Does The Lord Create Evil?

[tyndale1946]

Scripture says he does or does it?... Some say they take the Bible literally, well how do you balance this scripture with a God of love?... Would a God of love create evil?... Comments... Brother Glen

Isaiah 45:5 I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:

45:6 That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.

45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

45:8 Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the LORD have created it.

 

[atpollard]

45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.
45:8 Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the LORD have created it.

"evil" is an archaic translation (not bad, just archaic). The word was once much more commonly used to refer to anything harmful or bad ... without necessarily having a spiritual connotation. For example one might speak of the evil fortune of loosing a crop to frost. They were not saying that Satan had killed their crop, they were just saying that they had some "bad" fortune.

Here is the full modern definition from Merriam-Webster:

EVIL:
1 a : morally reprehensible : sinful, wicked

• an evil impulse

b : arising from actual or imputed bad character or conduct

• a person of evil reputation

2 a archaic : inferior

b : causing discomfort or repulsion : offensive

• an evil odor

c : disagreeable

• woke late and in an evil temper

3 a : causing harm : pernicious

• the evil institution of slavery

b : marked by misfortune : unlucky


Looking at the specific verses, not the literary use of opposite pairs for emphasis and completeness:

1. light and darkness
2. peace and evil
3. skies pour down (rain) and earth bring forth (spring)

These pairs of opposites emphasize the point that God is everything ... Alpha and Omega, First and Last, Beginning and End.
Within this context of pairs of opposites, the more common modern definition of evil as "morally reprehensible" is not really the opposite of "peace" is it. What about the definition of evil described as "marked by misfortune"? Is "marked by misfortune" the opposite of "peace"?

The meaning then is that God is the one who sends both "peace" and "misfortune" into your life. Ask Joseph and Job and Jonah and David and Paul if that is or is not true.

[Romans 8:28 NASB] 28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to [His] purpose.

 

[canadyjd]

In this context, the word "evil" does not mean "causes the evil behavior of men or angels", but rather "causes bad things to happen to those who deserve it."

Isaiah was preaching during a time of great rebellion against God by national Israel, and God was promising to punish them for it. And He kept His word.

 

[Rockson]

Scripture says he does or does it?... Some say they take the Bible literally, well how do you balance this scripture with a God of love?... Would a God of love create evil?... Comments... Brother Glen

Isaiah 45:5 I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:

45:6 That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.

45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

45:8 Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the LORD have created it.

God creating "evil" is just a very poor translation of the word, ra' רָע
which means adversity. Even the later updated King James Version corrects this and have it as calamity.

I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create calamity: I the LORD do all these things. [King James 2000]

God does at times has to bring judgement but that shouldn't be defined as an evil thing.

 

[TCassidy]

"Evil," especially in the Old Testament, often means "calamity" or "hardship."

 

[1689Dave]

Gordon Clark (Presbyterian) solved for many the problem of Evil. This is a bare bones summary worth looking into if interested.

Clark first asks; "How can the existence of God be harmonized with the existence of evil?"

If God is all-good, He would want to destroy evil.

If God is all-powerful, He is able to destroy evil. But evil still exists.

It seems that God cannot be both all-good and all-powerful. However, Christianity teaches that He is both. This is the problem of evil.

Clark stated that, "God's causing a man to sin is not sin. There is no law, superior to God, which forbids him to decree sinful acts. Sin presupposes a law, for sin is lawlessness." Clark explained that "God is above law" because "the laws that God imposes on men do not apply to the divine nature."

 

[The Archangel]

Gordon Clark (Presbyterian) solved for many the problem of Evil. This is a bare bones summary worth looking into if interested.

Clark first asks; "How can the existence of God be harmonized with the existence of evil?"

If God is all-good, He would want to destroy evil.

If God is all-powerful, He is able to destroy evil. But evil still exists.

It seems that God cannot be both all-good and all-powerful. However, Christianity teaches that He is both. This is the problem of evil.

Clark stated that, "God's causing a man to sin is not sin. There is no law, superior to God, which forbids him to decree sinful acts. Sin presupposes a law, for sin is lawlessness." Clark explained that "God is above law" because "the laws that God imposes on men do not apply to the divine nature."

But James 1:13 would rule out this "solution."

The Archangel

 

[Jordan Kurecki]

The prophecy in isaiah I believe is directed toward Zoroastrianism. God was refuting that religion years before Cyrus or Zoroastrianism even existed.

 

[1689Dave]

But James 1:13 would rule out this "solution."

The Archangel

But we also pray "lead us not into temptation" (by Satan of course).

 

[Yeshua1]

In this context, the word "evil" does not mean "causes the evil behavior of men or angels", but rather "causes bad things to happen to those who deserve it."

Isaiah was preaching during a time of great rebellion against God by national Israel, and God was promising to punish them for it. And He kept His word.

Could say it in the sense that God vauses the storms of life that hit us, that He is still soveriegn over all things, either directly or thru third party, for did he not send the evil spirit upon King Saul?

 

[Yeshua1]

Gordon Clark (Presbyterian) solved for many the problem of Evil. This is a bare bones summary worth looking into if interested.

Clark first asks; "How can the existence of God be harmonized with the existence of evil?"

If God is all-good, He would want to destroy evil.

If God is all-powerful, He is able to destroy evil. But evil still exists.

It seems that God cannot be both all-good and all-powerful. However, Christianity teaches that He is both. This is the problem of evil.

Clark stated that, "God's causing a man to sin is not sin. There is no law, superior to God, which forbids him to decree sinful acts. Sin presupposes a law, for sin is lawlessness." Clark explained that "God is above law" because "the laws that God imposes on men do not apply to the divine nature."

God permitted the falls of both satan and Adam to happen, and both were somehow part of his divine plan and purposes, in that He made good what was inteeded to be just evil...

 

[tyndale1946]

God permitted the falls of both Satan and Adam to happen, and both were somehow part of his divine plan and purposes, in that He made good what was intended to be just evil...

Genesis 3:22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever... Brother Glen

 

[Yeshua1]

Genesis 3:22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever... Brother Glen

God ordained what would immediantly happen to us afetr Adam chose to sin against the Lord.

 

[1689Dave]

God permitted the falls of both satan and Adam to happen, and both were somehow part of his divine plan and purposes, in that He made good what was inteeded to be just evil...

How would we know God's mercy, goodness, love, righteousness, justice and more, apart from sin, and Christ's absorbing the penalty for our sins in himself?

Also, because of Adam's sin we have God's own righteousness which fully merits eternal life, imputed to us. If Adam had not sinned, we would have only his finite righteousness.

 

[Yeshua1]

How would we know God's mercy, goodness, love, righteousness, justice and more, apart from sin, and Christ's absorbing the penalty for our sins in himself?

Also, because of Adam's sin we have God's own righteousness which fully merits eternal life, imputed to us. If Adam had not sinned, we would have only his finite righteousness.

This is a what if arguement, as we do know that if Adam had not sinned, he would have lived forever!

 

[1689Dave]

This is a what if arguement, as we do know that if Adam had not sinned, he would have lived forever!

No, I'm just saying, had Adam not sinned we would not have God's righteousness, which merits eternal life, imputed to us. We would have only Adam's human righteousness. Based on Romans 5ff.

 

[atpollard]

No, I'm just saying, had Adam not sinned we would not have God's righteousness, which merits eternal life, imputed to us. We would have only Adam's human righteousness. Based on Romans 5ff.

We would also still be God's "very good" creation rather than our present status of "adopted sons" and the Bride of Christ!

What Satan meant for evil, God meant for our good.

 

[Yeshua1]

No, I'm just saying, had Adam not sinned we would not have God's righteousness, which merits eternal life, imputed to us. We would have only Adam's human righteousness. Based on Romans 5ff.

Which would be the same as Jesus had, for Adam would have also keep the law perfectly, correct? He would have had his own intrisic rightiousness!

 

[1689Dave]

Which would be the same as Jesus had, for Adam would have also keep the law perfectly, correct? He would have had his own intrisic rightiousness!

The difference is in Jesus being God = God's infinite righteousness imputed.

 

[Yeshua1]

The difference is in Jesus being God = God's infinite righteousness imputed.

Adam was under COW, so his right standing was assured until the fall!