How can God allow such Suffering?

Transcription

1 How can God allow such Suffering? Halifax, Feb How can God allow World Trade Centre, 11 th September dead 2 1

2 How can God allow Darfur Crises, February 2003on 300,000 dead, 2.85 million displaced 3 How can God allow Madrid, 11 th March dead, 1800 injured 4 2

3 How can God allow Boxing Day Tsunami, 26 th Dec ,000 dead, 42,000 missing 5 How can God allow London, 7 th July dead, 700 injured 6 3

4 How can God allow Hurricane Katrina, 23 rd -31 st August dead 7 How can God allow Earthquake, Sichuan province, China, 12 th May ,197 confirmed dead and 18,222 numbered as missing 8 4

5 How can God allow Earthquake in Haiti, 4:53pm, 12 th January ,000 estimated deaths, 300,000 injured, 1.0million homeless 9 How can God allow Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig explodes, Gulf of Mexico, 10 th April 2010 on 11 killed, 15 injured, 4.9million barrels released, 2500 sq miles+ effected 10 5

6 How can God allow Floods & land slides in Brazil, January killed, 1000 s displaced 11 How can God allow Egyptian protestors vs President Hosni Mubarak, 28 th Jan 6 th Feb people killed, injured, millions of demonstrators 12 6

7 How can God allow Beslan School Crises, 1st September dead (186 children) 13 How can God allow such Suffering? (1) If God is love, what place does suffering have in the world which he created? (2) Why is it always the innocent who seem to suffer? (3) Why me? 14 7

8 (1) If God is love... We have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love 1 John 4v16 : [AV] For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoso believeth in him should not perish John 3v16 : [AV] He maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. Matt 5v46 : [AV] His eyes are upon the ways of a man. He seeth all his doings. Job 34v21 : [AV] 15 (1) If God is love... We have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love 1 John 4v16 : [AV] For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoso believeth in him should not perish John 3v16 : [AV] He maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. Matt 5v46 : [AV] His eyes are upon the ways of a man. He seeth all his doings. Job 34v21 : [AV] 16 8

9 A world defining moment! Genesis 3 (NIV): v16 And to the woman he said, I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing: v17 To Adam he said, Because you listened to your wife Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life [H6093] Heb Itstsabown = pain, labour, hardship, sorrow Suffering : undergo, experience, be subjected to (pain, loss, grief, defeat, change) [Oxford Dictionary, 9 th Edition] 17 A world defining moment! Genesis 3 (NIV): v16 And to the woman he said, I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing: v17 To Adam he said, Because you listened to your wife Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life Romans 5 (AV): v12 as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin so death passed to all men, for that all have sinned. 18 9

10 God s reaction to suffering And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth and it grieved him at his heart Genesis 6v6 : [AV] In all of their affliction he was afflicted in his love and in his pity he redeemed them. Isaiah 63v9 : [AV] And His soul was grieved for the misery of Israel Judges 10v16 : [AV] I have loved thee with an everlasting love. Jeremiah 31v3 : [AV] 19 How can God allow such Suffering? (1) If God is love, what place does suffering have in the world which he created? (2) Why is it always the innocent who seem to suffer? (3) Why me? 20 10

11 (2) Why do the innocent suffer? The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in Him. Nahum 1v7 : [AV] For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: But the way of the ungodly shall perish. Psalm 1v6 : [AV] Shall God not search this out? For he knoweth the secrets of the heart. Psalm 44v21 : [AV] 21 (2) Why do the innocent suffer? World Trade Centre, 11 th September dead 22 11

12 (2) Why do the innocent suffer? World Trade Centre, 11 th September dead 23 (2) Why do the innocent suffer? London, 7 th July dead, 700 injured 24 12

13 (2) Why do the innocent suffer? Earthquake, Sichuan province, China, 12 th May ,197 confirmed dead and 18,222 numbered as missing 25 How can God allow Earthquake in Haiti, 4:53pm, 12 th January ,000 estimated deaths, 300,000 injured, 1.0million homeless 26 13

14 How can God allow Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig explodes, Gulf of Mexico, 10 th April 2010 on 11 killed, 15 injured, 4.9million barrels released, 2500 sq miles+ effected 27 How can God allow Floods & land slides in Brazil, January killed, 1000 s displaced 28 14

15 How can God allow Egyptian protestors vs President Hosni Mubarak, 28 th Jan 6 th Feb people killed, injured, millions of demonstrators 29 (2) Why do the innocent suffer? London, 7 th July dead, 700 injured 30 15

16 Why do the innocent suffer? There is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness and a wicked man that prolongeth his life in wickedness. Ecc 7v15 [AV] There be just men unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again there be wicked men unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: Ecc 8v14 [AV] the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong BUT TIME AND CHANCE HAPPENETH TO THEM ALL. Ecc 9v11 [AV] 31 Why do the innocent suffer? There is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness and a wicked man that prolongeth his life in wickedness. Ecc 7v15 [AV] He that feareth God shall come forth of them all. Ecc 7v18 [AV] There be just men unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again there be wicked men unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: Ecc 8v14 [AV] I know that it shall be well with them that fear God...but it shall not be well with the wicked. Ecc 8v11-12 [AV] the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong BUT TIME AND CHANCE HAPPENETH TO THEM ALL. Ecc 9v11 [AV] The righteous and the wise...their works are in the hand of God. Ecc 9v1 [AV] 32 16

17 How can God allow such Suffering? (1) If God is love, what place does suffering have in the world which he created? (2) Why is it always the innocent who seem to suffer? (3) Why me? 33 Lessons learned by Job 1. Though he slay me yet will I trust in Him: I will maintain mine own ways before Him. He also shall be my salvation. Job 13v15 :[AV] 2. I had heard of thee by the hearing of the ear; but now mine eye seeth thee. Job 42v5 :[RV] 34 17

18 Lessons learned by Job 1. Though he slay me yet will I My trust son, despise in Him: I not will the maintain chastening mine of own the ways Lord, before Him. He also Nor shall faint be when my salvation. you are rebuked of him. For whom the Lord loveth he 2. chasteneth. I had heard of thee by the And hearing scourgeth of the every ear; son but whom now mine he receiveth. eye seeth thee. Job 13v15 :[AV] Heb 12v5-6 :[AV] Job 42v5 :[RV] 35 How can God allow such Suffering? And God shall wipe away all tears from their (1) eyes; If God and is there love, shall what be place no more does death, suffering neither sorrow, have in nor the crying, world neither which he shall created? there be anymore pain: for the former things are passed (2) away. Why And is it he always that sat the upon innocent the throne who seem said, to Behold suffer? I make all things new. Revelation 21 v 4-5 [AV] (3) Why me? 36 18