Why Death and Suffering?
Is God Responsible?
Come, let us reason together.
1. What law of cause and effect operates throughout all creation?
“Whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap.” Galatians 6:7.
2. How does this principle work out in connection with man’s moral nature?
“For he that sows to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that sows to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” Galatians 6:8.
3. What, therefore, is the explanation of many of the judgments of God?
“Why cry thou for your affliction? Thy sorrow is incurable for the multitude of your iniquity:
because thy sins were increased, I have done these things unto thee.” Jeremiah 30:15.
4. Have sinners any grounds for complaint when God allows judgments to come upon them?
“Wherefore does a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins? Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord.” Lamentations 3:39,40.
5. What confession does the psalmist make as to the righteousness of God’s judgments?
“I know, O Lord, that Thy judgments are right, and that Thou in faithfulness has afflicted me.
Psalm 119:75.
6. Is God’s, judgment of sin, however, vindictive or arbitrary?
“For He does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.” Lamentations 3:33.
7. What evidence is there of this in the relation between God’s judgments and what man deserves?
a. They are far less than we deserve. “And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass, seeing that Thou our God has punished us less than our iniquities deserve.” Ezra 9:13.
b. They are often mercifully withheld. “But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yes, many a time turned He His anger away, and did not stir up all His wrath.” Psalm 78:38.
c. His anger endures but a moment. “For His anger endured but a moment; in His favor is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” Psalm 3 0: 5.
8. To what does God compare His Judgments?
“Thou shall also consider in your heart, that, as a man chastened his son, so the Lord thy God chastened thee.” Deuteronomy 8:5.
9. From what does the Lord desire through affliction to save us?
“But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.” 1 Corinthians 11:32.
10. What does He intend His judgments to accomplish?
“And testified against them, that Thou might bring them again unto Thy law.” Nehemiah 9:29.
“For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but He for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness.” Hebrews 12:10.
11. How carefully are God’s judgments tempered to achieve His purpose?
“I will not make a full end of thee, but correct thee in measure; yet will I not leave thee wholly
unpunished.” Jeremiah 46:28.
12. What salutary (or curative) effect had affliction upon the psalmist?
“Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept Thy Word.” Psalm 119: 67.
13. What other examples do the Scriptures provide of affliction bringing sinners to repentance?
a. Jonah. “Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish’s belly, and said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and He heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and Thou heard my voice.” Jonah 2:1,2.
b. Manasseh. “And when he was in affliction, he besought the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, and prayed unto Him: and He was entreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord He was God.” 2 Chronicles 33:12,13.
c. Nebuchadnezzar. “And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto
heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honored Him that lives for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation.” Daniel 4:34.
14. How did many in Israel respond to the judgment meted out to the nation?
“When He slew them, then they sought Him: and they returned and inquired early after God. And they remembered that God was their Rock, and the high God their Redeemer.” Psalm 78:34,35.
15. How obdurate (hard hearted), however, was the nation as a whole to the remedial judgments of God?
“For the people turned not unto Him that smites them, neither do they seek the Lord of hosts.” Isaiah 9:13.
16. What did the prophets declare God would do to Israel because they responded not to His chastening?
“My God will cast them a-way, because they did not hearken unto Him.” Hosea 9:17.
17. What lesson are we intended to learn from Israel’s obduracy and fate?
“And all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider of His doing.” Psalm 64:9.
18. How should we regard the chastening of the Lord?
“My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of His correction.” Proverbs 3:11.
19. What response should His remedial judgments produce in our lives?
“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.” Revelation 3:19.
20. With the psalmist what confession should affliction evoke from us?
“It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn Thy statutes.” Psalm 119:71.
How about the suffering of those who are innocent? Our next reading will help us to understand this subject. Join us again tomorrow.
Come, let us reason together.
1. What law of cause and effect operates throughout all creation?
“Whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap.” Galatians 6:7.
2. How does this principle work out in connection with man’s moral nature?
“For he that sows to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that sows to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” Galatians 6:8.
3. What, therefore, is the explanation of many of the judgments of God?
“Why cry thou for your affliction? Thy sorrow is incurable for the multitude of your iniquity:
because thy sins were increased, I have done these things unto thee.” Jeremiah 30:15.
4. Have sinners any grounds for complaint when God allows judgments to come upon them?
“Wherefore does a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins? Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord.” Lamentations 3:39,40.
5. What confession does the psalmist make as to the righteousness of God’s judgments?
“I know, O Lord, that Thy judgments are right, and that Thou in faithfulness has afflicted me.
Psalm 119:75.
6. Is God’s, judgment of sin, however, vindictive or arbitrary?
“For He does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.” Lamentations 3:33.
7. What evidence is there of this in the relation between God’s judgments and what man deserves?
a. They are far less than we deserve. “And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass, seeing that Thou our God has punished us less than our iniquities deserve.” Ezra 9:13.
b. They are often mercifully withheld. “But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yes, many a time turned He His anger away, and did not stir up all His wrath.” Psalm 78:38.
c. His anger endures but a moment. “For His anger endured but a moment; in His favor is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” Psalm 3 0: 5.
8. To what does God compare His Judgments?
“Thou shall also consider in your heart, that, as a man chastened his son, so the Lord thy God chastened thee.” Deuteronomy 8:5.
9. From what does the Lord desire through affliction to save us?
“But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.” 1 Corinthians 11:32.
10. What does He intend His judgments to accomplish?
“And testified against them, that Thou might bring them again unto Thy law.” Nehemiah 9:29.
“For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but He for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness.” Hebrews 12:10.
11. How carefully are God’s judgments tempered to achieve His purpose?
“I will not make a full end of thee, but correct thee in measure; yet will I not leave thee wholly
unpunished.” Jeremiah 46:28.
12. What salutary (or curative) effect had affliction upon the psalmist?
“Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept Thy Word.” Psalm 119: 67.
13. What other examples do the Scriptures provide of affliction bringing sinners to repentance?
a. Jonah. “Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish’s belly, and said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and He heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and Thou heard my voice.” Jonah 2:1,2.
b. Manasseh. “And when he was in affliction, he besought the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, and prayed unto Him: and He was entreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord He was God.” 2 Chronicles 33:12,13.
c. Nebuchadnezzar. “And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto
heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honored Him that lives for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation.” Daniel 4:34.
14. How did many in Israel respond to the judgment meted out to the nation?
“When He slew them, then they sought Him: and they returned and inquired early after God. And they remembered that God was their Rock, and the high God their Redeemer.” Psalm 78:34,35.
15. How obdurate (hard hearted), however, was the nation as a whole to the remedial judgments of God?
“For the people turned not unto Him that smites them, neither do they seek the Lord of hosts.” Isaiah 9:13.
16. What did the prophets declare God would do to Israel because they responded not to His chastening?
“My God will cast them a-way, because they did not hearken unto Him.” Hosea 9:17.
17. What lesson are we intended to learn from Israel’s obduracy and fate?
“And all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider of His doing.” Psalm 64:9.
18. How should we regard the chastening of the Lord?
“My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of His correction.” Proverbs 3:11.
19. What response should His remedial judgments produce in our lives?
“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.” Revelation 3:19.
20. With the psalmist what confession should affliction evoke from us?
“It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn Thy statutes.” Psalm 119:71.
How about the suffering of those who are innocent? Our next reading will help us to understand this subject. Join us again tomorrow.
posted by Michael A. Redwine at Sunday, May 22, 2005
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