In a world whose nature fundamentally involves a war between good and evil, doing good will result in consequences as certainly as doing evil will produce consequences. Because consequences occur as a reaction to one's behavior does not prove the behavior was evil or "something is wrong." In this physical world, good and evil have been in conflict since the beginning. From the beginning, the primary battle ground for this war has been in the minds and hearts of people.
The Bible begins with the conflict between good and evil (Genesis 1-3). The Bible ends with the eternal triumph of good over evil (Revelation 20-22). In some way, the message of the Bible from beginning to end is related to the deadly conflict between good and evil, the influences that serve God's purposes, and the influences that serve Satan's purposes.
Consider Moses. He was commissioned by God to return to Egypt and free Israel from slavery. He was promised divine help in his mission. (see Exodus 3:7-10; 16-22; 4:1-9). Finally, he accepted God's commission and did as God instructed him. However, there were harmful consequences for doing what God requested. Read Exodus 5. Even though God told him that Pharaoh initially would reject his request, Moses did not expect the consequences he endured. Pharaoh was upset at Israel because of Moses' request. The Egyptian king made life more miserable for the Israelite slaves Moses came to help. The Israelite foremen petitioned Pharaoh for relief from the impossible demands, but Pharaoh gave them no relief. As a result, they turned on Moses: "May the LORD look upon you and judge you, for you have made us odious in Pharaoh's sight and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us" (Exodus 5:21). The consequence of doing good greatly distressed Moses. He said to God, "O Lord, why have You brought harm to this people? Why did You ever send me? Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done harm to this people, and You have not delivered Your people at all" (Exodus 5:22, 23).
This incident in Moses' life provides an excellent illustration of the fact that evil opposes good in the realm of this physical world. God told Moses to expect opposition, resistance, and rejection. Though God and His power were superior to Pharaoh and his power [even though Pharaoh was a powerful man who considered himself a god], Pharaoh still could resist God's purposes. In fact, God used Pharaoh's opposition to establish His identity and power (see Romans 9:14-18). However, Moses did not expect Pharaoh's opposition, resistance, and rejection to take the form it took. For Israelite slaves to suffer for Moses' confrontation with Pharaoh and for Israelite foremen to despise him was not what he expected. He was betrayed by his expectation. Is that not also frequently a problem for today's Christians?
The point called to your attention is this: Moses did what he was instructed to do. He did nothing wrong, yet there were harmful consequences he did not anticipate. When Moses represented God [the ultimate goodness] before Pharaoh [a significant expression of evil], he paid the price of representing good in the face of evil.
Make certain the class understands that Moses' distress arose as a result of doing what God wanted him to do. Often faith-filled obedience to God involves confronting evil. Evil never appreciates opposition to it purposes or control. There is always a personal price to be paid for daring to resist evil.
Consider David. David killed Goliath because this Philistine warrior defied the God of Israel (1 Samuel 17:34-37). Numerous reasons factored in David's confronting Goliath, but none were as significant to David as Goliath defying God. That was a righteous motivation. Later, David became a loyal, selfless servant of King Saul's. Even when the king's jealousy led Saul in his attempts to destroy David's life, David was no threat to the king's safety. David's attitude was this: "God placed Saul as king over Israel, and it is not my place to defy God in removing Saul." That is an incredibly godly attitude--especially in the face of potential death by Saul's hand or will!
David's early life prior to becoming King of Israel provides good illustrations of the fact the doing what is right can result in physical suffering. David's loyalty to Saul even in Saul's death (see 1 Samuel 1-2:7) was declared in his respect for "the Lord's anointed." Though David held "the Lord's anointed" in high esteem as was right, he often suffered as a result of his decision to do right.
Yet, David lived in the wilderness as a dangerous, hunted enemy. The situation in Israelite territory became so dangerous that it was a lesser danger to live among the Philistines (see 1 Samuel 21:10-15). Why was this time such a stressful period in David's life? God controlled David's ethics! God determined his understanding of right and wrong, of good and evil! In his devotion to God, he lived by his understanding of what was right. Because he did good, evil inflicted consequences on David.
David's suffering for placing God in control of his ethics was more than mental anguish and internal conflict. He endured physical privation because he was committed to God.
The greatest example is Jesus. Throughout his life and ministry, God's will was supreme. As he surrendered to death, God's will was still supreme (see Matthew 26:39). Was he crucified? Yes! Why? In his commitment to God's will, Jesus did good (see Acts 10:38). Because this physical world is the battleground between good and evil, he endured harmful consequences in his commitment to doing good.
Jesus is the pinnacle example of a physical person who never did anything evil, yet suffered because of the evil in this world. Achieving God's purposes in his life meant surrendering to a difficult death. A Christian is self-deceived if he or she concludes that devotion to God is an insurance policy against harm.
Consider Jesus' words to his disciples as he sent them out on the limited commission: "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves. But beware of men, for they will hand you over to the courts and scourge you in their synagogues; and you will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say. For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved" (Matthew 10:16-22).
"Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; and A MAN'S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD" (Matthew 10:34-36)
Consider Jesus' words to his disciples the night of his betrayal: "If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me" (John 15:18-21).
Jesus did not hide the fact that devotion to him would result in harmful consequences. If the representatives of evil were angered by Jesus' devotion to doing good, they also will be angered by Jesus' disciples devotion to doing good. The opposition that results in harm will come from unexpected sources.
This lesson certainly does not suggest that there are no beneficial, enduring consequences to belonging to Jesus Christ and his Father. Consider Romans 8:31-39 written to suffering Christians and 1 John 1:5-10 written to imperfect Christians [which every Christian is!] Because of God's accomplishments in Jesus' death, good will triumph over evil. Those who dare to champion good in the face of evil in the war between good and evil will receive the eternal benefits of salvation!
The point is NOT that God cannot and will not bless His people. The point IS that evil and its influences can cause the godly to suffer in this world. Measuring God's blessings must not be restricted to desirable physical happenings and circumstances.
Thought and Discussion Questions:
It notes that the war between evil and good is a part of the fundamental nature of physical existence. Yes, they will.
Use God's commission of Moses, and Pharaoh's opposition to God's purposes as an illustration.
Use David's defeat of Goliath and his loyalty to Saul as an illustration.
Use the opposition in his life and his crucifixion as an example. Consider Hebrews 5:7-9.
Use Jesus' statements to his disciples to illustrate Jesus informed them they would suffer physically.
Link to Student Guide
Lesson 2