7.2 “There Are Many Things We Do Not Know”
Trust in God’s Wisdom Despite Unanswered Questions
Read Job 38:1–12. To what extent does God’s answer to Job shed light on the problem of evil? How much do we know about what might be going on “behind the scenes,” and how much do we not know?
Job, in his suffering, posed many questions—questions that we still ask today: Why does evil occur? Why does it so often befall the righteous? Where is God in all of this? Yet God’s answer to Job is surprising. He does not explain the background of Job’s suffering, but rather confronts him with the limits of his own knowledge.
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The Problem of Evil from God’s Perspective
In Job 38:1–12, God responds with a series of questions that make it clear: man sees only a small part of reality. While Job longs for an explanation for his suffering, God shows him that there is a much greater reality beyond his understanding.
“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?” (Job 38:4) – God makes it clear that He created the world with wisdom and that Job’s perspective is limited.
• “Who shut up the sea behind doors?” (Job 38:8) – God rules over creation, even when it is not always visible to man.
God does not answer Job’s questions directly—but He shows him that there are things which man cannot grasp. Evil and suffering are part of a larger reality that goes beyond our understanding.
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What We Know – and What We Do Not Know
What we know:
✔ God is the Creator and Ruler of the world.
✔ There is an unseen, spiritual battle going on behind the scenes (Job 1–2).
✔ God sees our suffering and is not indifferent.
What we do not know:
❌ Why certain people suffer precisely.
❌ How God incorporates every single instance of evil into His plan.
❌ When and how God will ultimately intervene.
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Trust Despite Limited Knowledge
Job’s story shows us: we do not always understand why things happen—but we can still trust God.
Just like Job, we are often mere observers of only a small part of reality. Yet God challenges us to trust in His wisdom and justice, even when we do not see all the answers.
God’s answer to Job is a reminder that we do not need to know everything—but that we can trust that God does.
Read Job 42:3. In what way does Job’s response show us what we should recognize about our own situation?
Job responds in Job 42:3 with insight and humility:
“Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge? Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.”
These words reveal a deep insight: Job understands that he cannot fully comprehend God’s ways. He had asked many questions, but when God answered him, he realized that he had judged with limited knowledge.
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Recognizing Our Limitations
Job realizes that there are things that are “too wonderful” to understand. He recognizes that God’s wisdom is infinitely greater than his own. This is an important lesson for us as well: we see only a fraction of reality, while God knows the whole picture.
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Trust Despite Unanswered Questions
Job receives no direct explanation for his suffering, but he comes to recognize that God is trustworthy even without all the answers. This is the attitude we should adopt in difficult times.
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Humility and Surrender Instead of Demanding Answers
Often we demand explanations from God, yet Job shows us that trust is more important than understanding. Our questions are justified, but we should remember that God’s wisdom far surpasses our knowledge.
What Does This Mean for Our Lives?
Job’s response reminds us that:
✔ We do not know everything—but we can trust God.
✔ Our perspective is limited—but God’s plan is perfect.
✔ There are answers—even if we do not understand them now.
Until we see everything clearly, we may trust in God’s goodness—for He has already shown us that He is faithful.
Consider how little we know about everything. Why, then, should we learn to live with unanswered questions regarding the most difficult of topics—evil and suffering?
We humans have a natural need for answers—especially when it comes to evil and suffering. But the reality is: we know very little about the deepest connections of the world and the spiritual realm.
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Our Perspective Is Limited
We see only a small fragment of the complete picture. As Job had to realize, there are things that are “too wonderful” (Job 42:3) for us—too complex, too profound to fully understand.
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Not All Answers Are Immediately Visible
Just because we do not have an answer right away does not mean that there isn’t one. Sometimes things become clear only over time—or only in eternity. We must learn to live with open questions and trust that God knows the larger plan.
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Trust Is More Important Than Understanding
God does not require us to know everything, but to trust Him. Jesus Himself cried out on the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). Yet even in suffering, He held on to God.
Why Should We Learn to Live with Unanswered Questions?
✔ Because we are limited and cannot understand everything.
✔ Because not all answers are immediately apparent.
✔ Because trust is more important than complete understanding.
God has already proven to us that He is faithful—even when we do not understand everything. Therefore, we can live with our unanswered questions and trust that in the end, God will turn everything to good.
The theme “There is much that we do not know” is not only a theological insight but a daily reality in our lives and faith. We repeatedly face situations we do not understand, confronted with injustice, suffering, and unanswered questions. Yet Job’s story and God’s response to him provide us with valuable lessons for our everyday life.
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Accept That We Cannot Know Everything
Job had to realize that his knowledge was limited. We, too, must learn that we cannot grasp everything, especially when it comes to suffering and injustice. Often we ask:
“Why is this happening to me?”
• “Why is there so much injustice in the world?”
• “Why does God not intervene immediately?”
Instead of becoming frustrated, we can learn to exercise humility in these moments and accept that God has the full picture—even if we do not.
✔ Practical Application: Instead of being paralyzed by questions, we can learn to trust God in difficult situations, even if we have no answers.
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Develop Trust Despite Uncertainty
Job had many unanswered questions—but ultimately he recognized that God is greater than his questions.
In our lives too, there are things we do not immediately understand. Yet the Bible shows us that we do not have to trust blindly—but to trust a God who is faithful and revealed in Jesus Christ.
✔ Practical Application: When we do not understand why we suffer or why something happens, we can consciously say, “God, I do not understand, but I trust you.” This is a decision of faith.
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Seek Not the “Why,” but the “For What”
Instead of always asking “Why?” we can ask ourselves:
👉 “For what purpose can God use this suffering?”
Perhaps through challenges, we learn more compassion, patience, or a deeper trust in God. Some things only make sense in hindsight.
✔ Practical Application: In difficult times, consider: “What can I learn from this? How can I help others through my experience?”
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Have the Assurance That God Will Ultimately Turn Everything to Good
Job did not know how his story would end—but God restored everything. We too do not always know how our current situation will conclude, but we have hope: God is in control and will ultimately turn everything to good.
✔ Practical Application: God remains faithful—even when we cannot see it. This perspective helps us remain steadfast in our daily lives despite challenges.
Conclusion: How Does This Insight Affect Our Daily Lives?
1️⃣ We must accept that we do not have to know everything.
2️⃣ We can learn to trust God despite unanswered questions.
3️⃣ We can seek the “for what” rather than just the “why.”
4️⃣ We have the assurance that God will ultimately bring everything to good.
Living with unanswered questions does not mean we live without hope. Rather, we can trust that God has the full picture—even if we do not understand it.
Even though we do not have all the answers, we can trust that God is in control and will lead everything to good.
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