Lately I’ve had several reasons to ponder the question of suffering—hearing a friend’s health update; reading about innocent civilians on all sides of the Israel/Gaza/Hamas issue; learning about deaths attributable to vaccine mandates; a young friend’s questions of “How could a loving God . . . ?” as she “deconstructs” her faith.
My study in the book of Daniel shows we’re not the first to suffer. Is suffering punishment? Why does it happen? I don’t have all the answers, but I have some thoughts based on what I read in the Bible.
In chapter 4, God warned Nebuchadnezzar, through Daniel, to be more humble and compassionate. Twelve months later, he apparently hadn’t heeded the warning and experienced insanity. Was it punishment? Sure sounds like it, but it could also be seen as God’s mercy to show Nebuchadnezzar who was really in charge; based on his conclusion in v. 37, it worked.
Some calamity is clearly consequence; think about King David’s disastrous sin with Bathsheba. His family really hit the skids—sons trying to kill another, one raping his sister, one turning against David. David learned the hard way that bad behavior has consequences, and some of us learn that as well. My family experienced a heavy debt load due to some poor financial decisions. Did God make a way out? Yes. Was it easy? No.
Other times, our trouble results from someone else’s poor choice, like domestic abuse or drug-related problems. How about Jephthah’s daughter, running to meet her father after his military victory only to find he had rashly vowed to sacrifice the first thing that came out the door? Scholars differ about whether this was an actual offering or a devoted/set apart sacrifice, but it sure wasn’t her fault!
What about Paul’s “thorn?” He pleaded with God to remove it, but God’s answer? “My grace is sufficient.” Many people dealing with chronic illness have also pleaded, but some receive a similar answer.
Some suffering is related not to bad behavior, but simply to following Christ. Think of early Christians thrown to the lions or used as human torches—or Christians now who are imprisoned or tortured. Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den, and his friends into the fire, for refusing to compromise.
Sometimes we may be caught in ungodly culture even though we ourselves are innocent, just as Daniel and his friends were devoted to God but experienced the same exile as the rest of Israel. The prophet Jeremiah watched Israel’s behavior crumble, yet still spoke God’s words. Daniel himself cried out in intercessory prayer even though he wasn’t personally the problem (ch. 9).
Some aspects of culture are not overtly ungodly, but still unhealthy. Many chemicals, for example, have been approved as food additives but later found to be carcinogenic; some people now pay the price with their health. Could God intervene? Yes, but I don’t know when He will choose to do it.
I fought my way through these questions and more during cancer 16 years ago, and they are still timely as culture deteriorates around us. The fact that God does punish ungodly behavior shows His justice and highlights what Jesus has done to reconcile us to God. Yes, I may suffer. No, I may not always know why. But what I do know is that I serve a holy God who is also a good God, and for those who follow Him, there is a glorious eternity ahead!
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