31
When I had finished speaking, the angel who had come to me on a previous night was sent to me again.
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He said, "Listen carefully to me, and I will teach you more."
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"Please go on, sir," I said. So he continued, "Are you worried about the people of Israel? Do you think you love them more than God, who made them?"
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"No, sir," I replied. "I spoke as I did because I was so confused and upset. I am always troubled whenever I try to think about the ways of God Most High or to understand even a small part of what he does."
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"You cannot understand!" he answered.
1 And I asked, "Why not, sir? In that case, why was I born? Why didn't I die before I was born? Then I wouldn't have seen the sufferings and troubles of the people of Israel."
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The angel said to me, "I will answer you if you can do the following things: Tell me how many people are yet to be born; collect scattered raindrops for me; make dead flowers bloom again;
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open the rooms where the winds are locked up and make them blow for me; show me the picture of a sound. If you can do these things, I will answer your questions about the sufferings of the people of Israel."
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I answered, "Lord and master, no one can do these things, except God, who is not confined to this world.
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How can I give you any kind of answer? What do I know?"
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He continued, "You could not do even one of the things that I asked you to do. How can you expect to understand God's judgments or why God has promised his love to his people?"
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Then I said, "But, Lord God, your concern is with the people who will be alive at the end of the world. What will happen to those who live before that time? What about us? What about those who came before us, and those who will live after us?"