Did God create evil? (A Midrash on Isaiah 45:7)

[RabbiJames]

ISAIAH 45:7

"I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD (YHVH) do all these things."


This is a strange verse that might capture the attention of many. I am sure we have heard it said that "Evil comes from the Devil" We all seem to connect evil to Satan and his demonic entities. Yet, this verse clearly states that YHVH created evil. Case closed. But we must ask ourselves "why?"

Why did a loving, perfect, and Holy God create evil? So, as we attempt to answer this question. Let's look at the words with a fine-tooth comb.

"Light and darkness" "peace and evil" "form, make, create" How can we relate these words to our world today? in the world in which we live? Here we see opposites, "light vs darkness" "peace vs evil". We can also see these in similarities; "light and peace" and "Darkness and evil" Two go together and two are different. But they are ALL made by Adonai. The word used for "create" in Hebrew is "Bara" which means "to create or bring into being for a specific purpose." It is not just to create or make and throw out there into existence, sit back and see what happens.

All things were made for a purpose. We see in Genesis Chapter 1 that there was darkness, yet out of the darkness came light. "Light" is also referred to as Yeshua himself. One thought is that when YHVH "spoke" into existence all that He created, the words that He spoke emanated at such a high frequency that the sound waves were heated to such a degree that they glowed with "light" But this is just an idea. No one was around back then to observe creation.

Yet, before Genesis 1, there was just eternity past, and, nothingness? the blackness of empty space? Yet since Elohim existed eternally from eternity past, then, there can not be "nothingness" rather "somethingness" (wow, is that really a word?) Yes, (my word) Elohim existed so there was no such thing as "nothingness" yet "darkness?' did it exist before Genesis 1?

Can darkness associate itself with evil? There are two entities of "darkness" one is "physical" darkness (if one can call it that) and the other "spiritual darkness". In order to sleep well, we need a "dark" room, to close our eyes and rest. Photographers many years ago developed film in a "dark" room. When I was in high school, I took a course in photography and Mr. Tovar, my photography teacher taught us how to go into a pitch-black closet and unroll the film in our camera into a black box with a hole in the top, then pour in the chemicals to develop the negatives. "Darkness" was needed to develop the film. There are animals that only come out during the darkness of night to feed, and flowers close up to rest during the night.

So, that kind of darkness is good, so "peace" and "relaxation" can come in the "darkness" to allow us to sleep and rest. But spiritual darkness relates to evil. Not knowing the Torah (Bible) exposes us to evil. What we don't know CAN hurt us. Rejection of God's gift of Salvation brings darkness into our lives and makes us slaves to the "evil" master; HaSatan.

Knowing what spiritual darkness is can lead us to the "light" of the gospel. rejecting "evil" and welcoming "Shalom" (peace) through Yeshua.
Recognizing a poisonous scorpion (darkness, evil) from a non-poisonous one can bring one "peace" in that we know what to look for and avoid. Well, all scorpions sting, but some are like a bee or wasp sting, and others, well... you'd better go see a doctor quickly! (the difference is in the claw and stinger)

When we read and obey God's Commandments, we get "peace" in our lives, yet the "negative" commandments warn us against "evil" and knowing what "evil" can do against us, and thus avoiding the same, brings us "peace". In a dark room, where the is pitch-blackness, if you stike a match, that light from the match however small that flame is, chases away the darkness, now, as our eyes adjust, we can see around us. So is the Word of God, like a flame from a match, that will reveal everything around us and the spiritual darkness will flee. (mind you, don't blow out the flame)

So, back to the million-dollar question; Why did God create evil and peace together? Perhaps the answer is in the creation of mankind. Mankind was given a choice to obey or disobey. God wanted man and woman to love and obey Him out of free will and choice. The same is for us today. If there had been no such thing as "evil" then, we would have no choice BUT to obey and love, there would be no testing our love, we would be like robots or machines that run because they are programmed to run. We are more than machines, we are His living creations, created with a choice to "walk in the light and have peace" rather than "succumb to the darkness and be enveloped in evil".

Would we also dare say that God created evil, to punish evil doers? Whatever a man sows, that he must also reap. We can see that in our everyday lives. Even Yeshua said to Peter; "He who lives by the sword will die by the sword." So, evil might have been created for that reason also.

Either way, the choice is ours.


Ben Avraham

Light gives way to darkness, then light again. (Key Largo, FL)

 

[BravoM]

He is the Allower of Things.
The mind of God would drive anyone insane and blind if He were to show it to you.
There are countless questions that will never answered nor understood even after you die or after Jesus comes back.

 

[ByTheSpirit]

He is using opposing thoughts to show His range of power and control. First God says He forms light, and creates darkness.

Light is the polar opposite of dark.

Next He says He makes peace, or well-being. What’s the opposite of peace or well-being? Disaster maybe, calamity. The idea can be evil sure, but not moral evil. Evil can be anything that can be lumped into the category of “not good”.

 

[Water and Fire]

Absolutely he creates evil. He says so, and I believe him.

Now, there is an argument that the word for Evil, is also the word for Calamity, but this is an incredibly weak argument. If you have a look at Job, you find this.


Job 2:8 And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.
Job 2:9 Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.
Job 2:10 But he 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? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.


Job 1:13 And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house:
Job 1:14 And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them:
Job 1:15 And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.


Now, Job says "What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?" And then it specifically says after that, that Job is blameless for have said that. Now, lot's of Christians would love to say that Job is talking about mere calamity here, but... the last time I looked, murder and theft, are not mere calamity. If you want to call what the Sabeans did "mere calamity" then what's to say that what Hitler did, wasn't mere calamity too?

 

[Jonaitis]

I don’t think evil is even implied in the verse. He is using opposing thoughts to show His range of power and control. First God says He forms light, and creates darkness.

Light is the polar opposite of dark.

Next He says He makes peace, or well-being. What’s the opposite of peace or well-being? Disaster maybe, calamity. The idea can be evil sure, but not moral evil. Evil can be anything that can be lumped into the category of “not good”.

It was an interesting application, but I must agree with you. Evil was an archaic use of 'disaster.' Isaiah seems to be saying that there is divine providence in all of human affairs, whether well-being or disaster, and that we must recognize the one behind it.

 

[Jonaitis]

Absolutely he creates evil. He says so, and I believe him.

Now, there is an argument that the word for Evil, is also the word for Calamity, but this is an incredibly weak argument. If you have a look at Job, you find this.


Job 2:8 And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.
Job 2:9 Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.
Job 2:10 But he 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? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.


Job 1:13 And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house:
Job 1:14 And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them:
Job 1:15 And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.


Now, Job says "What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?" And then it specifically says after that, that Job is blameless for have said that. Now, lot's of Christians would love to say that Job is talking about mere calamity here, but... the last time I looked, murder and theft, are not mere calamity. If you want to call what the Sabeans did "mere calamity" then what's to say that what Hitler did, wasn't mere calamity too?

Interesting point, moral evil and calamity are often connected, such as the example you gave. When evil befell the nation by the hand of Babylon, it was not without sin on their part.

 

[Water and Fire]

Interesting point, moral evil and calamity are often connected, such as the example you gave. When evil befell the nation by the hand of Babylon, it was not without sin on their part.

Yeah, well if you have a word, and it can mean calamity and evil, you can't really say it's one or the other. It's the same word. I wonder what the Christians that make the argument that God creates calamity, not evil, would say, if they were asked if God is responsible for causing the boxing day Tsunami, that killed 200,000 plus people?
I'm pretty sure I know the answer to that one.

 

[Jonaitis]

Yeah, well if you have a word, and it can mean calamity and evil, you can't really say it's one or the other. It's the same word. I wonder what the Christians that make the argument that God creates calamity, not evil, would say, if they were asked if God is responsible for causing the boxing day Tsunami, that killed 200,000 plus people?
I'm pretty sure I know the answer to that one.

It is hard for many to say that God is responsible for moral evil, because he is understood as all-good, but this puts God inside a box in my opinion. And you're right, the more I think about it. When Joseph's brothers betrayed him, God called the means as a necessary evil, to promote him as leader and savior of the people from the famine. If we step back and look at the broader picture, the fall of man was a necessary evil to bring about the redemption of Christ. God allowed Adam to fall, because Jesus "was known before the foundation of the world, but was revealed in the last times for your sake" (1 Peter 1:20). God uses evil for a good purpose, and that's not unbiblical to say. It would be unbiblical to say that God uses evil for the fun of it, but there is never an example of that anywhere. If God is beyond all comprehension, beyond all description, beyond everything, then He cannot be on one side or the other, but an outside mastermind that can use both for his own divine purpose.

 

[Water and Fire]

It is hard for many to say that God is responsible for moral evil, because he is understood as all-good, but this puts God inside a box in my opinion. And you're right, the more I think about it. When Joseph's brothers betrayed him, God called the means as a necessary evil, to promote him as leader and savior of the people from the famine. If we step back and look at the broader picture, the fall of man was a necessary evil to bring about the redemption of Christ. God allowed Adam to fall, because Jesus "was known before the foundation of the world, but was revealed in the last times for your sake" (1 Peter 1:20). God uses evil for a good purpose, and that's not unbiblical to say. It would be unbiblical to say that God uses evil for the fun of it, but there is never an example of that anywhere. If God is beyond all comprehension, beyond all description, beyond everything, then He cannot be on one side or the other, but an outside mastermind that can use both for his own divine purpose.

Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

If you follow the logic of what this verse is saying, then it would be fair to conclude that all evil is necessary evil. After all, evil simply would not exist, if God wasn't using it to bring about a greater good. But what is it's purpose? That is the million dollar question.

I remember coming to the realization that God had purposed that Adam should eat of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, at which point I was flabbergasted at the idea. When I asked the Lord why he would do such a thing, this is the scripture that came to mind.

Joh 12:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.