I’m
not sure how or why this happened, but somewhere along the way someone told us
that if we became Christians we would live a carefree, happy, popcorn and
cotton candy life. Somehow everything we
touched would be wonderful, everyone we prayed for would get healed, and life
would be full of smiles. Sadly, that is
not what we get when we sign on as followers of Christ. While we may have joy and peace on the inside,
we are constantly waging war on the outside. Instead of crying about hardships,
we can glory in the sufferings. I know,
this is a paradigm shift for our thinking and behavior. The unbeliever has it
worse; they fight and war with no inner joy or peace. There is a benefit to
suffering. We have previously looked at our citizenship now being in the
Kingdom of God. That alone is an act of
treason to the god of this age. We have also looked at how much we are loved
which in the mind of an immature believer, seems to contradict the idea of
suffering, yet it does not. The Father
sent His only begotten Son for us, throwing us a life line in this cesspool we
live in. However we live here in this
dirty, filthy, spiritually unclean place, until Jesus calls us from the clouds
or until our bodies fail and pass. We
are not our body but instead we are spirit beings who, while on earth, learn to
have authority over our soul. Our
soulish nature cries out over ever infraction or wrong done against us, but our
spirit is above that. This is how we
learn to endure suffering.
To
wrap up the book of Hebrews, we have to take this subject of “The Great Cloud of
Witnesses” and look at it closely. There
are people who went before us who suffered in life, and for their faith; and we
can learn from their examples. These
examples will help us gain a fuller perspective and be able to war against the
misinformation that as Christians life
should be easy. Typically we hear
people ask what they are doing wrong, and while there may be issues that let
demons into ones’ life, many times we could instead ask what are we doing
right, because we are subdued when we live correctly more so than when we live
wrongly.
Heb
11:1-3 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things
not seen.2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.3 Through faith we
understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which
are seen were not made of things which do appear.KJV
Faith
is a substance - a tangible reality within us - and it is the basis of what we
are looking ahead to, or what we hope for.
Faith is our trust and confidence that God will fulfill what we’ve been
promised. The elders received a good
report card for their faith. The question of “when” truly comes down to
timing. When will these things be
fulfilled? When will Jesus call from the clouds, when will we get to reign with
Jesus? When will there be a new heaven
and earth? All the patriarchs of our
faith knew there would be a new city one day, but they didn’t know when, and died
before these things took place.
Heb
11:13-16 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having
seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and
confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.14 For they that
say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.15 And truly, if they
had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had
opportunity to have returned.16 But now they desire a better country, that is,
an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath
prepared for them a city.KJV
I
am reminded during election time in the United States that we are not living
“heaven on earth”. The patriarchs sought
a better place to live. The country they left was not a better place than where
they were. They could have gone back to where they had come from, but instead they
looked for a heavenly country, and a city that would be prepared by God. When the Northern Kingdom came under evil
rulership many Israelites left; some went south, to the Southern Kingdom, and
some went to other continents altogether. Even at the exodus, some left and did
not wander in the wilderness forty years.
Many from the tribe of Dan went to Greece, Spain, and eventually onto
the British Isles. We see in Judges,
more people from Dan went out in ships.
Later people went into captivity, and then eventually when those
kingdoms fell, went to other places. Yet
in all these moving and wanderings, there was still a better place people were
aspiring to.
Heb
11:36-40 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover
of bonds and imprisonment:37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were
tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and
goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;38 (Of whom the world was not
worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of
the earth.39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith,
received not the promise:40 God having provided some better thing for us, that
they without us should not be made perfect.KJV
Our
witnesses suffered, waiting for the promise.
I think every generation believes it to be the generation where Jesus
will return, as we see how evil the world continues to become. But while we are here on earth, since the day
of Pentecost, we’ve been adopted. We have changed our citizenship and now have
become heirs in the new place being prepared for us. There seems to be something that we don’t
want to recognize however, while here on earth, we will suffer.
Rom
8:15-19 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye
have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.16 The
Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of
God:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ;
if so be that we suffer [4841] with him, that we may be also glorified
together.18 For I reckon that the sufferings [3804] of this present time are not worthy to be
compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.19 For the earnest
expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of
God.KJV
If
we are going to share in His glory we have to share in His suffering. Not all of it at once, but a bit at a
time. Let’s read this in the New Living
Translation for a better understanding.
Rom
8:15-19 So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves.
Instead, you received God's Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now
we call him, "Abba, Father." 16 For his Spirit joins with our spirit
to affirm that we are God's children. 17 And since we are his children, we are
his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God's glory. But if we
are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.18 Yet what we suffer
now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. 19 For all
creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his
children really are. Holy Bible, New Living Translation ®, copyright © 1996,
2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House
Publishers. All rights reserved.
All
of creation waits for the day that God will reveal His adopted children. Jesus warned us of being hated and told his
disciples ahead of time.
John
15:17-19 These things I command you, that ye love one another.18 If the world
hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.19 If ye were of the
world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I
have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.KJV
Jesus
goes on to say something very important, that those who hate him also hate the
Father.
John
15:23-24 He that hateth me hateth my Father also.24 If I had not done among
them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have
they both seen and hated both me and my Father.KJV
There
are those who seemed to profess loving the Father, but hating Jesus, they were
the biggest persecutors of early Christianity. They were haters of the Father
because they didn’t love God’s only begotten Son. Don’t be fooled, if someone
doesn’t love Jesus, they do not love the Father. No matter what any religion teaches, one must
not hate Jesus or they are haters of the Father too. Subsequently, we will be hated as well. At
least we are in good company.
2
Tim 2:11-13 It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also
live with him:12 If we suffer [5278], we shall also reign with him: if we deny
him, he also will deny us:KJV
If
we suffer, we will reign with him. What
that scripture tells us is that if we never suffer we will not reign. This is an interesting point. If we never suffer, it does not mean we are
not saved. The requirement for reigning with Christ is suffering. The question we should ask ourselves is do we
want to reign with Christ? Then we can clearly see the purpose for suffering,
the purpose is so that we can reign.
Paul goes on in Timothy.
2
Tim 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer [1377] persecution.KJV
We
might as well be resolved; if we live Godly, we will be persecuted. If we go back to remembering the parable of
the vineyard workers in Matthew 20, each was given a denarius but some suffered
a long day in the heat and some did not.
While all got equal “pay”, only those who suffered get to reign. Not all are equal in the millennial
kingdom. Some will reign with Christ,
and some will not. Many may get to be in the millennial kingdom, but our works
will be tried. Not all works will withstand the fire; if we have suffered, we
will be allowed to reign with Christ.
One
area that we can all relate to is our employment. I’m sure everyone’s had incredible stories of
bad bosses with personality disorders, who make us miserable. We all have a “master”, which is the way the
world works. It is one of those areas we
are susceptible to suffering. From the New Living Translation we see that we may
have a good master or a bad one.
1
Peter 2:18-25 You who are slaves must accept the authority of your masters with
all respect. Do what they tell you—not only if they are kind and reasonable,
but even if they are cruel. 19 For God is pleased with you when you do what you
know is right and patiently endure unfair treatment. 20 Of course, you get no
credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong. But if you suffer [3958]
for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you.21 For God
called you to do good, even if it means suffering [3958], just as Christ
suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.
22 He never sinned, nor
ever deceived anyone. 23 He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor
threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who
always judges fairly.24 He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross
so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are
healed.25 Once you were like sheep who wandered away. But now you have turned
to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls.
Holy
Bible, New Living Translation ®, copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable
Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.
The
key here is to endure suffering patiently.
That is hard. I think most times
we want to react, but many times that is the manipulation tactic of the evil
one, working through a bad boss. Then that bad boss will point to the victim as
being unstable. Witchcraft is all twisting and spinning, but if we endure
patiently God will be pleased with us.
1
Peter 3:14-17 But and if ye suffer [3958] for righteousness' sake, happy are
ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;15 But sanctify the
Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man
that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:16
Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of
evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in
Christ.17 For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer [3958] for
well doing, than for evil doing.KJV
Who
has not been spoken of badly by others? One day they will be ashamed because
they will stand before God. There are
not many people who would say they are happy about this kind of suffering, yet it
is better to suffer for well doing. We
are also going to suffer just for being a Christian.
1
Peter 4:14-19 If ye be reproached for
the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth
upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is
glorified.15 But let none of you suffer [3958]as a murderer, or as a thief, or
as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.16 Yet if any man
suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this
behalf.17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God:
and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the
gospel of God?18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the
ungodly and the sinner appear?19 Wherefore let them that suffer [3958] according
to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as
unto a faithful Creator.KJV
Judgment
starts with the house of God. Can we
endure to the end? Really, the righteous
are scarcely saved. We have some work to do learning how to patiently endure. But
we have to endure, or suffer until the end. When is the end? The end will be
either when our bodies finally fail or the gospel of the kingdom has been
preached all over the world.
Matt
24:11-14 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.12 And
because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.13 But he that
shall endure [5278] unto the end, the same shall be saved.14 And this gospel of
the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations;
and then shall the end come.KJV
James
5:10-11 For examples of patience in suffering [2552], dear brothers and
sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 We give
great honor to those who endure [5278] under suffering [5278]. For instance,
you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how the Lord was kind
to him at the end, for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy. Holy Bible,
New Living Translation ®, copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.
While
there may be a deeper story involved with Job that we are not aware of from the
biblical account, we should understand that Job endured a great deal and was
restored. While enduring his tremendous
trial, Job never cursed God. He never
blamed God nor did he turn his back from God, even though he had never spoken
with or heard from God until this time.
James
5:10-11 Take the old prophets as your mentors. They put up with anything, went
through everything, and never once quit, all the time honoring God. 11 What a
gift life is to those who stay the course! You've heard, of course, of Job's
staying power, and you know how God brought it all together for him at the end.
That's because God cares, cares right down to the last detail. (from THE
MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All
rights reserved.)
As
we have seen previously, when satan has a chance to accuse us of something, he
may accuse us with our own words. As we
saw in the conversation with Isaac and Ishmael, satan used that conversation to
accuse Abraham and Isaac before God. God
allowed satan to use Isaac’s own words, and use him as a sacrifice offering
until stopped by the Angel of the Lord.
While Job was a righteous man in all his ways, he was also an officer to
the king of Egypt. This is a diplomatic position. Not unlike our diplomats and politicians
today. Similarly, in modern day diplomacy, people make decisions that may cause
others to die, as we recently saw in Libya at the American Embassy. Here is
where we have to look at Job as simply human.
In the following story, we see three men who come up later in the bible,
one is Job, one is Jethro/Reuel, and the other is Balaam. All three of these men knew God and
worshipped God during the time period before the law, like Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob. These men were not unfamiliar with worshipping God, but only one looked
at the king’s dilemma and told the king to let the Israelites go back to
Canaan, the land of their fathers. That
was Jethro. Job and Balaam both took the
side of the king in this matter, and suggested ways to get rid of the children
of Jacob.
Jasher
66:15 And an officer, one
of the king's counsellors, whose name was Job, from Mesopotamia, in the land of
Uz, answered the king, saying, 16 If it please the king, let him hear the
counsel of his servant; and the king said unto him, Speak. 17 And Job spoke
before the king, the princes, and before all the elders of Egypt, saying, 18
Behold the counsel of the king which he advised formerly respecting the labor
of the children of Israel is very good, and you must not remove from them that
labor forever. 19 But this is the advice counselled by which you may lessen
them, if it seems good to the king to afflict them. 20 Behold we have feared
war for a long time, and we said, When Israel becomes fruitful in the land,
they will drive us from the land if a war should take place. 21 If it please the
king, let a royal decree go forth, and let it be written in the laws of Egypt
which shall not be revoked, that every male child born to the Israelites, his
blood shall be spilled upon the ground. 22And by your doing this, when all the
male children of Israel shall have died, the evil of their wars will cease; let
the king do so and send for all the Hebrew midwives and order them in this
matter to execute it; so the thing pleased the king and the princes, and the
king did according to the word of Job.
When a worshipper of the
Living God makes a suggestion to his superiors to harm God’s people, it is the type
of attack that satan will use to harm him.
Maybe Job got some bad information, or could only see the situation from
the point of view of the King. Therefore, especially in business dealings,
Christians should watch what they say and do as it will probably be done to
them. While Job’s plan did not work out, because the midwives feared God, Job
lost all his children. When this did not
work to keep the Israelites from increasing, the king under duress had a bad
dream, and called the counselors and officers again.
Jasher 67:23And Balaam
answered the king, saying, Send now and call thy two counsellors, and we will
see what their advice is upon this matter and afterward thy servant will speak.
24 And the king sent and called his two counsellors Reuel the Midianite and Job
the Uzite, and they came and sat before the king. 25 And the king said to them,
Behold you have both heard the dream which I have dreamed, and the
interpretation thereof; now therefore give counsel and know and see what is to
be done to the children of Israel, whereby we may prevail over them, before
their evil shall spring up against us. 26 And Reuel the Midianite answered the
king and said, May the king live, may the king live forever. 27 If it seem good
to the king, let him desist from the Hebrews and leave them, and let him not
stretch forth his hand against them. 28 For these are they whom the Lord chose
in days of old, and took as the lot of his inheritance from amongst all the
nations of the earth and the kings of the earth; and who is there that
stretched his hand against them with impunity, of whom their God was not
avenged?
Reuel gives a long
discourse about these children of Jacob, and says it is not a good idea to come
against them. Reuel is also known as
Jethro, which may be his title, meaning Excellency. Reuel is a descendant of
Abraham from the line of Keturah, from one of Abraham’s other six sons. Abraham and Keturah’s sons all went south as
instructed by Abraham. Reuel was a Midianite which is where Moses went when he
was in exile. Reuel later becomes Moses’
father-in-law, and gives Moses advice. Reuel gives a history of Abraham going
to Egypt through the time of God sending Jacob there to dwell. Then Reuel says the king should just let them
go to Canaan.
Jasher 67:40 Now therefore if it seem good in
thine eyes, cease from destroying the children of Israel, but if it be not thy
will that they shall dwell in Egypt, send them forth from here, that they may
go to the land of Canaan, the land where their ancestors sojourned.
If the king would have
simply listened to Reuel, he would have saved everyone a lot of trouble,
including himself. Job is then asked for
an opinion, but instead of giving one this time, he doesn’t say anything. We may presume that in the time between the
last opinion Job gave and this incident, Job may have lost everything he had
and was now humbled.
Jasher 67:41 And when
Pharaoh heard the words of Jethro he was very angry with him, so that he rose
with shame from the king's presence, and went to Midian, his land, and took
Joseph's stick with him. 42 And the king said to Job the Uzite, What sayest
thou Job, and what is thy advice respecting the Hebrews? 43 So Job said to the
king, Behold all the inhabitants of the land are in thy power, let the king do
as it seems good in his eyes. 44 And the king said unto Balaam, What dost thou
say, Balaam, speak thy word that we may hear it. 45 And Balaam said to the
king, Of all that the king has counselled against the Hebrews will they be
delivered, and the king will not be able to prevail over them with any counsel.
46 For if thou thinkest to lessen them by the flaming fire, thou canst not
prevail over them, for surely their God delivered Abraham their father from Ur
of the Chaldeans; and if thou thinkest to destroy them with a sword, surely
Isaac their father was delivered from it, and a ram was placed in his stead. 47
And if with hard and rigorous labor thou thinkest to lessen them, thou wilt not
prevail even in this, for their father Jacob served Laban in all manner of hard
work, and prospered. 48 Now therefore, O King, hear my words, for this is the
counsel which is counselled against them, by which thou wilt prevail over them,
and from which thou shouldst not depart. 49 If it please the king let him order
all their children which shall be born from this day forward, to be thrown into
the water, for by this canst thou wipe away their name, for none of them, nor
of their fathers, were tried in this manner. 50 And the king heard the words of
Balaam, and the thing pleased the king and the princes, and the king did
according to the word of Balaam.
Balaam even though he is
quite obnoxious against the children of Jacob, and a thorn in Moses’ side, he
is speaking the truth here. Remember Abraham was thrown into the fire in Ur by
Nimrod, and Isaac was delivered from the sword. Jacob worked hard for Laban and still
prospered which indicates that whatever oppresses us may in fact make us
better. So far it would seem the king of
Egypt could not come against the children of Jacob with these things, so
instead Balaam suggested he try water.
It is funny now to look back and see that water is what satan used
against Moses as he was floating on the water and saved. Then the children
walked across the red sea on dry ground, but just at the right time water came
back and killed the Egyptians. It does not seem like coincidence that the
destruction planned for Jacob’s children befell Job and the King.
We see in Job the age
old question, “what did I do wrong”. Job was never given an answer as to what
he did wrong. Maybe at that time, Egypt’s persecution was necessary against the
children of Jacob to make them rise up and want to leave. God never holds Job’s advice to the King in
remembrance, which may indicate that Job only had half the facts and did not
know who Jacob’s children were. Reuel knew Jacob’s children as they were
related as descendants of Abraham. Nevertheless Balaam continued to be an
annoyance to the sons of Jacob. Jethro
prospered, and Job was restored.
Job
1:1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was
perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.KJV
Whether
or not it was a good idea to suggest killing the male babies, God recorded Job
as a man perfect and upright;fearing
God, and hating evil. Sometimes from our
limited perspective, we cannot understand what is happening in the world
today. We see world news events and
wonder what is going on. Books written
about how God is going to beat up America seem to give a different perspective
than the Bible. Let’s not make ourselves
the center of the universe; Israel is. If
we support Israel, we will do well; if not, we will suffer. If our leaders support Israel we will be
fine, if our leaders do not support Israel, we may wish to duck and take
cover. Any organization that is
anti-Semitic is one we should stay away from. While God had a refining process
in store for the children of Jacob, so that they would learn about Him, and
learn to trust Him, we are not the ones to decide those terms. Being that satan is not original, it would be
better not to give him any ideas on how to accuse us.
Job
1:6-12 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves
before the Lord, and Satan came also among them.7 And the Lord said unto Satan,
Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and
fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.8 And the Lord said unto
Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the
earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?9
Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?10 Hast
not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he
hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance
is increased in the land.11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he
hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.12 And the Lord said unto Satan,
Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine
hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.KJV
In
any event, we will suffer persecution, both Christians and non-Christians; but
persecutions bring us closer to God.
Look at Job’s response. At first he only lived and served God because
others told him about God and he believed, but after this, God revealed himself
to Job. Now Job knew God personally.
Job
42:1-6 Job answered God: 2 "I'm convinced: You can do anything and
everything. Nothing and no one can upset your plans. 3 You asked, 'Who is this
muddying the water, ignorantly confusing the issue, second-guessing my
purposes?'I admit it. I was the one. I babbled on about things far beyond me,
made small talk about wonders way over my head. 4 You told me, 'Listen, and let
me do the talking. Let me ask the questions. You give the answers.' 5 I admit I
once lived by rumors of you; now I have it all firsthand — from my own eyes and
ears! 6 I'm sorry — forgive me. I'll never do that again, I promise! I'll never
again live on crusts of hearsay, crumbs of rumor." (from THE MESSAGE: The
Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights
reserved.)
Seeing
Job’s words here gives us an indication as to why God mentions Job among Noah
and Daniel in the book of Ezekiel. It is
an interesting study. Noah, Daniel, and
Job cannot save anyone but themselves by their own righteousness. They all became humble and knew God
intimately through adversity.
Job
42:10 After Job had interceded for his friends, God restored his fortune — and
then doubled it!(from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by
Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)
The
action Job was asked to take was to intercede for his friends, then he was
restored. Imagine his brokenness, yet
God revealed himself and asked Job to serve by interceding. While interceding for others is not always an
answer to relieving our pressure in the times of suffering, it does not hurt.
Getting out of ourselves and giving is how we make it through suffering. Serving others takes the focus off of us. And
long suffering is a fruit that people can know us by.
Gal
5:22-25 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering [3115],
gentleness, goodness, faith,23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no
law.24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections
and lusts.25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.KJV
We
should take a brief look at the cloud of witnesses. Able and Cain fought, then
Able was murdered. Noah, who was the minority in his faith living among the
Nephilim, endured a huge flood, and was later castrated by Ham. Abraham had to
be hidden in a cave as a baby. He grew up with an extended family, then was
thrown into a fire because he destroyed his father’s idols. Abraham’s brother
died in the fire and then he had to move to different lands every few
years. Abraham had Sarah taken from him
twice and could not have children until he was old. Abraham then takes his son
up a mountain to sacrifice him and his wife dies. Sarah could not get pregnant until she was
old. She was taken as a wife by two different kings and had a contentious
relationship with Hagar. Jacob works for Laban and was tricked into marrying
the wrong sister. He ended up working for Laban longer so he could marry the
one he loved. Jacob’s beloved wife dies in childbirth; he wrestles an Angel and
ends up with a limp. Jacob deals with contentions with his brother the rest of
his life. Joseph was hated by his
brothers. His mom died; he was sold as a slave and falsely accused. Joseph was
imprisoned, and then forgotten about.
Moses was hidden, and then set afloat on the Nile. He grew up as an
outsider in Egypt. He then led a bunch of people around the desert, who cried
and complained the whole time. Joshua grew up a slave, wandered the desert forty
years because of the unbelief of others, and then led the group to Canaan. No
one in the bible lived a wonderful easy life.
But dare I say, the bad times brought them closer to God, and refined
them in ways that made them humble. Let’s look at our teacher Paul.
2
Cor 11:23-33 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in
labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in
deaths oft.24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.25
Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck,
a night and a day I have been in the deep;26 In journeyings often, in perils of
waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by
the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in
the sea, in perils among false brethren;27 In weariness and painfulness, in
watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and
nakedness.28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me
daily, the care of all the churches.29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is
offended, and I burn not?30 If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things
which concern mine infirmities.31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.32 In Damascus the
governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison,
desirous to apprehend me:33 And through a window in a basket was I let down by
the wall, and escaped his hands.KJV
1
Cor 15:31-33 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord,
I die daily.32 If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus,
what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to
morrow we die.33 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.KJV
Paul
was beaten more, imprisoned more, died and rose from the dead more than anyone.
He was whipped with forty stripes, beaten with rods, stoned, shipwrecked three
times, and floating out in the ocean for 24 hours. Paul was traveling all the time with risks on
land, water, and by robbers. Paul was at risk by the Jews, and the unsaved, in
the cities, in the wilderness, and among false brothers. He was tired, in pain,
staying up all night, hungry, thirsty, fasting, cold, naked, and he has a
concern for the churches. He snuck out
of Damascus in a basket and fought beasts at Ephesus. Paul’s life is like a great action movie that
takes place over two hours where our hero comes out a winner in the end, except
this was Paul’s life after conversion. I
wonder if we need to simply grow up and learn to deal with adversity. Maybe the
expression that we need to “grow a pair” would apply to us. If you have bought and drank the kool-aid and
have been mixed up as to why you always go through trying times, here is your
answer: one, to make you humble, and two, to be able to reign with Christ.
Let’s all endure to the end, together.
End Notes:
Usages
for Suffer
NT:4841
sumpascho (soom-pas'-kho); from NT:4862 and NT:3958 (including its alternate);
to experience pain jointly or of the same kind (specifically, persecution; to
"sympathize"): KJV - suffer with.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's
Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright ©
1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
NT:3804
pathema (path'-ay-mah); from a presumed derivative of NT:3806; something
undergone, i.e. hardship or pain; subjectively, an emotion or influence:KJV -
affection, affliction, motion, suffering.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's
Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright ©
1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
NT:5278
hupomeno (hoop-om-en'-o); from NT:5259 and NT:3306; to stay under (behind),
i.e. remain; figuratively, to undergo, i.e. bear (trials), have fortitude,
persevere:KJV - abide, endure, (take) patient (-ly), suffer, tarry
behind.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with
Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc.
and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
NT:1377
dioko (dee-o'-ko); a prolonged (and causative) form of a primary verb dio (to
flee; compare the base of NT:1169 and NT:1249); to pursue (literally or
figuratively); by implication, to persecute:KJV - ensue, follow (after), given
to, (suffer) persecute (-ion), press forward.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive
Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary.
Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible
Translators, Inc.)
NT:3958
pascho (pas'-kho); including the forms (patho (path'-o) and pentho (pen'-tho)),
used only in certain tenses for it; apparently a primary verb; to experience a
sensation or impression (usually painful):KJV - feel, passion, suffer,
vex.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded
Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and
International Bible Translators, Inc.)
NT:2552
kakopatheia (kak-op-ath'-i-ah); from a compound of NT:2556 and NT:3806;
hardship:KJV - suffering affliction.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's
Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright ©
1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
NT:3115
makrothumia (mak-roth-oo-mee'-ah); from the same as NT:3116; longanimity, i.e.
(objectively) forbearance or (subjectively) fortitude:KJV - longsuffering,
patience.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with
Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc.
and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
