GailFriends - God on Trial  

GailFriends - God on Trial


By Gail Golden
Publicist and Ministry Partner - Pocket Full of Change Ministries


“My ears had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you.” (Job 42:5)

Please allow me to preface the very serious subject and remarks here by saying my husband and I minister together at Magen David Messianic Synagogue, where my husband is the rabbi. My husband is Jewish. We are a congregation of Jews and non-Jews who believe in Yeshua (Jesus) as the Promised Messiah. We support the Jewish people and Israel. I pray that my remarks do not in any way trivialize the pain experienced by the Jews at Auschwitz or the difficulties experienced by Jews in the present day.

Recently, I watched the movie God on Trial on PBS. The story is of group of Jewish men imprisoned at Auschwitz, the Nazi German prison camp. As they waited to be taken to the gas chamber, the men put God on trial. Three men sat at judges, one of whom was a rabbi. The other men in the cellblock spoke either for or against God. The speeches of those who were angry with God, and spoke of His being “bad,” were chilling. The speeches of those who continued to believe in, and even praise God as “good,” were both amazing and humbling, given their adverse conditions.

The last man who spoke gave a historical account of the bad things God had done to His people and to the rest of the human race. His eloquence and passion swayed two of the judges, who came to the conclusion that God was indeed not good. They also agreed that God had completely abandoned His people, the Jews, and they would be completely destroyed. Only the Rabbi held firm. Over and over again, he proclaimed that Hitler would be defeated, and that Israel and The Torah would survive.

Soon after the trial ended, the men were taken to the gas chamber, and stood naked, awaiting death. Some placed their hands on the crown of their heads, closed their eyes, and began to pray the Sh’ma: “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is One.” I shivered as I watched them proclaim their faith at such a moment of terror. The scene faded away to reveal the moving and poignant last moments as a present day Jewish visitor to the Auschwitz prison, stood in the gas chamber proclaiming, “And yet….we are still here”.

This movie had a profound effect on me. At first, I felt offended that anyone would put God on trial. But, as I continued to watch the movie, I realized we all put God on trial eventually. Sooner or later, we all must face the truth about God. It is the same truth the Jews faced at Auschwitz, and the same truth Job faced in his trials: like it or not, whether we believe God is good or not, God IS. He is the God of the Universe. He is sovereign.

While my life has been blessed in many ways, there have been times I, too, have wondered about God’s goodness. When I see the pain He’s allowed in my own life, in the lives of others, and when I see the evil in the world, I have wondered. I’ve been angry, like those men in Auschwitz. I have felt like giving up on God at times, quite honestly.

What I have felt, however, does not guide my life today. Because I believe in Him, I accept that everything that happens is for my good and the good of all people. It is a hard position. I am only able to accept this because I have surrendered to God and to His purpose in my life and in the world. That’s what Job did.

Because of the good I know of God, I cannot let Him go. Something pushes me forward instead of backward. Something gives me hope. Something gives me faith to hold on to Him. It is the Holy Spirit of God, who has captured me and will not let me go.

I believe in Him. Even when bad things happen, I know He is for me. I look back and see that all of the bad things that have happened to me have worked out for my good. It is a lesson we all, like Job, must learn eventually. I have learned, and can say with my whole heart, “God gives and takes away. Blessed be His Holy Name forever.” Even in the bad times, I say it.



Gail is a ministry partner with and Publicist for Pocket Full of Change Ministries. For more information, to schedule a speaker for an event, or to request a newsletter, go to www.pocketfullofchange.org or call Gail Golden, Publicist at 904 316-5462. This ministry is supported by donations. If this ministry helps you or others, and God calls you to help support this work, you can make a donation to Pocket Full of Change Ministry at POB 51205, Jacksonville Beach, Florida 32240.

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Cheryle M. Touchton is the Director of Pocket Full of Change Ministries. For more information or to schedule a speaker for an event, go to www.pocketfullofchange.org or call Cheryle Touchton at 904-614-3585.

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