Affliction

Psalm 119:67 “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word.”

Affliction is a term that conjures up images of Jonah in the belly of the fish, David fleeing from Saul in the wilderness, or Job sitting in the dirt mourning the loss of his family. I don’t know of anyone who hasn’t endured some form of affliction, it’s a reality that everyone can relate to but only the wise have grown through.

The Hebrew term for affliction isʿānāh (עָנָה) it’s a rich biblical word whose meaning depends on the context. Its most common meanings it is “to answer,” “to respond,” or “to reply.” However, related Hebrew forms can carry the idea of affliction to humility or being humbled.

In Bible study, it is important to distinguish the Hebrew words that are spelled similarly but have different meanings.

1. The Hebrew word עָנָה (ʿānāh) is to answer. It is a response or reply to a given situation. It can be as simple as how someone responds to another person’s words, a question, or a given situation.

Example — Genesis 18:27 “And Abraham answered(Anah) and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes.”

In this passage, Abraham responds to God in humility. God’s judgement was about to fall upon Sodom and Gomorrah and God allowed Abraham into His plans. In a way, it was a test of Abraham’s measure of trust in the Lord, a valuable commodity for the future patriarch of God’s people.

2. Another related Hebrew word עָנָה (ʿānāh) means to afflict or humble

The same consonants can also represent a different Hebrew verb, traditionally distinguished by its root and grammatical form. It can mean: To afflict or oppress, to humble oneself or be humbled, to bring someone low, or to suffer and endure affliction.

The context determines which meaning is intended.

Deuteronomy 8:2 “And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.”

Here, the Hebrew verb translated “humble” conveys God bringing Israel into circumstances that tested and exposed the condition of their hearts.

The spiritual significance

When the Bible usesʿānāh to mean “to humble” or “to afflict,” it often describes a process in which pride is brought low and a person’s dependence on God is revealed.

This connects with the biblical principle of humility:

Deuteronomy 8:2 — God humbled Israel in the wilderness.

Psalm 119:67 — Affliction became an occasion for returning to God’s Word.

Psalm 119:71 — The psalmist recognizes that affliction taught him God’s statutes.

The underlying lesson is that hardship can become a means through which God teaches, corrects, and deepens our dependence on Him. That does not mean every affliction is necessarily a punishment for sin, some affliction is the result of God’s desire to prove ones faith or prepare people for what lies ahead.

One important distinction: The psalmist recognizes the goodness of God through the affliction.

Psalm 119:68 “You are good and do good; teach me your statutes.”

If you endure affliction…does it drive you away from God or toward Him? Does it reveal the goodness of God who draws you near in repentance or show a lack of faith?

It is through these afflictions that God brings us near or tests our position.

1. Before affliction people were going astray

The psalmist acknowledges that he wandered away from God’s path. His life was not being directed by faithful obedience to God’s Word.

2. Through affliction — they were humbled

Hardship became a means of correction and instruction. The psalmist learned something through his circumstances that he had not learned as effectively before.

3. After the affliction — we see the faithful keeping God’s Word

The result was a renewed commitment to God’s commands. The affliction did not merely cause pain; it became an occasion for spiritual correction.

Hebrews 12:10-11 “Our fathers disciplined us for a short time as they thought best, but God disciplines us for our good, so that we may share in His holiness. No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields a harvest of righteousness and peace to those who have been trained by it.”

There is a great hope for those who endure affliction and recognize God’s faithfulness in the midst of it.

Psalm 32 “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.”

Affliction may be difficult at the moment, but yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

Why am I afflicted?

What is the purpose of God bringing affliction into a persons life?

Job was a righteous man and seemingly out of the blue, God allowed afflictions to bring him low. We can analyze the book of Job and see how He responded and how God blessed him in the end, but it seemed like a difficult lesson for such a man to go through.

What we don’t see is the entire picture. We don’t see how it affected the people around Job, (beyond his immediate friends), and we don’t know what happened to his original children or what would have occurred had they lived. There is so much we don’t know, but one day we will.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”

Even when Paul asked God to relieve him of his affliction, we don’t hear God’s reason, just that His grace was sufficient for Paul as he went through the trial. Paul surmises that God was keeping him from conceit or pride and in many people this is true. Spiritual pride is just as dangerous as worldly pride.

I think the point to remember is that affliction, when it comes from God, is good. We don’t like to be afflicted, it’s not fun at the time, but it is necessary if God deems it so.

My guess is that Job was heading for trouble. Even though Job was acting righteously, God could see what was in his future and so He used satan to test him. There are many lessons we can gain from people who have endured trials successfully, but it’s how we endure them personally that is meaningful now.

2 Corinthians 12:9 “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”

God has a greater purpose for His people than just being “happy” all the time. He has a way that he reveals Himself through them and affliction is one of them. He has a purpose for their eternal future, and reward accompanies faithfulness.

If you’re going through affliction…be patient and trust God for what He is doing. When it’s over, you’ll be wiser than when you began.