Is God Cruel?

In my evangelical conversations with skeptics and professing atheists, one of the biggest hurdles to faith is the massive amount of suffering in the world around us. Orphaned children, agonizing starvation, debilitating diseases, horrific wars, corrupt governments, abusive parents, manipulative pastors, rampant divorce, heart-wrenching miscarriages, devastating natural disasters, crushing poverty, and seemingly endless etceteras. “How could someone believe that God is good when He allows such unspeakable sorrow? It’s the epitome of absurdity. If God exists, He is either powerless or cruel.” So the argument goes.

The logic is clear: “If God is good, then He must not be all-powerful (or else He would eradicate the world of suffering). On the other hand, if God is all-powerful, then He must not be good (because the world is full of suffering). Thus, rational belief in the Christian God is untenable and absurd.”

In theological terms, the attempt to resolve this problem is known as “theodicy” (the defense of God’s goodness and sovereignty in a world full of evil). There are some great books that wrestle with this issue, but for those who don’t have the bandwidth to digest a 500-page monograph I’ll share an abridged argument for the goodness of God’s sovereignty in the midst of profound suffering.

1. First, we must begin by acknowledging that all suffering comes from the sovereign hand of God. He ordains it, or it wouldn’t happen (Isa 46:10–11). There is no random moment or rogue molecule in the entire universe. God is “upholding all things by the word of His power” (Heb 1:3). There are some who would like to attribute all the “good things” to God and all the “bad things” to the devil (or rotten luck), but that isn’t the way the Bible talks about the sovereignty of God. So, what does the Bible teach us about suffering and the sovereignty of God?

The Bible teaches that…

• God causes famine (Deut 11:17; Hag 1:11).
• God orders devastating wars (Deut 20:16–17; Rev 19:15–16).
• God commands the annihilation of women and children (1 Sam 15:3).
• God raises up enemies against His people (1 Kings 11:14).
• God controls natural disasters (Num 16:30–34; Matt 8:27).
• God ordains widespread destruction (Job 1–2).
• God superintends physical disabilities (John 9:3).
• God orchestrates financial crisis (Hag 1:9).
• God sends affliction (1 Sam 16:14; Psa 119:71; 2 Cor 12:7).

Under no circumstance does Scripture relegate or limit God’s power to an isolated realm of rainbows and sunshine (Deut 32:39; Psa 115:3; Isa 45:7; Dan 4:35). Scripture reveals a God who has all power and all authority over all things at all times and in all places (Psa 90:2; 147:5). Thus, there is no suffering in the universe that does not first come through his hand.

“I form the light and create darkness (חָשַׁךְ),
I make peace and create calamity (רֹעַ);
I, the Lord, do all these things.”
~ Isaiah 45:7

“Now see that I, even I, am He,
And there is no God besides Me;
I kill (מוּת) and I make alive;
I wound (מָחַץ) and I heal;
Nor is there any who can deliver from My hand.”
~ Deuteronomy 32:39

God is sovereign.

2. At the same time, we need to acknowledge what the Bible teaches regarding the goodness of God; namely, that God is good in all His ways.

• All that God creates is good (Gen 1:31).
• All that God does is good (Psa 25:8; 145:17).
• All that God gives is good (Psa 107:8–9; Matt 7:11; James 1:17).
• He loves goodness and hates wickedness (Pro 6:16–19).
• He hates injustice (Psa 92:15; Rom 9:14).
• He comforts us in our suffering (Psa 34:18; 2 Cor 1:3–4).
• He identifies with us in our suffering (Isa 53:3; John 11:35; Heb 4:15).
• He does not take pleasure in the death of wicked people (Ezek 33:11).

Jesus taught that there is no concept of goodness apart from God (Luke 18:19). God is not partially good or sometimes good (145:9, 17). Nor is He good in a handicapped sort of way (Psa 115:3). No, He is always good and only good (Mark 10:18) without one single exception throughout all eternity (1 Chr 16:34; Psa 90:2; Mal 3:6). This is the story that the universe has been telling since the beginning of time (Psa 19:1–4; 33:5).

God is good.

Therein lies the dilemma: in a world full of suffering, how is it possible that God is both sovereign over all and good to all?

1. Suffering was not part of God’s good design in the world He created. 
All that God created was “very good” (Gen 1:31). There were no nuclear bombs, global pandemics, labor pains, garden weeds, or suffering of any kind when God finished creating His world. In the beginning, the only dangerous thing that existed was humanity’s freedom to reject the word of God (Gen 2:16–17). In other words, creation teaches us that suffering does not come from the heart of God (Lam 3:33; James 1:17). Rather, creation is unanimous in its praise that God is good in all His works and in all His ways (Psa 19:1–4; Matt 5:45; Rom 1:20).

2. Suffering is the result of humanity’s willful rebellion against its Maker (Gen 3:1–19).
In the beginning, God gave humanity a very specific command with a very pointed picture of the suffering that would ensue if they disobeyed (2:16–17). It was the same conditional command that God would continue to give to His people: divine blessing for obedience & a world full of sorrow for disobedience (e.g., Lev 26:1–46; Deut 30:15–19; Mat 10:32–33).

So, is God threatening His people? Well, I suppose it depends on what we mean by “threatening”.

Do we accuse an employer of threatening their employee as they clearly communicate the expectations of the job and the obvious consequences of disregarding the rules? Do we accuse a teacher of threatening their students when they communicate what is expected in order to pass the class? Do we accuse a parent of threatening their child by communicating the inevitable consequences of touching the hot stove? No.

In the above examples, nobody is justified in accusing the employer, teacher, or parent of vindictive threatening. They are simply communicating the truths of the situation with the presumed desire of helping their employee, student, and child to thrive. Thus, whatever suffering is experienced as a result of willfully disregarding the instructions of the established authority (i.e., getting fired, failing the class, or getting burned) is not a reflection of abusive authority. It’s a reflection of a rebel heart.

Likewise, human suffering is not the vindictive threat of an egotistical God (as is the accusation of some). Rather, it is the natural consequence for a world that has disregarded the source and substance of all goodness (Psa 16:2; Luke 18:19; Rom 3:11; 8:22–23). We turn our back on the Giver of goodness and then seem surprised by all the suffering that we see. There is simply no such thing as goodness apart from God (Mark 10:18; Rom 7:18; James 1:17).

Truly, whatever goodness rebel sinners experience in this world is the result of sheer grace and mercy, and we deserve none of it (Matt 5:45; 2 Pet 3:9). We deserve death and nothing more (Gen 2:17; Rom 3:11; 6:23). And every human being who stands in the presence of God is immediately aware of this reality (Job 40:1–5; Isa 6:5; Luke 5:8).

** This brings us to the next point…

3. Suffering is not the greatest evil in the world; sin is.
 Yes, suffering is an intruder into the perfect world that God created, and there is coming a day when all pain and sorrow will be removed for the children of God (2 Cor 4:17; Rev 21:4). And oh, how we long for this day (Rom 8:22; Rev 22:20). Yet, suffering does not separate us from God; sin does. Thus, sin is by far the greatest problem in the universe, and it’s the problem that we created - not God. Therefore, our most pressing need is not less suffering, but more of God (2 Cor 12:9; Phil 3:7–11).

“More than comfort, we need the King.
More than gifts, we need the Giver.
More than blessings, we need Your presence.
More than the healing, we need the Healer.”¹
  ~ Casting Crowns

With God’s grace, we can endure a lifetime of suffering if we know that God is with us in the valley of the shadow of death (Psa 23:4; 46:1–5; 1 Cor 10:13; 2 Cor 4:17–18; Heb 11:35–12:2). Our greatest need is not less suffering but more of God in the midst of our suffering.

** This leads to the next point: God making Himself known in the midst of suffering.

4. The glory of God is displayed through suffering.
Every human being was created for the glory of God (Gen 1:26–27; Isa 43:7). In other words, we were created to see, to savor, and to showcase the full-orbed goodness of God in ALL His ways. Yes, He is merciful and gracious and slow to anger (Exod 34:6; Psa 103:8), but He is also holy and righteous and just (Isa 6:1–5; Rev 4:8). He is not lopsided in His attributes. He is angry with the wicked every single day (Psa 7:11) because He loves righteousness and justice (Psa 33:5; Isa 61:8); they are two sides of the same coin.

He loves mercy and justice (Mic 6:8), and both are on display across the canvas of sinful humanity. In our all comforts, the glory of God’s mercy and grace are on display. In all of our suffering, the glory of God’s justice is on display.

This is not to say that all of our suffering is a result of some personal sin that we have committed against God (Job 1–2; Psa 103:10; John 9:1–5; Acts 9:16). Our Lord Himself suffered more than any of us will ever comprehend (Isa 53:1–12; Matt 27:46), and He never once sinned (Heb 4:15).

To be human is to live in a world that suffers the just consequences of rebelling against a holy God. Thus, regardless of any personal sin, our suffering magnifies the righteousness and holiness and justice of God in not letting humanity’s rebellion (as a whole) go unpunished.²
 
 ** This naturally leads to the next question: how can God claim to be good and just when He allows “innocent” people to suffer for the sins of others (Exod 20:5–6; Num 14:18; Eccl 7:15)?

1. Suffering is just (i.e., merited, deserved, fair, morally right) because every human being is sinful

One accusation that is often lobbied against the goodness of God (understandably so) is the fact that He ordains the death of “innocent” children (Deut 20:16–17; 1 Sam 15:3). The fact that God would condone (much less command) the death of a child is one of the hardest concepts for our Western postmodern minds to grasp because we are deeply rooted in the idea of human goodness and the innocence of children. The biblical reality is that, while little children may be “innocent” insofar as they have not acted upon the depravity of their hearts (Jer 17:9; Jon 4:11), they are still sinners “by nature” (Rom 5:12; 7:18). From the very earliest stages of development, we see that their little hearts are bent toward sin (Psa 58:3). I didn’t have to teach my children the art of selfishness or deception or manipulation or greed or theft – they were already drawn to these practices “by nature” (Eph 2:3).

All creation reproduces “according to its kind” (Gen 1:24), including sinful humanity (Gen 5:3; Rom 5:12). This is not only the damming truth against evolution, but it is also the damming truth against innate goodness (Rom 3:10). Our first parents were sinners, and so we are conceived with hearts that are naturally sinful (Psa 51:5). Again, this is not a reflection of some wickedness in the heart of God; it is the result of humanity’s willful rebellion against the heart of God.

Thus, we continue to live in a world in which all humans suffer the consequence of our father Adam’s sin (Rom 5:12; 8:22). From the embryo to the elderly, every human being is a sinner “by nature”, and the just payment of sin is human suffering and death (Gen 2:17; Rom 6:23; 1 Cor 15:22). The fact that God does not show partiality toward little children is not an indictment against His goodness (Rom 2:11; 8:22); rather, it is a reflection of His blazing holiness and our utter depravity (Gen 6:5; Jer 17:9; Rom 3:23–27).

2. Children often reap the harvest of suffering that was planted by their parents. 

When it comes to the suffering of children we might argue, “But how is it fair that children who have not consciously or willfully rebelled against God should receive the same punishment as those who have actively, intently, and brazenly rebelled against God (e.g., Exod 34:7; 1 Sam 15:3)?”

Let’s go back to the illustration of the employer firing his employee:

• Question: who suffers the consequences of the employee’s willful rebellion?
• Answer: the employee and his entire family.

 
Even though his wife and children did nothing wrong in this scenario, they still suffer the consequences of his negligence. Yet, again, nobody rightly accuses the employer of being unjust or unloving in firing his defiant employee. Rather, they correctly point the finger at the employee who showed no regard for authority. The employer is not to blame for the misfortune of this man’s family; the employee is. His children are not suffering this economic hardship because of the employer’s calloused heart; they are suffering because of their father’s disregard for the established rules.

The same is true when it comes to human suffering. We are reaping the harvest of suffering that our first parents planted with the seeds of their sin (Rom 5:12). Our suffering is not a reflection of a wicked God; it is the harvest of rebellious human hearts (Jer 17:9). It is not the calloused heart of God that is on display in our suffering but the calloused heart of warned and wicked sinners.

3. The death of little children is God’s everlasting mercy toward them.
 
While all human death is a tragedy (Ezek 33:11; 1 Cor 15:26), there is also a divine mercy in the early departure of little children. In the case of God’s command in 1 Sam 15:3, consider the fact that these children were spared from being nurtured in the home of godless parents. They were spared a lifetime of sinful rebellion against their Creator. Instead, in their early death, these little ones were immediately ushered out of this suffering world and into the arms of their everlasting Father (2 Cor 5:8) who never lets any of His little children perish in hell (Matt 18:14) – regardless of the family into which they were conceived. I have written extensively on this issue elsewhere, but I will offer a few Scripture passages here for your consideration:

• Deuteronomy 1:39; 10:18–19
• 2 Samuel 12:23
• Psalm 22:9; 139:16
• Jeremiah 1:5
• Ezekiel 16:1–6
• Jonah 4:11
• Matthew 18:2–3, 14; 19:13–14; 25:30
• Luke 1:15–16
• Romans 1:20
• Ephesians 1:5; 2:1–5
• Revelation 13:8

To our previous point, little children are not saved in death because of their “innocence”. Nor is this an argument for universal salvation. To be clear: children are not innocent (Rom 3:10), and there are many people who will spend an eternity in hell (Matt 7:21–23; 13:41–42). The point I am making here is that there is a strong biblical argument for the everlasting grace, mercy, and kindness of God in rescuing the most vulnerable of His creation: little children.

Thus, when we accuse God of injustice in the death of our little ones, we are focused on the temporal picture and missing the eternal perspective – which is God’s everlasting kindness to them.

In His wisdom, God uses suffering for the good of His children (Rom 8:28). Not only is human suffering the just consequence of united rebellion against a holy God, but it is also a tool that God is using to mercifully drawn many sinners away from the eternal punishment of their rebellion (Psa 119:67, 71; Pro 3:12; John 15:1–2; 2 Cor 1:8–9; Heb 12:11).

All the saints of God can testify as to how God has used their sufferings for their ultimate and everlasting good (Rom 8:28; Heb 12:1–2) – even those whose suffered and died in infancy (2 Sam 12:23; Job 3:16–17; Matt 18:10). The psalmist exults that “it was good for me to be afflicted” (Psa 119:71). The apostle Paul, a man who was intimately familiar with human suffering (2 Cor 11:23–30), said that this momentary affliction is working an eternal weight of glory in us (2 Cor 4:17; c.f., Rom 8:18). He actually talks about rejoicing in our sufferings because of how God is using it to shape our character (Rom 5:3–5). The apostle Peter says the same thing (1 Pet 1:6–7), as does James (James 1:2–4).

The examples (scripturally, historically, personally) are endless. God ordained the suffering Joseph’s life to save the world from a massive famine (Gen 50:20). God orchestrated the suffering in Job’s life to silence the enemy’s boasting (Job 1–2). God ordered the suffering of the pagan nations (1 Sam 15:3) to protect His people from the infiltrating influence of their idolatry. God superintended the suffering in Paul’s life to keep him from idolizing his own strength (2 Cor 12:7–10). And the list stretches into eternity.  

The bottom line is that God sees what we can’t see (Psa 147:5). He knows what we don’t know (Isa 40:13; Rom 11:34). He sees the big picture (Psa 139:16) when we can only glimpse the smallest fraction (1 Cor 13:12). This is true for nations (Job 12:23), and it is true within the confines of our own hearts (1 Sam 16:7). God’s thoughts and actions are infinitely above us in every way (Isa 55:8–9: Rom 11:34–36). Though we often feel justified in questioning God’s character or condemning His actions (Job 31:35–37; Rom 9:20), the reality is that God has the divine right to do whatever He chooses in the world which He has made (Psa 115:3; Rom 3:4). He is God, and we are not. And it is our wisdom to respond accordingly (Job 1:20–21; 13:15; Prov 3:5; Eccl 5:2; Mic 6:8).  

1. God has all power and all authority over all things at all times and in all places. This means that He is also sovereign over our suffering.
2. God is also good in all that He does and in all that He ordains.
3. These two realities (the sovereignty of God and the goodness of God) are true even in a world full of suffering.
4. Suffering did not exist when God finished creating the world.
5. Suffering (of every kind) is the result of sinful human rebellion. We cannot walk away from the source of goodness and expect to find anything but suffering on the other side.
6. In His sovereign goodness, God is using all suffering for the ultimate and everlasting good of His people.

No, God is not cruel. He is holy. He is just. He is righteous. He is sovereign. And He is good in all that He does, in all that He is, and in all that He ordains. He is not calling us to comprehend all His ways. He’s calling us to “trust His heart when we cannot trace His hand” (Charles Spurgeon).

Not a single tear is ever lost or wasted (Psa 56:8). “God is always doing 10,000 things in your life, and you may be aware of three of them” (John Piper). He takes no pleasure in the suffering of this world. Death is an enemy that will one day be destroyed. Until that day, “Sometimes God allows what He hates to accomplish what He loves” (Joni Eareckson Tada).