Why Is There Suffering? The Principle of “If he commit iniquity”….

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II Samuel 7:14 I will be his father, and he will be my son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men;

Hebrews 12:7 It is for discipline that you endure. God deals with you as with children, for what son is there whom his father doesn’t discipline?

Matthew 5:13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has lost its flavor, with what will it be salted? It is then good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under the feet of men.

Hebrews 12:7 It is for discipline that you endure. God deals with you as with children, for what son is there whom his father doesn’t discipline?

Deuteronomy 8:5 You shall consider in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you.

I corinthians 11:31 For if we discerned ourselves, we wouldn’t be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are punished by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.

Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will tell me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, in your name cast out demons, and in your name do many mighty works?’ 23 Then I will tell them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you who work iniquity.’

Sometimes it might seem that there is no obvious connection to current problems.  As the Baboon prophet says in Lion King, “Look deeper.”

For example, we might say, “Hey, I didn’t roll the printing presses, printing trillions of fiat paper money, thereby devaluing the dollar, and thus creating inflation.  What did I have to do with that?”

True, perhaps one person only did not cause this, but each individual still can have an influence.

Prior to the current mess, was the United States a nation an overwhelming majority of tithers, worthy of inheriting the promises in Malachi?  In a nation that gives participation rewards, we an lose sight of the fact that God actually has some requirements we need to fulfill for blessings.

Malachi 3:6 For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

7 Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?

8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.

9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.

10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts.

12 And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts.

Is this the focus of an overwhelming majority?

I Timothy 2:1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;

2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;

4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

It is always good to consider this verse.

Job 19:28 But ye should say, Why persecute we him, seeing the root of the matter is found in me?

Jesus said something similar here.

John 14:30  30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.

Every circumstance does not affect all people equally.  It depends on what is “in them”.  Being drawn, being tempted by something “in us”, if it is not resisted, can lead into sin, or iniquity,  which then brings the repercussion, “the wages of sin is death”, and with it, suffering.