Eyes on God: Lesson 2
Overview
God Amidst the Storm
When suffering, tragedy, or a pandemic touches our lives, the "why" question rises naturally to our lips. This is not a new question. Scripture itself records the cry of God's people: "Why is my pain unceasing? My wound incurable?" Jeremiah 15:18; "Why do the nations conspire?" Psalm 2:1; "Why, O Lord, do you stand far off?" Psalm 10:1. We live in a sinful and broken world, and our pain comes from many places—the sin of others against us, our own sin, and simply the brokenness of creation. Even after God converts us, we remain sinners this side of heaven, as Paul confesses in Romans 7:15-25 and Romans 3:23.
So is the pandemic God's punishment for our sin? No—absolutely not. To say so would be to say that the cross of Jesus Christ was insufficient. But Isaiah foretold of the Messiah, "He was wounded for our transgressions… upon him was the punishment that made us whole" Isaiah 53:4-6. Paul declares plainly, "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" Romans 8:1. And Hebrews testifies that by Christ's single offering "he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified," promising, "I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more" Hebrews 10:11-17. God punished His Son in our place; He is not punishing His people now.
When asked about a tragedy in His own day, Jesus himself refused to give the "why." Instead, He turned the question back as a call to repentance and faith Luke 13:1-5. Martin Luther taught that when God allows suffering we cannot understand, we encounter the hidden God—and that when we meet the hidden God, we must run to the revealed God. He has revealed Himself in His Son: "No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son… who has made him known" John 1:18. The cross and empty tomb display God's heart: "God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" Romans 5:6-11.
We may not know the why of the pandemic, but we know the Who, and we know the what—what God can bring out of even the hardest seasons. He promises that "all things work together for good, for those who love God who are called according to his purpose" Romans 8:28. Suffering produces endurance, endurance character, and character hope (Romans 5:1-5; James 1:2-4). Difficult times humble believer and unbeliever alike, exposing the fragility of life and opening hearts to the law that convicts and the gospel that heals. Job never received an answer to his "why," yet he met his God. So when the hidden God leaves you with unanswered questions, run to the revealed God, who has promised, "I will never leave you or forsake you" Hebrews 13:5. Let what He has revealed be enough to know.
Transcript
Good morning and welcome. This is session number two in a class that I've entitled Eyes 4s
on God. And what we're doing is we're taking a look at the pandemic through the lenses 9s
of Holy Scripture. And so we began last week and I just like to briefly summarize what 14s
we were talking about last week. We talked about the topic of God the Lord. And specifically 21s
we talked about how God never changes. Secondly, how he's faithful to his promises and then third, 27s
how he freely gives his mercy to all. Martin Luther talked about times in which when they are good, 35s
indeed we shouldn't get too comfortable because difficult times would come. But he also said when 44s
difficult times come, don't despair because God will bring the good times again. And so we saw 50s
how in those cycles of life, and indeed what we're experiencing right now with this pandemic, 57s
in these difficult times, we know that God will bring good because indeed God is the Lord. 63s
Today I'd like to talk with you about the topic of God amidst the storm. Let's pray. 73s
Gracious Heavenly Father, we give you thanks for this opportunity to be in your word, your word is 81s
truth. As we turn the pages of Scripture today, we thank you that the voice that we hear is your 87s
voice. And so Father, speak to us for your servants, listen. In Jesus' strong and holy name, we pray. 94s
Amen. Questions arise amidst times that we're going through. Whenever there are difficult times or 105s
a tragedy or a pandemic, the why question comes up. Why is God allowing this to happen? Or where is God? 115s
Or if God is indeed loving, then why doesn't he stop this and stop this now? Why? Why? Why? 128s
That question is certainly not a new one. For we have heard that question throughout the centuries, 144s
recorded in Holy Scripture. Turn with me please if you would to Jeremiah the 15th chapter. 150s
A good way to find the book of Jeremiah simply go to the middle of the Bible. That's the book of 157s
Psalms and then move your way to the right. So you have Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, 162s
Song of Solomon, Isaiah, and then Jeremiah. Jeremiah the 15th chapter and we'll pick up in verse 18. 169s
There we read. Why is my pain unceasing? My wound, incurable, refusing to be healed? It's the 181s
why question. Or let's turn over to Psalm 2. You just go backwards right into the center of the 195s
Psalm 2. Verse 1. The Scripture says, Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? 210s
Why? Another why question. In Psalm 10, verse 1, Psalm 10, verse 1. Why, O Lord, do you stand far off? 230s
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? So the why question that is being asked in the very 245s
days that we live in in this pandemic, it's not a new question. It's been asked throughout the 255s
centuries. We see examples of it in Holy Scripture. We live in a sinful and a broken world. 261s
Some of the pain that we experience is because of the sin of others. They say something or they do 275s
something or they don't say something or they don't do something. Born out of their own sinfulness, 283s
that is particularly hurtful. Sometimes the pain that we experience from sin is of our own doing. 289s
I think of Psalm 51. There you have David. David commits adultery with Bathsheba and then he 300s
pain then that was brought into that situation. Sometimes we experience pain simply because it is 313s
the broken world that we live in. God did not create a world of sin. Human kind brought sin into the 324s
world with their disobedience against God. And so sometimes sin is that which we experience from 333s
the hands of the words of others. Sometimes indeed sin is that which we bring about in our own 342s
lives and it causes pain. And sometimes pain just comes living in the brokenness of a sinful world. 349s
The Bible continually reminds us that we are sinners even after God converts us to be a believer in 359s
the Lord Jesus. In other words, we will never reach perfection this side of heaven. On that day in 370s
which we go to heaven, our sinful nature falls away. There will not be sin in heaven. But this side of 380s
heaven. Even though God is at work in us day after day, even though we're not what we were, it's not 387s
we're not what we'll be. God is transforming us through word and sacrament to be more and more 394s
like His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. That sinful nature, that old Adam, that old even us will 400s
continue to cling to us. And so we sin and we are sinners even after conversion. Let's see what 406s
the Scriptures tell us that. Let's go to the book of Romans. Please Romans is in the New Testament. 416s
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, and then Romans. Romans chapter 7. And we'll pick up in verse 15. 423s
Romans 7, we'll start in verse 15. Paul writing into the inspiration of the Holy Spirit writes this. 433s
I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 441s
Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. But in fact it is no longer 454s
I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know nothing good dwells within me. That is 461s
in my flesh. I can will what's right, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil 470s
I do not want is what I do. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin 480s
that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what's good, evil lies close 490s
at hand. For I delight in the law of God in my inmost being, but I see in my members another law 501s
at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 511s
Wretched man that I am who will rescue me from this body of death. And of course the good news. 521s
Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Bible reminds us that even after we've been converted, 530s
after we become believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, trusting Him as Savior and Lord, we still sin. 541s
And we still fall short. Let's look at Romans the third chapter. Romans chapter 3 verse 23. 548s
All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. How about Romans chapter 6 verse 23, Romans 563s
chapter 6 verse 23, for the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in 575s
Christ Jesus our Lord. I think of the confession. The confession that's part of the corporate confession 586s
and forgiveness service in the Lutheran liturgy. Listen to these words, I, a troubled and penitent 596s
sinner confess to you all my sins and iniquities with which I have offended you. I catch this. 604s
And for which I justly deserve your punishment. I a troubled and penitent sinner confess to you 614s
all my sins and iniquities with which I have offended you and for which I justly deserve your punishment. 625s
So what do we make of the pandemic? 639s
Is God punishing us? Is he punishing us for our sinfulness? 647s
Is that why he has allowed this pandemic to begin? Is that why he has not brought this pandemic to 657s
the close? Is God punishing us? Let me be very clear about the answer to that question. 668s
Very clear. No. No. Absolutely not. God is not punishing us through this pandemic. Let's see why. 685s
Let's go to Isaiah chapter 53. Let a way to find Isaiah is go back to the center scripture again, 707s
the book of Psalms. Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, and then Isaiah. Isaiah chapter 53. 715s
Isaiah 53 verses 4 to 6. This is part of the prophecy that Isaiah was given that speaks to the Messiah 726s
that will come. Isaiah chapter 53 beginning in verse 4. Surely he's born our infirmities and carried 735s
our diseases, yet we accounted him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded 746s
for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities upon him was the punishment that made us whole and by 754s
his bruises we are healed. This speaks of the Messiah that would come, the Lord Jesus Christ, 764s
and on the cross the punishment for sin was laid upon him instead of us. 773s
Let's hear it talked about in Romans the eighth chapter in the New Testament, Matthew, Mark, 782s
Luke John, Acts, and then Romans. Romans chapter 8, and we'll pick up in verse 1. Romans chapter 8, 788s
verse 1. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 800s
For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. 809s
There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Or let's turn to the book of Hebrews, 818s
please, chapter 10. Good way to find the book of Hebrews is go to the very last book which is the 830s
book of Revelation, then turn left, back toward Matthew. You're going to cross over the John's, 836s
you're going to cross over the Peters, you'll cross over James, and then you'll come to Hebrews. 842s
Hebrews chapter 10, verse 11, Hebrews chapter 10, we'll start in verse 11. 849s
And every priest stands day after day at his service offering again and again the same sacrifices 859s
that can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, 867s
he sat down at the right hand of God. And since then has been waiting until his enemies would be 877s
made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those 886s
who are sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us. For after saying, this is the covenant 896s
that I will make with them. After those days says the Lord, I will put my law in their hearts and 905s
I will write them on their minds. He also adds, I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds 911s
know more. To say, for example, that the pandemic is God punishing us, 922s
would be synonymous with saying that the cross of Jesus Christ, Jesus taking the punishment for 938s
our sins, it wasn't sufficient. So that somehow, even though there was the cross, somehow God 948s
still continues to punish for sin. You see, to say that God is punishing us means that the perfect 955s
sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ wasn't perfect enough. But that God still needs to punish 965s
for sin. No, he punished his son in our place. Sometimes you'll hear people say when a tragedy 975s
strikes, that was probably a real sinful community. Or well, that happened because that just seems 984s
to be a din of inequity, that town. No, God is not punishing for sin. God punished his own son. 992s
Laying our sin upon him, I think of Job in the suffering that we, he went through, recorded in 1004s
Holy Scripture. And one of the things that Job was told, he was asked the question, well, what did you 1013s
do? Because there was the assumption that because of his great suffering, he must have done a great sin. 1019s
You see, so it's natural for our mind to immediately go and say, well, this pandemic must be 1026s
a punishment for sin. No, he used to say that would mean that the sacrifice for sin was incomplete. 1033s
So if the pandemic is not a punishment for sin, then why is God allowing it? 1048s
If it's not a punishment for sin, then why is God allowing this? 1062s
Let's go please to the Gospel of Luke in the New Testament, Matthew, Mark, and then Luke, Luke 1071s
to start in verse 1, Luke chapter 13, and we'll start in verse 1. At the very time, there were some 1082s
present who told him about the Gatellians whose blood pilot had mingled with their sacrifices. 1094s
So just to give you the backdrop on this, the Gatellians here were making their sacrifices, 1102s
they were following the rituals here of the Old Testament. Pilate comes with soldiers, kills 1108s
the Gatellians, and the blood of the Gatellians then was mixed with the blood of their animal 1115s
sacrifices. It's a horrific event. So verse 1 again, at the very time, there were some present who 1121s
told him about the Gatellians whose blood pilot had mingled with their sacrifice. He, being Jesus, 1127s
asked them, do you think that because these Gatellians suffered in this way, they were worth sinners 1135s
than all other Gatellians? No, I tell you, but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. 1144s
Verse 4, or those 18 who were killed when the Tower of Sallom fell on them, do you think that 1156s
they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you, but unless 1165s
you repent, you will all perish just as they did. So Jesus raises the question. Those Gatellians 1172s
were they killed because they were worse sinners? Those upon whom the Tower fell were they killed 1184s
because they were worse sinners? And what's this response? No, no. Notice, Jesus doesn't give the answer 1193s
to the why question, does he? We understand why they died. The Gatellians were killed. We understand 1208s
why the people died. The Tower fell upon them. But Jesus doesn't give the answer of why God 1219s
in his sovereignty allowed it to happen. But what does Jesus do? He uses it as the teaching moment 1226s
and says, unless you repent, you'll likewise perish. What was he talking about there? 1237s
He was talking about the fact that unless one repents of their sin, unless one trusts in the Lord 1244s
Jesus Christ, we eternally perish. Not in the sense of going out of existence. No, because we're 1250s
all eternal beings. We have only two possibilities for eternal destiny. We have either heaven or 1260s
hell. Jesus is saying, all of us should be prepared for the day that we die. Whenever that day comes, 1267s
we should be prepared for it. And the only way that we are prepared for it is through repentance. 1278s
Repentance in its biblical fullness is not simply sorrow for sin. It is not simply the turning 1285s
around and going a different direction by the grace and power of God. It is also encompassing 1293s
of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. So Jesus here is calling for faith. Notice again. 1300s
He doesn't answer the why question. Why did God allow it? He didn't answer it. Did He? 1310s
Martin Luther said that when God allows bad things to happen, that we don't understand, 1324s
that that's the hidden God. In other words, as we know from Holy Scripture, God's ways are not 1336s
our ways. God's thoughts are not our thoughts. And so there are things that we don't understand. 1344s
But Luther said, when God allows bad things to happen and we don't understand them, that's the hidden 1355s
God. And when we experience the hidden God, run to the revealed God, he said, we can't 1363s
understand why bad things have happened. It's the hidden God. And so when we experience the hidden 1373s
God, run to the revealed God. And so we run to the revealed God. We run to how God has 1381s
communicated to us who he is, the God who loves us, the God who sent his son to Lord Jesus Christ 1394s
to the cross. Indeed, we run to the truths of Scripture that Jesus has been raised from the dead 1402s
and the death has been overcome. We run to the truths of Scripture that the cross and the empty 1408s
tomb is birthed out of the heart of God and his love for humankind, that God has dealt with the 1415s
most difficult thing, our own sinfulness, that should separate us for all of eternity. God has 1421s
atoned us through the cross and the empty tomb. He's reconciled us to himself. We run to the 1428s
revealed God, a God who takes the victory of the cross and the empty tomb and puts it with the 1435s
tangible, the water of baptism and washes us in his promises. There are things that God does not 1441s
explain many things and when we experience the hidden God, we run to the revealed God. 1453s
How has he revealed himself? Let's go to the gospel of John, chapter 1, Matthew, Mark, Luke, 1468s
and then John. John chapter 1, verse 18, 1476s
no one has ever seen God. It is God the only son who is close to the father's heart who has made him know. 1485s
So if we want to understand God, if we want to understand his heart, then we look to Jesus. 1498s
We look to the one who went to the cross and endured all he did on the cross, suffering, 1505s
suffering for us, taking the sin of the world upon him. We look them to Jesus and we see the heart of God. 1511s
We run to that which has been revealed. We run to the one who has dealt with the most terrible 1521s
predicament that we could ever experience and that's the reality of our sin that should condemn us 1532s
out of God's presence. The Bible calls that hell for eternity. But what does God do? Let's go to 1540s
Romans, the fifth chapter, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, and then Romans. Romans, chapter 5, 1549s
we'll pick up in verse 6. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the 1558s
ungodly, indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though perhaps for a good person, 1568s
someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us and that while we were sinners, 1575s
Christ died for us, much more surely than now that we have been justified by his blood, 1585s
will we be saved through him from the wrath of God? For while we were enemies, we were reconciled 1592s
to God through the death of his son much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved 1601s
by his life? But more than that, we even boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom 1609s
we have now received reconciliation. Faced with a hidden God, we run to the revealed God. 1618s
Let's go please to Romans the eighth chapter, verse 28. Here we read the promise, we know 1630s
that all things work together for good, for those who love God who are called according to his 1639s
purpose. We know all things work together for good, for those who love God who are called 1648s
according to his purpose. We know, in other words, we are convinced by the Holy Spirit that 1653s
all things, the Greek there is a word that means it's comprehensive, it encompasses everything, 1660s
work together. The Greek word there is sinner gay, we get synergy from it. For good, the Greek word 1668s
is agathon. There's a different word for good, that means, oh that looks good, but agathon is 1676s
morally good. We know that all things work together for good, for those who love God, who are 1684s
called according to his purpose. Faced with the hidden God, we run to the revealed God, 1693s
we run to what we know. We don't know the answer to the why of the pandemic. We don't know the answer. 1706s
But we know the who, the Lord, and we know what God can bring out of even the most difficult 1723s
of times. Let's go to Romans the fifth chapter, Romans chapter 5, verses 1 to 5. 1737s
While we may not understand the why, we understand the what, what he can bring out of situations like 1750s
that. This is maturity, this is dependency, this is growth in our faith by his grace. 1757s
Romans the fifth chapter, verse 1, therefore since we're justified by faith, 1765s
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to 1772s
this grace in which we stand, and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. 1779s
And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 1788s
and endurance produces character and character, produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us 1797s
because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. 1806s
We don't know the why of the pandemic. We know the who, and we know the what, 1816s
how God can use the most difficult of times and mature us and build us and transform our characters. 1824s
Let's go to James, the first chapter. Good way to find James, go back to the last book, 1838s
Revelation in the New Testament, then turn left, cross over the Johns and the Peters, 1845s
and then before you get to Hebrews as you're going backwards, you'll run into James. James chapter 1, 1853s
my brothers and sisters, verse 2, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy 1861s
because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance and let endurance have its 1871s
full effect so that you may be mature and complete lacking in nothing. 1878s
See, those are examples of what God can bring out as he uses this pandemic. I think of unbelievers. 1888s
All of us, believer and unbeliever alike, we are humbled by this pandemic. Indeed, we understand 1903s
in a new way the fragilness of life and God can use the pandemic to humble not only the believer, 1910s
but also the unbeliever. Where perhaps for the first time in their life, 1921s
they understand the fragile nature of life. Perhaps for the first time in their life, 1927s
they consider their own mortality. Perhaps for the first time in their life, they ask, 1932s
is there anything beyond this life or is this life all that there is? Perhaps for the first time 1938s
in their life, they understand that so much of life is out of one's control. 1945s
And all of that can be the overture, it can be the preface, it can be the prelude. 1956s
For when God's word then comes, the law convicting us of our sin and the gospel showing us the 1964s
beauty of our Savior who forgives sin. That's the what of how God can use these terrible times. 1973s
Back to Job and the Old Testament, you know the Job never ever got an answer from God of the why. 1990s
He never did. 1998s
Faced with a hidden God, run to the revealed God. Hebrews 13, 2002s
I will never leave you or forsake you. I'll never leave you or forsake you. 2012s
Is God punishing you by this pandemic? Is God punishing us with this pandemic? No, absolutely not. 2024s
We don't know the details of the why, the why now? I think of my grandfather. 2040s
He was thinking the other day, he was 19 years old when he went through the pandemic of 1918. 2052s
18 years old. Why the pandemic then? Why now? We don't have the details of the why. 2061s
But who do we know? We know the who, the Lord, and we know the what, of what we can, what he can bring out of this time. 2075s
We run to what he has revealed and let that be enough to know. 2089s
The Lord be with you. We'll continue next week. 2103s