| FEATURE ARTICLE |
| WHY IS IT THAT BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE? |
| By Matt Ravenhouk |
Nowhere in the Bible does it ever say that nothing bad will ever happen to a true believer. Indeed, the psalmist David, king of Israel states
very clearly that true believers suffer many afflictions, but the great thing about that is the fact that the Lord is willing and able to deliver his
people out of them all.
"The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.
He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken." (Psalms 34:7, 19-20)
Many Christians have been sold a false bill of goods by the famed celebrity televangelists that preach a "health, wealth, and prosperity"
gospel. Too be sure, there are the promises given by God to his people that he will amply provide for them in all of those areas, but what the
televangelists fail to teach is that all of those promises are conditional. They are promised only to those who genuinely and sincerely love
God, serve the Lord Jesus, and submit to his discipline and chastening. They are definitely not conditioned upon how much money we give
to support the ministries of those "strutting peacocks," as Martin Luther referred to them. They don't put it into these exact words, but the
express implication is that if we allow the televangelists to live in multi-million dollar houses, drive luxury automobiles, own yachts and private
jets, wear designer suits, and travel to the world's luxury resorts, we will in turn be blessed by God. That is pure hogwash.
The issue is not that God loves us --- We all know that he does. The question is, do we love God? The apostle Paul states quite clearly
that our love of God is what guarantees our well being, not the blind observance of religious ritual, or the strict adherence to church dogma.
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his
purpose." (Romans 8:28)
Having said that, lets examine the story contained in the book of Job, the oldest book of the Bible.
"There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and
eschewed evil." (Job 1:1)
The Land of Uz, or "East," was the land of Edom, named after the son of Isaac and the twin brother of Jacob the patriarch. Job and his
three friends were not Israelites, but Edomites, but they worshipped the God of Heaven. The story takes place somewhere during the 430
years that the Israelites sojourned in the Land of Egypt, before the time of Moses.
Now is the time to correct some grave misconceptions about Job's three friends, namely Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and
Zophar the Naamathite. We also ought to correct the grave misconception about Job's wife while we are at it. Job's friends were not
ungodly men, as many theologians would lead us to believe. On the contrary, they were very godly and righteous men, who worshipped the
Lord in sincerity of heart. In ancient times, the men of Edom were known for their wisdom and piety. It was only later on in history that the
land of Edom was given over to paganism. But bear in mind that Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar were very wise, godly and righteous men who
simply made the same mistake that the rest of us do: they hastily judged by outward appearances, and said things about Job without
knowing what they were talking about. God finally became fed up with their error, and rebuked them for it:
"Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?" (Job 38:2)
Job's three friends dearly loved and admired Job, and they were deeply saddened at his calamity.
"Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz
the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn
with him and to comfort him.
And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his
mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven.
So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that
his grief was very great." (Job 2:11-13)
And now a word about Job's wife: Yes it is true that she told Job to curse God and die, but She spoke out of the deep and bitter anguish
in the heart of a mother who had lost all ten of the children that she had carried in her belly for a total of 90 months, and had labored in pain
to bring to birth. The ancient Septuagint translation of the Old Testament goes into more detail about what she actually said. What she said
was in effect, "How do you think I feel, Job? I carried those children in my womb for nearly five years total, and endured the pain and
suffering of childbirth ten times! You are not the only one suffering, Job: I loved those children too! Go ahead: Curse God and die!"
It is to be noted that the apostle Paul calls the woman "the weaker vessel," and God made allowances for Job's wife. At no time does the
Scripture condemn her, and God did not rebuke her, as he did Job's three friends. They should have known better. They all sat in judgment
at the gates of their respective cities, and taught others about God. It seems that the teachers needed to be taught a few lessons
themselves, as we will soon see. But bear in mind that during the time that these men lived, the Law of God had not yet been written on the
tablets of stone, nor were there any Bibles that these men could pick up and quote chapter and verse. Every thing that they knew about the
nature and character of God was learned by oral tradition, and by life's experiences. They still had one more lesson to learn through the
experience of their friend Job: Judge not, that ye be not judged (Matthew 7:1)
So what was the real reason for Job's suffering? Was God being capricious and arbitrary, and showing off his sovereignty? Was God
just trying to prove a point to Satan, as if God cares whether or not Satan approves of his methods in the first place? The answer is no. God
is not unrighteous nor evil, and he doesn't have to prove anything to anybody. God's character is impeccable. He is good, he is righteous,
and he is above all, a good father to his children. So again, we ask: Why did bad things happen to a good man like Job, who feared the
LORD, and set his face against evil? Ironically, the answer to that question is found in the very words of Job's friend, Eliphaz the Temanite.
Those words are so important for the believer to remember that they are quoted verbatim throughout the Scriptures, by such famous writers
as King Solomon, the apostle Paul, and the writer of the book of Hebrews. Here they are for us to read and understand:
"My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth." (Hebrews 12:5-6)
Those words are quoted by the writer of Hebrews, but they were originally spoken by Eliphaz the Temanite. Every true son or daughter
of God gets scourged: No true believer in Christ gets through life without a scourging, not one. And herein lies the very essence of the story
of Job. Job, you see, had never been scourged. Even Satan knew that. He told God that Job feared Him because he had given him
everything his little heart had ever desired, and had protected him from all evil. Job had become a spoiled brat, in Satan's eyes.
"Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the
work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face." (Job 1:9-11)
But God knew what kind of metal Job was made of. He allowed him to be tested, or scourged beyond what the rest of us have ever
experienced, because he knew that Job's faith was genuine. No believer gets through life without being tested, or scourged. The problem is
that we are not like Job. We are not perfect men, upright in all our ways, and blameless. We are 21st Century Americans; covetous
idolaters; too busy to take time for God, and too wrapped up in the cares of this world. If Job, Moses, Jacob, Abraham, all of the prophets
and apostles, and yes, even Jesus the Son of God were scourged, what will become of us? It is precisely because we Christians in this day
and age have allowed our love for God to wax cold, that the Great Tribulation is coming upon us. Yes, we too will be scourged, and what a
scourging it will be!
If we are not scourged, then we have no part in the kingdom of God. The writer of Hebrews makes that perfectly clear. But let's examine
the words of Eliphaz the Temanite, and learn not only God's discipline, but of God's wonderful promises to his children that submit to his
chastening.
"Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty:
For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole.
He shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee.
In famine he shall redeem thee from death: and in war from the power of the sword.
Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue: neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh.
At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh: neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth.
For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field: and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee.
And thou shalt know that thy tabernacle shall be in peace; and thou shalt visit thy habitation, and shalt not sin.
Thou shalt know also that thy seed shall be great, and thine offspring as the grass of the earth.
Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in his season.
Lo this, we have searched it, so it is; hear it, and know thou it for thy good." (Job 5:17-27)
Therein lies the grave error of Job's three friends, and therein lies the reason that they were told to repent and have Job pray for them.
Notice the last sentence of that statement by Eliphaz: They knew first hand by research and experience that God chastens his children, and
that he rewards those who submit to his discipline. They should have known better than to second guess Job, and charge God with folly. We
who live in this present time are just as guilty of judging others without knowing the facts as were Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar.
The writer of Hebrews plainly tells us to expect, and to welcome the chastening of the Lord. It proves that we are legitimate children, and
not bastards.
"If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in
subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his
holiness.
Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of
righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby." (Hebrews 12:7-11)
No spiritual bastards can inherit the kingdom of God: Only true sons and daughters. Prepare to receive your scourging, and rejoice in
the fact that God has declared you to be his legitimate son or daughter. Take my word for it: You don't want to be numbered among the
bastards. The chastening of the Lord is temporary, but the punishment of the wicked lasts forever.
Welcome to the kingdom of God, and to the fellowship of Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son.
very clearly that true believers suffer many afflictions, but the great thing about that is the fact that the Lord is willing and able to deliver his
people out of them all.
"The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.
He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken." (Psalms 34:7, 19-20)
Many Christians have been sold a false bill of goods by the famed celebrity televangelists that preach a "health, wealth, and prosperity"
gospel. Too be sure, there are the promises given by God to his people that he will amply provide for them in all of those areas, but what the
televangelists fail to teach is that all of those promises are conditional. They are promised only to those who genuinely and sincerely love
God, serve the Lord Jesus, and submit to his discipline and chastening. They are definitely not conditioned upon how much money we give
to support the ministries of those "strutting peacocks," as Martin Luther referred to them. They don't put it into these exact words, but the
express implication is that if we allow the televangelists to live in multi-million dollar houses, drive luxury automobiles, own yachts and private
jets, wear designer suits, and travel to the world's luxury resorts, we will in turn be blessed by God. That is pure hogwash.
The issue is not that God loves us --- We all know that he does. The question is, do we love God? The apostle Paul states quite clearly
that our love of God is what guarantees our well being, not the blind observance of religious ritual, or the strict adherence to church dogma.
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his
purpose." (Romans 8:28)
Having said that, lets examine the story contained in the book of Job, the oldest book of the Bible.
"There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and
eschewed evil." (Job 1:1)
The Land of Uz, or "East," was the land of Edom, named after the son of Isaac and the twin brother of Jacob the patriarch. Job and his
three friends were not Israelites, but Edomites, but they worshipped the God of Heaven. The story takes place somewhere during the 430
years that the Israelites sojourned in the Land of Egypt, before the time of Moses.
Now is the time to correct some grave misconceptions about Job's three friends, namely Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and
Zophar the Naamathite. We also ought to correct the grave misconception about Job's wife while we are at it. Job's friends were not
ungodly men, as many theologians would lead us to believe. On the contrary, they were very godly and righteous men, who worshipped the
Lord in sincerity of heart. In ancient times, the men of Edom were known for their wisdom and piety. It was only later on in history that the
land of Edom was given over to paganism. But bear in mind that Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar were very wise, godly and righteous men who
simply made the same mistake that the rest of us do: they hastily judged by outward appearances, and said things about Job without
knowing what they were talking about. God finally became fed up with their error, and rebuked them for it:
"Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?" (Job 38:2)
Job's three friends dearly loved and admired Job, and they were deeply saddened at his calamity.
"Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz
the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn
with him and to comfort him.
And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his
mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven.
So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that
his grief was very great." (Job 2:11-13)
And now a word about Job's wife: Yes it is true that she told Job to curse God and die, but She spoke out of the deep and bitter anguish
in the heart of a mother who had lost all ten of the children that she had carried in her belly for a total of 90 months, and had labored in pain
to bring to birth. The ancient Septuagint translation of the Old Testament goes into more detail about what she actually said. What she said
was in effect, "How do you think I feel, Job? I carried those children in my womb for nearly five years total, and endured the pain and
suffering of childbirth ten times! You are not the only one suffering, Job: I loved those children too! Go ahead: Curse God and die!"
It is to be noted that the apostle Paul calls the woman "the weaker vessel," and God made allowances for Job's wife. At no time does the
Scripture condemn her, and God did not rebuke her, as he did Job's three friends. They should have known better. They all sat in judgment
at the gates of their respective cities, and taught others about God. It seems that the teachers needed to be taught a few lessons
themselves, as we will soon see. But bear in mind that during the time that these men lived, the Law of God had not yet been written on the
tablets of stone, nor were there any Bibles that these men could pick up and quote chapter and verse. Every thing that they knew about the
nature and character of God was learned by oral tradition, and by life's experiences. They still had one more lesson to learn through the
experience of their friend Job: Judge not, that ye be not judged (Matthew 7:1)
So what was the real reason for Job's suffering? Was God being capricious and arbitrary, and showing off his sovereignty? Was God
just trying to prove a point to Satan, as if God cares whether or not Satan approves of his methods in the first place? The answer is no. God
is not unrighteous nor evil, and he doesn't have to prove anything to anybody. God's character is impeccable. He is good, he is righteous,
and he is above all, a good father to his children. So again, we ask: Why did bad things happen to a good man like Job, who feared the
LORD, and set his face against evil? Ironically, the answer to that question is found in the very words of Job's friend, Eliphaz the Temanite.
Those words are so important for the believer to remember that they are quoted verbatim throughout the Scriptures, by such famous writers
as King Solomon, the apostle Paul, and the writer of the book of Hebrews. Here they are for us to read and understand:
"My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth." (Hebrews 12:5-6)
Those words are quoted by the writer of Hebrews, but they were originally spoken by Eliphaz the Temanite. Every true son or daughter
of God gets scourged: No true believer in Christ gets through life without a scourging, not one. And herein lies the very essence of the story
of Job. Job, you see, had never been scourged. Even Satan knew that. He told God that Job feared Him because he had given him
everything his little heart had ever desired, and had protected him from all evil. Job had become a spoiled brat, in Satan's eyes.
"Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the
work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face." (Job 1:9-11)
But God knew what kind of metal Job was made of. He allowed him to be tested, or scourged beyond what the rest of us have ever
experienced, because he knew that Job's faith was genuine. No believer gets through life without being tested, or scourged. The problem is
that we are not like Job. We are not perfect men, upright in all our ways, and blameless. We are 21st Century Americans; covetous
idolaters; too busy to take time for God, and too wrapped up in the cares of this world. If Job, Moses, Jacob, Abraham, all of the prophets
and apostles, and yes, even Jesus the Son of God were scourged, what will become of us? It is precisely because we Christians in this day
and age have allowed our love for God to wax cold, that the Great Tribulation is coming upon us. Yes, we too will be scourged, and what a
scourging it will be!
If we are not scourged, then we have no part in the kingdom of God. The writer of Hebrews makes that perfectly clear. But let's examine
the words of Eliphaz the Temanite, and learn not only God's discipline, but of God's wonderful promises to his children that submit to his
chastening.
"Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty:
For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole.
He shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee.
In famine he shall redeem thee from death: and in war from the power of the sword.
Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue: neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh.
At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh: neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth.
For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field: and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee.
And thou shalt know that thy tabernacle shall be in peace; and thou shalt visit thy habitation, and shalt not sin.
Thou shalt know also that thy seed shall be great, and thine offspring as the grass of the earth.
Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in his season.
Lo this, we have searched it, so it is; hear it, and know thou it for thy good." (Job 5:17-27)
Therein lies the grave error of Job's three friends, and therein lies the reason that they were told to repent and have Job pray for them.
Notice the last sentence of that statement by Eliphaz: They knew first hand by research and experience that God chastens his children, and
that he rewards those who submit to his discipline. They should have known better than to second guess Job, and charge God with folly. We
who live in this present time are just as guilty of judging others without knowing the facts as were Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar.
The writer of Hebrews plainly tells us to expect, and to welcome the chastening of the Lord. It proves that we are legitimate children, and
not bastards.
"If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in
subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his
holiness.
Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of
righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby." (Hebrews 12:7-11)
No spiritual bastards can inherit the kingdom of God: Only true sons and daughters. Prepare to receive your scourging, and rejoice in
the fact that God has declared you to be his legitimate son or daughter. Take my word for it: You don't want to be numbered among the
bastards. The chastening of the Lord is temporary, but the punishment of the wicked lasts forever.
Welcome to the kingdom of God, and to the fellowship of Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son.