God wants us to know Him, and the Bible serves as a vital communication tool for understanding our salvation and developing a personal relationship with Him. Today, we're diving into some of life’s toughest questions, specifically addressing why innocent people suffer and what happens to those who haven’t heard about Jesus. We’ll explore the Book of Job for insights into these complex issues, emphasizing that suffering doesn’t always correlate with one's righteousness. By examining Job's life and the experiences of others in Scripture, we aim to uncover how God’s plan unfolds in ways we might not fully grasp. Whether it’s through trials or the unseen workings of God, our discussion will encourage us to trust in His greater purpose for humanity.

Takeaways:

• God desires for us to know Him deeply through the Bible, which guides us towards salvation and a personal relationship with Him.
• The Book of Job illustrates that suffering is complex and cannot be understood solely through a transactional lens of good behavior leading to rewards.
• Job's story suggests that God is involved in the lives of people beyond what is documented in scripture, emphasizing His grace and reach.
• In times of suffering, it’s important to maintain an eternal perspective and to support others with kindness and understanding rather than judgment.
• We should not assume we know God's plans, especially for those who have never heard of Jesus, as God is capable of revealing Himself in various ways.
• Helping those who suffer requires us to be compassionate, remind them of God’s sovereignty, and encourage them to trust in His ultimate goodness.

Links referenced in this episode:

• bible805.com
• searchforjesus.net

Companies mentioned in this episode:

• Billy Graham Association

Welcome to the Bible 805 podcast.

God wants us to know him, and the Bible is one of the ways he's communicated everything we need for our salvation and a closer, more personal walk with him now and forever.

In this podcast, which comes out every Wednesday morning with supporting materials published by Friday each week on www.bible805.com, I take sometimes difficult samples Bible topics and make them easy to understand and apply. At least that's what my students tell me.

See for yourself as we get started on our topic today, which is

Answers to the Big Questions of Life from Genesis and Job Part three

Here are the questions that we're going to answer in this lesson. What about people who've never heard of Jesus? Why do innocent people suffer? And finally, how can we help people who are suffering?

This is the last of our series on answers to the big questions of life. We've talked about why we're here, how Satan attempts to destroy us but fails when we rely on God to help us.

And finally, we establish the truth that there is life after death. In addition, Jesus himself said that the only way to this life was through him. Which brings us to our next question.

What about people who haven't heard of Jesus? If he's the only way to eternal life? The answer to this question is critically important.

It's also one that worries many and causes others to doubt the fairness of God. Now here's how the Book of Job helps with an answer. It is true that no one gets into heaven without acknowledging and trusting Jesus as Savior.

But as for those who we assume haven't heard, how do we know? That's always a question I ask people. How do we know what God has revealed to them?

Job reminds us that the Bible does not tell us the story of all humanity.

Our Bible is primarily focused on telling us a narrow part of the human story, primarily that of a chosen people, the Jewish people in the land of Israel, whose history leads to the birth of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, and then continues with the church in the New Testament.

The Bible is the story of how God narrows his focus from all humanity to one group who would become the Jewish nation and who will, by their history, show the plan of salvation to the world. What's important to understand about Job is that he isn't part of that story. Job was not part of the chosen people.

He was not a Jew or part of Abraham's line. He lived sometime after the flood, but but before Moses. Yet he offered correct sacrifices and he worshiped the true God.

He was called blameless by God. He lived his life to please God. Job spoke of God as his Redeemer. He believed in an afterlife.

He believed in moral accountability in accord with the standards later revealed explicitly in Scripture. God personally intervened in his life and after his trials restored him.

Though Job's friends made some incorrect accusations and conclusions, it's obvious that all of them also believed in Jehovah God.

But neither Job nor his friends were Jews and nothing else that we know for sure, though there are random speculations that cannot be proven, though we don't really know anything else of their story either before or after this book. But Job isn't our only glimpse of God at work in unexpected places.

We see many little pictures in the Bible of God's saving involvement in the lives of those who are not part of again the chosen people. For example, Jonah was sent to preach to the Assyrians in Nineveh, one of the most cruel pagan nations of the time.

We know many in Nineveh repented in response to one of the shortest sermons ever preached, with one of the worst attitudes, where Jonah simply went around the city shouting for 40 days from now and Nineveh will be destroyed. 40 Days from now and Nineveh will be destroyed. But God used that. Many responded and came to know him.

Then there are stories of Rahab, a woman of ill repute who is part of a nation God said to destroy totally because of their idolatry. Yet she knew about God and his power.

She risked her life to hide the Jewish spies and becomes an ancestor of Jesus Naaman, the commander of the armies of the king of Aram, people who were enemies and oppressors of Israel.

His household servant, a captured slave, persuaded him to go to Israel for healing, which he did and in the process acknowledged a trust in the true God.

I think it's reasonable to believe from the stories of Job, Rahab and Naaman that God was at work in the lives of many in Old Testament times that we know absolutely nothing about in the New Testament.

And today we have no idea what happened to the many thousands, as the Book of Acts says, came from every nation under heaven who heard the story of Jesus at Pentecost that Peter preached after Jesus resurrection and ascension into heaven, who then went home to share the message.

We read the story later in Acts of the Ethiopian eunuch who the apostle Philip found reading the book of Isaiah and whose heart was open to the Gospel and who responded the by being baptized and then returned to Ethiopia. Today we hear many stories of Jesus appearing in dreams to Muslims whose faith prepares them for visions.

Also, we hear reports from missionaries who go to isolated people who somehow know about Jesus, a son of God who is a savior, though he may have a different name. I imagine there are many more stories we won't hear until we rejoice over them in heaven.

But Job is gives us a glimpse and assurance that God is involved in much we cannot see. In conclusion, the answer to the question what about people who haven't heard about Jesus as the only way to eternal life? The answer is twofold.

First, how do you know about those you have no contact with? Trust God for them and yet we are not without responsibility.

Pray for and support missionaries, go on short term mission trips or consider online evangelism a great resource. I cannot emphasize this enough and listen carefully. It's very simple to get to.

It's just searchforjesus.net again searchforjesus.net this is organized by the Billy Graham association and it is an online ministry where you can share your faith, you can answer questions, you can interact with people from all over the world who contact the Graham organization via one of their many, many outreaches they do online. It is a fantastic thing that you can do if you do have a heart.

For those who don't know Jesus, check out searchforjesus.net and then second, for those that you do know, tell them there are many ways to do that today personally, through social media. Invite them to a group. Bible 805 has podcasts and videos about what it means to become a Christian.

Check out the story of the Bible is good News, the good news of salvation in Jesus, and pass it on. The program Christianity Explored is great for a group experience to share. Jesus and I highly recommend it.

Now let's narrow down to the focus of why most people actually look at the Book of Job, and that's to answer question number five, why do innocent people suffer? And the implied question of course is why am I suffering? And then how can we help people who are suffering?

Now we'll look at how the Book of Job helps answer these questions. First, let's see if Job fits the description of an innocent person suffering in chapter one of Job. God said Job was blameless.

That's a pretty high recommendation. Looking at Job's life as recorded in the rest of the book tells us what God considers a blameless life to be.

I would encourage you to look at chapters 23, 29 and 31 for specifics on what made him blameless before God. But in summary, Job did these things. He treasured God's words. He helped the poor. He counseled others. He wept for those in need. He was sexually pure.

He was just to the least. He did not trust in money, did not rejoice over his enemy's misfortune. He was a host to strangers. He did not conceal his sin.

In summary, he put into practice Micah 6, 8 and that he did justly. He he loved mercy and kindness, and he walked humbly with his God. God's requirements don't change.

Personal godliness and caring for the less fortunate and the stranger are always important. These are the things that define a blameless person.

Job certainly fit into the category of an innocent suffering person, as many people do who suffer today. If Job did what God wanted though, the big question in the book and that people ask is why didn't God continue to bless him?

According to Job's friends, obviously Job quit obeying God and so he was punished. Is that right? Wrong. We need to understand, and this is one of the most important lessons in the book of Job.

So please listen carefully for the next few minutes. We need to understand how wrong this thinking is.

Because this idea that if you do something and then God will automatically do something is what we often hear today, but it is incorrect. That is a transactional view of our relationship with God. God does not act that way. Let me explain this in more detail.

This view often comes up in what are so called health and wealth and name it and claim it teachings. It often is often proof texted, which means you just pull a verse out of the context to prove something's in the Bible by verses in Job.

Pulling verses out of context to make them support a non biblical teaching is a huge problem, particularly today when many people don't read the entire Bible as they should, let alone the context of a book or passage. Now let's look at the context of the book of Job. We know in Job that what he was suffering was instigated by Satan. God tells us that.

So we know that the reason for some suffering is because of spiritual warfare we don't see yet. We struggle to explain it in human terms. And the recorded arguments from Job's friends echo our concerns. Why are they in the Bible?

What are we supposed to learn from them? Well, hang in there. Now the answer is a little bit complicated.

But to understand this, to understand the problem with the answers of Job's friends, you need to read the whole book as you do any book. Because it sometimes isn't until the end that all the pieces fit together.

This is especially true in a book like Job, because Job is part of what is called wisdom literature.

When reading wisdom literature, you must read all the book, the entire book, beginning to end, carefully to understand the argument and then the all important conclusion at the end of the book.

The book of Ecclesiastes is similar in that after many chapters of confused thinking, it ends with Solomon saying, the conclusion of the matter is this. Fear God and keep his command. Obviously Solomon did not do that.

And though he had every earthly thing, he had forfeited a life of peaceful obedience to God. Now let's get back to Job. Here's the conclusion you need to keep in mind at the end of the book of job.

In job 42 7, it says, after the Lord had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, kind of the ringleader of his friends, I am angry with you and your two friends because you have not spoken the truth about me as my servant Job has.

Now you must keep this in mind when you read their statements and the arguments of Job's friends, because their statements sound so good, so sensible. But God's summary of their arguments is that they were not true. You must read their comments with this in mind.

This is so important because the arguments from Job's friends are the same ones people use today when someone is suffering. When you hear them, remember God said they are false. Now here's an example of one of them, something that sounds so good but is very wrong.

This is a typical statement from Job's friends. One of them says, submit to God and be at peace with Him. In this way, prosperity will come to you.

Accept instruction from his mouth and lay up his words in your heart. If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored.

If you remove wickedness from your tent, you will pray to him and he will hear you and you will fulfill your vows. What you decide on will be done and light will shine on your ways.

You may want to nod in agreement until you remember that God said their words as taken, taken as a whole, and their conclusions were not true. What's wrong with them? Shouldn't we submit to God, be at peace with him, return to Him? Yes, of course we should. Then that isn't the problem.

Part of what they said was correct, but their conclusion is what was wrong. The problem is that by doing what we're supposed to do, humans do not obligate God to respond in the way a human thinks God should.

Again, this view of suffering and reward is an incorrect transactional view of humanity's relationship to God. Without thinking, this is how Many people believe God acts today in part because it's promoted by some teachers, writers and even churches.

But it's wrong and ultimately disappointing because it doesn't work and because it isn't true to how God truly works. Job's friends believed Job sinned and he deserved to be punished. If he quit sinning, everything would work out well.

They believed evil is punished and good is rewarded by prosperity. All on a continuous basis in this life. Submit to God and be at peace with Him. In this way, prosperity will come to you.

Accept instruction from his mouth, lay up his words in your heart. If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored. God did not validate this belief then, and he doesn't today. This is prosperity gospel preaching.

If you do this, God will do that. No, that's not how it works. We do not obligate God to do anything for us because we obey Him. He is our Creator and God.

We owe him our obedience regardless of what he does for us. But this wasn't a popular view then, and it isn't now. Much more is going on than we can see.

We're not guaranteed simple answers to the trials and troubles of this life.

The answer as to why things happen is not a baptized version of karma, not a transactional view of God, where if we do certain things, God will respond in a certain way. God is not a genie under our control. If we're honest, we don't like this, we scream. It isn't fair because we want to be in control.

We want to control God by our actions. We want to think that if we do this, he's supposed to do that. We want him to as our puppet. But it simply doesn't work out that way.

It didn't for Job, and it won't for us. Ultimately, we have no idea why there is a suffering in a particular situation, though Job again shows us there's much more going on.

Let's look at some of the different areas. Remember, spiritual warfare is a reality.

Ephesians 6 tells us that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Somehow we're part of it. Somehow the troubles of this world are part of it.

And the part that we know, and the part of it we know is that in our trials we are being watched by God and angels and demons. What we do in our lives and trials matters perhaps far more than we can imagine.

And in this life we'll probably know nothing about that aspect of it, though sometimes we might get a sense of it. As you read in the end of the Book of Job, God never answered his questions.

He never knew from an earthly view what happened in heaven that caused his trials. With that in mind, let's go to our next observation. Sometimes it is only through trials or pruning that we can grow in our Christian lives.

The psalmist says, before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now I obey your word. John 15 it tells us that Jesus is a true vine and those branches of believers that abide in him and bear fruit will be pruned back.

Let me be pruned that I may grow rather than be cut up to burn. All who know Christ will suffer. I can't think of a single Bible character who was used by God in a significant way that had an easy life.

Not that we want to intentionally punish ourselves, but I think CS Lewis has some great advice here and I don't think it only applies to this particular example that I'm going to give you where C.S. Lewis said, and I've used this in other lessons does it pinch?

When he was asked about how much people should give, his answer was along the lines of if our expenditures, our lifestyle, our indulgences are the same as those of our economic peers, we may want to consider our lives. He summed it up by saying that to him the correct amount to give was something that ought to pinch.

I think that's excellent advice for all areas of life. If our giving our service to the Lord and others does not pinch in some way, we might want to spend some time in self evaluation.

We ought not to expect a life lived as Jesus disciple to not cost us in some way. So don't be surprised when the trials come when pruning is part of your life, when it begins to pinch.

A world class athlete goes through very strict training and self denial. A couch potato eats what he wants, does what he wants. God is in the process of forming you as his eternal disciple.

You have no idea of how he might want to use you or what glorious tasks he is preparing you to do.

Live your life so that God can say of you as he did of Job, have you seen my servant Bill or Emily or whoever you are and use you as an example to Satan because you're doing all you know how to do to please your God and grow in your relationship to him and you aren't selfish about it as Job wasn't The needs of our world are immense. The challenges is to determine before the Lord what He wants you to do to give of yourself and your resources to meet those needs.

Part of that might be taking time to help those who are hurting. Which leads to our final question. How can we help people who are suffering and maybe ourselves included?

Share what I previously talked about One of the best things you can give a suffering friend is the truth that the Christian life is not a transactional exercise of be good and get goodies, be bad and get smacked. Share instead an eternal perspective that God is in control and will work in out all things one day.

That might not always help in the moment, but it is a core truth. People come back to it when nothing else makes sense. Don't be a miserable counselor or one who condemns or judges.

We never know why or what God is doing in another's life. The person suffering may be greatly honored by God with this trial. Not punished, not chastened, not condemned, honored.

Even if they are going through a time of discipline, let God do it. Don't pile on. Don't shoot the wounded. Follow Job's advice here to the one in despair.

Kindness should come from his friend, even if he forsakes the fear of the Almighty. Be kind and pray for others, for strength and wisdom and trust in God.

Remind them and yourself that just because God is in control does not mean it will get better. In this life. The ultimate healing and blessing are guaranteed. Timing is not we will be healed and blessed. Maybe on this earth, maybe not.

It did get better for Job and for Joseph. It didn't get better for Jeremiah or the Apostle Paul or for many of the unnamed heroes of the faith in Hebrews 11.

And it didn't get better for Jesus. It didn't get better for Moses from an earthly point of view.

After 40 years of exile, after answering God's call to lead Israel out of Egypt, he spent 40 years babysitting a quarreling, unthankful, constantly complaining group of people. Then he doesn't get to grow into the promised land because he loses his temper. I think God gave him the story of Job ahead of time as a comfort.

In all of this advice on what to do in the midst of trials, do not wait until anything for the pain to go away, for things to get better, for more money, help, whatever. Before you give thanks not for, but in all circumstances make it a discipline.

Affirm you, serve a Good God, affirm it out loud if you need to give up a sin. Sometimes we aren't aware of what's wrong until trials come. Evaluate and then take action.

And then in First Peter, just a great message here on suffering, he says, think of your sufferings as a weaning from that old sinful habit of always expecting to get your own way. Then you'll be able to live out your days free to pursue what God wants instead of being tyrannized by what you want.

Everything in the world is about to be wrapped up, so take nothing for granted. Stay wide awake in prayer. Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it.

Sometimes it takes a smack on the head to get us to pay attention to what is truly important, and trials can do that. Pray for wisdom on how to respond in a trial. Take the advice of this verse in James where it says, consider a pure joy.

My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. And let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

We need wisdom in the midst of trials, so ask for it with these questions for yourself and use the same questions already discussed in how to help another person going through trials. So spend some time with the Lord asking these questions. Am I doing something wrong? If nothing is revealed, ask for peace.

What do you want me to change, Lord? When it's clear, obey. What have I missed in this situation? In making this decision or taking this course of action, Hurry is seldom the answer.

And sometimes what are you protecting me from? Just help me to see it and be thankful for it. From boyfriends to business opportunities, God always knows what's best.

What might seem like a trial can be a blessing if we wait and ask for insight. Study the Bible. Get a correct, true view of how God works.

You will only learn the truth of how God works from reading the entire Bible and learning it well, thinking about and intentionally developing your relationship with the Lord. Don't just act from hearsay about God. Observe in the Bible how others lived in trying times.

You'll see great stories about Joseph's life, David's and many other Old Testament characters.

As you go through the Bible, study the whole Bible so you don't have false expectations but true hope as you come to see God's long term plans for his people. One more suggestion. If you're the one hurting, don't give up.

When hard times come, don't confirm Satan's accusations that you only serve God when things are going well. Acknowledge that God is good, faithful and in control, even if that's difficult to see.

Now shake your fist and scream at the heavens that you believe and trust God. Maybe through tears or pain.

Let the hosts of heaven know and I can't tell you how many times I've done that where I literally shake my fist and scream at the heavens. I serve a good God and I trust him and quietly and in faith. Continue to trust God and put one foot in front of the other each day.

In closing, let's review what we learned from Job in answering the big questions of life. Question number one how did we get here?

God created us and all there is what messed things up humanity in turning away from God, believing Satan rather than God? Who is Satan and what power does he have?

Satan is a created being under God's control but for now causing pain and suffering, constantly accusing believers Question 3 Is there life after death? Yes, it is clearly taught from Job to Genesis to Revelation. Please see the additional lesson Life after Death for more.

Question 4 what about people who've never heard of Jesus? We don't know what they've heard, but we do know that God is at work in many ways. We know nothing about Tell who we can pray for all.

Question number five why do innocent people suffer? Many reasons we don't understand, but we know all suffering is under God's control and no suffering for a believer in Jesus will last forever.

Question number six how can we help people who are suffering? Be kind, be honest. Encourage them to develop an eternal, not transactional view of how God works.

Concluding thoughts that underscore our key teachings it's incredibly important for us as it was for Moses to understand these truths as we go through the Bible and life. I think Moses needed Job's story before he could serve for the 40 plus years in the situation that he did. We need them to live what is ahead of us.

We live in a tremendously difficult time now and chances are there will be even more challenging trials ahead. God does not interact with us on a transactional basis of if we do this, he'll do that.

He is not guaranteed to do what we want him to do when we want him to do it. God will do as he chooses, even if that involves temporary suffering and temporary might mean the rest of your life.

But remember in light of eternity, what a tiny time it is. Spiritual warfare is a reality that is pervasive, unrelenting, and somehow involves us.

Though God is always in control, God's will for us and what happens to us goes beyond this life, and his plans for us are good. We may not get a personal vision of God as Job did. We see him in His Word.

And in His Word he promises that all things work for the good of those who love him, who've been called according to his purpose, that he will wipe every tear from our eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

And surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Keep in mind the lessons of Job, the long view of the trials, and be assured that at the end of it all, with joy complete, we will have all our questions answered, our hearts will be at peace, and we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. That's all for now.

Please check out the show notes, a complete downloadable transcript, graph expansion and related materials at WWDC until next time, I'm Yvonne Pryn, your fellow pilgrim, writer and teacher for Jesus, and I'd like to close with this benediction.

May you know the invitation of God to move from confusion to clarity, from wandering to rest, from loneliness to knowing you are loved, from turmoil to peace, from wherever you are in your spiritual journey to a growing knowledge of God's Word and in your personal relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.