¿Does God Do Evil?

"The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil."

(Proverbs 16:4)

In a world full of hate, murder, crimes aganist humanity many are left wondering where is God? And where is the hand of our Just, and Loving God. Does Jesus 'wrestle' with Satan in order to keep us from harm? This is a centuries-old, unresolved paradox that is inherent in all religions which includes a belief in a personal all-loving, all knowing, all-powerful, and present God. This question, and the theories which surround the answer is called  Theodicy.

-- how can such evil and suffering exist in a universe created by a good, loving God? --

While surfing the net I come across many different lingering questions, and several hundred points of view. I have conversed with people representing numerous religions. As far as theodicy goes some still struggle with a question that the Bible answers. Some say that its plainly obvious, but nevertheless the question of how a God of Love could allow bad things even, Evil things to happen on the Earth? 

For our God IS a God of Love!

"He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love." (1John 4:8)

In times past church leaders have reasoned that perhaps since God allows bad things He is not omniscient,  and/or omnipotent, or perhaps he does not care. 

This kind of thinking implies that God only allows evil to happen. He does not bring evil.? A better understanding of this fundamental question will guide us to an answer to the question of theodicy.

¿Does God Do Evil?

"Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?  Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets."

(Amos 3:6-7)

God does more than merely 'allow' evil. I conquer that not only does God do evil, evil cannot come unless it is sanctioned by the Almighty.

In the 25th chapter of Jeremiah The Most High passes sentence on Jerusalem and the children of Israel in particular, and in general on the ENTIRE EARTH! 

" For thus saith the LORD God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it. And they shall drink, and be moved, and be mad, because of the sword that I will send among them." (Jeremiah 25:15-16)

¿WHY?

"And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup at thine hand to drink, then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ye shall certainly drink. 

 For, lo, I begin to bring evil on the city which is called by my name, and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the LORD of hosts." (V.28-29) 

 This is not an isolated incident.

In the 1st book of Kings we have the story of Ahab King of Israel and a conversation/situation he created with Jehoshaphat King of Judah. 

"And the king of Israel said... unto Jehoshaphat, Wilt thou go with me to battle to Ramothgilead? And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I am as thou art, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses.  And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Enquire, I pray thee, at the word of the LORD to day."
(1Kings 22:1-5)

Jehoshaphat wanted to ask God's opinion before going to war. Look what happened...

"Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the LORD shall deliver it into the hand of the king. And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD besides, that we might enquire of him?"

(v.6-7) 

Jehoshaphat was called a righteous King and apparently so, he had enough discernment to know that out of 400 "prophets," None of them spoke for the Most High. The Bible calls them prophets, yet they were not prophets of the Lord.

"And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron: and he said, Thus saith the LORD, With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until thou have consumed them.  And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramoth-gilead, and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver it into the king's hand" (v.8-12).

These prophets sound like they are modern day false prophets with their props and dramatic effects. I can see the prophet now at 4:35 AM with iron horns screaming at the TV 'With these you will be able to push your enemies, until thou have consumed them.' He would then cite the verse and then rightfully expect for no one to actually read the scripture, and sell the 'blessed iron horns.' LOL

Thankfully our episode did not go that way. 

Eventually Micaiah the prophet of the Lord showed up. I encourage all my readers to check out the entire chapter on your own. But for our purposes (and to make a loooong story short) this is what Micaiah had to say:

"Hear thou therefore the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left. And the LORD said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner. And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him. And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so. Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee." (V.19-23)

Some how King Ahab figured that he could out smart God. And King Jehoshaphat was also very gullible. This is what happened next:


So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramothgilead.


^"And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and enter into the battle; but put thou on thy robes. And the king of Israel disguised himself, and went into the battle.


But the king of Syria commanded his thirty and two captains that had rule over his chariots, saying, Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the king of Israel.


And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, Surely it is the king of Israel. And they turned aside to fight against him: and Jehoshaphat cried out.  And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him.


And a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: wherefore he said unto the driver of his chariot, Turn thine hand, and carry me out of the host; for I am wounded. And the battle increased that day: and the king was stayed up in his chariot against the Syrians, and died at even: and the blood ran out of the wound into the midst of the chariot... So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria. And one washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood; and they washed his armour; according unto the word of the LORD which he spake." (V.30-45)

Ahab couldn't hide from God. A man shot a bow into the crowd of soilders fighting and by chance struck the King and he died, just as the Lord wanted.
God put a lying spirit in the mouth of those prophets. God brought Evil upon Ahab!

If you wonder why God would do such a thing to a King of Israel, then Go and read 1Kings Chapter 16 thru Chapter 22, and you will see why the Most High went thru such great lengths to kill the king.

THE CONCLUSION OF THE MATTER: God is Almighty! If He is Almighty then there can never be a battle or a struggle of God vs Satan. It simply cannot be! That would make the two equal. The Most High God created Lucifer, after iniquity was found in, him his name was changed to Satan. Satan (the devil) is still an angel (A ministering spirit), the devil and all the demons that fell with him now minister evil. When you have crossed the line with God and He determines that the days of your life are up, He doesn't send a Holy Spirit to kill you, He sends an evil, and/or lying spirit to lead you to your death!

God also allows Satan to temp people as He did with Job. Satan tortured Job, killed his family and livestock, but he could not kill Job because the Lord set up the parameters whereby Satan could operate in the Job chapter 1, and Satan abided by His limits. 

Because the devil had no choice, Our God is Almighty!

May the Lord add a blessing to the reading of His Word...

LOCKSMIF... LLAVES (keys)

Extra Scriptures

Job 42:11 the evil that the LORD had brought upon him:

Micah 1:12 but evil came down from the LORD unto the gate of Jerusalem.