Monday: “There Are Many Things We Do Not Know”
Daily Lesson for Monday 10th of February 2025
The end of history will come with the triumph of love over evil. But, in the meantime, many troubling questions remain. How can we think and talk about the problem of evil in a way that might be helpful?
Read Job 38:1-12. How does God’s answer to Job shed light on the problem of evil? How much do we know and not know about what might be going on behind the scenes?
Image © Jim Howard at Goodsalt.com
In the narrative, Job had suffered much and had voiced many questions himself about why so much evil and suffering had befallen him. He requested an audience with God in order to seek answers to his questions, not knowing that far more was going on behind the scenes, in the heavenly court (see Job 1:1-22; Job 2:1-13).
God’s response to Job is striking. Specifically, “the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said: ‘Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge?’ ” (Job 38:1-2, NKJV). One translation puts it this way: “Why do you talk so much when you know so little?” (Job 38:2, CEV). And, God adds in Job 38:4, “ ‘Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding’ ” (NKJV).
Read Job 42:3. How does Job’s response illuminate what we should recognize about our own position?
By His responses to Job, God made it clear to Job that there are many things that Job did not know and did not understand. Like Job, we, too, should humbly recognize that there are many things going on in the world, and behind the scenes, that we know nothing about. The fact that we may not know the answers to our questions does not mean there are no good answers or that one day everything will not be resolved. Until then, we need to trust in the goodness of God, which has been revealed to us in so many ways.
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Think about how little we know about anything. Why, then, should we learn to live with unanswered questions about the most difficult of subjects: evil and suffering? |
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We need to understand that sin is not just a little pimple on an otherwise perfect pumpkin. It is much bigger, more pervasive and persuasive than most of us imagine. The Bible gives a little glimpse:
The language is symbolic but it leaves the impression of a much more close-fought battle than God just getting angry with a protestor and kicking him out.
Could we have ended up with a situation where Satan won and kicked God out? I am not seriously suggesting that could have happened but if that had happened, existence itself would have ceased and we would not be having this conversation.
Secondly, we have to recognise our own complicity in the story of sin. We are, by nature willing partners and it does not take much for us to put self ahead of everything else. I had an interesting discussion with a very erudite Christadephian minister in my youth who gave me a Bible study on evil. He proposed that Satan was not a being but symbolic of our self. While I disagree with his conclusion he did convince me of one thing. As free moral agents we exercise our own power of choice to do good or evil. Blaming Satan for our sins does not absolve us from making sinful decisions.
Salvation is not just about destroying the power of Satan but it is also about renewing our minds. Paul worded in this way:
"The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever" (Deuteronomy 29:29).
Human understanding is limited—we only grasp fragments of the vast complexity of existence. Throughout history, people have struggled to explain suffering and evil, yet no universally satisfying answer exists.
Learning to live with unanswered questions does not mean giving up on seeking meaning. Rather, it acknowledges that some mysteries may remain unresolved in our lifetime. Accepting this uncertainty fosters humility, resilience, and a deeper appreciation for the good we experience.
The Bible says that Job was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil (Job 1:1). The Bible continues to inform us that God allowed Satan to torment Job. Why did God allow Satan to torment a blameless, upright, and righteous man? With limited human understanding, we can deduce a few reasons that make “sense”.
1. God allowed Satan to torment Job to test his faithfulness ((Job 1:12, Job 2:6, Job 1:6-12). True faith stands even in the face of intense suffering.
2. God wanted to show that righteousness is not dependent upon blessings (Job 1:20-22). Job worshipped God even after losing everything. True righteousness is not based on what we receive from God but on having complete trust in Him regardless of what happens.
3. God wanted to give Job a better understanding of who He is and hence refine his faith (Job 42:5-6). Through suffering Jobe got a better understanding of the wisdom and power of God. In some incidences, God uses suffering for our spiritual growth.
4. God wanted to show His sovereign power over evil (Job 1:12, Job 2:6). God set limits on what Satan could do to Job. God is in control and not Satan. In all things, God’s sovereign authority is supreme (Isaiah 45:7, Amos 3:6, Lamentations 3:37-38).
5. God wanted to demonstrate His power to restore and bless (Job 42:10-17). God has all the power to bless, and He does so liberally. God blesses faithfulness.
God was not punishing Job, but God can use evil to bring about His greater good (“complex good”, according to C S Lewis – Problem of Pain). As humans, we are perplexed by the problem of evil and its evil outcomes. Our hearts fail all the time over this complex question. However, we are comforted by the Word of God that evil and its undesirable outcomes shall be completely annihilated from the face of the earth, and until then, let us hold fast to the truth that we know, God will create a new heaven and a new earth where evil will never raise its ugly head again.
“I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” – Revelation 21: 3- 4 (NLT).
When I struggle with not understanding why a good God would allow certain horrific things to happen, especially to good or innocent people, I choose to trust in His goodness. I look to Calvary, where even His own Son experienced unspeakable evil. This reminds me that God is not distant from suffering but is intimately aware of it. I surrender to the fact that, for now, I may not have all the answers. I patiently wait for the day when we reach heaven, and everything will be made clear. Until then, my heart will continue to sing and trust in Him.