God is our brother in adversity.
I have never seen a book like the Bible. For every question, God provides an answer in the Bible. He anticipates everything. Every human situation and every circumstance is covered.
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The word of God is the eloquent testimony of the love and concern of God. God is, indeed, very mindful of us, so much so that He prepared for us an encyclopaedia of the words of eternal life.
Question of Human Suffering
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One of the most difficult questions in Christianity is why a God who is love permits human suffering. This question has led to the conclusion that the Christian God must be unreal. If God were real, if God is love, the insistence is that He would shield believers from suffering.
Others who permit the existence of God conclude that He must have distanced Himself from the world after creation. This would then explain His disregard for human suffering.
But all this is contradicted by the Holy Scriptures.
The Bible affirms that God does not forsake His people in their ordeals, but that:
“In all (our) affliction, He (is) afflicted.” (Isaiah 63:9).
Indeed, God made Himself our brother in adversity. In Christ Jesus, God became a man, and as a man, He was not immune from suffering. Instead:
“He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5).
“He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter.” (Isaiah 53:7).
“He poured out His soul unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors.” (Isaiah 53:12).
Thereby, Jesus confirmed that suffering is the will of God. When Peter felt Jesus should be shielded from suffering, Jesus angrily replied that the rejection of suffering was demonic:
“He turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.’” (Matthew 16:23).
He then warned that:
“He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” (John 12:25).
But why? Why does the acceptance of suffering translate to mindfulness of the things of God? Why are we told in the scriptures that God is so mindful of us, and yet He insists that:
“We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.” (Acts 14:22).
Why does God seemingly forsake us in our sufferings? Surely, it is because there is glory that must be excavated from suffering.
When on His resurrection, Jesus appeared to two disciples on the road to Emmaus who were lamenting His crucifixion, He rebuked them:
“‘O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?’ And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.” (Luke 24:25-27).
Book of Psalms
Our search for the spiritual gold in the scriptures buried in human suffering must begin with the Psalms.
In Hebrews, “the Book of Psalms” is called “the Book of Praises.”
However, at first glance, it is more “the Book of Lamentations” than “the Book of Praises.”
The order of the psalms in the Bible must surely be divinely deliberate. While it is true that there are more lamentations in the psalms than anything else, it is remarkable that these lamentations are clustered in the early collection of the psalms.
“Lord, how they have increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me. Many are they who say of me, “There is no help for him in God.” (Psalm 3:1-2).
“Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; have mercy on me, and hear my prayer.” (Psalm 4:1).
“Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my meditation. Give heed to the voice of my cry, my King and my God, for to You I will pray.” (Psalm 5:1).
“Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled. My soul also is greatly troubled; but You, O Lord — how long? Return, O Lord, deliver me! Oh, save me for Your mercies’ sake!” (Psalm 6:2-4).
“O Lord my God, in You I put my trust; save me from all those who persecute me; and deliver me, lest they tear me like a lion, rending me in pieces, while there is none to deliver.” (Psalm 7:1-2).
“Why do You stand afar off, O Lord? Why do You hide in times of trouble? The wicked in his pride persecutes the poor; let them be caught in the plots which they have devised.” (Psalm 10:1-2).
“How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? How long will my enemy be exalted over me? Consider and hear me, O Lord my God; enlighten my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death.” (Psalm 13:1-3).
But there is decidedly a change of tune at the end of the Book of Psalms. The psalms end with a collection of praise songs. The earlier sufferings have been redeemed by praise. The resurrection has redeemed the crucifixion.
“Blessed be the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle.” (Psalm 144:1).
“I will extol You, my God, O King; and I will bless Your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your name forever and ever. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable.” (Psalm 145:1-3).
“Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! While I live, I will praise the Lord; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.” (Psalm 146:1-2).
“Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful.” (Psalm 147:1).
“Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise Him in the heights! Praise Him, all His angels; praise Him, all His hosts!” (Psalm 148:1-2).
“Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, and His praise in the assembly of saints. Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.” (Psalm 149:1-2).
“Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in His mighty firmament! Praise Him for His mighty acts; praise Him according to His excellent greatness!” (Psalm 150:1-2).
“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” (Psalm 150:6).
Psalm 22
This pattern of suffering followed by glory is exemplified in David’s Psalm 22. The psalm begins with a very agonising cry of the soul, repeated by Jesus on the cross:
“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, and from the words of My groaning?” (Psalm 22:1).
The next 18 verses describe the depths of suffering experienced by the psalmist:
“I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men.” (Psalm 22:6).
“All those who see Me ridicule Me.” (Psalm 22:7).
“Many bulls have surrounded Me; strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me. They gape at Me with their mouths.” (Psalm 22:12-13).
“I am poured out like water, and all My bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; it has melted within Me.” (Psalm 22:14).
“Dogs have surrounded Me; the congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet.” (Psalm 22:16).
Then there occurs a most extraordinary shift in mood at verse 22:
“I will declare Your name to My brethren; in the midst of the assembly I will praise You. You who fear the Lord, praise Him! All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him, and fear Him, all you offspring of Israel! For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; nor has He hidden His face from Him; but when He cried to Him, He heard.” (Psalm 22:22-24).
In the later verses, we also hear:
“Those who seek Him will praise the Lord.” (Psalm 22:26).
“A posterity shall serve Him. It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation, they will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born, that He has done this.” (Psalm 22:30-31). CONTINUED.
