I find it helpful to remember that anyone who reads the first chapter of the Book of Job knows why Job is suffering. But God never explains it to Job.
He can't because that would ruin the demonstration. Satan could then say, "Oh, Job knew it would come out all right in the end! He got his explanation and his fortunes were restored."
As it happens, Satan loses because even though Job never learns why it all happened - in this life - he remains faithful anyway. God appears to him, he repents of any doubts, and Satan presumably slinks off, for a time. God restores Job's fortunes because the demonstration is over.
Of course one can say it is unfair. But against what background? Of the countless people who could have existed, the people reading this post actually do exist, as I do. And we all have an eternal destiny of existence - I pray a happy one. Is that fair or unfair? How do we compute it?
The Book of Job is NOT a work of existentialism. What it tells us is that there is an explanation but that we cannot expect to know it in this life. We must just be faithful. guided by what we do know - as Job was.
I always like how Voddie Baucham puts this kind of thing. When asked “why does God let bad things happen to good people?” He refuses to answer until they ask that question correctly. He says there is usually a few rounds of back and forth until they finally give up and say “ok, how do I ask the question correctly?” To which he responds “Why, when God knows what I thought, what I said, and what I did yesterday, did He allow me to wake up this morning?”
Until we start asking the question correctly, we keep ourselves on the throne. Ask the question correctly, and God is on the throne and we are grateful for another day.
Indeed. I knew a crusty old preacher who when someone talked about getting what they deserved, would say: "Deserve! I deserve to be in Hell with my back broke. Thank God that as Christians what we deserve does not figure in."
The world operates according to the four laws of nature. That is by design.
Prayer is asking God to override these four laws. Very often this is for personal reasons as in the prayer for the storm to change course. Often at the detriment of others.
But God must remain hidden in all this or there would be zero doubt as to His existence. That is a paramount goal. Why? Because our choices must be free to be meaningful.
I keep a bunch of private notes on this and a recent one said “She had a choice, that’s what makes her a hero.” So a lot of sense can be made of this world.
Your new book is excellent and it covers doubt as essential but I don’t believe you play it out as much as you should. Yes, the evidence is overwhelming that there is a God, but yet people doubt and that is by design. Our world is full of unwanted events but that is necessary to make it the best of all possible worlds. The best example is the tragic occurrence of childhood diseases.
The goal should be to figure out why/how the world we live in is the best of all possible worlds. I’m excluding heaven which most want a free Go pass to.
Aside: I just started your new book yesterday and scanned it to read various paragraphs. Today, I start chapter 6 and 7. To do so I have to interrupt my listening to Denyse’s new book which I own the audible version. It is also extremely good just for the history of brain operations as well as its implications.
I find it helpful to remember that anyone who reads the first chapter of the Book of Job knows why Job is suffering. But God never explains it to Job.
He can't because that would ruin the demonstration. Satan could then say, "Oh, Job knew it would come out all right in the end! He got his explanation and his fortunes were restored."
As it happens, Satan loses because even though Job never learns why it all happened - in this life - he remains faithful anyway. God appears to him, he repents of any doubts, and Satan presumably slinks off, for a time. God restores Job's fortunes because the demonstration is over.
Of course one can say it is unfair. But against what background? Of the countless people who could have existed, the people reading this post actually do exist, as I do. And we all have an eternal destiny of existence - I pray a happy one. Is that fair or unfair? How do we compute it?
The Book of Job is NOT a work of existentialism. What it tells us is that there is an explanation but that we cannot expect to know it in this life. We must just be faithful. guided by what we do know - as Job was.
Well said.
There are no "good" people.
I always like how Voddie Baucham puts this kind of thing. When asked “why does God let bad things happen to good people?” He refuses to answer until they ask that question correctly. He says there is usually a few rounds of back and forth until they finally give up and say “ok, how do I ask the question correctly?” To which he responds “Why, when God knows what I thought, what I said, and what I did yesterday, did He allow me to wake up this morning?”
Until we start asking the question correctly, we keep ourselves on the throne. Ask the question correctly, and God is on the throne and we are grateful for another day.
Indeed. I knew a crusty old preacher who when someone talked about getting what they deserved, would say: "Deserve! I deserve to be in Hell with my back broke. Thank God that as Christians what we deserve does not figure in."
The world operates according to the four laws of nature. That is by design.
Prayer is asking God to override these four laws. Very often this is for personal reasons as in the prayer for the storm to change course. Often at the detriment of others.
But God must remain hidden in all this or there would be zero doubt as to His existence. That is a paramount goal. Why? Because our choices must be free to be meaningful.
I keep a bunch of private notes on this and a recent one said “She had a choice, that’s what makes her a hero.” So a lot of sense can be made of this world.
Your new book is excellent and it covers doubt as essential but I don’t believe you play it out as much as you should. Yes, the evidence is overwhelming that there is a God, but yet people doubt and that is by design. Our world is full of unwanted events but that is necessary to make it the best of all possible worlds. The best example is the tragic occurrence of childhood diseases.
The goal should be to figure out why/how the world we live in is the best of all possible worlds. I’m excluding heaven which most want a free Go pass to.
Aside: I just started your new book yesterday and scanned it to read various paragraphs. Today, I start chapter 6 and 7. To do so I have to interrupt my listening to Denyse’s new book which I own the audible version. It is also extremely good just for the history of brain operations as well as its implications.
Thank you, Jerry.