The prophet Habakkuk wanted to know from God why He was using the wicked Chaldeans to punish his own people. Why would he use a sinful nation to destroy his own? The prophet went up into a watchtower and waited on a response from God. When God answered him, this is what was said. THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH. (2:4.) That significant statement occurs in three important New Testament texts (Rom. 1:17, Heb. 10:38, Gal. 3:11).

Near the end of this little book, Habakkuk wrote these words: "Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vine, the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat, the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me walk upon mine high places." (Hab. 3:17-19.)

The answer that comes from this ancient source concerning injustice in our world is that we must trust God.

What conclusions can we draw from Job? When we read such a lengthy story, we tend to get lost in the details. With four people taking turns talking (and a fifth one comes later), some of the same arguments are made again. What have we learned from this old, old story? Here are some suggestions: 1) Friends should listen and sympathize, not try to answer everything. Job called his old friends, miserable comforters. 2) The reader knew why Job was suffering, but he did not. 3) Job did not know for sure about the resurrection of the dead, like we have been assured. 4) An innocent person can suffer severely. 5) God knows more about running the world than we do.

Job ends with these words of confession by Job: "Then Job replied to the Lord. I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted. You asked, Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge? Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. You said, Listen now and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me. My ears had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes." (42:1-6.)

Job is an Old Testament document. There are many statements in the Old Testament that promises blessings and prosperity to those who follow God’s way. (Psalm 1:3.) The dilemma in Job is that he is not only a good man, but he is a wealthy man. It was believed that wealth was a reward for faithfulness. If a man was poor, he was being punished by God. David said that he had not seen the righteous forsaken, or his seed begging bread. So Job has a dual difficulty---an innocent man and a wealthy man suffering.

Some have said that the OT promises prosperity and the NT promises adversity. "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." (2 Tim. 3:12.) This difference in emphasis may be because the nation of Israel was a political kingdom. They were promised God’s protection and blessing if they walked in his ways. We are told "to be faithful in the face of death" and we will be given a crown of life. (Rev. 2:10.)

What have we learned from the Psalms? The psalmist often cries out for answers from God. Here are some examples? "Why standest thou afar off, O Lord? Why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?" (10:1.) "If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?" (11:3.) "Help Lord." (12:1.) Brother Guy Woods called this the shortest prayer in the Bible. "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season and am not silent." (22:1-2.) "O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? Shall the enemy blaspheme thy name forever? Why withdrawest thou thy hand, even thy right hand? Pluck it out of thy bosom." (74:10-11.)

The Psalms are man’s response and words expressed to God. This is not to deny their inspiration, but it is to say that God does not respond to all these laments, as he did to Job and Habakkuk.

Here are some conclusions from the Psalms: 1) Believers can and should cry out to God for help. 2) It is all right to lament and wonder why. 3) Things have not changed much over 3000 years since the Psalmists wrote. Man, especially suffering man, wants to see more of an immediate response from God. 4) The Psalms have two seemingly opposite and prominent themes: devotion and worship; pain and lament. He says, The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. And, Why hidest thyself in time of trouble?

I like the statement by Claypool: "There is more honest faith in an act of questioning than in the act of silent submission, for implicit in the very asking is the faith that some light can be given." (page 74.)

Luke 13:1-5. Two different examples come from this text. One example involves moral evil; the other is natural evil. Why did Pilate mingle the blood of some Galileans and the sacrifices they were offering? Were they worse sinners than others? Jesus said, No. Why were eighteen killed when the tower of Siloam fell? Were they sinners above all the rest in Jerusalem? Jesus said, No. Did God use Pilate to kill the Galileans or cause the tower to fall?

Jesus knew what the people were thinking who told him about these events. They did think that the ones who died had committed some grievous sin and were being punished. That was standard theology for that day. Jesus rebuked that idea. If God did not sent these tragedies, then Pilate acted out of his evil desire and the tower fell due to structural weakness and gravity. God could send tragedies as punitive measures, like the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. But we should not think that every such event is due to a judgement from God.

John 9:1-5. The disciples asked Jesus about a man born blind. What caused this? Did his parents sin or did he? Jesus answered, "Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents, but that the works of God might be made manifest in him." (9:3.) This kind of thinking had been around since Job’s day---that if one suffers severely their personal sins caused it. We learn from this text as well as Luke 13 not to continue that kind of thinking.

Romans 8:16-39. This is a significant statement about suffering by Paul. It is found in a context of "mountain-top blessings" for the Christian. Here are some conclusions that we can make about suffering: 1) The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 2) The whole creation groans waiting for deliverance. 3) Even Christians also suffer. 4) We should live in hope. 5) The Spirit helps our infirmities. 6) All things work together for good for those who love God. 7) God is for us, not against us. 8) Persecution unto death cannot separate us from the love of God.

1 Corinthians 3:21-23. "Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; whether Apollos, Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come. All are yours, and you are Christ’s, and Christ’s is God’s." As believers you do not belong to the one who taught you. You should not glory in men. Everything belongs to you as a believer. The preachers and teachers are for your benefit and blessing. They belong to you; you do not belong to them. Life and death are named as things that belong to the Christian. Things present and things to come are yours. All are yours. You do belong to Christ and Christ belongs to God.

2 Corinthians 1:3-7, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18. God is the God of all comfort. When we are comforted, we can use that to comfort others. What we endure here is a light affliction compared to the eternal weight of glory.

Many of the texts in the New Testament discuss suffering from persecution, because one is a Christian. Peter wrote, "But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God on this behalf." (1 Peter 4:15-16.) Those who live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. (2 Tim. 3:12.) Just as Jesus suffered, so will his followers. There is no promise to Christians that they will be spared persecution or any other forms of suffering just because they are Christians.

Hebrews 12:1-11. This text is different from others in that it speaks about enduring hardship as discipline. Here are some conclusions about suffering: 1) Jesus endured much due to sinful men. He is our example to follow in suffering. 2) The Hebrew Christians had not suffered to the point of shedding blood while resisting sin. 3) God disciplines every son that he receives. 4) We should reverence God when he disciplines us, just as we show respect to our earthly fathers. 5) God disciplines us so that we may share in his holiness.

All forms of pain inflicted upon children are not a form of discipline from their fathers. For example, a child knows the difference between stepping on a thorn and piercing the foot from a father taking away the allowance due to misbehavior. Do we as Christians know when the Father is disciplining us? Or should we count all hardship as a form of discipline to mature us in the faith? Is the death of a child in a family a form of discipline for the surviving members? If so, isn’t that rather severe to be called discipline? Should we consider only opposition and persecution as forms of discipline? I do not believe that all forms of suffering should be considered discipline. Discipline is intentionally delivered from our fathers for misbehavior. Persecution is intentional pain inflicted by enemies of the faith due to our adherence to the faith. Some suffering may not be intentionally brought by enemies or by the Father (for example: the falling of the tower of Siloam).

Revelation. This book is about the persecution of Christians at the hands of an unbelieving world-empire. John explained how the Christians overcame the accuser of the brethren. He wrote, "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto the death." (Rev. 12:11.)

There are many different forms or sources of suffering: from evildoers, persecution, disease, accidents, discipline or chastening, self-sacrifice, Satan, mental pain due to disappointments, loses, rejection, or financial failure, birth defects, wars, hunger, natural evil.

Faith is the victory that overcomes the world and all its problems. The many texts in Scripture helps us to make sense of the suffering in our world and in our lives.