by Josh Liu
The regularly scheduled midweek Bible studies have taken a break for the summer. Instead, there has been a combined Bible study for the Youth, College, and Singles on Fridays. For the month of July, College Life was responsible for hosting the combined Bible study (e.g. leading praise, preaching, etc.). With the opportunity to lead a mini series, I decided to revisit my messages on suffering.
My desire is to equip us with good sufferiology: a biblical understanding and response to suffering. The following is an overview of the three part series.
Part 1: The Suffering of the King (Is. 53:1-12)
The purpose of the Book of Isaiah is to foretell the future wrath to come upon Judah and the world because of their offense against God’s holiness, while also foretelling the future comfort to come through the Suffering Servant because of God’s grace. Is. 52:13-53:12 is a five stanza description of God’s anointed Servant, who is Christ. The central thought is the humiliation and suffering of the Servant.
Often times, we focus on external circumstances or personal suffering in a way that causes us to neglect God, doubt God, or accuse God. We may be tempted to think that God does not love us.
However, God indeed loves. Is. 53:1-12 describes four demonstrations of the King’s love through His suffering:
- He was rejected so that you would be accepted (vv. 1-3)
- He carried your sins so that you would be righteous (vv. 4-6)
- He was killed so that you would live (vv. 7-9)
- He was crushed so that you would be redeemed (vv. 10-12)
Part 2: Making Sense of Suffering (The Book of Job)
The Book of Job is an amazing account of God’s sovereignty, possible spiritual (invisible) activity, and the raw emotions of shock, confusion, and disorientation after tragedy.
It is helpful to understand the outline of the book. Many are aware of the first three chapters of Job (Job’s life, tragedies, and anguish) and the final four chapters (God responds to Job and restores his fortunes). However, many are unaware of the middle 35 chapters. After a week of silent despair, Job opens his mouth and pours out the anguish in his heart (3:1-26). What follows is a three-cycle debate between Job and his friends Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar: Cycle 1 (4:1-14:22), Cycle 2 (15:1-21:34), Cycle 3 (22:1-27:34). Also, a young man named Elihu shares his two cents (more of a monologue) concerning his opinion about Job’s suffering (32:1-37:24).
We can observe five perspectives of suffering from the Book of Job:
- Narrator: Suffering is a part of God’s plan
- Job’s friends: Suffering is a consequence of sin
- Job: Suffering is under God’s sovereignty and is unexplainable
- Elihu: Suffering does not impugn God’s character
- God: Suffering is an opportunity for faith
Part 3: Wrestling with Despair (Pss. 42-43)
The Psalter is a praise book filled with raw pleas and cries to God. It is amazing that such emotional prayers are inspired by God. Psalms 42-43, which should be taken as one, is a lament psalm, wherein a soul wrought with despair is unable to worship God in the temple and is experiencing much suffering and persecution.
Understanding the psalmist’s experience with internal despair may help us better understand, process, and articulate internal strife.
We observe three experiences of the despairing soul:
- Longing for God yet afar (42:1-5)
- Remembering God yet forgotten (42:6-11)
- Pleading with God and hopeful return (43:1-5)
From this three-part series, we are reminded to never forget the suffering of God, understand the multifaceted perspectives of the reasons for suffering, and to always hope in God and respond with worship despite external and internal suffering.