Nazarene Israelite Two House Congregation of Port Elizabeth

Why does YHVH our Elohim allow humans to suffer?

Most people who believe in YHVH because of His calling find it very easy to believe in Him when everything is going well. However as soon as a disaster strikes we quickly begin to question His existence.  The spiritual condition of society has not been very inspiring since the beginning of the financial troubles in 2009. Because people do not understand why suffering is on the increase, they assume that neither Elohim nor religion provides answers for our problems.

Ever since World War I agnosticism has increased in Europe and the UK, because more than 10 million people died and about 20 million were injured during that conflict. The war of that time caused great damage to Christianity and their belief that G-d was in control, and since then most Europeans have come to believe that faith in Elohim cannot be justified. After the Nazi death camps of World War II there was a surge in the wave of doubt throughout Europe, resulting in the selling of empty churches for use as office space, bookshops and even nightclubs. This wave of doubt became so great that even some in the Jewish community started losing their faith in Elohim. The question is: How do we reconcile suffering and anguish caused by war with the Scriptural description of a loving Elohim? How is it possible that an all loving Elohim allows such terrible miseries to afflict mankind?

The truth is that from the beginning Elohim has given us freedom of choice. He will never force us to do anything that we do not want to do, but will always allow us to choose the way we want to go. However, from the beginning He told our ancient forebears in Israel in Deuteronomy 30: 19, saying: “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants.” What are the advantages and disadvantages of our free will?We need to be mindful that freedom of choice allows for both good and evil outcomes. Truth is that in a world of freedom of choice, some choices predictably lead to damaging consequences, as Rav Shaul explains in Galatians 6: 7 – 10, saying: ‘Do not be deceived, Elohim is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. (8) For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life. (9) And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do no grow weary, (10) So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.’

Many centuries ago YHVH revealed to the prophet Hosea what He is going to do to the house of Israel because of their idolatry, violence and immorality. A few short years later the Assyrian army swept in from the east and slaughtered thousands of the northern kingdom of Israel and enslaved the survivors. Elohim showed Hosea exactly what was going to happen to Israel and also told them through the prophet, the reason why. It was inevitable that the house of Israel’s sins would catch up with them. Elohim has similarly warned us about what will befall us at this time during which we live if we continue in our sin. However, when thousands die in natural disasters, such as tornadoes, earthquakes, and tsunamis we immediately blame Elohim. Yet Elohim told ancient Israel in Leviticus 26: 3 & 4, saying: “If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments so as to carry them out, (4) then I shall give you rains in their season, so that the land will yield its produce and the trees of the field will bear their fruit.”  The decisions made by our father’s in the faith affected not only their own lives, but the lives of their children to the third and the fourth generations of those who hate YHVH. In this way the innocent often suffers because of the sins of others, which is but one of the consequences of bad choices.

By therefore analyzing suffering, we will learn a great deal, by tracing the circumstances back to their cause. We are warned about the long-term consequences of our actions in Proverbs 22: 3, in this way: ‘The prudent sees the evil and hides himself, but the naïve go on, and are punished for it.’ When we consider major causes of suffering in our lives, we often need not look further than ourselves. Rav Shaul accurately described the human condition in Romans 3: 10 – 18, saying: “As it is written, “THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; (11) THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR ELOHIM; (12) ALLHAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.” (13) “THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE, WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING,” “THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS”; (14) “WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS”; (15) “THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD, (16) DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS, (17) AND THE PATH OF PEACE HAVE THEY NOT KNOWN.”(18)“THERE IS NO FEAR OF ELOHIM BEFORE THEIR EYES.”The unfortunate thing is that not all of the suffering, misery and heartache resulting from the bad decisions that we make, come on us alone, but many of the consequences of our choices fall indiscriminately on innocent bystanders, like our children and grand-children. Often timesthose who had nothing to do with our bad choices suffer most from them. In fact Moses confirmed this principle in Numbers 14: 18, saying: ‘YHVH is slow to anger and abundant in loving-kindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations’”The bad choices that mankind made in the past are the cause of most of the suffering we see today.

Even so, the Scriptures reveal the only true and lasting solutions for all human suffering. The reason why Elohim has not put an end to human suffering is not because He lacks control over what human beings do. YHVH our Elohim has a great purpose that He is working out here on earth. But His design requires that He allows people to exercise free will. We have options to make choices that may even oppose His perfect will for us.  It is our free moral agency (our freedom of choice) that provides the answer to understanding why Elohim allows suffering and evil to exist. Mankind’s problem started in the Garden of Eden, where Elohim gave our forefathers a rule regarding the food they were allowed to eat in Genesis 2: 9, in this way: ‘And out of the ground YHVH Elohim caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.’ YHVH gave Adam and Eve a choice of two trees or ways of life. But He did not leave them in the dark regarding these two trees. He explained the consequences of their choices, but even commanded them not to make the wrong choice, as we read from Genesis 2: 16 – 17, as follows: ‘And YHVH Elohim commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; (17) but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die.”’

However, we know that our forebears did not obey YHVH and eventually made the wrong decision, as we read from Genesis 3: 6, in this way: ‘When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.” Despite YHVH Elohim’s warning that man should not eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, He did not stop them from making wrong decisions.  Elohim being the personification of holy righteous character has always chosen what is wise and good. Because His plan for us is to ultimately become like Him, He did not create us as robots. If He did, we could not build the same righteous character that He has. Even though we are made in His image and likeness, Elohim could not from the start create us in His spiritual image. The reason being, that character building requires that we evaluate the choices open to us, taking into account the consequences and then make the best decision. It requires that we choose between right and wrong, watchfulness and carelessness, wisdom and stupidity.

The fortunate thing is that YHVH has provided us with a manual, describing in detail how to live, ensuring that we honor Him as our creator and sustainer, and alsohow to live with our neighbor. But like with Adam and Eve, Satan has deceived most to believe that Elohim’s manual, the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation, but specifically the first five books where He gave Moses His commandments, statutes and judgments to record for all who wish to join themselves to YHVH the Elohim of Israel and serve Him, has been set-aside by Yahshua the Messiah. This was and still is clearly a hoax, whereby Satan has deceived the whole world, since Messiah being the image of the invisible Elohim (part of the very Elohim), has not and will not ever teach people to forsake His Torah, as He aptly taught in John 5: 45 – 47, saying: “Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope. (46) For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote of Me. (47) But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”

If we take time to study the Scriptures we will soon learn what will happen to us if we make the wrong choices. We read for example from Proverbs 22: 8, ‘He who sows iniquity will reap vanity.’  Scriptural record shows that after Elohim commanded mankind what to do and what not to do in His word, He rarely interferes with man’s freedom to make decisions. Yes, He protected Abraham’s wife Sarah, from the immoral intentions of a king, and has at times intervened in human affairs to assist or protect His faithful servants. But in general, Elohim’s purpose functions best by Him giving us freedom to make our own decisions, even if it sometimes causes enormous suffering. Otherwise we will not learn the importance of developing righteous character, nor will we get to know the consequences of sinful behavior. 

Here I want to give two important examples: Even though we as Nazarene/Israelite believers in YHVH are allowed to drink alcoholic beverages, He will never prevent us from drinking too much alcohol. In the same way that YHVH does not take away the freedom of choice of those who do; He also does not prevent them from suffering the consequences of the choices. However, He also warns those who regularly overindulge, but more specifically those of us whom He has called at this time through what Rav Shaul wrote in first Corinthians 6: 9 & 10, saying: ‘Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of Elohim? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, (10) nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of Elohim.’  The reason we know that this is specifically talking about those of us called out of the world, is what Rav Shaul wrote in verse 11, saying: ‘And such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Master Yahshua Messiah, and in the Spirit of our Elohim.’  I am sure this will help some understand why we cannot immerse people who simply live together, before they get legally married. A second example is where people do not ensure that they perform the necessary health laws to prevent diseases from spreading to other human beings, as commanded in Deuteronomy 23: 12 & 13, in this way: “You shall also have a place outside the camp and go out there, (13) and you shall have a spade among your tools, and it shall be when you sit down outside, you shall dig with it and shall turn to cover up your excrement.” If we do not do this, flies will soon land on the feces and spread germs by later landing on the food that you or someone else prepares. These laws are specified in Torah for our good, but it is as a result of disobedience to these laws, that we get sick and sometimes even die.

In addition to giving us His Torah, YHVH also provide those of us with the necessary help through Yahshua as we read from Hebrews 2: 16 – 18, as follows: ‘For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham. (17) Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to Elohim, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. (18) For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.’ Elohim’s ears are also open to the prayers of those who sincerely want to obey His Torah, as David wrote in Psalm 34: 15, saying: ‘The eyes of YHVH are toward the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry.’  Many have wondered; why didn’t Elohimcreate mankind as spirit beings from the beginning? Why did He decide to make us physical, flesh and blood human beings, and then only offer us eternal life if we earnestly resist the weaknesses of the flesh?  If Elohim is omnipotent and can do everything, why did He not create us with a perfect character? Why did He create us to go through this difficult and trying physical life? Was it not possible for Him as our Creator to avoid all human suffering?

But, Elohimdid not want to create us without the personal character that we need for making personal choices. It all has to do with our freedom of choice or the free moral agency that He gave each and every one of us. Elohim Himself had a choice about how He would create mankind. He could if He wanted to create us all to be exactly the same and to respond to Him like robots, whose actions would all be based purely on the instructions of our Maker. But He chose to create us like Him, able to make decisions that are limited only by our knowledge and character. This essentially required that we learn right from wrong and that our characters steadily develop by our decisions under His guidance and teachings contained in His word. As flesh and blood human beings, we need to understand that we are even now Elohim’s workmanship – He is not finished with us. Throughout our lives, He is creating His righteous and holy character in us.As long aswe are alive as physical human beings, our characters are not yet complete. As physical people we can change our minds and behavior based on our experiences. Yes, if we do not regularly study Elohim’s word, the only other way in which we learn, is by our mistakes. Since we can change our minds and behavior, and repent from our wrongdoing, Elohim can change us even more and create in us the will to slowly but surely choose what is right over what is wrong, as Rav Shaul explains in Philippians 2: 12 &13, saying: ‘So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; (13) for it is Elohim who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.’  The main thing that Elohim wants us to do; is to recognize our incorrect behavior and be willing to correct our behavior by allowing His Spirit to empower us to make these changes. It is only then, when we can become ‘a new person’ willing to obey Elohim, and thereby building His righteousness in us.

The Scriptures describe man’s heart as our innermost thoughts, motives and attitudes. Elohim knows what is going on in the minds of each one of us. We see from Hebrews 4: 12, that He evaluates our intents and motives, in this way: ‘For the word of Elohim is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul (the way we live) and spirit (what we think, our intents and purposes), of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.’ YHVH considers what we do in the light of what is in our hearts (or the thought that motivates us), as He says through the prophet Jeremiah in Jeremiah 17: 10, as follows: “I, YHVH, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give to each man according to his ways, according to the results of his deeds.”We see from what the prophet Ezekiel wrote in Ezekiel36: 26 & 27, that Elohim can effect a change in our hearts (the way we think), in this way: “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and will put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. (27) And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.” If we are prepared to give up our will and make His will and way, the way according to which we live, He will empower us through His Set-apart Spirit to live by the principles that He defines in His Torah. It is by studying Elohim’s word that we learn to follow Elohim’s way, as Rav Shaul wrote in 2 Timothy 3: 16 & 17, saying: ‘All Scripture is inspired by Elohim and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; (17) that the man of Elohim may be adequate, equipped for every good work.’Elohim writes what we learn from His word in our hearts, as Rav Shaul further wrote in 2 Corinthians 3: 3, saying: ‘Being manifested that you are a letter of Messiah, cared for by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the Living Elohim, not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of human hearts.’

Elohim allows trials and difficulties in our lives so that He can know how committed we are to His way of life. He has to determine if our character will endure hardship and suffering, to entrust us with the powers that come from eternal life. It is true therefore that we are placed on earth not only to build Elohim’s righteous character, but also that that character be tested. YHVH continually tests our character to ensure that we will ultimately measure up to the Standard that He set for us, in Yahshua our perfect example. YHVH similarly tested ancient Israel as recorded in Deuteronomy 8: 2, as follows: “And you shall remember all the way which YHVH your Elohim has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.”We see further from first Peter 1: 6 & 7, that YHVH test our faithfulness and even our righteousness by various trials, in this way: “In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, (7) that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Yahshua Messiah.”

King David told us in Psalm 11: 5 that even the righteous are tested to see how faithful they remain to Elohim, as follows: ‘YHVH tests the righteous and the wicked, and the one who loves violence His soul hates.’  It is only when we face very difficult decisions that Elohim can see how truly committed we are to Him and His way. Only when we obey under very difficult circumstances accompanied by severe temptation that the depth of our character is made known to Elohim, as Rav Shaul witness in Romans 5: 3 & 4, saying: ‘And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; (4) and perseverance, proven character, and proven character, hope.’  But, we need to always be mindful that Elohim will never allow us to be tested beyond what we can endure, as Rav Shaul witnessed in first Corinthians 10: 13, saying: ‘No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and Elohim is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it.’

One of the greatest mysteries for many believers is why Elohim allows upright people to suffer.  Such believers usually question the benefit of suffering for those who are trying to live according to Elohim’s word. Rav Kepha gives us the answer in the first book of Peter, where he distinguishes between suffering for righteousness (which brings us closer to Elohim) and suffering for mistakes we make.  Even so, it is important to be aware that we need Elohim’s help during both types of suffering. Commencing therefore in first Peter 2: 19 - 21 Rav Kepha wrote: ‘For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward Elohim a man bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. (20) For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with Elohim. (21) For you have been called for this purpose, since Messiah also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps.’ Just prior to His impalement, Yahshua explained to His disciples in John 15: 19 & 20, saying: “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. (20) Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than His master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.”In addition Rav Shaul further tells us in 2 Timothy 3: 12, saying: ‘And indeed, all who desire to live godly in Messiah Yahshua will be persecuted.’

Rav Kepha explains that much of the persecution directed at true believers in Messiah, is directed at Messiah Himself. The life that He now lives in us through the Set-apart Spirit is the real target, as Kepha wrote in first Peter 4: 12 & 13, saying: “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you;(13) but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Messiah, keep on rejoicing; so that also at the revelation of His glory, you may rejoice with exaltation.”  Because sin is a major cause of suffering, a great deal of unnecessary suffering can be avoided by obeying Elohim. It is for this reason that Rav Kepha continued in verses 14 – 16, saying: ‘If you are reviled for the name of Messiah, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of Elohim rests upon you, (15) By no means let any of you suffer as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; (16) but if anyone suffers as a Nazarene (a believer in Messiah), let him not feel ashamed, but in that name let him glorify Elohim.’ Obviously those who ignore this advice suffer as we read from Proverbs 1: 29 – 32, in this way: “Because they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of YHVH. (30) They would not accept my counsel, they spurned all my reproof. (31) So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way, and be satiated with their own devices. (32)For the waywardness of the naïve shall kill them, and the complacency of fools shall destroy them.”

Even though we cause a great deal of our own suffering, Elohim’s preference is that we experience just the opposite. If we believe that Elohim takes pleasure in human suffering, we definitely misunderstand His character completely. In fact He says just the opposite in Ezekiel 33: 11, where He tells Ezekiel: “Say to them, ‘As I live!’ declares YHVH Elohim, ‘I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?’”  In fact YHVH often postpones punishment in the hope that we will repent, as Rav Kepha wrote in 2 Peter 3: 9, saying: ‘YHVH is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.’ YHVH wants everyone that He ever created to achieve salvation in His kingdom, as He inspired Rav Shaul to write in first Timothy 2: 3 & 4, saying: ‘This is good and acceptable in the sight of Elohim our Savior, (4) who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.’  Think about it!