Investigating the Bible: Success over evil

Robert F. Kennedy said, “Some believe there is nothing one man or one woman can do against the enormous array of the world’s ills — against misery, ignorance, or injustice and violence. Yet many of the world’s great movements of thought and action have flowed from the work of a single man. A young monk began the Protestant Reformation, a young general extended an empire from Macedonia to the borders of the earth, and a young woman reclaimed the territory of France.” Success comes to followers of God in ways both expected and unexpected.

Obedience to God leads to success. After forty years of wandering in a desert and the death of Moses, Joshua was chosen to lead Israel. God commanded him: “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will achieve success.” (Joshua 1:8, New American Standard used throughout). They first came to Jericho, where God gave them a miraculous victory. The city was protected by high walls. The Israelites marched around the city seven times, and on the last time “...the people shouted with a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, everyone straight ahead, and they took the city.” (Joshua 6:20).

Disobedience to God results in failure. Next for the Israelites was Ai, a smaller city. The spies who returned told Joshua, “Do not have all the people go up; have only about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai; do not trouble all the people there, for they are few.” (Joshua 7:3). Joshua did this; however, the men were defeated and about 36 soldiers were killed. When Joshua complained to God, He responded, “Israel has sinned, and they have also violated My covenant which I commanded them.” (Joshua 7:11). After the Jericho victory, some took forbidden treasures and hid them.

Success is found even in suffering. The apostle Paul healed many by the power of God. He survived a poisonous viper on the island of Malta. Paul laid sticks on a fire, when “...a viper came out because of the heat and fastened itself on his hand.” (Acts 28:3). The natives first thought Paul had committed murder and would die. Paul shook the snake from his arm; after a long time and when he remained well, the natives “...changed their minds and began to say that he was a god.” (Acts 28:6).

However, another time Paul was given a painful “thorn in the flesh.” He doesn’t describe in detail his suffering. It may have been painful headaches, or severely compromised vision. He explained, “Concerning this I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’” Paul realized, “...when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9,10).

There are no easy answers to human suffering. Army Capt. Sam Brown was on his first tour of duty in Afghanistan in 2008, when an improvised explosive device exploded beneath his Humvee. Somehow, he got out, and cried, “Jesus save me!” expecting to die. Instead, he survived with burns over 30 percent of his body, and a disfigured face. During his agonizing recovery of skin grafting, a compassionate dietitian named Amy Larsen helped him eat and didn’t recoil at his grotesque appearance. Romance developed, Sam shared his deep faith with Amy, she became a believer, and they were married in 2009. Brown has been an inspiration for wounded soldiers and now serves as under secretary of memorial affairs with the Department of Veterans Affairs. As Pastor Max Lucado observed, “In God’s hand, intended evil is eventual good.”

David Carlson Pastor (his last name, not his profession) lives in Oregon and is a graduate of Bethel Theological Seminary in Minnesota.