Misery's Justification

"Why is light given to those in misery, and life to the bitter of soul, to those who long for death that does not come, who search for it more than for hidden treasure, who are filled with gladness and rejoice when they reach the grave?" (Job 3: 20-22 NIV)

Why has Lord God created a world where many men live in "utter abject poverty and want"? Why does he suffer humans, "made in his own image," to be born with deformities and with defects of every kind? Why does he permit some to be born with a fixed earthly destiny of nothing but grief and woe?

These are difficult questions indeed! If we discover the divine reason for one kind of evil, then have we also discovered it for other kinds?

Further, if we discover the divine reason for the evil of evils, have we also discovered the "reason for" the degree of it?

If we understand why all are destined to suffering and woe, then can we also explain why some are destined and born to more of it than others?

Why are men's circumstances in birth, and life, and death, all different? Or, to phrase it as did the apostle -

"For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it (as a natural or spiritual gift from God - See James 1: 17), (then) why do you boast as though you did not receive it (from God as a gift)?" (I Corinthians 4: 7 NIV)

Lord God said to Israel just prior to their evacuation from Egyptian bondage:

"And I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there; to the end thou mayest know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth." (Exodus 8: 22 KJV)

"And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more. But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know how that the LORD doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel." (Exodus 11: 6, 7 KJV)

This "difference" was a great one! The Egyptians and the Israelites were not treated equally by the Lord. One was favored and highly blessed, while the other was not.

All differences are predetermined before the birth and creation of each creature, for Lord God is the "Potter" of the "clay," and every creature is part of the "clay."

"And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD?" (Exodus 4: 11 KJV)

All differences are due to Lord God. He gives sight to one, but withholds sight from another. He gives hearing to one, but withholds hearing from another. Some creatures think this is "unfair," believing that God, as Creator and as Potter, does not have the "right" to make creatures who are not equal, nor to make some creatures superior to others. Yet, this would deny to Lord God his divine and sovereign "maker's rights" and make him subject to a set of laws not of his own making.

"And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him." (John 9: 1-3 KJV)

This is an interesting incident and one that bears directly on the questions surrounding unequal human destiny. A man was "born blind." But, the natural question is - "why is he born blind"? In other words, why is he born to a life of such grief, loss, and misery?

The disciples, in asking this question, stated common assumptions and opinions on this great theological and philosophical question.

"Who sinned?" Such an initial question shows that the disciples held it as a basic premise, or enthymeme, that all suffering and creature defect stems from sin. They held to the premise that affirmed that a sinless being, as was Adam in the day he was created, and as are God's holy angels, would not nor could not suffer any loss or unhappiness.

So, the question was not - "is this destined blindness the result of sin?" Rather, the question was - "who's sin is it that brought on this infirmity and fate?"

First, notice that the disciples limited Jesus' possible answers. They were basically saying to Jesus - "is it A or B"? However, they did not realize that there were other possible choices or answers. Further, Jesus' rejected both A and B possible answers, saying basically - "both answers are wrong." In other words, the answer is "C," a third possibility you did not include in your "multiple choice" list of answers!

This man was "born blind in order that God might be glorified" in his miraculous healing, in order that the divine power might be known and magnified, together with his great mercy, goodness, and kindness towards his creatures. This is how Jesus explained the "problem of evil," at least in regard to the evil of this particular man's being "born blind."

This demonstrates that Lord God "uses" his creatures for his own ends, and that he has a sovereign and indisputable right to do with them as he pleases, even "at their expense," so to speak.

Every sin and sorrow will ultimately glorify God, in one way or another. In the case of the "blindness" of the one above, his blindness was predestined to be used to bring glory to God, and as a means of enlightening others about the ways of God. Who can argue with how it all turned out? With the success of the "divine scheme"? The man was healed! Many witnessed it and were savingly enlightened! Many now read about the incident and are also brought to understanding! God has his "right to do what he wills with his own." (Matthew 20: 15)

"For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth." (Romans 9: 15-18 KJV)

There is both a striking similarity and contrast between the divine intention with regard to the blind man and to Pharoah.

With regard to every man, to every angel, yea, to every creature, Sovereign Lord God says - "even for this same purpose have I raised you up." Both the destiny of Pharoah and the destiny of the man born blind were predetermined by Lord God. However, one (Pharoah) was destined to glorify God in his destruction, while the other (the man healed of native blindness) was destined to glorify God in his salvation.

"But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand." (Isaiah 64: 8 KJV)

"The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel." (Jeremiah 18: 1-6 KJV)

"Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?" (Romans 9: 18-24 KJV)

Lord God tells men that he possesses the right to make of clay whatever he pleases, and to the ends he intends, and that no one may question him in the matter.

Job realized this, saying of Lord God - "He gives not account of any of his matters." (Job 33: 13 KJV)

Paul indicates that it is a kind of devilish arrogance that leads creatures to call the Creator to "answer to" the creature's objections regarding the Creator's work in creation. He says to such creatures - "but, WHO are YOU to call the Potter into question?" It is not right nor comely for a created being to arrogantly assume that he knows more than his Creator!

"Does not man have hard service on earth? Are not his days like those of a hired man? Like a slave longing for the evening shadows, or a hired man waiting eagerly for his wages, so I have been allotted months of futility, and nights of misery have been assigned to me." (Job 7: 1 NIV)

Yes, man does have "hard service on earth" and "allotted (predetermined) months of futility" and "nights of misery." It is his destiny as a fallen rebel sinner. It is the current state and present destiny of the "clay" which is now "marred" in the "hand of the Potter."

Thus, all are in the state of Job, to one degree or another. The state of the suicidal person!

Every sinner who rejects Christ and God's offers of mercy is suicidal in a far greater way than in regard to the body alone. To have the body "destroyed" is one thing, but to have "both body and soul destroyed in Hades" is quite another thing. (See Matthew 10: 28)

It is said that "misery loves company." But, that will not be true in Hades, nor in the "fires of Gehenna." It may be true now, but certainly not then, for there will be no joy of any kind in that eternal world of woe, no, not even the joy of company and association with fellow prisoners in justly inflicted misery.

"And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them." (Revelation 9: 6 KJV)

"Those days" are the "days of trial and testing" that are to "come upon all the earth" (Revelation 3: 10), or the days of the "Great Tribulation." (Revelation 7: 14)

Surely all will wail as Job at such a time! Oh how they will "long for death" and yet it "not come"!

"Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know." (Romans 3: 15-17 NIV)

"Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you." (James 5: 1 NIV)

Though sin exists because God has willed for it to exist, and has willed to glorify himself in its existence, whether it be in its destruction and judgement (exemplified in the case of Pharoah and all unbelievers), or in the salvation of men from it (as in the case of the one healed of his blindness, solely for the glory of God), yet man is not excused and his plea of "why have you (God) made me this way?" and his plea of "who can resist HIS will?" and his plea of "why does HE then find fault with us?", are all vain pleadings.

Fallen creatures may think they have "good arguments" and are "wiser than their Maker," but God will prove them all to be "fools."

Nevertheless, sin is the proximate cause of all man's misery, of all his losses, both physically and spiritually.

A sinner's refusal to repent and turn to God, and to believe and trust in his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, will be the assigned reason given and recorded for his being eternally condemned and unforgiven.

So, man brings his misery upon himself. He brings his present miseries, to a great degree at least, upon himself. Yes, the man who was "born blind" did not bring such a thing upon himself. He would be viewed today as some kind of cosmic "victim" of an injustice, either of God, or of "karma," or of some other "force" in the cosmos. At least this would be the judgment of all until some "greater good" proceeded from the seeming injustice, as was the case when the blind man was healed and God was glorified. The rich man is warned not to bring added miseries to what is the common lot of men, by added sins in regard to money, greed, and covetousness.

"If only my anguish could be weighed and all my misery be placed on the scales!" (Job 6: 2 NIV)

Oh but it has been fully weighed Job! You only lost sight of it! Or, perhaps his complaint here is not to God, but to his friends? They did not know the depth of his grief! But, his God did know! Better than even Job himself knew! In fact, not only Job's grief and woe are fully measured and known by God, but his sins are too. Lord God knows the length and breath of them, and so much so that Christ bore every one of Job's sins when he died upon the cross and bore everyone of his burdens and cares upon his heart and breast when he mediates on Job's behalf with this Father!

"Then I will go back to my place until they admit their guilt. And they will seek my face; in their misery they will earnestly seek me." (Hosea 5: 15 NIV)

God knows us! He knows that men generally do not begin to seek him, nor to call out to him, UNTIL they are in deep trouble, and UNTIL they are in a condition where no creature can possibly help them. When sinners are in deep misery, THEN they will call out to him, though not always sincerely, even at those times.

"...let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more." (Proverbs 31: 7 NIV)

This is said by one giving medical advice on how to administer a sedative to the dying in order to relieve his pain and misery in dying. But, how many healthy people use alcohol and drugs to try to numb their minds towards their sufferings and miseries? What an awful remedy "for what ails" the soul of man!

Friend, do you want God to return from his absence in your life? Do you want him to give you hope and salvation from misery? Then do as he asks and "admit your guilt," and "seek" him through Christ.