Why. When do we ask God why? There are several times and we will only touch on a few of them this morning.

Transcription

1 Why Why? This is such a simple word yet it often carries so much weight that we may dread hearing it. For example, our spouse may ask us Why? Then, depending of the situation, our best answer may be Well, it seemed like a pretty good idea at the time. Explaining our reasons for saying or doing a specific action may not always be easy to accomplish. We seem to understand this and even though we still ask the question Why? We don t really expect an answer. Certainly, we don t expect an answer that addresses the root cause of our actions. We, for the most part, are reasonable and rational humans. We tend to understand how our fellow humans think, act, and speak. So, we may ask the why question, we don t really expect an answer. The question: Why? becomes a rhetorical question to which no one really expects an answer. Yet, when we turn that question to God, we seem crestfallen when we don t hear an immediate answer. When do we ask God why? There are several times and we will only touch on a few of them this morning. We may question God when things go wrong. The Bible presents a prime example of things going wrong and the full debate about Why. We can quickly come up with Job. Job was a wealthy man. He had been blessed with material goods, a large loving family, health, and friends. (We may question his friends but they came to 1

2 him when he was troubled.) Just so we know the situation, let s read the first five verses from the book of Job. There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil. Seven sons and three daughters were born to him. His possessions also were 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and very many servants; and that man was the greatest of all the men of the east. His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. When the days of feasting had completed their cycle, Job would send and consecrate them, rising up early in the morning and offering burnt offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, Perhaps my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts. Thus, Job did continually. (Job 1:1-5 NASB) The picture that we see of Job is one of a person who intentionally lived to serve God. He lived to consecrate his children to God as well. This faithful God-fearing man suffered loss. We read more of the first chapter dropping down to the 13 th verse. Now on the day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother s house, a messenger came to Job and said, The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, and the Sabeans attacked and took them. They also slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you. While he was still speaking, another also came and said, The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you. While he was still speaking, another also came and 2

3 said, The Chaldeans formed three bands and made a raid on the camels and took them and slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you. While he was still speaking, another also came and said, Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother s house, and behold, a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people and they died, and I alone have escaped to tell you. (Job 1:13-22 NASB) Okay God, Why? Why did Job have to face the loss of his children? Why did Job have to face the loss of his wealth? Why did Job have to face the loss of his health? Later, we may ask why did Job have to endure his friends and his wife in their insistence that Job must have done something really bad for God to so inflict him. The short answer is Satan is the cause of Job s suffering. We learn this from the 1 st chapter and verses 6 through 12. Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan (the adversary) also came among them. The LORD said to Satan, From where do you come? Then Satan answered the LORD and said, From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it. The LORD said to Satan, Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing (revering) God and turning away from evil. Then Satan answered the LORD, Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face. Then the LORD said to Satan, Behold, all that he has is in your power (lit. hand), 3

4 only do not put forth your hand on him. So, Satan departed from the presence of the LORD. (Job 1:6-12 NASB) The book of Job is filled with Job and his friends trying to make sense of the tragic turn of events in Job s life. As the debate goes on, Elihu finally comes to the point that he lays all of the events at God s feet. After all, God sends the storms as we read in Job 37:1-3 At this also my heart trembles, And leaps from its place. Listen closely to the thunder of His voice, And the rumbling that goes out from His mouth. Under the whole heaven He lets it loose, And His lightning to the ends of the earth. (Job 37:1-3 NASB) Throughout this chapter, Elihu points to the mighty power over nature that is in God s hands. He ends this section again drawing the conclusion that God would not pour out destruction on a just person. (Job 37:23-24) The Almighty we cannot find Him; He is exalted in power And He will not do violence to justice and abundant righteousness. Therefore men fear Him; He does not regard any who are wise of heart. (Job 37:23-24 NASB) The next chapter opens with God speaking to Job. God ask questions that point out the lack of understanding that Job s friend (and most of us humans) have about the 4

5 Why behind the workings of God. We will read the first eleven verses of the 38 th chapter to see that we are not in a place to begin to rationalize God. Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, Who is this that darkens counsel By words without knowledge? Now gird up your loins like a man, And I will ask you, and you instruct Me! Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding (lit. know understanding), Who set its measurements? Since you know. Or who stretched the line on it? On what were its bases sunk? Or who laid its cornerstone, When the morning stars sang together And all the sons of God shouted for joy? Or who enclosed the sea with doors When, bursting forth, it went out from the womb; When I made a cloud its garment And thick darkness its swaddling band, And I placed boundaries on it And set a bolt and doors, And I said, Thus far you shall come, but no farther; And here shall your proud waves stop? (Job 38:1-11 NASB) 5

6 Why is there suffering, sickness, death, and evil in this world? If we search through the Bible, we will find at least three answers. First, Satan is acting in a direct manner to bring suffering on someone. Approximately one fourth of the miracle healings mentioned in the gospels are attributed to Satan or his demons. One example is found in Luke 13. Here Jesus heals on the sabbath. He is questioned about working on the sabbath and He responds: But the Lord answered him and said, You hypocrites, does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the stall and lead him away to water him? And this woman, a daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan has bound for eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day? (Luke 13:15-16 NASB) Here, Jesus tells us that Satan had bound this woman in her sickness. Second, much of the suffering is an indirect result of Satan as a result of the sin in the Garden of Eden. Satan uses bacteria, viral contagions, malnutrition, poisons, violence, and murders to bring suffering to this earth. This category is probably one that covers most of the cases we observe. Third, God may in fact, use our suffering to bring us back in line or to punish us for wrong. Even then, we can see the hand of Satan at work. In the garden, Satan used guile to tempt Adam and Eve into ignoring God s explicit command. The Hebrew Bible is filled with examples of famine, death, and wilderness wanderings. These are examples of God causing the suffering. In the New Testament, one of 6

7 the better-known examples occurs in the early days of the church and is found in Acts the 5 th chapter. But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and kept back some of the price for himself, with his wife s full knowledge, and bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God. And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last; and great fear came over all who heard of it. (Acts 5:1-5 NASB) We have spent most of our time talking about the Why questions as they may connect with suffering that we endure or see. There are two more whys that we will briefly touch on before closing this morning. Why doesn t God pour blessing on me? We might call it the God is a genie syndrome. We ask and expect God to deliver. This has been around for a long time. However, in the early 1970 s there was a song that captured the essences of this why. A very talented young lady named Janice Joplin commented in an interview shortly before her death: It s the want of something that gives you the blues. It s what you wish was that makes for unhappiness. (Janice Joplin) The last song she recorded asks God about blessing with unearned material blessings. She ask: Oh Lord, won t you buy me a Mercedes Benz 7

8 My friends all drive Porsches, I must make amends Worked hard all my lifetime, no help from my friends So Lord, won t you buy me a Mercedes Benz Paul reminds us in 1 Timothy the 6 th chapter that we need to learn to be content with what we have. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. (1 Timothy 6:8-9 NASB) The final why that we will consider this morning is one that was also asked by another well-known singer in the early 1970 s. Kris Kristofferson attended a revival meeting and Kristofferson shares this in an interview: The Pastor then asked, "Are you ready to accept Christ? Kneel down there." "I'm kneeling there," Kristofferson continues, "and I carry a big load of guilt around...and I was just out of control, crying. It was a release. It really shook me up." Kristofferson later said, "It was just a personal thing I was going through at the time. I had some kind of experience that I can't even explain." You are probably ahead of me on this one. Kristofferson wrote a song after this event in his life when he asks: Why me Lord? What have I ever done To deserve even one Of the pleasure I've known Tell me Lord 8

9 What did I ever do That was worth lovin' you For the kindness you've shown This brings us to my WHY question. It is addressed to those who have not yet made their choice. Why have you not responded to the invitation call of Jesus? 9