How Many Are the Afflictions of the Righteous?
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Christians throughout history have read the Bible verse, “many are the afflictions of the righteous,” and been left with more questions than answers.
First of all, why should the righteous have many afflictions? What is the benefit, then, of being righteous?
Second, doesn’t righteousness spare us from many afflictions? Isn’t that a primary motivation for righteousness?
Third, where is God’s protection for the righteous? Why doesn’t He spare them these afflictions?
All valid questions. All natural for any Christian to ask. But there are other questions to answer first.
What is the context of “many are the afflictions of the righteous?” Who penned those words? What does the greater story of Scripture tell us about the answers to these questions? Reflecting on this verse will likely provide comfort, challenge, and a healthy check on our inner focus, but we must first set it in context.
Where Does the Bible Say “Many are the Afflictions of the Righteous”?
The phrase, “many are the afflictions of the righteous,” comes from Psalm 34:19. The entire verse in the NKJV translation is “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” David didn’t write all the Psalms, but he did write this one.
To understand what was happening when David penned this Psalm, it’s important to read 1 Samuel 21, the beginning of the account of David’s life on the run from King Saul.
David had certainly experienced some afflictions so far in his life. As a shepherd boy, he fought wild animals alone in the fields to protect the flock (1 Samuel 17:34-37). He was shushed and mocked by his older brothers and other warriors when he offered to fight Goliath (although we know he triumphed in that fight) (1 Samuel 17:28-30). Until the writing of this Psalm, he’d been a warrior for Israel and had seen many victories, but he also witnessed the horrors and losses of battle (1 Samuel 18:7).
At the time of this Psalm’s writing, however, he was experiencing affliction on a greater scale than he’d ever seen before. Previously, David had enjoyed the favor of King Saul and was best friends with Saul’s son, Jonathan (1 Samuel 18:1-2). Saul, nursing jealousy and falling out of favor with God, had attempted to kill David (1 Samuel 19:8-10). David convinced Jonathan that his father intended David harm, so they reluctantly parted ways, and David fled Israel for his life (1 Samuel 20:41-42).
When David reached Gath, the homeland of Goliath, he encountered the king, King Achish. Achish is referred to in the superscription to Psalm 34 as Abimelech meaning “father of the king.”
In 1 Samuel 21:10-15, we read that some of Achish’s men recognized David as a great warrior and future king of Israel. David knew this put him at risk of capture or death, so he pretended he had lost his mind. Achish dismissed him as no threat to the kingdom when he saw him.
This was when David, who knew from the prophet Samuel that God’s plan for him was to reign over Israel, faced threats from Israel’s enemies and King Saul, to whom David was loyal. Amid this great affliction, on the run and far from home, David wrote Psalm 34.
In this Psalm, David acknowledged the troubles that surrounded him on every front but reaffirmed his faith that God would deliver him from all his afflictions and provide everything he needed. He’d had some experience with this, but he’d approached an entirely new level of affliction at this time.
David knew that Saul’s hostility toward him was unmerited. Still, here he was, on the run. Yet, God gave David peace that He was still with him.
Who Are the Righteous in this Passage?
David wrote this Psalm in the days of the Old Testament when the concept of righteousness related to
a) worshiping the God of Israel
b) choosing to obey God’s laws
Psalm 1 contrasts the godly and the ungodly or the righteous and the unrighteous as related to:
a) where they were planted in faith
b) their obedience
God communicated His righteous laws to Moses and, at this time, as His people awaited a Messiah, righteousness was found in worshiping Jehovah God and in obedience to His laws.
When Jesus was born, lived, and preached, He explained that He was the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. He was the long-awaited Messiah, come to deliver us from all unrighteousness. In His death on the cross, He took the wrath of God upon Himself in our place, and God resurrected Him, so Jesus rose triumphant over death.
In Christ, we now have a righteousness, not of our own doing, but imparted to us by faith as the perfect righteousness of Jesus. “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). By faith in Christ, we who follow Jesus are “the righteous.”
What Kind of Afflictions is the Passage Talking About?
Afflictions are troubles or hardships. They come in many forms. Afflictions may be physical, financial, relational, spiritual, vocational, mental, emotional, or situational. Some afflictions (like a cold, a traffic jam, or a mild misunderstanding) are passing and easily weathered or solved. Other afflictions (like cancer, divorce, crime, or bankruptcy) may present longer-term challenges and adjustments.
There are afflictions we bring on ourselves through our own unwise or sinful choices, and troubles afflict us due to another person’s unwise or sinful choices. There are systemic afflictions like racism or generational poverty that impact entire communities. Some afflictions come in the form of losses, natural disasters, war, large-scale political upheaval, and injustice. Some afflictions are just part of living in a fallen world—such as disease, mental illness, or accidental death.
Jesus told His disciples in John 16:33, “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” He promised His followers that they would not be immune from troubles, tribulation, or affliction. In fact, many of those closest to Jesus suffered most. John the Baptist was beheaded. Mary, Jesus’ mother, had to witness her Son’s beating and crucifixion. Mary and Martha suffered the death of Lazarus. Most of the apostles were martyred. They suffered in many ways as they spread the gospel to the known world.
The biblical and historical evidence is that following Jesus does not make people immune to affliction. Trouble comes to everyone on some level, even to the people of God.
Why Do the Righteous Suffer Afflictions?
So, now we return to our original questions:
First of all, why should the righteous have many afflictions? What is the benefit, then, of being righteous? Besides the afflictions we bring on ourselves through sin, why doesn’t God just make all of Jesus’ followers immune from other troubles in this world?
Most Christians can list answers to prayer they’ve received, including healing or deliverance from struggles. However, there are others whose prayers aren’t answered on this side of glory. Hebrews 11 lists men and women of faith, some of whom were delivered in this lifetime but others who suffered and died. Therefore, the presence of afflictions in our lives isn’t necessarily evidence of sin or a lack of faith. In fact, being righteous and living by faith in a world that hates righteousness brings its own form of affliction demonstrated through rejection, hatred, and even persecution.
Jesus announced the coming of the kingdom of heaven, but we also know, He is coming again. When He returns, God will make a new heaven and new earth, free from sin and death. Until then, we will all suffer some affliction. However, the righteous, those in relationship with Jesus Christ, will find life at the end of every trial, every hardship, and every tribulation (either in this world or in eternity). God will deliver us, whether in the present time or in glory.
Our righteousness is from Christ. The obedience we demonstrate now is not obedience to earn God’s favor. It is the obedience of faith, the obedience from love, and gratitude for the God who saves us. It is its own reward.
Second, doesn’t righteousness spare us from many afflictions? Isn’t that a primary motivation for righteousness?
Again, our motivation for making the right choices and obeying God’s laws is that, in Christ, we understand them to be the best ways. Choosing to do the right thing often does spare us certain afflictions, but we aren’t immune to all afflictions.
Matthew 5:44-45 says, “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”
How we respond to affliction now, in faith, testifies to the power of God, and the gospel shines through our lives, sometimes through bearing up in affliction.
The testimony of suffering believers can often be a catalyst for witnesses to be willing to listen to the gospel. From hospital waiting rooms to cemeteries, from war-torn nations to disaster survivors, followers of Jesus testify to deliverance and His presence through affliction and trial.
And third, where is God’s protection for the righteous? Why doesn’t He spare them these afflictions?
God doesn’t enjoy our suffering or affliction. It results from our original choice to sin and issue death into the amazing world He created for us. Jesus suffered loss, hardship, rejection, temptation, false arrest, scourging, mocking, and death before God raised Him from the dead. We are not alone in understanding the struggle of being afflicted in this world. We have a “high priest” in Jesus who understands our trials.
The difference is that Jesus will have the final word on our lives, and that word will be life, life eternal, life abundant, and life free. For those who don’t follow Jesus, the final word will be eternal separation from God, the second death. All their affliction will follow them, but the affliction that has plagued the believer will end.
In hardship, trial, and affliction, we can turn to God, our Father, and pour our hearts into Him in faith, just as David did in Psalm 34. Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Because of Jesus, we can, as Hebrews 4:16 says, “come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
God is with us through times of peace and times of affliction. This is the comfort and strength of every believer, come what may.
Photo Credit: Unsplash/franciscoegonzalez
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