Does God Create Evil?

Dear Phil,

Isaiah said, “I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things” (Isaiah 45:7). Does this really mean that God creates evil?

Thanks,
Adam

Dear Adam,

Good question! While we’re dealing with Isaiah 45:7, let’s include Amos 3:6, “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?” The problem with these two verses is that they seem to say that God, who is holy, also creates and does evil.

The answer lies in understanding two things: (1) who God says He is; and (2) the words the KJV translates ‘peace’ (shalom) and ‘evil’ (ra‘).

First, God tells us that He is holy and that means, among other things, that God is pure and sinless. Habakkuk says it this way: “Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity” (Hab 1:13). John says, “God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). James says, “God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man” (James 1:13). The psalmist says, “The Lord is upright…and there is no unrighteousness in Him” (Psalm 92:15). From Scriptures like these, we can conclude that God is not the creator of sin or evil.

Second, to most people, the word ‘peace’ in English means “the absence of conflict” or “quiet restfulness.” Although the Hebrew word shalom has these meanings as well, it more frequently has the sense of “well-being, prosperity, or completeness.”

The Hebrew word ra’ has the meanings “evil, calamity, disaster, or hurt.” The KJV translators recognized that ra’ could mean “hurt” and translated it that way 20 times (see, for example, Ecclesiastes 8:9; Jeremiah 7:6; 25:7).

Now take a look at Isaiah 45:7. It is important to see that the Lord sets up a pair of contrasts in this verse. He contrasts light with darkness and shalom with ra’. What is the opposite of well-being (shalom)? Isn’t it calamity or harm? Interestingly, modern translations consistently translate this verse with words like “calamity” (NASB, ESV, NET), “disaster” (NIV, NJB), “woe” (NAB, RSV, NRSV, Tanakh) or “bad times” (NLT). The New King James reads: “I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the Lord, do all these things.”

This is what Isaiah and Amos are both saying: God is responsible not only for the prosperity that we enjoy, but also for the calamities that we endure.

You might say, “But Philip, why would God create calamity?” Remember, the Bible tells us various reasons why God creates calamity: (1) God punishes sin with calamity (Deuteronomy 31:29); (2) God uses calamities to chasten his people, e.g., Jonah (Jonah 1:4, 7); and (3) God uses calamity to try His servants and refine them (e.g., Job; James 1:2–4; 1 Peter 1:7). In the case of Job, we learn that God was not directly responsible for Job’s tragedy, but He did permit it. This highlights the wonderful truth of God’s sovereignty: nothing can or ever will enter the life of God’s children without first receiving His stamp of permission. In the light of Romans 8:28–29, we can rest assured that if God permits calamity or tragedy in our lives, He will also be at work to form in us the character of His Son through it.

Blessings,
Phil