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I have just begun the process of reading through the Bible in one year using the Chronological Bible Reading Plan. It allows the reader to go through the Scriptures in the order of events as they occurred in time. In utilizing this tool, I have been reminded that while the opening chapters of Genesis obviously come first (it is difficult to come before “in the beginning”!), most scholars believe that the book of Job was written within just a few centuries of the Flood. Thus, the book of Job, in its entirety, contains the most ancient recording of God’s dealings with man. So, if one is reading the Bible chronologically, the book of Job (following the first eleven chapters of Genesis) is the first book to be read. Yet, the tenor of this ancient text deals with a subject matter which is so fresh that you probably are dealing with it even as you read this article. The book of Job speaks primarily to the question of suffering, and particularly as it relates to an all-powerful God whose love for us has no end.
Suffering is not a subject for which most of us enjoy contemplating, particularly in matters of faith. The promises of God’s goodness, the daily joys which He provides, and the limitless stores of His riches toward us certainly perks the ear more than the shadowy mention of hardship. Even in the ministry of Jesus, His following was much more exciting and numerous when the miraculous (particularly filling hungry bellies) was obvious. However, when He began to speak of the cross and its requirements for His followers, the fervor and crowds began to wane (John 6:25-66). The subject of suffering is an insufferable subject. Yet, it is the reality of our existence. Since the moment that sin entered our world, suffering is a mainstay in our experience. The Scriptures do not offer “pie in the sky” platitudes of avoiding pain. Rather, in the pages of God’s revelation, we discover a theology balanced between the Almighty’s transcendent sovereignty over all suffering, mingled with His imminent nearness in the most debasing of circumstances.
There is a story told of a little boy in a shipwreck, thrown upon a rock where he clung in great danger until the tide went down. Upon finding him a rescuer asked, “Didn’t you shake with fear when you were hanging onto that rock?”
“Yes…but the rock didn’t,” was his significant reply.
As the book of Job explores, and the rest of Scripture attests, what are those immovable doctrines to which we can cling, even when everything else around is shaking because of suffering?
1. The steadfast love of God.
Psalm 136 repeats the phrase “his love endures forever” twenty-six times in twenty-six verses. The point should not be missed! Regardless of what pain you may be experiencing now, it cannot and does not change God’s great love for you.
2. The tender empathy of God.
While many may bewilder over how an all-loving God could possibly allow suffering, we cannot deny that He has walked that road Himself. The writer of Hebrews describes Jesus as one who is not . The suffering of Jesus averts any doubt that God doesn’t understand.
3. The merciful ordination of God.
Why does God allow suffering? This greatest of mysteries cannot fully be answered—by us. But God, in wisdom and goodness, ordains it. Perhaps this mystery is best expressed by hymnist William Cowper:
God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea And rides upon the storm.
Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break In blessings on your head.
Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence He hides a smiling face.
His purposes will ripen fast, Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste, But sweet will be the flow’r.
4. The glorious redemption of God.
In the midst of unimaginable suffering, Job placed his ultimate hope in eternal redemption . While God gives grace in our hardships, much suffering will not cease this side of eternity. We are to set our sights on Heaven, where all suffering will cease .
5. The constant presence of God.
While the pain we face may seem unbearable at times, we are assured that absolutely nothing, no matter how horrendous, can separate us from the love of God in Christ .
Doctrines of Scripture are not just good fodder for the preacher in the pulpit; they are the hope of every believer in the midst of battle. In suffering, let us cling to the Rock!