Suffering

by Micky Galloway

Many often feel the need to understand human misery and suffering. When we are faced with tragedy or even death we desire to know, “Why me?” What is the basis for life, what is life built upon? Man often measures his life by his achievements, counting as the most important moments of life, the ones that are experienced in success on the mountaintops of glory (cf. Ecclesiastes 2:3ff). Yet, the reality of the valley of suffering is sobering. Is there any good that comes from suffering?

There are some lessons to be learned, which are learned through suffering. There were some lessons that Israel needed to learn that could only be learned and understood in the valley of defeat and suffering, not on the mountain tops of joy and victory. The valley of Ai came quickly after the great victory of Jericho (Joshua 7). God had instructed Israel that Jericho was to be the first fruit of the promised land and that none of the possessions were to be taken by Israel as spoil. “But as for you, only keep yourselves from the devoted thing, lest when ye have devoted it, ye take of the devoted thing; so would ye make the camp of Israel accursed, and trouble it. But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are holy unto Jehovah: they shall come into the treasury of Jehovah” (Joshua 6:18-19). It was there on the mountain top of victory that Israel needed to learn some lessons that could be understood only at Ai and not at Jericho.

Israel had to learn the lesson than man is not sufficient unto himself. Israel had to learn what it is to be without God. In the valley of defeat and suffering at Ai they learned that without God, man is nothing. God said unto Joshua, “Israel hath sinned; yea, they have even transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: yea, they have even taken of the devoted thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also; and they have even put it among their own stuff. Therefore the children of Israel cannot stand before their enemies; they turn their backs before their enemies, because they are become accursed: I will not be with you any more, except ye destroy the devoted thing from among you” (Joshua 7:11-12).

Israel also had to learn the lesson of the folly of materialism. When Achan reported his sin unto Joshua, he said, “Of a truth I have sinned against Jehovah, the God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done: when I saw among the spoil a goodly Babylonish mantle, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it” (Joshua 7:20-21). Think how proud Achan was to wear the beautiful Babylonian garment and see the glitter of the gold, the shimmer of the silver in the privacy of his tent. Now all of Israel stands at the door of his tent as he hears the cry of the widows who lost their husbands in the battle of Ai. “And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the mantle, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them up unto the valley of Achor.” Now Achan hears the words of judgment from Joshua. “Why hast thou troubled us? Jehovah shall trouble thee this day.” Now as all look upon Achan, between him and God there stands one bar of gold, one little pile of silver and one Babylonian garment. How pitiful and worthless these things must have seemed to Achan now. “And all Israel stoned him with stones; and they burned them with fire, and stoned them with stone” (Joshua 7:24-25). Now as Israel picks up the stones against Achan, all of Israel is made to understand the folly of materialism.

God's people have never learned the folly of materialism. People today have not learned what must be put first (Cf. Matthew 6:33. cf. Luke 12:15ff).

There are visions to be seen that are only seen when we suffer. The prophet of old said, “Where there is no vision the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18). In Judges 6, the children of Israel suffer oppression at the hand of the Midianites. “And Israel was brought very low because of Midian; and the children of Israel cried unto Jehovah” (Judges 6:6). In verse 11 Gideon sees a vision. He sees an angel of Jehovah. “Then the angel of Jehovah put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there went up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and the angel of Jehovah departed out of his sight. And Gideon saw that he was the angel of Jehovah; and Gideon said, Alas, O Lord Jehovah! forasmuch as I have seen the angel of Jehovah face to face” (Judges 6:21-22). After Gideon had seen the vision, he understood the power of the Lord. He then ordered over 22,000 men to go home and Gideon went to fight against Midian with 300 men. Gideon saw the power of God in the vision; in the valley of the oppression of the Midianites.

The Apostle John saw a vision while exiled on the isle of Patmos. Here John sees persecution seemingly destroying the infant church. In Revelation 4 John saw a vision of the throne room of God. In Revelation 7, he saw the 144,000 and those who were arrayed in white robes worshiping God. In Revelation 19 he saw the ruling son of God riding on the white horse. Finally, in Revelation 20 John saw the faithful martyrs, ruling and reigning with Christ. Here in the valley of suffering and despair, John saw victory.

We also need to see some visions. No we do not need to see angels or miracles. However, we must see that the majority of people are going to be lost and doomed for hell (Matthew 7:13-14). They are blinded to the glorious gospel (II Corinthians 4:3-4). We must also see that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation. Paul said in Romans 1:16-17, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is revealed a righteousness of God from faith unto faith: as it is written, But the righteous shall live by faith.” Until every one of us can see the vision of the power of God we have need of the valley.

There are strengths to be gained that can only be gained in the valley of suffering. In Judges 13-16 we read the story of Samson. Samson, the world's strongest man, had to learn where true strength really was. Samson's strength was not in his uncut hair, but in his Nazarite vow. Samson had dedicated himself to be separate from the world and to work for God. Samson forgot his vow and gave over to his lust and pride. God departed from him. His eyes were put out by the red hot, searing irons of the Philistines and he was driven by the whip at the grinding stone. Here in the valley of pain and depression think how Samson must have thought, “Where is my strength now?” Finally Samson turns to God. “And Samson called unto Jehovah, and said, O Lord Jehovah, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes. And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house rested, and leaned upon them, the one with his right hand, and the other with his left. And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead that he slew at his death were more than they that he slew in his life” (Judges 16:28-30). He realized that his strength was from God and not from himself or any other man.

Will we learn the true value of suffering in the valley? God's holy will is often seen in ways that we do not appreciate. Learn that true strength comes from God. Learn to see the vision of God through the power of his word.