Can God Look at Evil?

[InTheLight]

It is often said that God cannot look at evil. The verse cited is Hab. 1:13.

13 You are of purer eyes than to behold evil,
And cannot look on wickedness.
Why do You look on those who deal treacherously,
And hold Your tongue when the wicked devours
A person more righteous than he?


Then there is Genesis 6:

5 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

How do you reconcile these verses?

 

[Pastor David]

"The Lord with his eyes of omniscience beholds all things good and evil, and all men good and bad, with all their actions; but then he does not look upon the sins of men with pleasure and approbation; since they are contrary to his nature, repugnant to his will, and breaches of his righteous law" - John Gill commenting on Hab. 1:13

 

[glfredrick]

That passage is metaphorical. Genre matters when reading and drawing inferences from Scripture.

God SEES ALL.

He also abhors evil and has set into motion THE plan to deal with it, once and finally.

 

[DHK]

That passage is metaphorical. Genre matters when reading and drawing inferences from Scripture.

God SEES ALL.

He also abhors evil and has set into motion THE plan to deal with it, once and finally.

It is not so metaphorical as Habakkuk questioning God. Why are you letting this go? You are a pure, holy and just God? Why are you letting these unjustices go on? Notice the question once again specifically framed in the second half of the verse. It is both a complaint and a question at the same time.