My soul clings to you,Your right hand upholds me.
The Problem of Futile Suffering
I listened as an atheist admitted that the most difficult quandary for him in believing in God is the presence of pointless suffering. He could not understand how a perfectly-loving God could allow pointless suffering in the world? He described a scenario of a tree that had fallen on deer in the middle of nowhere. Even though the deer cried out for help, there was no one to rescue the deer. This deer did not die instantly but languished for days before it finally succumbed to its wounds and lack of food and water and died. Because no one was there, no one ever knew what happened, it had no effect on anyone whether good or bad. Nor was it caused by foolishness or evil. It just happened. If you have experienced enough life, you have experienced this kind of futility. It is easier to take hold of the idea that suffering can in some way help us to grow or the fact that God can use evil in this world to produce good. We are easily captivated by the idea that God not only triumphs over evil, but ultimately thwarts the plan of evil for his own purposes, making a complete mockery of evil. After all this is ultimately what we see in the death of Jesus. But what about suffering that occurs where we look at it and it is just utterly futile. Do we tell people, “It is going to be ok”, “It will get better”, or “There is some purpose behind it”. We can try to paint a rosy picture on this kind of suffering, but I do not think that is what we find in scripture. The scripture is honest, yes, there is futility, vanity, and chaos in the world. Ecclesiastes declares, “’Futility of futilities,’ says the Preacher, ‘Futility of futilities! All is futility.” (1:2, NASB). And Paul confirms this, “For the creation was subjected to futility” (Romans 8:20a).
It is not surprising that we perform evil acts. We have rejected God and chosen to do what is right in our own eyes. God does not have the quality of goodness; he is the basis and source of goodness. God is good. So, when humanity rejects and abandons their only source of goodness, that goodness withers away and dies. God has made us in the image of God, but just as a rose on a branch withers away when separated from its source, so we too cannot maintain our goodness apart from God. The moment that branch is cut off it is decaying, and it is cut off from life. You might place it in water, but it does not change the essence of death. When we reject God, we too fall into depravity. The psalmist understood this when he wrote, “You are my Lord; I have nothing good besides You” (16:2, NASB). So, it is not surprising the horror that has resulted from humanity’s rebellion and hatred of God. When you abandon good you have evil. But does this explain why there is futile suffering?
Let us go back to Romans 8:20a and read it in its context,
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. (Romans 8:18–24a, ESV)
Paul is clear that God has subjected creation to futility, but it is a futility with purpose so that the sons of God may be revealed and even creation itself will be restored as humanity is once again in their rightful place as royal priests presiding over creation bringing prosperity to creation. So, why did God subject creation to futility, and how does this accomplish the restoration of mankind?
When Adam rebelled against God by eating the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, he broke the command of God and his covenant. God had made it clear that if he broke the command, “in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:17, ESV). The term, “in the day” refers both to the immediate fall of man, but also refers to the day of judgement when we stand before God’s throne and see him face to face. What we find is that though we experience the former, God postpones the later. Instead of bringing Adam before his throne, God veils himself and keeps his face hidden and then expels Adam and Eve from the Garden, keeping them from his throne. If God had not done this, you and I would not be here today. (For more on this, read here.) When God hid his face from mankind, he also hid his face from creation and this act has significant consequences.
We have noted that when we actively separate ourselves from God in our rebellion, because we have abandoned the only source of good, our hearts become depraved and evil results. Likewise, when God veiled or hid himself in order to save mankind, this absence of the fullness of his glory affected all of creation. Like us, creation requires God’s presence in his fullness to be good. Neither we nor creation work properly without the fullness of God’s presence. So, when God veiled himself chaos, decay, and futility occurred in nature. And so yes, there is futility in this world. But as Paul writes, God did this in hope. In hope he kept Adam and Eve from his face and from his throne room, because he had a plan to save both mankind and creation through the seed of the women, Jesus.
Though we groan inwardly, we have a great hope. And this is our hope, that both we and creation will once again experience the fullness of the presence of God. As the psalmist cries out, “Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved” (Psalm 80:3). It is in seeing God’s face that we are restored. And because of the work and worth of Jesus, those who put their trust in him, will see God’s face. “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully, just as I also have been fully known” (1 Corinthians 13:12, NASB). John describes how we will be healed when we see God’s face, “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is” (John 3:2, NASB). And likewise, creation will be healed when it experiences the fullness of the presence of God. “They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:9, ESV). “No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face,” (Revelation 22: 3-4a). God will not only conquer evil, but he will also conquer futility as well. God is a God that can bring order out of chaos. He is God over all, and he will truly use all things for his glory and for the good of those who love him. It is only an all-powerful, all-knowing, perfectly loving God that can accomplish all this.
On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples
a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine,
of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.
And he will swallow up on this mountain
the covering that is cast over all peoples,
the veil that is spread over all nations.
He will swallow up death forever;
and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces,
and the reproach of his people
he will take away from all the earth,
for the LORD has spoken.
It will be said on that day, “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the LORD; we have waited for him;let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”
(Isaiah 25:6–9, ESV)
Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. (Revelation 21:3-4, ESV)
The LORD bless you and keep you;
the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
(Numbers 6:24–26, ESV) To read the series Hidden God in and evil world, click here.
