“ ‘Two automobiles crashed when one went through a red light, and six people were killed. Why would God not prevent this?
“ ‘Why should the young mother die of cancer and leave her eight children motherless? Why did not the Lord heal her?
“ ‘A little child was drowned; another was run over. Why?
“ ‘A man died one day suddenly of a coronary occlusion as he climbed a stairway. His body was found slumped on the floor. His wife cried out in agony, “Why? Why would the Lord do this to me? Could he not have considered my three little children who still need a father?”
“ ‘A young man died in the mission field and people critically questioned: “Why did not the Lord protect this youth while he was doing proselyting work?” ’ (Spencer W. Kimball, Faith Precedes the Miracle, p. 95.)
“Why do the righteous, those who love and serve God, suffer? In Job 1:8 the Lord called Job a ‘perfect and an upright man.’ Why then did the Lord permit Satan to afflict His righteous servant?
“Who is responsible for man’s troubles? Was it the Lord who directed the plane into the mountainside? Did God cause the highway collision? Was it He who prompted the young child to toddle into the canal or the man to suffer the heart attack? Responding to these questions, President Kimball said:
“ ‘Answer, if you can. I cannot, for though I know God has a major role in our lives, I do not know how much he causes to happen and how much he merely permits. Whatever the answer to this question, there is another I feel sure about.
“ ‘Could the Lord have prevented these tragedies? The answer is, Yes. The Lord is omnipotent, with all power to control our lives, save us pain, prevent all accidents, drive all planes and cars, feed us, protect us, save us from labor, effort, sickness, even from death, if he will. But he will not.’ (Faith Precedes the Miracle, p. 96.)
“The book of Job is a beautiful literary masterpiece that deals with this very question: Why do the righteous suffer? Many lessons are to be learned from the book, but one distinct lesson emerges above all others: after his suffering was ended, Job discovered that the Lord had ‘blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning’ (Job 42:12). See if you can discover through your reading just what blessings Job obtained as a result of his suffering. In what way was his ‘end’ better than his ‘beginning’?”
This is the introduction to the notes and commentary on Job in the church educational system's institute course on the Old Testament. If you wish to read this, please click on this link.
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