How Can Suffering Be In God's Good Plan?

RE: CHRIST-SADISTIC OR TOTALLY GOOD AND LOVING?

If Christ the Creator… used millions of years of suffering and to make the animals, how can He be all-loving and all-good? Under the [PC] scenario, Christ designed the animals to devour each other, ripping with claws and teeth. He then further allowed these creatures (with no connection whatsoever to man or sin) to die by the trillions for millions of years due to every catastrophe conceivable. God allowed (or possibly even sent) a multitude of afflictions down on these animals, including diseases of all sorts, plagues, volcanoes, earthquakes, ardments from outer space, floods, etc. As a result, animals of many types were killed to extinction. [1]

YEC outright reject the very idea that suffering was part of God’s "very good” creation. For YEC the only reason for suffering is because of the sin of Adam and Eve. Put another way- surely He could make a better creation than this, something must have happened.

We must make room for a transcendence of God and allow for mystery in His ways. The Bible clearly teaches that not all suffering is pointless. There is indeed intent, purpose and design for why God permits suffering apart from the sin of man. Consider three examples from scriptures:

1. His servant Job
2. The man born blind in John 9
3. The tower of Siloam.

Job's suffering was for a greater good and God’s glory. In the case of John 9, Jesus’ disciples were certain sin brought about the man’s sightless condition, but Jesus corrected them, “It was neither that this man sinned, or his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed to him” [2]. In our third example, Jesus says that of 18 people when the tower of Siloam fell was not because of their sin (Luke 13:1-5) [3]. Jesus made it clear. Scriptures teach that the purpose of this creation is “that the works of God might be displayed” (Psalm 19). The apostle Peter goes on to teach that Christians sometimes suffer, not for sin, but according to the will of God that He might be glorified (1 Peter 4:12-16,19).

The Bible teaches that any understanding of suffering is to be based on an eternal perspective. Our sufferings are light and momentary when compared to the eternal weight of His glory. If it is in God’s plan for His faithful to suffer for His glory, how can it be out of the question for “lower animals” to suffer, as Tennyson put it- “red in tooth and claw.” Especially, in the light that humanity is the greatest of God’s creation (consider Matthew 10:29). The Psalmist had no problems seeing the glory of God in this when he wrote:

“The lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God… How many are your works, O LORD! … In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures… These all look to you to give them their food at the proper time. When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things. When you hide your face, they are terrified; when you take away their breath, they die and return to the dust. When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth. May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in his works-- he who looks at the earth, and it trembles, who touches the mountains, and they smoke. I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the LORD.” [4]

Footnotes:
[1] CAT pg 21
[2] John 9:2-3
[3] The same might be said of two other towers that fell 2000 years later- WTC. How that will play out remains to be seen. Again, we must make room for a transcendence of God and allow for mystery in His ways.
[4] Psalm 104:21,24, 27-34