WHY WOULD A LOVING GOD PERMIT WICKEDNESS?

Note to the speaker:

Present answers that first-time attenders can grasp. Strengthen the faith of Jehovah’s Witnesses who may
struggle with this question when tragedy strikes them personally

Eighteen-year-old Bano left Iraq in 1996 and moved with her family to Norway. Her friends called
her by the nickname Sun Rays. Sadly, however, on July 22, 2011, Bano was one of the 77
victims whose lives were cut short by an extremist, who boasted: “I wish to apologize . . . that I
wasn’t able to execute more.” (More in article Why All the Suffering? W13 9/1 pp. 3-5)

GOD HATES THE EVIL OF SATAN’S WORLD (5 min.)

Victims of accidents, crime, war, terrorism, and disasters, often ask, “Why?” (g 11/06 3-9)
Have you wondered why a loving God would permit evil things to occur?
Even faithful servants of God pondered that question [Read Habakkuk 1:3]
Some people conclude that God does not care about humans

Victims from accidents, crime, war, terrorism and other disasters ask WHY???

IF God is Love, IF God is Almighty WHY wickedness and suffering exist.

What is wrong with this formula? It makes no sense.

Some come to conclude: Since there is wickedness and suffering and God exists then He is not loving.

Others: Because wickedness has existed forever then either God doesn't exist or doesn't mind us or enjoys
our suffering.

Still others: We are a game to God and Satan that they play together.

MOST people lose faith in God.

Have you ever -even as a witness – asked Jehovah either angry, disappointed or hopeless to Jehovah,
WHY Jehovah? Why … ?

DO NOT feel bad IF someone has done this!!! Even a prophet of old asked this!
[Read Habakkuk 1:3] completed c. 628 BCE
Why do you make me witness wrongdoing?And why do you tolerate oppression?Why are
destruction and violence before me?And why do quarreling and conflict abound?

The Bible reveals that God hates suffering and injustice (Jg 2:18; Pr 6:16-19)
Jg 2:18 Whenever Jehovah did raise up judges for them, Jehovah would be with the judge and save them
from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for Jehovah was moved to pity over their
groaning caused by those who oppressed them and those who were treating them abusively. [c.1100 BC]
Starts with c. 1450 BCE
Pr 6:16-19 There are six things that Jehovah hates;Yes, seven things that he detests: 17 Haughty eyes, a
lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,18 A heart plotting wicked schemes, and feet that run
quickly to evil,19 A false witness who lies with every breath,And anyone sowing contentions among
brothers.[completed 717 BC though] This might have written as early as 1000 BCE

Jehovah felt hurt at heart because of all the badness in Noah’s day, and his hatred of wickedness has not
changed (Ge 6:5, 6)
Gen 6:5, 6 Consequently, Jehovah saw that man’s wickedness was great on the earth and that every
 inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only bad all the time.6 Jehovah regretted that he had made
men on the earth, and his heart was saddened. [since before the deluge 2490 BCE] Close to 5000 yrs ago.

Be assured that God is never the source of wickedness (Job 34:10; Jas 1:13)

Job 34:10 So listen to me, you men of understanding:It is unthinkable for the true God to act wickedly,For
the Almighty to do wrong! Job was put to the test c.1613 BCE

James 1:13 When under trial, let no one say: “I am being tried by God.” For with evil things God cannot be
tried, nor does he himself try anyone. b. 62 CE

WHY GOD HAS TOLERATED WICKEDNESS (20 min.)

So why does a loving, just, and all powerful God permit the evil of Satan’s world? (w02 10/1 5-6)
A common misconception is that God directly controls every situation
Some who still have faith in God explain God as: mysterious with a hidden agenda.
Others explain God as an oppressive God, a bloodthirsty dictator.
And some explain wickedness as proof that God is non-existent.

One day a man came to a barbershop and while being groomed had a conversation about many
things. One topic was about a loving God. The barber couldn't agree that there is a God when there is
so much suffering and insisted that there is no God. Once finished the man walked out all groomed,
looked around and saw some ungroomed people. He paused, went back into the barbershop and told
the barber: I don't think barbers exist. The barber said: I just groomed you … barbers exist. The man
finalized: if barbers existed everyone would be clean and groomed.

What explanation can there be for the existence of wickedness?

However, Jesus identified Satan the Devil as “the ruler of the world,” the one responsible for wickedness (Joh
14:30; 1Jo 5:19)
1Jo 5:19 We know that we originate with God, but the whole world is lying in the power of the wicked
one.

Satan, “the father of the lie,” has seduced wicked angels and humans to join him in rebelling against God
(Joh 8:44; Jude 6)
Jude 6 And the angels who did not keep their original position but forsook their own proper
dwelling place, he has reserved with eternal bonds in dense darkness for the judgment of the great
day.
Re 12:4 state that 1/3 of the angels followed Satan in this celestial rebellion to rule or ruin. Since
the devil will never ruled successfully and eternally his goal is to ruin.

Why has Jah permitted evil to exist …?

Jehovah has permitted evil to exist for the past 6,000 years in order to settle the issues raised by Satan once and
for all time (Ge 3:1-6)
Ge 3:1-6 Now the serpent was the most cautious of all the wild animals of the field that Jehovah God
had made. So it said to the woman: “Did God really say that you must not eat from every tree of the
garden?”2 At this the woman said to the serpent: “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the
garden.3 But God has said about the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden: ‘You must
not eat from it, no, you must not touch it; otherwise you will die.’”4 At this the serpent said to the
woman: “You certainly will not die.5 For God knows that in the very day you eat from it, your eyes
will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and bad.”6 Consequently, the woman saw
 that the tree was good for food and that it was something desirable to the eyes, yes, the tree was
pleasing to look at. So she began taking of its fruit and eating it. Afterward, she also gave some to her
husband when he was with her, and he began eating it.

Satan questioned Jehovah’s right to rule (bh 109-110 pars. 10-11)

The Teach Us book states that 'Satan did not call into question Jehovah's power … Satan questioned
God's RIGHT to rule (but not only the RIGHT that he has as CREATOR but the RIGHTEOUSNESS
of his ruling humankind) By calling God a liar who withholds good from his humans, Satan
CHARGED that Jehovah is a bad ruler. [Ge 3:2-5]

Since Jehovah knew that man's independence would bring much suffering, was it unjust of him to
allow the culprits to continue on living? To allow the consequences to run their course?
The Close to Jah book p.123 gives us the illustration of a child needing a surgery that will cause the child and
the family a degree of suffering. This grief is accompanied by the relief that the procedure will enable your
child and the family to enjoy a better life after.

Has independence from God brought true freedom and lasting happiness? No!

These are some types of government impose on humanity that have ENSLAVE mankind:
Anarchy, promises unlimited, absolute freedom which results in chaos, Somalia, Irak;
Autocracy a form of dictatorship by a single individual or a group not limited by law;
Monarchy where one person has all authority like the czars in Russia or a ruler with a parliament
(Great Britain) limiting the power of a monarch to avoid authoritarianism (governing w/o consent of
the governed);
Totalitarianism, a more extreme form of authoritarianism, think a dictator with absolute power,
Mussolini, Stalin, Hitler, Pinochet, Trujillo, Peron from 1930 – 1980’s, Idi Amin, the Khmer Rouge of
Cambodia 1976 Pol Top killed 2 million, one out of five;
Aristocracy by the wealthy (not the wisest) sometimes has replaced Monarchies, wealthy class has
meant a greedy class;
Democracy with a ruler who is elected by the people and answers to the people, usually called a re-
public, think US, Mexico, Italy in which non-ruling party opposes the ruling one;
Imperialism, a monarch or democratic government expanding its borders with the goal of protecting
(1800’s with British empire and 20th think Japan and the US);
Socialism and Communism, a government with a classless society where equality ought to exist,
while those in power get the best and become rich. (China and its opulent leaders, Nicaragua (430 a
year) in the 80’s with Somoza owning land the size of El Salvador) [g90 10/8 19, 21; g90 12/8 20]
With Putin's net worth of 200 billion in 2019, amazon founder 131 billion.

At the end Satan’s lie that we would be better off without God’s rulership has translated into a form of
Anarchy. Everyone ruling themselves to their own detriment.

Human rule has resulted in war, oppression, suffering, and death (Ec 8:9; Ro 8:22; w13 9/1 3-5)
(Ecclesiastes 8:9) All of this I have seen, and I applied my heart to every work that has been done
under the sun, during the time that man has dominated man to his harm.

Terrorism – acts of violence to cause terror to call the attention of the world to make changes for the
better. Terrorists prefer to call themselves Freedom Fighters … (Isis a terrorist group of Sunni muslims
who believe they have the right to rule over Irak) (g 6/11 box on p. 4 Who are Terrorists?)
Let us see an example of a 'freedom fighter':

Hafeni was born in Zambia and grew up in refugee camps in neighboring countries. “I was furious,” he said,
“at the brutal and unfair way my family and others had been treated.” So he became part of the militant
group to which his parents belonged.

What have been the consequences?

Looking back on those times, Hafeni continued: “The saddest part of the story was the emotional impact of
living as a refugee. Children were torn from their mothers, fathers, and siblings. The older ones were off
fighting. Many of these older ones never returned. I never saw my father, not even in a photo. All I knew
was that he had died in the fighting. The emotional scars remain with me to this day.” (g 6/11 p. 3)

And terrorists do abound;

Charlotte, Daniel, Olivia, Josephine . . . These are the names of some of the 20 six- or seven-
year-olds among the 26 victims gunned down at a school in Connecticut, U.S.A., on
December 14, 2012. At a memorial service, President Obama called out the children’s names
and told the grieving audience: “These tragedies must end.”

Eighteen-year-old Bano left Iraq in 1996 and moved with her family to Norway. Her friends called her by the
nickname Sun Rays. Sadly, however, on July 22, 2011, Bano was one of the 77 victims whose lives were cut
short by an extremist, who boasted: “I wish to apologize . . . that I wasn’t able to execute more.” (More in
article Why All the Suffering? W13 9/1 pp. 3-5)

Paraphrase Romans 8:22

(Romans 8:22) For we know that all creation keeps on groaning together and being in pain together
until now.
People aren't just sighing, they are 'heavily sighing and in pain

Does God really care? Read Exo 3:7

Jehovah well knows the pains we suffer and promises to bring relief (Ex 3:7; 2Co 1:3, 4)

(Exodus 3:7) Jehovah added: “I have certainly seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and I
have heard their outcry because of those who force them to work; I well know the pains they suffer. (c.
1657 BCE) some 3650 years ago
verse 8 I will go down to RESCUE them out of the hand of the Egyptians …
v. 12 “I will prove to be with you ...”
'And the Egyptians will certainly know that I am Jehovah …' Exodus 7:5

and just when Pharaoh thought Israel had no way out in Exodus 14:14 Moses tell the people: Jehovah
himself will fight for you and you will keep silent.

Jehovah sent them a real Freedom and Justice Fighter in their behalf, Moses and broke their shackles off
their feet
Giving honor to his name, Jehovah ‘Became What He Chose to Become’ (Exo 3:14)
He became the Releaser of Slaves, THE TRUE FREEDOM FIGHTER for his people and HE WILL
CHOOSE TO BECOME our WARRIOR in Armageddon.
(2 Corinthians 1:3, 4) Praised be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of tender mercies
and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our trials so that we may be able to comfort others in
any sort of trial with the comfort that we receive from God.
2 Cor. 1:3 calls Jehovah the God of all comfort ... When a person is terminal, they try to keep him
comfortable with medication not to feel pain until he dies. Jehovah does better than that, since He is
“The God of All Comfort” He eases and will ease our pains until this evil system dies, keeping us alive...
even if we have to be resurrected.

When will Jehovah eliminate suffering and wickedness? Read Hab 2:3 and paraphrase 5
Jehovah assured Habakkuk that He had set an “appointed time” to eliminate injustice and oppression (Hab
2:3-5)
(Habakkuk 2:3-5) For the vision is yet for its appointed time, And it is rushing toward its end, and it
will not lie. Even if it should delay, keep in expectation of it! For it will without fail come true. It will
not be late! 4 Look at the one who is proud; He is not upright within himself. But the righteous one
will live by his faithfulness. 5 Indeed, because the wine is treacherous, The arrogant man will not
reach his goal. He makes his appetite as large as the Grave; He is like death and cannot be satisfied.
He keeps gathering all the nations And collecting for himself all the peoples.
Appointed time = for the date … Its end = its fulfillment … if it should delay = if it seems to delay

*** w00 2/1 pp. 15-16 par. 8 Jehovah Will Not Delay *** The arrogant man or the Self-assuming one

8 Habakkuk 2:5 describes “an able-bodied man” who, in contrast with Jehovah’s servants, fails to
reach his goal, even though he “made his soul spacious just like Sheol.” Who is this man who “cannot be
satisfied”?

With voracity like that of Babylon of Habakkuk’s time, this composite “man,” made up of political powers
—whether Fascist, Nazi, Communist, or even so-called democratic—fights wars in order to expand his lands. He also
fills Sheol, the grave, with innocent souls. But this treacherous composite “man” of Satan’s world, drunk with his
own self-assured importance, meets with no success in “gathering to himself all the nations and collecting together to
himself all the peoples.” Only Jehovah God can unite all mankind, and he will accomplish this through the
Messianic Kingdom.—Matthew 6:9, 10.

Jesus has already begun to “break up the works of the Devil” (1Jo 3:8) *ftn: to destroy
Satan was hurled down to our vicinity and has a short life-span … he is a dying stage already for 100
years.

What are Satan's works? Crime, warfare, natural disasters, sickness and death
Terrorists groups(Al Qaeda and Isis), Drug cartels(zetas, the family, Japanese yakuza, Sicilian mafia),
Warring gangs(crips and bloods in LA, Mara SalvaTrucha][MS-13] 40k WW 9k in US), sex trade, child
abuse and false religion teaching lies about Jehovah--- trinity, hell fire, tithing,class separation, priest
celibacy, and permitting premarital, extramarital sex and gay marriage.

How comforting to know that all suffering will soon end! (Ps 37:9-11; 72:12-14; w13 9/1 6-7)
Read Psalm 72:12, 13
(Psalm 37:9-11) For evil men will be done away with, But those hoping in Jehovah will possess the earth.
10
Just a little while longer, and the wicked will be no more; You will look at where they were, And they
will not be there. 11 But the meek will possess the earth, And they will find exquisite delight in the
abundance of peace.
BY: Because evil-doers will be exterminated ASV: they shall inherit the land
 (Psalm 72:12-14) For he will rescue the poor who cry for help, Also the lowly one and whoever has no
helper. 13 He will have pity on the lowly and the poor, And the lives of the poor he will save. 14 From
oppression and from violence he will rescue them, And their blood will be precious in his eyes.
BY: lowly one = downtrodden (person) V.14 from extortion and outrage

The patience of our loving God means salvation for “the meek” (Ps 149:4; Jer 29:11, 12; 2Pe 3:9)
Read 2 Peter 3:9
(2 Peter 3:9) Jehovah is not slow concerning his promise, as some people consider slowness, but he is
patient with you because he does not desire anyone to be destroyed but desires all to attain to
repentance.
Jehovah 'is not slagging back from his promise … as some count slackness' By and ASV
Slag – develop slowly. Slack - to lack diligence

(Psalm 149:4) For Jehovah takes pleasure in his people. He adorns the meek with salvation.
(Jeremiah 29:11) “‘For I well know the thoughts that I am thinking toward you,’ declares Jehovah, ‘thoughts of peace, and not
of calamity, to give you a future and a hope.

EXPERIENCE “THE REAL LIFE” FREE FROM SUFFERING (5 min.)

At one time or another some of us have cried out to Jehovah HOW LONG, O jEHOVAH, MUST I CRY
FOR HELP BUT YOU DO NOT HEAR? Just like Habakkuk did. (1:2)
One thing Habakkuk also emphasized during his distress was that Jehovah's “eyes are too pure to look
on what is evil and … cannot tolerate wickedness”

If you have sincerely cried out to God asking why, then listen to him by taking to heart his message of comfort
and hope

[Read Revelation 21:4; 22:1, 2]

(Revelation 21:4) And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither
will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.”

Re 42 pp.303-304 par 9
It is as though Jehovah himself were signing for faithful mankind a guarantee, or title deed, to these future
blessings. Who would dare question such a Guarantor?

(Revelation 22:1, 2) And he showed me a river of water of life, clear as crystal, flowing out from the
throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of its main street. On both sides of the river were
trees of life producing 12 crops of fruit, yielding their fruit each month. And the leaves of the trees
were for the healing of the nations.

Isaias 61:3 refers to some servants of God as 'trees of justice' which are the 144k in heaven imparting on
obedient mankind physical and spiritual 'healing'

dg 10 p.24 par. 9
9 Will it not be thrilling to wake up each morning and realize that you now enjoy vibrant health? Will it not
be gratifying for elderly persons to know that they have been restored to the full vigor of youth and will
achieve the perfection that Adam and Eve originally enjoyed?
What may come to mind when we read 'trees of life' is the account when Jehovah has to restrain
Adam and Eve from eating from 'the tree of life' … 'and live forever, ---'

(Genesis 3:22) 22 Jehovah God then said: “Here the man has become like one of us in knowing good and
bad. Now in order that he may not put his hand out and take fruit also from the tree of life and eat and live
forever,—” (an unfinished thought or suppression - ellipsis)
Jehovah choked and was not able to finish his thought knowing that for a time (long time in mankind's
eyes) humanity will have to experience suffering apart from Jehovah.

Any damage experienced in this system of things will be reversed [Read Isaiah 65:17]
(Isaiah 65:17) For look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be called
to mind, Nor will they come up into the heart.

The brain has limitless capacity to store every single memory of our lifetime. The brain discards the non-
important memories and tries to destroy the traumatic ones but these ones end up getting filed in the
subconscious memory from where they spring out years later to cause us pain.

Dg 10 p.28 par 25
So by means of his Kingdom, God will completely reverse the bad situation that has lasted so long.
Throughout eternity he will show his great care for us by showering down blessings that will far more
than make up for any hurt that we received in our past. The previous troubles we have experienced will
fade to a dim memory then, if we care to remember them at all

In the meantime, hope in Jehovah and imitate the patient attitude of faithful ones, past and present (Hab 3:16-
18; Heb 6:9-12)

(Habakkuk 3:16-18) I heard and I trembled within; At the sound my lips quivered. Rottenness entered my
bones; My legs beneath me were shaking. But I quietly wait for the day of distress, For it is coming upon
the people who attack us. 17 Although the fig tree may not blossom, And there may be no fruit on the
vines; Although the olive crop may fail, And the fields may produce no food; Although the flock may
disappear from the pen, And there may be no cattle in the stalls; 18 Yet, as for me, I will exult in Jehovah; I
will be joyful in the God of my salvation.
(Hebrews 6:9-12) But in your case, beloved ones, we are convinced of better things, things related to
salvation, even though we are speaking in this way. 10 For God is not unrighteous so as to forget your
work and the love you showed for his name by ministering and continuing to minister to the holy ones.
11
But we desire each one of you to show the same industriousness so as to have the full assurance of the
hope down to the end, 12 so that you may not become sluggish, but be imitators of those who through
faith and patience inherit the promises.

As you continue to support God’s sovereignty, you will soon experience “the real life” free of all wickedness
(1Ti 6:19)
[Adhere closely to the outlined material, and observe the indicated timing of each section. Not all cited texts
need to be read or commented on. See Ministry School, pp. 52-55, 166-169]
No. 187-E 7/13 TO BE COVERED IN 30 MINUTES