Why Do Innocent People Suffer? (The Spiritual Argument as Presented in Job)

What Does Job Say About Suffering?

Introduction:

It is a fact of life that innocent people suffer. We need to look no further than our own lives. We see it all over the world, but why? Why do people suffer so gruesomely? Well, there is an entire book of the Bible that attempts to deal with this question. In the book of Job, the answer to the question “Why do innocent people suffer?” is complex and will be explored in multiple articles, this being the first.

Spiritual Forces at Work

Firstly, we should note something that the reader is told. This is the spiritual origins of Job’s suffering in the first two chapters of the text. In the first chapter — after Job’s righteousness is established (Job 1:1), we move to a heavenly scene and it is written: “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them,” (Job 1:6 ESV). The Hebrew here for the term “sons of god” is “bene ‘Elohim,” which means “sons of gods” (Heiser 2001, Kee 2007). Ancient cultures also had a similar concept where a council of gods would meet, headed by a high God, like El, for example. John Walton observes,

In Old Testament monotheism this concept is revised but not eliminated. It is true that in biblical theology Yahweh needs no advice or consultants (Isa 40:13–14), but it is prerogative to discuss his plans with others as he wills and to delegate responsibility at his discretion” (2015).

There are other passages where this concept is the most clear, but perhaps none clearer than 1 Kings 22:19–23, where it is written: “I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing beside him … and the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab … And one said one thing, and another said another’’. Here we see God is seated before a group of spiritual beings to ask a question regarding the false prophets. This is further evidence of the divine council theory. So with that being said, this is where Satan comes in.

The Satan figure appears and talks to God. Perhaps the fact that Satan can just walk in and address the Most High could indicate to us that he was, or is, a member of such a class of beings. This is the event that lays the groundwork for the rest of the story to occur. We are told that Satan was going to and fro and up and down on the earth. This is reminiscent of 1 Peter 5:8, where Peter says: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour”. In verse 9, Peter connects the walking about of Satan to the suffering they experienced. There are evident parallels between these two passages, and because of those (as well as how God responds to Satan in verse 8), we can say that this adversary in Job was going around the world looking for someone to accuse or attack. Then God brings Job up, and the devil accuses him and is then allowed to attack (Job 1–2). So the explanation for the suffering of Job is clear to the reader in that it was Satan under the sovereignty of God.

Conclusion

God and spiritual beings can cause suffering in people's lives. God and “a messenger of Satan” torment the Apostle Paul (2 Cor 12:7). God, speaking in Isaiah, states, “I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things” (45:7, NIV). This is a profound but hard truth. Many make arguments to distance God from the suffering, and many of those arguments are biblically based (or at least can be). However, what if a potential theodicy or explanation regarding suffering and evil in the world is that God (or a spiritual being under his authority) caused the suffering? Furthermore, what if God's actions or inactions that cause suffering are justified? Even if we, like Job, do not get told that justification?

Ultimately, the book tells the reader why Job is suffering. The reason is due to spiritual forces. But notice that Job is never told why he is suffering. While the book offers one answer, there is another “answer” to this question we must explore in our next article.

Works Cited:

Heiser, M. (2001). Deuteronomy 32:8 and the Sons of God. Bibliotheca Sacra. https://drmsh.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Heiser-Deuteronomy-32-8-and-the-sons-of-God.pdf 

Dell, J. Katherine (2016). Job, book of. In John D. Barry et al. (Ed.), the Lexham Bible Dictionary. Lexham Press.

Kee, M. S. (2007). "The Heavenly Council and its Type-scene." Journal for The Study of The Old Testament, 31, (259-273)

Kuglar, Rob. (2016) “Job, Book Of, Critical Issues" In John D. Barry et al. (Ed.), the Lexham Bible Dictionary. Lexham Press.

Walton, John H. (2015). Job NIVAC; Zondervan.        

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