Suffering & the Sovereignty of God - Chapter 1

Chapter Title: "Suffering and the Sovereignty of God: Ten Aspects of God's Sovereignty Over Suffering and Satan's Hand in It"

Author: John Piper

Intro: So the adventure begins -- and what a treat it should be -- going through this interesting book on our sufferings and God's part in it all. And those who wrote the book have gone through much suffering, so it's real. The first chapter starts the book off with a bang, using several examples from the Bible of how God is in complete control of what happens on his earth. Satan may be the "ruler of this world," but he can only do what God allows. God is sovereign. Satan is not. That is the main point of this chapter. My guess is that the main purpose in beginning the book this way is to eliminate the false view that when bad things happen to people, even 'good' people, then Satan is to blame, and God wouldn't have anything to do with it. Well, to the contrary, the fall of man is to blame, and God allows whatever he deems best. And yes, he gets to decide what is best. Our lives are not about us and us alone. We are here to glorify God -- because he demands it. Join me in bowing down and accepting that.

A Different Top 10 List: Well, the chapter title pretty much demands that I list out the ten aspects in view:

1.) Let us celebrate that God is sovereign over Satan's delegated world rule.
2.) Let us celebrate that God is sovereign over Satan's angels (demons, evil spirits).
3.) Let us celebrate that God is sovereign over Satan's hand in persecution.
4.) Let us celebrate that God is sovereign over Satan's life-taking power.
5.) Let us celebrate that God is sovereign over Satan's hand in natural disasters.
6.) Let us celebrate that God is sovereign over Satan's sickness-causing power.
7.) Let us celebrate that God is sovereign over Satan's use of animals and plants.
8.) Let us celebrate that God is sovereign over Satan's temptations to sin.
9.) Let us celebrate that God is sovereign over Satan's mind-blinding power.
10.) Let us celebrate that God is sovereign over Satan's spiritual bondage.

Bold Statements Above: Yeah, so those are some really bold statements above. Perhaps I should give a short summary of each and some Scripture to back them up.

1.) Bottom Line: God is in control of who the world leaders are. He puts them in power, can take them out of power, and in essence has them all on a leash that cannot escape the bounds of his sovereign will. Scriptures: Daniel 2:20-21, Daniel 4:17, Proverbs 21:1, Psalm 33:10-11

2.) Bottom Line: Spiritual warfare is real. Satan's demons have a lot of power and do a lot of damage here on earth, but even they cannot escape God's control and must obey him if called. Scriptures: Daniel 10:13, Matthew 8:29-32, Mark 1:27

3.) Bottom Line: Satan may use evil people to persecute Christians (or even Christ himself), sometimes even to the point of death, but God wills that sort of suffering for our good. Scriptures: 1 Peter 3:17, Luke 22:52-53, John 10:18

4.) Bottom Line: Satan is a murderer, but God is in control of life and death. Scriptures: John 8:44, Duet. 32:39, James 4:13-16

5.) Bottom Line: Satan approached God in Job, which led to two natural disasters, but Satan had to approach God because he didn't have the power to do it himself; only God did. Scriptures: Job 1:11-21, Job 37:10-14, James 5:11, Mark 4:39

6.) Bottom Line: Satan may oppress us with sickness, but God is the one who allows it and can heal it. Scriptures: Luke 13:16, Job 2:7-10, Job 42:11, Exodus 4:11

7.) Bottom Line: Plants of animals of this world can certainly cause us suffering, but they too must obey God. Scriptures: 1 Peter 5:8, Jonah 1:17, Jonah 2:10, Jonah 4:6-7

8.) Bottom Line: Satan is definitely an evil tempter and loves when we sin, but through the power of God, we can be delivered. Scriptures: Luke 22:3-4, Acts 1:16, Acts 2:23, Luke 22:31-32

9.) Bottom Line: Satan blinds the minds of unbelievers, but God has the power to give us light. Scriptures: 2 Corinthians 4:4-6, Ephesians 2:5

10.) Bottom Line: Satan has many captives to sin, but God can deliver us. Scriptures: 2 Timothy 2:24-26, Romans 8:31-37

Favorite Quote: "The church has not been spending its energy to go deep with the unfathomable God of the Bible. Against the overwhelming weight and seriousness of the Bible, much of the church is choosing, at this very moment, to become more light and shallow and entertainment-oriented, and therefore successful in its irrelevance to massive suffering and evil. The popular God of fun-church is simply too small and too affable to hold a hurricane in his hand. The biblical categories of God's sovereignty lie like land mines in the pages of the Bible waiting for someone to seroiusly open the book. They don't kill, but they do explode trivial notions of the Almighty."