DID GOD CREATE EVIL?

DID GOD REALLY CREATE EVIL??

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

There are the words from His book that Isaiah wrote. Nothing could be more clear. But what were those Hebrew words saying. God used several words when He spoke of sin. The Old Testament has at least eleven entirely distinct and separate words by which to describe it; and of these words Canon Girdlestone has said, "The pictorial power of the Hebrew language is seldom exhibited more clearly than in connection with the various aspects of evil. Every word is a piece of philosophy; nay, it is a revelation.”

The first is poneros, which is commonly translated evil. The root idea of the word is that which is hurtful. The first essential meaning of the root from which the word comes is that of pain; and the word itself suggests pain and that which causes pain; that is, hurtful or harmful. The use of the word has reference to that which causes trouble, and to the trouble which is caused. It describes the active principle producing all calamity, material, mental, and moral; and it is also used of the calamity which is thus produced. In the case of the statement already quoted above, "I"—the Lord—"create evil," we should be more accurate if instead of the word evil we substituted the word calamity; only we must interpret it by the context, which shows that it refers to calamity falling upon a guilty city. It is simply a declaration of the sovereignty of Jehovah over the working of evil, so that it must, within the realm of the Divine overruling and government, issues in calamity. See blog titled “God Tinkering With Man.”

This word Christ constantly used, certainly over forty times and it suggests the active principle which produces calamity, whether material or mental or moral; and refers to the calamity so caused. When we group the occasions upon which our Lord is recorded to have used the word, we find that He used it as descriptive of Satan, of demons, of men individually, of the age in the midst of which He wrought His work; and upon occasion, in the abstract sense. By His employment of this word certain facts are made per­fectly clear. He recognized the existence of a force con­trary to the good and perfect and acceptable will of God. He referred to this force, as having its fountainhead in a person, Satan. He recognized that other spiritual beings, that man that the age itself, had passed under the influence of this force, and were mastered by it. And now they serve their master. By repeated reference He made clear His understanding of the fact that this force was in itself corrupt and in its influence was corrupt­ing; that it marred the handiwork of God, prevented the realization of His purpose, was against His holiness, and contrary to the deepest intentions of His love. He gave no single word of explanation as to the genesis of this force in the universe. Thus, He created calamity to foil the work of Satan. Has your life been full of calamity due to sin whether known or unknown in your life. God is persistent to win this war in this world filled with sin and sinners whether they acknowledge their sin or not.