Reasons Why God Allows Suffering?

[GoldenEagle]

The Blessing is sort of like having an iPhone. We could standard issue an iPhone to every Believer, but unless taught, very few will ever walk in all the features of the phone and all it can do. Even when taught, they could still make mistakes (operator errors). The iPhone can do 100s of things for you, but unless you know what to do, it just kind of sits in your pocket and is of little benefit to you on the Earth. We could say the same with all of God's promises (healing, victory, prosperity, etc). Any you can stumble onto some feature of the iPhone and get something good out of it occasionally, but just because you have it, doesn't mean you're using it, or using it to it's full potential.

 

The issue with this analogy is not everyone has an iPhone. Not everyone is called to a life of prosperity, healing, etc. Some are called to suffer for Christ and praise God in whatever circumstance they're in... But if we want to discuss this further there's a thread for that...

 

Let's not derail this one again please.

[TheCurseOfTheRodain]

Before continuing on... It is getting really frustrating Rodain in addressing your posts because it seems you are using a shotgun type approach - you are all over the place, changing the subject, and adding new topics to the thread. A discussion is a lot more effective if it is focused more like a sniper rifle. It is also more effective to address point by point so posts don’t get too long, words/ideas aren’t misunderstood, or ideas/points aren’t overlooked. Just a few thoughts going forward.

Anyway, continuing on…

 

Hey GE,

   Yes, I can see that, but all of this IS connected, that's the problem. Most of this is predicated upon the whole - it's like saying let's focus on one thread, but that thread is connected with all the others in the spider web. They are not separate. So that's why, but I will try to focus as much as I can on a single issue for you

[TheCurseOfTheRodain]

 

The Blessing is sort of like having an iPhone. We could standard issue an iPhone to every Believer, but unless taught, very few will ever walk in all the features of the phone and all it can do. Even when taught, they could still make mistakes (operator errors). The iPhone can do 100s of things for you, but unless you know what to do, it just kind of sits in your pocket and is of little benefit to you on the Earth. We could say the same with all of God's promises (healing, victory, prosperity, etc). Any you can stumble onto some feature of the iPhone and get something good out of it occasionally, but just because you have it, doesn't mean you're using it, or using it to it's full potential.

 

The issue with this analogy is not everyone has an iPhone. Not everyone is called to a life of prosperity, healing, etc. Some are called to suffer for Christ and praise God in whatever circumstance they're in... But if we want to discuss this further there's a thread for that...

 

Let's not derail this one again please.

 

 

 

The iPhone I speak of is the Blessing of the Lord from Genesis 1:28 which Jesus walked in. That's what I was trying to say. Every Believer has it - it's standard issue, but most do not know how to use it/operate in it (in the Kingdom of God). Largely because no one teaches them. I've been taught the last 2 years all about it and it has totally changed my life in every way. Glory to God.

[TheCurseOfTheRodain]

 

So by this logic, that whatever you see that anyone has said in the Word that that means that that is the Truth and God Himself vouches for it? (this is what I infer from your question in the Joseph thread).

 

If so, God has a lot to say about what Job's friends said, saying they were all wrong and that Job himself was wrong (though in being wrong he did not curse God, and therefore did not sin) and He would instruct them.

 

...

 

So trying to say that because Joseph said what he said, that God destroyed his life to save some gentiles (those outside the Covenant) is a joke and goes against the Covenant itself and is insulting to God for what God had said He would do for the seed of Abraham.

 

So to sum up, God did not bring upon Joseph what his brothers did. They acted out of hate and jealousy; Joseph was in the bloodline of Abraham and had the Blessing of Abraham, just as we do today; we aren't told what Joseph was saying during those times, but whatever he did say determined whether he lived or died (Proverbs 18:21) or had blessing or cursing (Deut 30:19 and Prov 18:21).

 

 

As to your question… Rodain: “So by this logic, that whatever you see that anyone has said in the Word that that means that that is the Truth and God Himself vouches for it? (this is what I infer from your question in the Joseph thread).”

 

What would make you think that Joseph wasn’t speaking the truth in the passage? Are you saying that his brothers didn’t mean to harm him and sell him into slavery? Are you saying that God didn’t allow this suffering in Joseph’s life to bring about save (physically) many people? If so, how do you come to these conclusions from the text? Sorry, I believe that is a very weak argument against the text in Genesis 50.

 

Genesis 50:15-21 with a focus on verse 20 -

20 But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.

 

You said… Rodain: “So trying to say that because Joseph said what he said, that God destroyed his life to save some gentiles (those outside the Covenant) is a joke and goes against the Covenant itself and is insulting to God for what God had said He would do for the seed of Abraham.”

I didn’t say God destroyed Joseph’s life. You are making an assertion I didn’t make. Joseph had suffering in his life (11 years as a slave and/or prisoner) but God used that suffering to save (physically – food) not only Joseph’s family, the Egyptians, and all the nations surrounding Egypt. And on top of that Joseph’s family was given the best land in Egypt for herding animals.

You said… Rodain: “So to sum up, God did not bring upon Joseph what his brothers did. They acted out of hate and jealousy; Joseph was in the bloodline of Abraham and had the Blessing of Abraham, just as we do today; we aren't told what Joseph was saying during those times, but whatever he did say determined whether he lived or died (Proverbs 18:21) or had blessing or cursing (Deut 30:19 and Prov 18:21).”

 

God didn’t cause Joseph’s brothers to act in such a manner as to want to kill him or sell him into slavery. But God DID allow Joseph to be sold into slavery. Sometimes God allows us to go through trials and tribulations (storms or valleys in life) in order to build our character, conform us to Christ, and even do something amazing (in Joseph's case God miraculously made a slave the second most powerful man in the kingdom of Egypt). What do you mean by “we aren't told what Joseph was saying during those times”? What times are you referring to?

 

Please provide specific passages that somehow negate what Joseph said… Speaking in general terms doesn’t allow us to look at Scripture to see if what you’re saying lines up with Scripture and discuss it accordingly…

 

 

 

What I mean about what Joseph said about God is that WHY do you accept that as fact, when you have several other examples of PEOPLE saying stuff about God that either God did not say or He exposed as lies later and you don't accept those? There is no continuity there; no criteria for why you would accept what Joseph said other than you want him to say that God forced him to suffer (this would be a violation of his free will anyway) to help others - something He did not do even with Jesus - Jesus said HE laid down His own life, no one could take it from Him.

 

With Cain, I mean, he said a bunch of lies about what God said (2 seconds after God said it no less) and God did not correct him, showing that just because Cain said it about God and it's in the Bible doesn't mean it's the truth about God. Same with Eve, God did not correct her, because she, like Cain, had gone into self-deception.

[Guest shiloh357]

 

 

So by this logic, that whatever you see that anyone has said in the Word that that means that that is the Truth and God Himself vouches for it? (this is what I infer from your question in the Joseph thread).

 

If so, God has a lot to say about what Job's friends said, saying they were all wrong and that Job himself was wrong (though in being wrong he did not curse God, and therefore did not sin) and He would instruct them.

 

...

 

So trying to say that because Joseph said what he said, that God destroyed his life to save some gentiles (those outside the Covenant) is a joke and goes against the Covenant itself and is insulting to God for what God had said He would do for the seed of Abraham.

 

So to sum up, God did not bring upon Joseph what his brothers did. They acted out of hate and jealousy; Joseph was in the bloodline of Abraham and had the Blessing of Abraham, just as we do today; we aren't told what Joseph was saying during those times, but whatever he did say determined whether he lived or died (Proverbs 18:21) or had blessing or cursing (Deut 30:19 and Prov 18:21).

 

 

As to your question… Rodain: “So by this logic, that whatever you see that anyone has said in the Word that that means that that is the Truth and God Himself vouches for it? (this is what I infer from your question in the Joseph thread).”

 

What would make you think that Joseph wasn’t speaking the truth in the passage? Are you saying that his brothers didn’t mean to harm him and sell him into slavery? Are you saying that God didn’t allow this suffering in Joseph’s life to bring about save (physically) many people? If so, how do you come to these conclusions from the text? Sorry, I believe that is a very weak argument against the text in Genesis 50.

 

Genesis 50:15-21 with a focus on verse 20 -

20 But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.

 

You said… Rodain: “So trying to say that because Joseph said what he said, that God destroyed his life to save some gentiles (those outside the Covenant) is a joke and goes against the Covenant itself and is insulting to God for what God had said He would do for the seed of Abraham.”

I didn’t say God destroyed Joseph’s life. You are making an assertion I didn’t make. Joseph had suffering in his life (11 years as a slave and/or prisoner) but God used that suffering to save (physically – food) not only Joseph’s family, the Egyptians, and all the nations surrounding Egypt. And on top of that Joseph’s family was given the best land in Egypt for herding animals.

You said… Rodain: “So to sum up, God did not bring upon Joseph what his brothers did. They acted out of hate and jealousy; Joseph was in the bloodline of Abraham and had the Blessing of Abraham, just as we do today; we aren't told what Joseph was saying during those times, but whatever he did say determined whether he lived or died (Proverbs 18:21) or had blessing or cursing (Deut 30:19 and Prov 18:21).”

 

God didn’t cause Joseph’s brothers to act in such a manner as to want to kill him or sell him into slavery. But God DID allow Joseph to be sold into slavery. Sometimes God allows us to go through trials and tribulations (storms or valleys in life) in order to build our character, conform us to Christ, and even do something amazing (in Joseph's case God miraculously made a slave the second most powerful man in the kingdom of Egypt). What do you mean by “we aren't told what Joseph was saying during those times”? What times are you referring to?

 

Please provide specific passages that somehow negate what Joseph said… Speaking in general terms doesn’t allow us to look at Scripture to see if what you’re saying lines up with Scripture and discuss it accordingly…

 

 

 

What I mean about what Joseph said about God is that WHY do you accept that as fact, when you have several other examples of PEOPLE saying stuff about God that either God did not say or He exposed as lies later and you don't accept those? There is no continuity there; no criteria for why you would accept what Joseph said other than you want him to say that God forced him to suffer (this would be a violation of his free will anyway) to help others - something He did not do even with Jesus - Jesus said HE laid down His own life, no one could take it from Him.

 

With Cain, I mean, he said a bunch of lies about what God said (2 seconds after God said it no less) and God did not correct him, showing that just because Cain said it about God and it's in the Bible doesn't mean it's the truth about God. Same with Eve, God did not correct her, because she, like Cain, had gone into self-deception.

 

Rodain,

 

How do explain the passages where God takes direct responsbility for the suffering of people?   For exampe (and I have cited these before and you ignored them):  

God sent plagues on Egypt and He, beforehand said that He was sending them and He not only caused suffering in Egypt but prematurely took the lives of the first born of both man and beast.

 

God promised to send disease and pestilence on the children of Israel in Deut. 28:15-68  Note in that passasge all of the places where God said that He would personally send the diesases and painful illnesses (Deut. 28: 22-23, 27, 28-29, 35-36, 59-61, 63)  All of those verses are verses where God Himself claims that He will send sickness and disease on the people for their disobedience.   How does that square with your statement that sickness and disease are 100% the work of the devil?

 

What Josepeh said in Genesis 50:20 is absolutely true.  What the brothers meant for evil God meant for good.  God is not a passive observer in history.  He is an active participant.  God is always manipulating history in order to accomplish His will.  It is no accident that by the time Jesus was born, the ancient near east had one unifying language, and a very efficient system of what we would call "inter-state" roads and trade routes. God was peparing the world for the coming of Christ and the effcient spreading of the Gospel.  

 

It is no accident that Ruth, an obsure Moabitess found herself in the lineage of David and subsequently in the lineage of Jesus.  Had there not been a famine in Bethlehem, Elimilech would not have taken his familiy into Moab so that his Mahlon could have married Ruth.   It is no accident that Ruth met Boaz after her husband died and she ended marring Boaz and being the great grandmother of David. 

 

We can trace God's hand in how He works and sometimes we find that God causes us discomfort to get us to move and put us where we need to be.   God sent a famine in Canaan to get the children of Israel into Egypt where they would grow and prosper.  He had to send Joseph ahead to prepare the way for the rest of the family in order to preserve them in Egypt in the midst of the famine otherwise the Messianic line would have died out in the deserts of Canaan.  

 

The iPhone I speak of is the Blessing of the Lord from Genesis 1:28 which Jesus walked in. That's what I was trying to say. Every Believer has it - it's standard issue, but most do not know how to use it/operate in it (in the Kingdom of God). Largely because no one teaches them. I've been taught the last 2 years all about it and it has totally changed my life in every way. Glory to God.

 

That simply is not true.  There is a good reason why some people should not be rich.  They can't handle wealth.  There are people for whom wealth isn't blessing; it's a curse.  I have heard and I know many have heard stories of folks who win millions in the lottery or the inherit millions and they are in worse shape a year or two later than if they had never had it in the first place.

 

Sometimes God doesn't bless us in what He gives us; sometimes the blessing comes in the form of what he witholds from us for our own good.  God sees the big picture and while it might cause short-term disappointment and frustration when we don't get what we wanted when we wanted, God sees the big picture and we never see the huge disaster that God saved us from by denying us what we thought we wanted or needed.   So sometimes the suffering and discomfort we deal with now in the short-term, is a blessing in diguise bcause God actually saved us from having to deal a huge tragedy or long-term disaster that would have been far, far more costly.

 

So there is no standardized, one-size-fits-all blessing that God has for every person.  He blesses us according to our need, not our greed.

 

.

When you get a chance, Rodain, I would be interested in your comments  relative to my responses to your clam  that Jesus was not God while on earth.  Link>>>

[TheCurseOfTheRodain]

 

What I mean about what Joseph said about God is that WHY do you accept that as fact, when you have several other examples of PEOPLE saying stuff about God that either God did not say or He exposed as lies later and you don't accept those? There is no continuity there; no criteria for why you would accept what Joseph said other than you want him to say that God forced him to suffer (this would be a violation of his free will anyway) to help others - something He did not do even with Jesus - Jesus said HE laid down His own life, no one could take it from Him.

 

With Cain, I mean, he said a bunch of lies about what God said (2 seconds after God said it no less) and God did not correct him, showing that just because Cain said it about God and it's in the Bible doesn't mean it's the truth about God. Same with Eve, God did not correct her, because she, like Cain, had gone into self-deception.

 

Rodain,

 

How do explain the passages where God takes direct responsbility for the suffering of people?   For exampe (and I have cited these before and you ignored them):  

God sent plagues on Egypt and He, beforehand said that He was sending them and He not only caused suffering in Egypt but prematurely took the lives of the first born of both man and beast.

 

God promised to send disease and pestilence on the children of Israel in Deut. 28:15-68  Note in that passasge all of the places where God said that He would personally send the diesases and painful illnesses (Deut. 28: 22-23, 27, 28-29, 35-36, 59-61, 63)  All of those verses are verses where God Himself claims that He will send sickness and disease on the people for their disobedience.   How does that square with your statement that sickness and disease are 100% the work of the devil?

 

What Josepeh said in Genesis 50:20 is absolutely true.  What the brothers meant for evil God meant for good.  God is not a passive observer in history.  He is an active participant.  God is always manipulating history in order to accomplish His will.  It is no accident that by the time Jesus was born, the ancient near east had one unifying language, and a very efficient system of what we would call "inter-state" roads and trade routes. God was peparing the world for the coming of Christ and the effcient spreading of the Gospel.  

 

It is no accident that Ruth, an obsure Moabitess found herself in the lineage of David and subsequently in the lineage of Jesus.  Had there not been a famine in Bethlehem, Elimilech would not have taken his familiy into Moab so that his Mahlon could have married Ruth.   It is no accident that Ruth met Boaz after her husband died and she ended marring Boaz and being the great grandmother of David. 

 

We can trace God's hand in how He works and sometimes we find that God causes us discomfort to get us to move and put us where we need to be.   God sent a famine in Canaan to get the children of Israel into Egypt where they would grow and prosper.  He had to send Joseph ahead to prepare the way for the rest of the family in order to preserve them in Egypt in the midst of the famine otherwise the Messianic line would have died out in the deserts of Canaan.  

 

The iPhone I speak of is the Blessing of the Lord from Genesis 1:28 which Jesus walked in. That's what I was trying to say. Every Believer has it - it's standard issue, but most do not know how to use it/operate in it (in the Kingdom of God). Largely because no one teaches them. I've been taught the last 2 years all about it and it has totally changed my life in every way. Glory to God.

 

That simply is not true.  There is a good reason why some people should not be rich.  They can't handle wealth.  There are people for whom wealth isn't blessing; it's a curse.  I have heard and I know many have heard stories of folks who win millions in the lottery or the inherit millions and they are in worse shape a year or two later than if they had never had it in the first place.

 

Sometimes God doesn't bless us in what He gives us; sometimes the blessing comes in the form of what he witholds from us for our own good.  God sees the big picture and while it might cause short-term disappointment and frustration when we don't get what we wanted when we wanted, God sees the big picture and we never see the huge disaster that God saved us from by denying us what we thought we wanted or needed.   So sometimes the suffering and discomfort we deal with now in the short-term, is a blessing in diguise bcause God actually saved us from having to deal a huge tragedy or long-term disaster that would have been far, far more costly.

 

So there is no standardized, one-size-fits-all blessing that God has for every person.  He blesses us according to our need, not our greed.

 

.

When you get a chance, Rodain, I would be interested in your comments  relative to my responses to your clam  that Jesus was not God while on earth.  Link>>>

 

 

I don't intentionally ignore anything you say, but it is as I said above, between you, Ninhao, GE, 7seas, walla2009 and a couple others there about 14 hours worth of stuff to respond to daily. I don't have that kind of time on here.

 

I pointed out why I said that Joseph's words there are not the truth with the examples of Eve, Cain, Job and Job's friends as all saying a bunch of stuff that God didn't say, and in certain instances, He didn't even correct them (Eve and Cain are 2).

 

God "causing" the suffering of people who go against His Covenant people (ie Egypt, whomever...):

 

God LOVES everyone, BUT He is not in Covenant with everyone. Anytime you see someone come to violate God's Covenant people in some way AND THEY CALL OUT TO HIM TO HONOR THAT COVENANT IN FAITH, God honors the Covenant and obliterates/smites/whatever the enemy of His Covenant people. God is just to honor His Covenant, and part of that IS protection (numerous places).

 

He does not take pleasure in this, for He loves all, but He is obligated to honor His Word, or He would not be just and would be a liar. It's the same with a husband and wife. If someone said they were going to harm my wife, do you think I am going to sit back and say, "oh well, I follow Jesus and am supposed to love everyone, I guess I won't cause any harm or suffering to the evil-hearted individual who seeks my wife's destruction..." NEVER! I would pray for them afterwards, but I would not hesitate to do whatever it takes to protect my wife, for she and I are in Covenant forever, even up to the point of ending that evil person's life if they would not relent. God's Covenant with us is even greater and Psalm 91 is one place that when you fulfill the 1st 2 verses, God can do the rest - you have to expect it and declare it. Just like Jesus declared that no man could take His life...

[Guest shiloh357]

I pointed out why I said that Joseph's words there are not the truth with the examples of Eve, Cain, Job and Job's friends as all saying a bunch of stuff that God didn't say, and in certain instances, He didn't even correct them (Eve and Cain are 2).

 

You are sorely mistaken.  Joseph's words are an exact summary of what happened from the time his brothers sold him into slavery until he saved them from the famine and revealed himself to them.

 

You can read throughout the story of Joseph, how that God was with Joseph and made Joseph successful and gave him favor with Potiphar and with the jailer and finally with Pharoah.  The Bible makes it very clear that God was working in Joseph's life to bring him to the position he attained as the second most powerful person in Egypt in order to save Egypt and the region from a long seven-year famine.   Joseph is saying to his brothers, what you meant to be an evil thing was God's way of salvation for you.  God is not a passive observer in history; He is an active participant and the Bible bears that out over and over and so does the story of Joseph.  God's hand in Joseph's life is indisputable and so Joseph's words are exactly true.  

 

 

God "causing" the suffering of people who go against His Covenant people (ie Egypt, whomever...):

 

God LOVES everyone, BUT He is not in Covenant with everyone. Anytime you see someone come to violate God's Covenant people in some way AND THEY CALL OUT TO HIM TO HONOR THAT COVENANT IN FAITH, God honors the Covenant and obliterates/smites/whatever the enemy of His Covenant people. God is just to honor His Covenant, and part of that IS protection (numerous places).

 

He does not take pleasure in this, for He loves all, but He is obligated to honor His Word, or He would not be just and would be a liar. It's the same with a husband and wife. If someone said they were going to harm my wife, do you think I am going to sit back and say, "oh well, I follow Jesus and am supposed to love everyone, I guess I won't cause any harm or suffering to the evil-hearted individual who seeks my wife's destruction..." NEVER! I would pray for them afterwards, but I would not hesitate to do whatever it takes to protect my wife, for she and I are in Covenant forever, even up to the point of ending that evil person's life if they would not relent. God's Covenant with us is even greater and Psalm 91 is one place that when you fulfill the 1st 2 verses, God can do the rest - you have to expect it and declare it. Just like Jesus declared that no man could take His life...

 

But you said that suffering is 100% the work of satan.  Now God sends sickness on those who are not "in covenant" with Him?  

 

But the problem here is that in Deuteronomy these verses are written to God's covenant people (Deut. 28: 22-23, 27, 28-29, 35-36, 59-61, 63)  all of which says what kinds of sickness and disease God will do to His covenant people.   In the book of Numbers, God sent poisonous snakes to punish the children of Israel.

 

And what about the "evil spirit" that  God sent to Saul (I Sam. 16:14-16, 23, 18:10 & 19:9)?

 

 

 

[LadyKay]

I have not read through all the post on this topic so I do not know if what I am going to say has been said yet or not. But could one of the reasons why God allows suffering is to test us as Christians  to see how we will react to another person's suffering? Too see  if we are living as Christ would in how we care for our fellow man? For how can one call themselves a follower of Christ, while they stand by and do nothing for someone who is suffering? I think God blesses us so that we my be a blessing to others.

[Guest shiloh357]

I have not read through all the post on this topic so I do not know if what I am going to say has been said yet or not. But could one of the reasons why God allows suffering is to test us as Christians  to see how we will react to another person's suffering? Too see  if we are living as Christ would in how we care for our fellow man? For how can one call themselves a follower of Christ, while they stand by and do nothing for someone who is suffering? I think God blesses us so that we my be a blessing to others.

 

I don't think that God sends "suffering" as a test, per se.   God uses our suffering for His glory, though.  When we can praise God during trials and tribulations, when we allow our suffering to become a means of letting others see the joy we have, it is an excellent witness.  It is easy and expected that we will have joy when things are going great.   But when our life falls apart and everything is crashing down around us and we can still praise the Lord in the midst of it, and still continue to walk next to Him and depend on HIm to see us through, it is a testimony to the world of God's faithfulness.

 

God uses our suffering to build us and sharpen us and make usable ministers later when we have friends and loved ones going through the same thing.  What a witness it is to be able to tell someone that you went through the same thing and how God has brought you through.  It gives people the hope they need.   You know, when you have a hope rooted in a faithful and loving Savior whom you can lean on, you can weather anything and come through it all with joy and peace.  

 

Not to be cliche, but we often look for God to calm the storm we are in, when what He wants to do is calm the storm that in us.  People are always amazed when a person can go through horrific stuff and yet have a peace and a joy that simply defies logic.  We are expected to become depressed and discouraged, but the joy and peace that Jesus brings in the midst of trouble and trials is something the world doesn't understand, but is looking for.

[TheCurseOfTheRodain]

 

I pointed out why I said that Joseph's words there are not the truth with the examples of Eve, Cain, Job and Job's friends as all saying a bunch of stuff that God didn't say, and in certain instances, He didn't even correct them (Eve and Cain are 2).

 

You are sorely mistaken.  Joseph's words are an exact summary of what happened from the time his brothers sold him into slavery until he saved them from the famine and revealed himself to them.

 

You can read throughout the story of Joseph, how that God was with Joseph and made Joseph successful and gave him favor with Potiphar and with the jailer and finally with Pharoah.  The Bible makes it very clear that God was working in Joseph's life to bring him to the position he attained as the second most powerful person in Egypt in order to save Egypt and the region from a long seven-year famine.   Joseph is saying to his brothers, what you meant to be an evil thing was God's way of salvation for you.  God is not a passive observer in history; He is an active participant and the Bible bears that out over and over and so does the story of Joseph.  God's hand in Joseph's life is indisputable and so Joseph's words are exactly true.  

 

 

God "causing" the suffering of people who go against His Covenant people (ie Egypt, whomever...):

 

God LOVES everyone, BUT He is not in Covenant with everyone. Anytime you see someone come to violate God's Covenant people in some way AND THEY CALL OUT TO HIM TO HONOR THAT COVENANT IN FAITH, God honors the Covenant and obliterates/smites/whatever the enemy of His Covenant people. God is just to honor His Covenant, and part of that IS protection (numerous places).

 

He does not take pleasure in this, for He loves all, but He is obligated to honor His Word, or He would not be just and would be a liar. It's the same with a husband and wife. If someone said they were going to harm my wife, do you think I am going to sit back and say, "oh well, I follow Jesus and am supposed to love everyone, I guess I won't cause any harm or suffering to the evil-hearted individual who seeks my wife's destruction..." NEVER! I would pray for them afterwards, but I would not hesitate to do whatever it takes to protect my wife, for she and I are in Covenant forever, even up to the point of ending that evil person's life if they would not relent. God's Covenant with us is even greater and Psalm 91 is one place that when you fulfill the 1st 2 verses, God can do the rest - you have to expect it and declare it. Just like Jesus declared that no man could take His life...

 

But you said that suffering is 100% the work of satan.  Now God sends sickness on those who are not "in covenant" with Him?  

 

But the problem here is that in Deuteronomy these verses are written to God's covenant people (Deut. 28: 22-23, 27, 28-29, 35-36, 59-61, 63)  all of which says what kinds of sickness and disease God will do to His covenant people.   In the book of Numbers, God sent poisonous snakes to punish the children of Israel.

 

And what about the "evil spirit" that  God sent to Saul (I Sam. 16:14-16, 23, 18:10 & 19:9)?

 

 

Suffering to God's people is caused by Satan (the one who brings the sickness and disease and poverty, etc, obviously outside of examples of stupidity, like someone causing their own problems (but one would be hard pressed to say that those actions/habits are not rooted somewhere in Satan's activities in that person's life or family)).

 

The snakes in question I already said in an earlier post: simply, in the Hebrew it says there that God removed His hand (because the people didn't want Him (just as a rebellious child today can engender serious consequences for themselves when they willfully desire the removal of their parent's hand(s)) and the snakes that were already there, and had been there, were then free to overtake them. It's like touching a hot pan - do we blame your parents because they already told you not to do that but you rebelled and removed their hand of protection through your rebellion and insistence on your own way and so you burn yourself? Is that the fault of your parents or you? Did your parents send the heat to burn you or did you touch that which was already there? You brought it on yourself; now the parents are obviously touched by your pain, but you chose it. )

 

Evil spirit one with Saul I have never investigated the original Hebrew there; at a glance, it would seem that since Saul had left the covenant (look at Jeremiah 17:5-6 for an example of how someone can be considered one of God's people yet not get what God promised because they have departed from God in their heart (in unbelief at the Covenant), and looking at Jeremiah 17:7-8 you can see God's people who DO have God established in their hearts (like the man in Psalm 112) and get what God says) and he was after God's anointed, God had to protect David.