A student in one of our discipleship classes said, “I can’t wrap my mind around the Bible passage where God says He creates evil.” Indeed, how DO we explain the following verse from Isaiah?
“I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: 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. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things. 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.”
Isaiah 45:5-8
Is it a contradiction for the loving God to say He creates evil? My friend, it is not. And this is why it is critical to know the basic Bible concepts because then you have a foundation to interpret difficult scriptures in the context of the entire Bible. These verses from Isaiah are a prime example. We may understand this particular scripture when we also know the very nature and character of God.
So let’s dig in!
First, it’s important to examine the context of Isaiah Chapter 45. The prophet is foreseeing God anointing King Cyrus of Persia to subdue many nations for the sake of preserving the nation of Israel. This prophecy occurred 200 years before the birth of Cyrus and there is no evidence he knew the Lord or even acknowledged His existence. Through this prophecy, God is demonstrating His sovereignty and power to direct providential care for His people in miraculous and unexpected ways.
God always has, and He always will, protect His people.
Second, this scripture distinguishes God from the dualistic gods of the day of Cyrus. The prophet directs our attention to who God is NOT. Bible scholar Harry Bultema wrote: “Cyrus was a Persian, and Persians had a dualistic concept of God and the world. Their good god they called Ahura-mazda and the evil god Angra-mainya. The former had created the light, the second the darkness.” But we know our God is sovereign and has no opposite “god” who can equally oppose Him. God is NOT dualistic. Rather, God makes it clear throughout scripture that He is the triune, eternal self-existing One:
“[T]here is no other God besides Me, a just God and a Savior; there is none besides Me. “Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. I have sworn by Myself; the word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that to Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall take an oath. He shall say, ‘Surely in the Lord I have righteousness and strength. To Him men shall come, and all shall be ashamed who are incensed against Him. In the Lord all the descendants of Israel shall be justified, and shall glory.’””
Isaiah 45:22-25
Furthermore, we are to carry out the Great Commission in the tri-uneness of God:
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the FATHER and of the SON and of the HOLY SPIRIT.”
Matthew 28:19
Third, we must examine the meaning of the word “evil” in this verse. We will begin this discussion today and finish it in tomorrow’s devotional. What is the definition? When God said I “create evil,” in verse 7, this word is taken from the Hebrew word “ra‘“ in the King James Version of the Bible. It has two applications in the Bible:
1. Moral evil; or
2. Harmful natural events.
In this devotional, we will examine only the issue of moral evil, and ask: “Is it possible for God to be morally evil?” Let’s begin with the premise that if our source of truth for this answer is anything except the Bible then—it’s possible to conclude that God is morally evil. But, if the Bible is our source of truth then we should look to His Word for understanding. Of God’s morality, the Bible says:
“Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and RIGHTEOUSNESS in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the Lord.”
Jeremiah 9:23-24
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!”
Isaiah 6:3
God’s very character and nature is the foundation for the morality set forth in His Word. Moral evil is not a “thing” to be created, rather it is a “choice.” It is a choice that is contrary to God’s holy and righteous standard. God cannot act contrary to His nature anymore than I can breathe underwater or fly like a bird. If God is righteous or holy (meaning completely without immorality), He cannot commit moral evil because it would violate the very essence of who He is. His moral code was summed up by Jesus in the two great commandments to—love God and love others. Jesus was the only human to ever perfectly fulfill the law. That is because God IS perfect LOVE. The Bible says:
“He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”
1 John 4:8
We know from the Bible that “love” is the fulfillment of the law; conversely, moral evil, or “sin” is a violation of God’s law. God cannot violate Himself. God isn’t simply loving; rather, He IS love. Thus, if God could choose to act in violation of love, it would mean He would no longer be God. To believe God can act immorally is to cease to believe in God for who He is.
If we believe what the Bible says about who God is, then we know it is impossible for God to act in a way that is morally evil.
The next question we will address is the second definition of evil. We will ask: “Does God create harmful events which cause adversity, affliction or disaster?” A follow up question would be: If so, how can He also be good? Although these questions deserve a lengthy discussion, we will attempt to provide a succinct explanation in tomorrow’s devotional.
One Response
God is good and he is sovereign.