states that Job is in Satan’s power, but his life must be spared.  Satan then goes out and smites Job with terrible boils.

How does this answer the problem of suffering?

Firstly, it shows us a behind-the-scenes view of how the universe works, that there are all sorts of unseen spiritual powers at work that have reactions and effects in the natural world.  Suffering comes from Satan and there are many demonic powers out there who take delight in sending disaster and evil.

Secondly, it reveals that God isn’t running the universe by brute force or absolute diktat, but rather invites free-willed agents to help rule and reign with him, both angelic and human.  Out of love he has given out this power and freedom, and can’t just take it back as soon as decisions happen that he doesn’t like.

Thirdly, Satan’s accusation that love isn’t genuine still stands over every believer.  Do people just follow the Lord just because of the blessings, or do they really love him?  The only way for this to be demonstrated is through suffering, choosing to still love God even if we only receive pain because of it.

For a full study on the book of Job and these ideas, read ‘Suffering and the Love of God” by Roger Forster.