Grief and Pain

in the

Plan of God

Christian Assurance

and the

Message of Lamentations

by

Walter C. Kaiser, Jr.

Christian Focus

Dr Walter C Kaiser Jr. is Colman M. Mockler, Distinguished Professor of Old Testament and President of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Massachusetts. One of the world’s premier biblical scholars he is a frequent speaker at conferences and has written more than thirty books, including Hard Sayings of the Bible and Revive Us Again—Biblical Principles for Revival Today (ISBN 1-85792-687-0).

Material from

Five Smooth Stones for Pastoral Work by Eugene Peterson,

© 1980 by John Knox Press, is used by permission.

© Walter C. Kaiser Jr

ISBN 1-85792-993-4

First Published by Moody Press 1982

This edition published in 2004

by

Christian Focus Publications, Ltd.

Geanies House, Fearn, Tain,

Ross-shire, IV20 ITW, Great Britain

www.christianfocus.com

Cover design by Alister MacInnes

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publisher or a licence permitting restricted copying. In the U.K. such licenses are issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1P 9HE.

Contents

Preface

Introduction

1. Coping With Grief

2. Taking Suffering Personally

3. Finding Hope In The Face Of Adversity

4. Putting A Name To Pain

5. Remembering That God Still Reigns

Conclusion: Suffering In The Old Testament

Subject Index

Scripture Index

Author Index

Index Of Hebrew Words Defined

TO THE REVEREND CARROLL A. NELSON—

Pastor, seminary placement director, seminary chaplain, colleague, and special friend who has had heavy physical pain as a constant companion for many years while cheerfully testifying that God’s grace is indeed sufficient.

Carroll has shown us what doxological suffering is.

And to the memory of

the REVEREND ARNE B. HANSEN

(May 16, 1922–August 19, 1981)

A special friend, faculty colleague, and pastor of pastors whose own bout with suffering at the conclusion of his earthly life taught all of us at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School how to face suffering confident of our Lord’s faithfulness when the familiar supports of life seemed to crumble.

Arne was a living example of evidential or testimonial suffering.

‘Great is Thy faithfulness’—Lamentations 3:23

Preface

One of life’s most puzzling problems has been the enigma of the presence, persistence, and power of the evil, pain, and suffering experienced by mortals. ‘Why’, we all seem to ask, ‘is this happening to me? Why is all of this necessary? Will there never be an end to the mental distress which comes from suffering?’

The difficulty is only sharpened all the more for the believer who attempts to explain how a good God can permit hardship and suffering that weigh so heavily on even the most faithful of His children. What can be done to avoid suffering, if anything? ...