Around us we see war, famine, cruelty, pain, distress, disaster and death. We ask, where is God when this is happening. If there is a God, why does he allow it to continue, why does He not stop it? Is it all beyond His control? Why do the innocent suffer?
At times of sadness, there seem to be no answers, only questions. We shall use only the Bible, God’s words, as the fairest way to find an answer.
How and where did all our suffering begin?
‘Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth... Thou hast walked upon the holy mountain of God... Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, until iniquity was found in thee.’ Ezekiel 28:12-17. So sin began with a high angel of God, who was known as Lucifer (Light-bearer) but who, for all his position and power and intelligence, was a created being. (He is not another god.) His sin was pride about himself, and wanting to be as God. After his sin he was called Satan which is the same enemy, adversary or devil.
How did Satan get to this earth?
‘How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer.’ Isaiah 14:12. ‘And there was war in heaven: Michael (Jesus) and his angels fought against the dragon and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven, and the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the devil and Satan which deceiveth the whole world, he was cast out into the earth and his angels were cast out with him. Revelation 12:7-12.
How many angels were cast out with him?
‘And behold a great red dragon … and his tail drew a third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth.’ Rev 12: 3,4.
What do we know about Satan’s activities in this world?
‘He was a murderer from the beginning.’ ‘He is a liar and the father of it.’ John 8:44. Murder involves death, pain, torture, suffering, crying, abuse, oppression, and disease caused by poisonous substances and pollution. He tempts us with attractive lies, we are deceived and the result is pain and ruin. His angels work with him to destroy us too.
But the question still remains - why does God allow him to do it?
What does God say?
1. ‘The devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, for he knoweth that he hath but a short time.’ Revelation 12:12. Be sober, be vigilant, for your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. 1 Peter 5:8 He is time limited and this is his reaction. He has a short time only.
2 But why is he being given any time at all? Genesis 3:1 shows us Satan as the serpent. He quoted the words of God about obedience, but he put the words as question - ‘Hath God said...’ This immediately causes doubt in God. He then follows it up with a direct contradiction of what God had said would be the result of such disobedience. Now God had a problem. Adam and Eve had believed Satan, although Satan had tricked them. Also it must be remembered that Satan had taken with him a third of the angels in heaven, but that leaves two thirds still in heaven, who would have seen these events. They would be asking perhaps - was God right or was Satan right after all, and had God cast him out of heaven unfairly?
3. How was this dilemma to be resolved fairly, once and for all? God had been |
