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Theology and Suffering
Our awareness of the extent of suffering is much higher now than in the past.
America is protected.
We are protected from suffering around the world because we are somewhat isolated by two oceans.
We are protected from suffering in Mexico and Canada because of border issues.
We are protected from suffering in the cities because we are in a rural area.
We are protected from suffering in our area because much of the suffering takes place behind closed doors.
Much of what I said used to be true.
Now nightly news routinely shows us Syria and Iraq.
Images of frantic people outside Parkland High School were brought live into our living rooms.
The #metoo movement exposed hidden suffering that many experienced.
9/11 changed the United States forever.
We will face suffering on a personal level.
We might find that one of our children are hurt at school.
We may face the loss of a loved one or the stock market may tank and your investments that were for your future may be gone.
I am on a website and I read of pastors that are devastated when they face adversity.
This morning I want to share this thought with you.
Suffering will happen.
Your knowledge of God or lack thereof will determine how well you deal with and survive the difficult paths you walk.
I want to illustrate this through the life of Job.
If you are suffering you can learn from the book of Job.
His example has inspired millions of people and give us deep insight into what God is like.
Let’s start by sharing why Job and his wife were suffering.
Notice how rapid these messengers of doom come.
“While he was yet speaking…” is mentioned three times.
Four people brought him bad news in less than five minutes.
In five minutes Job learned that he lost
His oxen, donkeys, sheep, camels, servants and seven sons and three daughters, ten children in all.
He no doubt loved his work.
He was very successful.
He was the greatest of all the people in the east.
He was very wealthy by that day’s standards.
Years of work in building the herds, developing markets, delivering the goods all gone in a moment.
That is very painful.
He loved his children.
Understand that his children were not perfect.
The ten kids would get together to eat, and we don’t know what they did.
What we do know is that Job was not invited and maybe was glad he wasn’t.
Whatever happened, Job loved his children so much that he would send for them to come so he could consecrate them and then he offered sacrifices for each one.
These children were old enough to own their own homes.
It might be that they met for birthdays, the text doesn’t say.
But whenever they met, Job was very concerned about their spiritual condition.
Parents.
Parents of adult children.
Are you concerned about the spiritual condition of your children?
Do you pray for them to know God and Jesus Christ?
Do you want them to experience the life that only God can give?
Job did.
Because of his love for his children, the news of the death of all ten of them brought real suffering in his life.
How Does One Deal with Tragedy?
How does one deal with that kind of tragedy?
What insights can the book of Job show us about suffering?
What you believe about God makes a difference in how you deal with suffering.
Worship is not our usual first response.
But Job touches on to his theology and repeats it out loud.
21 And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return.
The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”
When he tells us that the Lord gave, he is not saying that God gifted him.
Rather, God handed something to him.
He had nothing when he came into this world.
Everything he had came from the hand of God.
In other words, God gave him his business.
He gave it to him to run and take care of.
It was God’s business.
“He owns the cattle on a thousand hills, the wealth in every mine.
“Job was God’s district manager.
God gave him his children.
They were not a gift.
Children were a responsibility.
We are told to bring our children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
We don’t own our children.
Job’s theology said that they were a trust, a stewardship, or a responsibility God had given him.
If, in fact, God asked Job to manage people, animals and material things for Him, they were his to take back when he wanted.
Don’t misunderstand this.
We become attached to certain things that we are asked to watch for a while.
Some of you have taken care of someone else’s children.
When they left the house, you may have felt sadness.
You loved having them over and enjoyed the time.
Someone may have asked you to watch their dog.
After a week you feel like the dog is almost your dog.
When they pick it up, you feel sadness.
Someone might have lent you their barbeque grill.
This thing has fifteen burners, a webcam so you can watch it from your living room while the ball game is on and a remote control that not only controls the heat, but turns the burgers at the push of a button.
You cooked every night with it.
You started it remotely from work, and pushed the button that put hamburgers on the grill when you stopped for gas on the way home.
When your friend picked it up, you almost cried.
Job worshipped God in his sadness and pain because he really believed that God was in control and that God had blessed him with the opportunity to raise his children and grow his business.
The Lord gives and the Lord takes away.
Blessed be the name of the Lord.
Others may know more about God and how it relates to suffering than we do.
We find this in an interesting passage.
Read the entire book of Job and you will realize that Job did not know of this exchange.
Neither did his friends.
Who knew?
The author of the book.
Some people really struggle with suffering because they don’t trust God with what they know.
They also struggle because they don’t ask others for help with spiritual insight.
Corrie ten Boon wrote a book called “The Hiding Place.”
Read the book and you find out what Corrie knew about God and how she faced adversity.
Talk to Christians in the church who have face real tragedy.
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