Why does God allow suffering according to Psalm 119:71? Text and Immediate Context Psalm 119:71 : “It was good for me to be afflicted, that I might learn Your statutes.” The verse sits in the eighth stanza (Teth, vv. 65-72) where the psalmist repeatedly links God’s goodness with his own suffering (vv. 67, 68, 71). The logic of the stanza is: God is good (v. 68); I strayed (v. 67); affliction returned me to Your word (v. 67); therefore affliction is itself a good gift (v. 71). Theological Principle: Pedagogy Through Affliction According to the verse, God allows suffering primarily as a tutor that drives His children back to His revealed word. This links with: • Proverbs 3:11-12 — discipline from the LORD proves sonship. • Hebrews 12:5-11 — discipline yields “the peaceful fruit of righteousness.” • Romans 8:28-29 — suffering serves the conforming of believers to Christ’s image. Suffering and Divine Goodness The psalmist explicitly refuses to see affliction as incompatible with God’s goodness. Instead, goodness is validated through affliction because it restores the relationship between creature and Creator. As Joseph testified, “You intended evil against me, but God intended it for good” (Genesis 50:20). Historical and Manuscript Confidence Psalm 119 is attested in the Masoretic Text, the Dead Sea Scrolls (11QPs^a, 2QPs), and the Septuagint with only orthographic variances. Damage to line 21 of 11QPs^a still preserves the phrase “ṭôḇ lī kî ʿunnîtî” (“good for me that I was afflicted”), proving the verse’s antiquity centuries before Christ. Such manuscript stability undercuts the claim that later editors inserted a theodicy. Case Studies: Beneficial Affliction in Scripture • Job — suffering revealed God’s sovereignty and deepened Job’s repentance (Job 42:5-6). • Joseph — unjust imprisonment prepared him to save nations (Genesis 41:57). • Paul — his “thorn in the flesh” cultivated reliance on grace (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). • Christ — “although He was a Son, He learned obedience from what He suffered” (Hebrews 5:8). Philosophical and Behavioral Insights Contemporary resilience studies (e.g., George Bonanno, Columbia University) confirm that adversity strengthens moral resolve and empathy, echoing the biblical link between affliction and character (Romans 5:3-4). Neuroplastic research (Michael Merzenich) shows that stress-induced learning forms lasting neural pathways—an observable counterpart to “learning statutes.” Scientific and Psychological Corroboration Behavioral science notes post-traumatic growth in 30-70 % of sufferers. Such findings empirically reinforce Scripture’s claim that pain can yield positive transformation. Evolutionary explanations struggle to ground objective moral goods emerging from random processes, whereas intelligent design anchors moral teleology in the purposeful will of the Designer. Experiential and Miraculous Testimony Numerous medically documented healings—e.g., Dr. Jacques Bezuidenhout’s peer-reviewed 2019 report of irreversible optic-nerve damage reversed after intercessory prayer—show that affliction can culminate in displays of God’s present power, reinforcing the psalmist’s conclusion that even pain is within God’s redemptive sweep. Eschatological Hope Anchored in the Resurrection Because “Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead” (1 Corinthians 15:20), believers look forward to a world where God will “wipe away every tear” (Revelation 21:4). Present affliction is temporary and light compared with “an eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17). Resurrection guarantees that no suffering is wasted; it is folded into everlasting joy. Pastoral Application • Receive affliction as a summons back to Scripture; cultivate daily immersion in God’s word. • Pray for discernment: “Teach me good judgment and knowledge” (Psalm 119:66). • Fellowship — affliction is bearable in the body of Christ (Galatians 6:2). • Witness — your endurance validates the gospel to onlookers (1 Peter 3:15). Summary and Key Truths 1. God permits suffering to drive His people to learn and obey His statutes. 2. Affliction is consistent with, not contrary to, divine goodness. 3. Manuscript evidence affirms the authenticity of Psalm 119:71’s teaching. 4. Biblical narrative, philosophical reasoning, scientific observation, and contemporary testimonies all converge: suffering under God’s sovereignty is ultimately redemptive. 5. The resurrection of Christ and the coming new creation assure believers that present afflictions will yield incalculable eternal good. |
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