Chapter- 8 -WHY DOES GOD PERMIT SUFFERING?

A MALICIOUS CHALLENGE


To remain in God's favor, Adam and Eve would have to refrain from eating from "the tree of the knowledge of good and bad."  (Genesis 2:16, 17)  If they had obeyed Jehovah's law, there would have been no suffering to mar human life.  By obeying God's command, hey would have demonstrated their love for Jehovah and their loyalty to him.  (1 John 5:3)  But as we learned in Chapter 6, things did not turn out that way.  Urged by Satan, Eve ate fruit from that tree.  Later, Adam also partook of the forbidden fruit.

Do you see the seriousness of what happened?  Satan was attacking Jehovah's position as the Most High.  By saying, "You positively will not die,"  The Devil contradicted God's Words,  "You will positively die."  Satan's further words implied that Jehovah was keeping Adam and Eve ignorant of the possibility of becoming like God, thus not needing Him to decide what was good and bad.   Satan's challenge therefore brought into question the right and validity of Jehovah's position as the Universal Sovereign. -Genesis 2:17; 3:1-6.

Satan the Devil also insinuated that people would remain obedient to Jehovah only as long as obeying God was to their advantage.  In other words, human integrity was brought into question.  Satan charged that no human would voluntarily remain loyal to God.  This malicious claim by Satan is clearly revealed in the Bible's account about Job, a faithful servant of Jehovah who underwent a great test sometime before 1600 B.C.E.  When you read the first two chapters of the book of Job, you can gain insight into the reason for human suffering and why God permits it.

Job, "a man blameless and upright,"  came under Satan's attack.  First, Satan imputed bad motives to Job by raising the question,  "Is it for nothing that Job has feared God?"  Then, the Devil cunningly maligned both God and Job by charging that Jehovah had bought Job's loyalty by protecting  and blessing him.  "But, for a change," Satan challenged Jehovah,  "thrust out your hand, please, and touch everything he has and see whether he will not curse you to your face." -Job 1:8-11.

Was Job serving Jehovah simply because of all the good that he received from god? Could Job's integrity stand up under test?  In turn, did Jehovah have enough confidence in his servant to allow him to be tested?   These questions could be answered if Jehovah would permit Satan to bring upon Job the severest  of tests.  Job's faithful course under the test allowed by God, as narrated in the book of Job, proved to be a thorough vindication of Jehovah's righteousness and man's integrity. -Job 42:1, 2, 12.

What happened in the garden of Eden and to the man Job, however, has a deeper implication.  The issues Satan raised involved all mankind, including us today.  God's name was maligned, and his sovereignty was challenged. The uprightness of God's creation, man, was called into question.  These issues had to be settled. 

Next time: HOW TO SETTLE THE ISSUES

The Book - KNOWLEDGE That Leads To Everlasting Life, 1995