Don Carson on Making Sense of Suffering
I had the immense blessing of attending a one-day conference this past Saturday (Octber 4, 2008) at Omaha Bible Church. They hosted Don Carson who spoke on the subject of “Making Sense of Suffering.” What he shared was incredibly helpful. It was helpful because he remained faithful to Scripture. He didn’t stick labels on things, and he didn’t worry about staying in boxes. He just shared the Scriptures. It was also helpful because he seemed to take multiple pieces of the suffering-puzzle and actually put them together. I would highly recommend listening to the audio. Here it is: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3. And here are a few notes I jotted down.
To make sense of suffering we need to establish 6 pillars upon which the foundation of “making sense of suffering” would be placed. These 6 pillars are not the end-all, be-all of understanding suffering, but they are absolutely essential.
1. Insight from the beginning of the Bible’s storyline, especially Creation and the Fall. You absolutely must listen to the audio on this (in Part 1). The tag line sounds way to mean if you don’t hear the audio. Put simply: God doesn’t owe us anything; we are a damned breed, by nature and by choice.
SCRIPTURE NOTES: From Genesis 3: The serpent was made by God. Genesis 3:1: Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. Furthermore, the first doctrine that was attacked by the serpent was the doctrine of judgment. (I had never thought of this!) Genesis 3:4: But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.” This directly denies that judgment God had given them.
2. Insights from the end of the Bible’s storyline. Here (on earth, in this age) there is no utopia. When considering suffering, often our horizons are just too small and too earthly. In this part, Carson particularly recommended CS Lewis’ Learning in Wartime (pdf).
3. Insights from the place of “innocent” suffering. The focus here was Job. Simply put: often we do not see the justice of our suffering.
SCRIPTURE NOTES: After God’s rebuke of Job, Job’s response is not just that he learned something more. Job’s response was completed by repentance. Job 42:6: Therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes. Furthermore, Carson said that Job 42 (the last chapter in Job) is the OT version of Revelation – that, in the end, God does triumph. In the end everything is not up for grabs. In the end God’s mercy and kindness triumphs. The righteous are restored. Justice is served.
4. Insights from the “mystery of providence.” Or in other words, God is fully and utterly sovereign, yet not in a way that mitigates human responsibility…and…humans are significant and responsible in their actions, yet not in a way that mitigates God’s full sovereignty. This section was mind-blowing as Carson walked us through three texts that highlight this paradox.
SCRIPTURE NOTES: Isaiah 10:5-15 was remarkable. To paraphrase Carson’s response to this text: “God stands behind both good and evil. But he stands behind them differently. He stands behind good in such a way that it is traceable back to Him for His glory. He stands behind evil in such a way that it never escapes the bounds of his sovereignty, but he is not responsible for it; instead the secondary causes (such as Assyria in Isaiah 10) are responsible for it.” He then said he has always thought that sure sounds convenient for God, but that is how God has revealed himself, whether Don Carson likes it or not.
OTHER SCRIPTURE NOTES: Genesis 50:19-21: Both God and the brothers of Joseph intended the same thing. Acts 4:27-28: The crucifixion of Jesus was both predestined by God and responsibly carried out by the rulers and murderers who did it with their own hands.
5. Insights from the centrality of the incarnation, cross, and resurrection. In short, read Romans 8:31-32.
6. Insights from what it means to take up our cross, and, thus, from the persecuted global church. I left this part thinking, “Wow, I neglect and forget my brothers’ and sisters’ triumph of faith when I consider my trivial sufferings and headaches and slow drivers.” In this section, Carson particularly recommended Killing Fields, Living Fields by Don Cormack.
Carson closed by reminding us that these truths are primarily pre-emptive. They would be dangerous and even hurtful or painful if they are thrown at a person in the middle of their tragic suffering. The time for sharing these truths must be discerned well. Other times, it best to simply “weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15).
notes on Proverbs
About three years ago, God used Proverbs 1-2 to shape my heart. Whitney and I were in our first year of marriage, she was pregnant, and I was feeling like I had to grow up fast. The wisdom of these early chapters of Proverbs were so helpful. I truly enjoyed God’s kind and severe words through Solomon. I have recently re-discovered some of those study notes. I wanted to post them here for better future tracking. This first one is some general comments and notes on the book of Proverbs.
ONE: On the author. It is interesting to me from the beginning to remember that Solomon is the following as he writes proverbs:
1. a son (of David): think of all the proverbs there are about fathers
2. a son of a king (of David): think of all the proverbs there are about kings
3. a king (of all of Israel): again, think of all the proverbs there are about kings
4. a rich man
5. a wise man through his prayer to God (1 kings 3:5ff)
6. a man who blew it in the end, but God still used him (1 kings 11)
TWO: On prayer. It is hope-giving to know that the entire book of proverbs might be a response to Solomon’s prayer when he first took the throne. it is also sobering to know how truly God hears and answers prayer. see 1 kings 3:5ff.
it is worthy of noting that solomon asked for an understanding to govern people. he was given understanding and wisdom. and he gave away understanding and wisdom. in other words, what he received he gave. he did not ask for wisdom and give music. solomon was remembered for what he asked God for: wisdom to govern.
THREE: On my pride. This is strong. in my life i must confess that i will not listen to good instruction if there is one little thing wrong with the man. if he does not live out his message perfectly, i would rather slander him. all the while, i fail to realize:
1. i don’t live out the messages of my mind very much, and
2. God uses men who don’t live out the message, too.
FOUR: On God’s communication to us. It is encouraging to think of all the different ways that God seeks to communicate to us/command us in his written Word. and surely he is creative and diverse still today through his Holy Spirit.
FIVE: On teaching the Proverbs. Teaching by proverbs is…
1. much easier than expository or systematic
2. demanding of wisdom and experience (to make such broad general strokes about life)
3. not hard to prepare or organize in one sense; but in another sense they are very difficult because of the experience they demand. furthermore, every proverb is a literary masterpiece, packed with insight and wisdom.
4. easy to remember
5. easy to prove or disprove
6. more weighty because of how bothersome and affecting they can be if they are true
7. common in all cultures and parts of life. (think: as the saying goes…, my dad always said…, don’t ever forget this one thing….). it was also common during the OT time. Egypt had wise men (Genesis 41:8); Edom was known for its wisdom (Obadiah 8); Babylon had wise men (Jeremiah 50:35).
8. indisputable if correct. you can’t argue with the straight up facts of life.
9. is expressive, but not explaining. proverbs just state or express truth; they really don’t defend it that much. along this line, too, it is good to remember that every good rule has an exception. the same is true with proverbs.
glorious passages full of Gospel
Here are a couple of passages that are renewing to a soul begging for the Gospel:
And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. Colossians 2:13-15.
If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared. I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope. Psalm 130:3-5.
