GOD AND EVIL

God says in Isaiah 45:7, “I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.” Just as there are morally justifiable emotions like godly jealousy, righteous anger, and holy hatred, there is also such a thing as divine or providential evil. God says, “I create evil”. The word “evil” often means wickedness and depravity as found in Satan and sinners. However, when the word is used with God, it no longer contains its usual negative moral connotation, but means “that which produces unhappiness or calamity” (Chambers Dictionary). The word “providence” speaks of God’s command and control over the whole world.

This world is filled with evil. There is widespread destruction, disaster and disease. There are all kinds of bad things that cause suffering and death. Why must there be volcanoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, typhoons, tornadoes, tsunami, drought and famine that cause destruction to our properties and damage to our lives? Why are there such incurable diseases like cancer? Why must nations build weapons of war and of mass destruction, and send their sons into the battlefield to be killed? There are a whole lot of evil and wicked people out there, and they are doing well physically and materially—healthy and wealthy. Many of the poor suffer persecution and get put down all the time. Why do the wicked prosper and the good downtrodden? Why all such evil in this world? Where is God in all this? In the midst of all the evil that we see in this world, how can we have good and holy thoughts about God and His works? Do we question God? Do we question His power? Do we question His righteousness? Do we question His goodness?

Isaiah 45:7 has something to teach us. In order not to sin against God in our thoughts, our words, and our deeds in the midst of a world that is filled with evil, injustice, destruction, and suffering, we need to have a right view of who and what God is.

God Is Saviour

God is only one and He is the only Saviour of the world. In Isaiah chapter 45, God makes it very clear to His people that He is the ONLY living and true God, and there are no other gods but Him. God says in verses 21 and 22, “There is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else” (see also vv5, 6, 14, 18). God wants the world to know that there is only one God and one Saviour. “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim 2:5). “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

The existence of evil and sufferings in this world should not make a person question God but himself. Is the living and true God to be blamed for all the evils and sufferings of this world, or should the blame be on us, sinful and rebellious human beings? Are not the evil and sufferings that we face in this life due to us, our sins and disobedience to God and His Law? The truth is this: the world’s chaotic and deadly condition is due to man’s sin and sinfulness and his constant rebellion against God and His commandments. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom 6:23).

How did the world come to such a wretched condition and sorry state? It all began in the Garden, in Eden. In the beginning, God made the whole world “very good” (Gen 1:31). But Adam made it very bad for he sinned against God by breaking His commandment not to eat from the forbidden tree (Gen 2:17). From the day Adam sinned, the earth has been cursed along with mankind. Life for man will no longer be easy and pleasant but harsh and stressful for God created the thorns and thistles to remind man of his sin and the consequences of sin, “cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return” (Gen 3:17–19). The Psalmist tells us, “The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away” (Ps 90:10).

Labour, sorrow, and death are man’s lot in this life. We cannot blame God for all the troubles of the world, and the problems in our life. We need to blame ourselves! And we cannot begin to understand why unless we see ourselves as wretched, sinful creatures deserving the wrath and judgement of God; until we repent of our sins, kowtow to the one living and true God, and believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ. God allows all the evils in this world so that we might be driven to Him for our salvation. He has provided a Saviour in His eternally and uniquely begotten Son—the Lord Jesus Christ (John 3:16).

Are you born again? Are you saved? Do you believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins, and rose from the dead? Have you repented of your sins and confessed Him as your Lord and Saviour? If not, do so right now. Do not delay, salvation is today! It is only when we have Jesus Christ and His words in our hearts will we begin to understand why there is evil in this world, and why we need Him as our Saviour.

God Is Sovereign

God is the sovereign Creator and He is in full control of the world. In Isaiah 45:7, we are told that God formed the light and created the darkness. The word “form” and “create” are from the Hebrew yatsar and bara respectively. Both words are found in Genesis. The word yatsar is used in Genesis 2:7, “And the LORD God formed (yatsar) man of the dust of the ground.” And the word bara is found in the very first verse of Genesis, “In the beginning God created (bara) the heaven and the earth.”

What is God trying to say here? God is telling us that He is the Creator of the whole world, and the Controller of all that happens in this world. He is the God of creation, and the God of providence. He is the God of the past and He is the God of the present—“the same yesterday, and today, and for ever” (Heb 13:8). God proved His sovereign and complete control over world events when He gave a prophecy a hundred and fifty years before it happened. Even before Cyrus was born or became king, the Lord had already predicted his birth and status. God was in control of what Cyrus did, “whose right hand I have holden” God says (Isa 45:1). The right hand is the hand of authority and power. Although Cyrus wielded great power and authority, there is a Power and Authority that is infinitely greater and mightier than his. The invisible Hand of God controls the hand of every earthly king. The great Nebuchadnezzar himself had to learn a painful lesson “that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will” (Dan 4:32).

God Is Providence

Romans 8:28 becomes especially meaningful in the light of God’s special providence, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Nothing happens by chance, and everything will fall into place for the good of His people who love Him. Isaiah 45:2–4 tells of God’s special providential care upon His people, His elect, “I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel mine elect.”

God says He created both light and darkness, peace and evil. We have no problem with God creating light and darkness, day and night, for this was what He did in Genesis 1:3–4, 15–18. We have no problem with God making peace (Phil 4:7). But what does it mean when God says He creates evil? It is important to note that the word “evil” here, ra, has been translated in a number of ways “sorrow,” “wretchedness,” “adversity,” “afflictions,” “calamities” (cf 1 Kings 17:20, Jer 25:29), but never “sin.” It must be categorically stated that God is holy and cannot sin (Lev 11:44–45, Heb 6:18). He is good and not evil (Ps 119:68, 145:9). He is not the author of sin and evil temptations. James 1:13 says, “God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.”

So what did God mean when He said, “I create evil”? The explanation is found in the pain the woman has to bear when giving birth to a child (Gen 3:16), in the thorns and thistles man has to face when cultivating the ground (Gen 3:17–18), in the global flood that drowned every living creature save those in the ark (Gen 6:17), in the conquest of Israel by her enemies (Amos 3:1–6). God made and sent them all.

How do we explain the existence of harmful germs and the many diseases and other things that plague our world today? Are they the products of chance or evolution? No, they come from God as a sign of His judgement on this fallen and sinful world. These are the “evil” God sends to punish mankind for their sin (Gen 3:16–19) or chastise His people for their good (Heb 12:6). The “evil” must be understood in the light of God’s holiness and justice, His punitive will and His permissive will. (Read The Clock of the Sevenfold Will of God by the Rev Dr Timothy Tow for an exposition of the unity, beauty, and harmony of God’s sovereign and perfect will.) God created heaven, but who created hell? If you know God’s punitive will, you will have a ready answer.

Sometimes bad things happen in our lives, and we begin to ask: “Is God punishing me or is He testing me?” Yes, sometimes bad things happen to us because of God’s chastitive will—He chastises us in order to correct our waywardness, to cause us to repent and return to Him (eg, 1 Cor 11:30–32). Sometimes, bad things happen to us because of His permissive will—He allows Satan and wicked people to tempt us in order to test our faith, to see if we truly love Him or not (example of Job, cf Deut 13:3).

Everyone wants to live well—to be healthy and happy, to have the sun always shining and sky always blue. But life is not like that. We cannot escape from the sufferings that come with this life. And when suffering comes, do we get angry with God, and start to curse Him? That was what Job’s wife told Job to do in the midst of great suffering, “Curse God, and die” (Job 2:9). Job was a true believer and disciple of Christ, and “said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?” (Job 2:10). What a godly reply based on good theology! “In all this did not Job sin with his lips.” He was a man of great faith.

So when bad things happen to us, let us not blame God. Rather, let us examine ourselves: Have we sinned against God? If we have, we must confess our sins and repent of our ways, and then He shall forgive and restore us (Jas 5:15–16, 1 John 1:9). If it is not due to any sin, then the Lord is testing our faith to see if we would remain faithful to Him or deny the faith (Job 13:15).

When we look at the evil that is in this world, we must not look at it from a worm’s eye view, from man’s perspective, which sees only confusion, conflict, and chaos. We must look at it from a bird’s eye view, from God’s perspective, which sees His purpose, power, and plan. May we not forget that there is but one living and true God, and Jesus Christ is the only Saviour of the world. The God of the Bible is the Sovereign Creator and He is in full control of the world and of our lives. JK