Isaiah 43:7 - "I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things."
Any thoughts on why God creates evil?
God Creates Evil
Discussion in 'Baptist Theology & Bible Study' started by drfuss, Apr 19, 2009.
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It means God makes bad things happens sometimes. Like destroying wicked people (Sodom and Gomorrah).
Evil (Is. 45:7)
H7451
רעה רע
ra‛ râ‛âh
rah, raw-aw'
From H7489; bad or (as noun) evil (naturally or morally). This includes the second (feminine) form; as adjective or noun: - adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, + displease (-ure), distress, evil ([-favouredness], man, thing), + exceedingly, X great, grief (-vous), harm, heavy, hurt (-ful), ill (favoured), + mark, mischief, (-vous), misery, naught (-ty), noisome, + not please, sad (-ly), sore, sorrow, trouble, vex, wicked (-ly, -ness, one), worse (-st) wretchedness, wrong. [Including feminine ra’ah; as adjective or noun.] -
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drfuss: Thanks for the correction. God directed Babylon to destroy Jerusalem. Did God create that evil?
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just-want-peace Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
This just corresponds to a saying I heard long ago that says the same as the bolded sentence: "You are free to choose, BUT you are not free to choose the consequences of your choice!"
Unfortunately, too many read only the first phrase of this quote and totally ignore the remainder; and then wonder why terrible calamities overwhelm them!!?? -
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I think God did create evil, but for our good. Since God is the creator, if He allows evil, then I think He created it. -
What is evil? It's not a force roaming the universe. Evil consists of actions and thoughts against God. -
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
Ps 24:1 The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
2 For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.
How did evil penetrate this creation if the creator didn't include or allow it in?
The psalms says "they that dwell therein" is the Lord's. Does this include the evil one? Why or why not?
Eze 28:15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.
How can something be found in the created if it was not included by the creator? -
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The text in question in the TNIV:
I form the light and create darkness,
I bring prosperity and create disaster;
I, the Lord, do all these things. (emphasis added) -
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To interpret the meaning in the passage in Isaiah (creating evil) we must compare scriptures which clearly define God’s moral attributes. Simply for God to create evil would make God the author (cause) of sin. Comparing scripture we are plainly told God is without moral evil, therefore, He can not be the cause of it.
(Deu 32:4) He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.
His work is perfect:
H8549
תּמים
tâmîym
taw-meem'
From H8552; entire (literally, figuratively or morally); also (as noun) integrity, truth: - without blemish, complete, full, perfect, sincerely (-ity), sound, without spot, undefiled, upright (-ly), whole.
Without iniquity:
H5766
עלהעולהעולהעולעול
‛evel ‛âvel ‛avlâh ‛ôlâh ‛ôlâh
eh'-vel, aw'-vel, av-law', o-law', o-law'
From H5765; (moral) evil: - iniquity, perverseness, unjust (-ly), unrighteousness (-ly), wicked (-ness).
(Jam 1:13) Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
Another point I would like to make is “create evil” does not translate to moral evil---but in contrast to “peace” such as war, calamity or disaster, pestilence.
In Isaiah 45:7 (“and create evil”) when looking into the context God is making a glorious promise to Cyrus and contending with those that hinder Him with a curse. God is telling them to contend with their fellow creatures and not with their Creator. He makes peace, (that’s what He does) and creates evil (and this is the result) He tells them He is the Lord and is instructing them to do these things and follows by giving them a “woe” for striving against Him.
Here’s some more translations:
The NKJV
I form the light and create darkness,
I make peace and create calamity;
I, the LORD, do all these things.'
The NLT
I am the one who creates the light and makes the darkness.
I am the one who sends good times and bad times.
I, the Lord, am the one who does these things.
The ESV
“I form light and create darkness,
I make well-being and create calamity,
I am the Lord, who does all these things.
The NASB
The One forming light and creating darkness,
Causing well-being and creating calamity;
I am the LORD who does all these.
NIV
I form the light and create darkness,
I bring prosperity and create disaster;
I, the Lord, do all these things.
RSV
I form light and create darkness,
I make weal and create woe,
I am the LORD, who do all these things.
As for the misguided claim that we must think as the Jewish mindset did and not Greek philosophical mindset; I would suggest scrolling down about half way on the following link until you get to:
"Finally, we need to look at early Jewish understandings of this verse, to see to what extent they understood this to refer to moral evil or calamity."
http://www.christian-thinktank.com/iamwrong1.html
And read on!
:BangHead: -
The verses Is. 45:7, Amos 3:6, and Lam. 3:38 are quite pointed. -
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A note on this verse from the NET Bible:
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Could you explain what you meant? -
How can an angel or Adan rebel unless God included the ability to rebel?
Would the Lamb needed to be slain before the foundation of the world if Adam had a choice not to sin?
I'm not saying these things are true, just seeking your response. -
Read the verse in its context (starting from 45:1).
The most powerful Cyrus is God's anointed.
He will subdue nations,
he will paralyze kings,
he will open closed gates,
he will be blessed with knowledge and power,
... aaaaand he doesn't know the Lord.
God predicted your question, whether its translated evil or calamity.
The text continues:
How terrible it would be if a newborn baby said to its father,
‘Why was I born?’
or if it said to its mother,
‘Why did you make me this way?’ ”
This is what the LORD says—
the Holy One of Israel and your Creator:
“Do you question what I do for my children?
Do you give me orders about the work of my hands?
I am the one who made the earth
and created people to live on it.
With my hands I stretched out the heavens.
All the stars are at my command.
Isaiah 45:10-12 NLT
Rob -
God created heaven and earth and everything in it. And when he got through he said "it is all very good". There was no flaw in it. There was no evil in it. Sin entered in--evil entered in because of what Adam did. It did not enter in because of anything God did. God is holy, righteous, and good. There is no darkness in Him at all. Can't understand how some Christians hold a theology that attributes evil to God.
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