Old Testament History:  The Mystery Of God’s Purposes In Suffering And Persecution

The Old Testament’s historical books say little directly about persecution.  But they have much to teach.

The “mystery” of suffering for the gospel first emerges in Genesis 3:15, where God tells Satan that the promised offspring of the woman “shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”  The Old Testament offers many accounts of people who were persecuted and suffered for their faith. Glenn Penner provides several Old Testament examples:

• Moses is threatened with stoning by the people when they run out of water (Exodus 17:1–7).
• David is described as a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22). Yet we read that Saul “was determined to put David to death (1 Samuel 20:33; cf. 1 Samuel 18 — 27). David, however, is shielded by God (1 Samuel 18–27; Psalm 31:13; 59:1–4).
• Eighty-five priests of Nob are killed by Saul and Doeg (1 Samuel 22).
• Prophets are hunted and killed by Queen Jezebel. One hundred of them are hidden and fed by Obadiah, head of the king’s household, in direct violation of his orders (1 Kings 18:3,4).56
• Elijah is persecuted by Ahab and Jezebel, leading to his flight to the desert (1 Kings 18:10 — 19:2).
• Prophets (Elijah’s colleagues) are killed by Queen Jezebel (1 Kings 19:10,14).
• The prophet Micaia is imprisoned by King Ahab, accused of troublemaking rather than prophesying in the name of the Lord (2 Chronicles 18:12–26).
• Elisha is threatened with death by the king (2 Kings 6:31).
• The prophet Hanani is imprisoned by King Asa (2 Chronicles 16:7–10).
• The prophet Zechariah is executed at King Joash’s command (2 Chronicles 24:20–22).
• We are told that “Manasseh shed very much innocent blood, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another” (2 Kings 21:16).
• Jeremiah suffered at the hands of government officials (Jeremiah 15:15; 17:18; 20:11; 37:15,16; 38:4–6). False priests and prophets felt Jeremiah should die since he prophesied against them (Jeremiah 26:11).
• Uriah of Kiriath Jearim preaches the same message as Jeremiah and is pursued to Egypt by Jehoiakim’s men, arrested, brought back to Jerusalem, and executed (Jeremiah 26:20–23).
• Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego are cast in the fiery oven for refusing to bow to the image of the king, leading to their miraculous deliverance (Daniel 3).
• Daniel is thrown into the lion’s den, leading to a miraculous deliverance by God (Daniel 6).
• In the book of Esther, the Persian King Ahasuerus persecuted the Jews. Mordecai was a special object of Haman’s attacks (Esther 3:1 – 12; 5:14).
• Jesus, in Matthew 23:29 – 35, noted how Israel had typically rejected and persecuted every prophet that God had sent them.

Often, Old Testament accounts of suffering involved punishment (for sin) or training (for righteousness).  But sometimes, as Penner notes, suffering has a purpose and worth known only to God:

“God’s plans for restoration require conflict, suffering, and bruising of His people. It is true . . . that sometimes God chose to use suffering to punish and restore [His] people to fellowship. Sometimes He used it for the spiritual training of His people. At other times, however, God’s people suffer for reasons known only to Himself, but which serve to effectively accomplish His purposes in history.”

Beyond accounts of persecution and suffering, the Old Testament often displays God’s power to deliver His people from their oppressors.  It always displays God’s faithfulness to His people, even during their suffering – and even when their suffering was not for righteousness.  Penner summarizes:  “[T]he [Old Testament’s] call to the sufferer is to entrust the distress to One who is mightier and who understands all things.”

See also

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Persecution Is a Reaction to The Gospel’s Message

July 25, 2023·0

But there is more.  Believers on the other side of the Cross can – and should – use the Old Testament’s historical accounts of suffering for righteousness in two ways:

• First, as a set of instructive “case studies” illustrating the New Testament’s more explicit teaching regarding persecution.  As the Apostle Paul points out in another context, “these things [i.e., the Old Testament accounts] took place as examples for us.” 1 Cor. 10:6.
• Second, as an historical record of God’s faithfulness amidst suffering, which should encourage and uplift persecuted individuals and churches.

Some of these “case studies” are highlighted in related posts.