Why Do the Innocent Suffer?
We all know of some innocent person who has suffered or even died. Dear God, why is that?
1. By what examples did Jesus show that while much suffering is the result of individual sin, it may often come upon the innocent?
a. Natural disasters. “Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think you that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?” Luke 13:4.
b. Physical affliction. “Jesus answered, Neither has this man sinned, nor his parents.” John 9:3.
c. Injustice. "There were present at that season some that told Him of the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose you that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans, because they suffered such things?” Luke 13:1,2.
2. Why is nature often an enemy to man rather than a friend?
“Cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shall thou eat of it all the days of thy life; thorns also, and thistles shall it bring forth to thee.” Genesis 3:17,18.
3. What explanation does Paul offer for natural calamities?
“For we know that the whole creation groans and travailed in pain together until now.” Romans 8:22.
4. What divine purpose is there in the permitted derangement of nature?
“For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of Him who has
subjected the same in hope.” -Romans 8: 20.
5. How do the beneficent laws of nature, through sin, bring suffering on the innocent?
a. Cause and effect. “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man sowed, that shall he [and often other innocent ones] also reap.” Galatians 6:7. (See also 2 Corinthians 9:6.)
b. Heredity. ‘The Lord is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.” Numbers 14:18.
6. How did the prophet Habakkuk reveal his perplexity at the suffering of the innocent at the hands of wicked men?
“Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and can not look on iniquity: wherefore look Thou upon them that deal treacherously, and boldest Thy tongue when the wicked devoured the man that is more righteous than he?” Habakkuk 1:13.
7. Is God indifferent to their affliction?
“Who mocked the poor reproached his Maker: and he that is glad at calamities shall not be
unpunished.” Proverbs 17:5.
8. Why, then, have not the oppressors been cut off before now?
“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9.
9. While deliverance from oppression may tarry, what does the Lord invite innocent sufferers to do?
“Come unto Me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and 1 will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28.
“Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee: He shall never suffer the righteous to he moved.” Psalm 55:22.
10. How does God reveal the intensity of His sympathy for the afflicted?
“As one whom his mother comforts, so will I comfort you; and you shall be comforted in
Jerusalem.” Isaiah 66:13. (See also Isaiah 49:15.)
11. What promise of strength to endure does He make to the afflicted and distressed?
“He gives Power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increases strength.” Isaiah 40:29.
12. What testimony does the psalmist bear to the Lord’s help in affliction?
“Unless the Lord had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence.” Psalm 94:17. “In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God: He heard my voice out of His temple, and my cry came before Him, even into His ears.” Psalm 18:6.
13. How confident was he of God’s care for all who seek Him in trouble?
“The Lord also will be a refuge, for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.” Psalm 9:9.
14. How long will He permit the wicked to continue to oppress and the innocent to suffer?
“Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers,
Gather you together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into My barn.” Matt 13: 30.
15. In what mood will the oppressed believer await final deliverance from the oppressor?
“Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be you also patient; establish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draws nigh.” James 5:7,8.
16. Into what will their sorrow then be turned?
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, That you shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and you shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.” “And you now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man takes from you.” John 16: 20, 22.
17. What other changes will accompany the elimination of moral evil?
a. Elimination of all physical affliction. “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing.” Isaiah 35:5,6.
b. Restoration of nature. “Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.” Romans 8:21. “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.” Isaiah 65:17. (See also Revelation 21:1)
18. What will be the most convincing evidence of the complete elimination of suffering from nature and from the experience of mankind?
“And God shall wipe away all tears, from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” Revelation 21:4
.
19. How will the ills of this life compare with the glory of the restored earth and humanity?
“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Romans 8:18. (See also 2 Corinthians 4: 17, 18.).
20. Why do good men sometimes die sooner than we think that they should?
"The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come". Isaiah 57:1
1. By what examples did Jesus show that while much suffering is the result of individual sin, it may often come upon the innocent?
a. Natural disasters. “Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think you that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?” Luke 13:4.
b. Physical affliction. “Jesus answered, Neither has this man sinned, nor his parents.” John 9:3.
c. Injustice. "There were present at that season some that told Him of the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose you that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans, because they suffered such things?” Luke 13:1,2.
2. Why is nature often an enemy to man rather than a friend?
“Cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shall thou eat of it all the days of thy life; thorns also, and thistles shall it bring forth to thee.” Genesis 3:17,18.
3. What explanation does Paul offer for natural calamities?
“For we know that the whole creation groans and travailed in pain together until now.” Romans 8:22.
4. What divine purpose is there in the permitted derangement of nature?
“For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of Him who has
subjected the same in hope.” -Romans 8: 20.
5. How do the beneficent laws of nature, through sin, bring suffering on the innocent?
a. Cause and effect. “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man sowed, that shall he [and often other innocent ones] also reap.” Galatians 6:7. (See also 2 Corinthians 9:6.)
b. Heredity. ‘The Lord is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.” Numbers 14:18.
6. How did the prophet Habakkuk reveal his perplexity at the suffering of the innocent at the hands of wicked men?
“Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and can not look on iniquity: wherefore look Thou upon them that deal treacherously, and boldest Thy tongue when the wicked devoured the man that is more righteous than he?” Habakkuk 1:13.
7. Is God indifferent to their affliction?
“Who mocked the poor reproached his Maker: and he that is glad at calamities shall not be
unpunished.” Proverbs 17:5.
8. Why, then, have not the oppressors been cut off before now?
“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9.
9. While deliverance from oppression may tarry, what does the Lord invite innocent sufferers to do?
“Come unto Me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and 1 will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28.
“Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee: He shall never suffer the righteous to he moved.” Psalm 55:22.
10. How does God reveal the intensity of His sympathy for the afflicted?
“As one whom his mother comforts, so will I comfort you; and you shall be comforted in
Jerusalem.” Isaiah 66:13. (See also Isaiah 49:15.)
11. What promise of strength to endure does He make to the afflicted and distressed?
“He gives Power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increases strength.” Isaiah 40:29.
12. What testimony does the psalmist bear to the Lord’s help in affliction?
“Unless the Lord had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence.” Psalm 94:17. “In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God: He heard my voice out of His temple, and my cry came before Him, even into His ears.” Psalm 18:6.
13. How confident was he of God’s care for all who seek Him in trouble?
“The Lord also will be a refuge, for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.” Psalm 9:9.
14. How long will He permit the wicked to continue to oppress and the innocent to suffer?
“Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers,
Gather you together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into My barn.” Matt 13: 30.
15. In what mood will the oppressed believer await final deliverance from the oppressor?
“Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be you also patient; establish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draws nigh.” James 5:7,8.
16. Into what will their sorrow then be turned?
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, That you shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and you shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.” “And you now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man takes from you.” John 16: 20, 22.
17. What other changes will accompany the elimination of moral evil?
a. Elimination of all physical affliction. “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing.” Isaiah 35:5,6.
b. Restoration of nature. “Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.” Romans 8:21. “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.” Isaiah 65:17. (See also Revelation 21:1)
18. What will be the most convincing evidence of the complete elimination of suffering from nature and from the experience of mankind?
“And God shall wipe away all tears, from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” Revelation 21:4
.
19. How will the ills of this life compare with the glory of the restored earth and humanity?
“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Romans 8:18. (See also 2 Corinthians 4: 17, 18.).
20. Why do good men sometimes die sooner than we think that they should?
"The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come". Isaiah 57:1
posted by Michael A. Redwine at Monday, May 23, 2005
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