Hard Truths & “Who are you, O man?”

But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? (Paul, Romans 9:20a)

John Piper’s comments on this text are helpful:

Paul has no objection when a person seeks to understand as much of God’s dealings as possible, but he objects strenuously when a person criticizes and rejects the truth which he discovers.  (The Justification of God, 186)

There are hard truths in the Bible. Period.

The question is: what do you do with them?  Ignore them, soften them, criticize them, de-emphasize them, or quit believing the Bible.  Don’t respond that way.

You may not (and will not!) understand every hard truth completely and you probably don’t need to become a scholar, but you are called to humbly receive them and go deeper knowing that all that God reveals in the Scriptures is good for you.