Page 55 - The Gate and the Way

The God Who Wounds

The God Who Wounds

Hosea 6:1-2
“Come, let us return to Yahweh. For He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded
us, but He will bandage us. He will revive us after two days; He will raise us up on the third
day that we may live before Him.”

I write these words from a hospital bed. My left leg is wrapped from the knee down
to the toes. It is propped up on two pillows in the bed that has become my narrow sphere
of activity. I have an IV line in one arm, and my crutches are leaning against the end of the
bed should I need to get up. My left leg now bears numerous external scars, and internally
has titanium plates and screws attached to the bones.
The question arises, “Was it the Father who wounded me? Was it the Shepherd of my
soul that led me to this experience of suffering?” It is hard for many Christians to confess
that the Father would inflict experiences of suffering upon anyone, much less His own
children. I often hear Christians speak of some injury inflicted upon themselves, or others,
with expressions such as “God allowed this to happen,” or “God did not cause this
suffering, but He permitted it.”
Why do we have such reticence in stating frankly that God is the One who inflicts
injury, or subjects a person, to suffering? The answer, I believe, has much to do with
mankind viewing suffering as evil. Logic leads the natural mind to conclude that only an evil
being would inflict suffering on another person. It has been my goal in this series of writings
to set forth a different view of suffering. Suffering, rather than being evil, is necessary for
the development of God’s sons and daughters. The role of suffering in bringing mankind
to spiritual maturity is revealed in a number of Scriptures that speak of the suffering of
Christ.

Hebrews 2:10
For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things,
in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation
through sufferings.

Hebrews 5:7-9
In the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with
vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was
heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet He learned
obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected,
He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him...

The Greek word translated as “perfect” and “perfected” in these verses is “teleios.” It
means “To bring to maturity. To make whole, entire, and lacking in nothing.” It is the will
of God the Father that He have many sons (both male and female) who will attain to
spiritual maturity. Christ was the forerunner. He was perfected through suffering, and this
is the manner in which all sons must be brought to that full maturity Yahweh desires for His
saints.