We all have a sense of fairness we use to evaluate judgement, whether in giving or receiving. For the most part, we obtain this scale of values through experience. For example, as parents we use the experiences from our own childhood to calculate what type and severity of punishment is fair for our children. If we were abused, we may tend towards leniency. If we were undisciplined, we may tend towards stricter discipline (so they don’t suffer at the hands of their own mistakes the way we did).
In one way or another, we all arrive at what we believe is fair when it comes to metering out punishment. That’s a solid approach that even unbelievers can abide by. And for the most part, it’ll serve us well.
Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
– Hebrews 12:9-11
Good parents administer fair discipline as required. However, if you were to ask your kids if the punishment they received was fair, you would most likely hear a little whining about how unfair it was. The question, “Does the punishment fit the crime?” is typically asked when a more severe punishment is handed down than what a person may think is appropriate. While that may be a reasonable exercise when it is mere man acting as judge and jury, when the Judge is God, we must tread very lightly.
Job, in the book after his namesake, was described as a “blameless and upright” man of God (by both God and Job– Job 1:8; 9:20). Even so, Job knew that he wasn’t sinless (of course God did, too). From Job’s perspective, the punishment he was receiving far surpassed what he considered “fair”, based on his individual track record with God.
What is fair?
We must be very careful the moment we pose that question to God through the lens of our human understanding. Our Father in Heaven does not abide in the human sphere of “fairness” (certainly not one that we’ve constructed from our mere human existence on Earth).
In God’s divine sphere of judgement, the punishment does not always fit the crime by human standards. This statement covers both sides of the coin, whether in our favor or not.
The best example of in our favor is what the Bible calls “forbearance”.
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
– Romans 3:23-26
If God were to enact “fairness” by our own standards, we’d all be in Hell right now! So, in this case, the punishment certainly does not fit the crime! Fair statement, yes?
But how about the other side of things, where we humans may accuse God of being “unfair” (as Job alluded to during his lengthy lament)? Are there times when God’s discipline is too severe?
This, of course, is not the question we should be trying to answer, especially after agreeing to the fact that we believers are not getting what we deserve – Hell!!!
We risk driving ourselves mad if we try to evaluate God’s fairness based on our own personal experiences. This is a terribly misinformed viewpoint (consider that Job had no idea it was actually Satan that was assaulting him). As was the case with Job, there are times when God is using our suffering for His own good purposes (possibly to show the power of faith under extreme duress to others). We simply do not know what “fair” is because we don’t have all the data to make that kind of assessment and, frankly, we never will!
Our job is to accept His sovereign will as it stands.
Unfortunately, if I were to net out the biggest reasons as to why people are so miserable these days, it would lead back to one core issue: people neither fear God nor do they accept Him as sovereign Lord over all things. Job did not have this issue, yet he still struggled with his suffering (let that be encouraging to you).
“From where, then, does wisdom come? And where is the place of understanding? It is hidden from the eyes of all living and concealed from the birds of the air. Abaddon and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.’
“God understands the way to it, and he knows its place. For he looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens. When he gave to the wind its weight and apportioned the waters by measure, when he made a decree for the rain and a way for the lightning of the thunder, then he saw it and declared it; he established it, and searched it out.
And he said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
– Job 28:20-28
Job nailed it. That is the great takeaway. Fear God, for that is wisdom.
In the fear of the LORD one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge.
– Proverbs 14:26
The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.
– Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
Love in Christ,
Ed Collins