Why does Isaiah 45:7 say that God created evil?

(Vv. 6–8). In raising up Cyrus God would have all nations know that He is God and there is none else beside. The truth as to Jehovah is presented in contrast to the Zoroastrian belief of the Persians, by which they held that a certain eternal person brought into existence two powerful beings; one the creator of all good, and the other the author of all evils that afflict men. It is God who forms the light and creates the darkness; it is God who makes peace among the nations, and, in His governmental ways creates evil in the sense of punishment (see Job 2:19: Jer. 18:7–10). It is the LORD that does these things with the final result that blessing will descend from heaven, which earth will be open to receive. It will not be righteousness without grace, nor salvation at the expense of righteousness, but salvation and righteousness will “spring up together.”

We are told that the Persians were famous for a two-fold system of idolatry ― Light and Darkness, Good and Evil. And so Jehovah declares His pre-eminence over all these principles which the Persian mind had deified, and with which it was familiar. It does not convey the thought that Jehovah directly creates evil; but it establishes His divine pre-eminence as God, above principles which are mere creatures or abstract qualities, and which the Persians held as gods; and to which he might attribute his victories.

Apart, too, from all this, God is Creator; and if He permits in His wise purpose, a creature to work its own will, still He is Creator, and He made the creature, and permits it. No one in any sense is above Him, nothing can be carried on against Him. He allows evil to exhaust itself, and then His goodness ― nay, Himself, is manifested in overruling and counteracting it. Back

With Israel's penitent idolatry still in mind, Jehovah declares in the succeeding verses His surpassing greatness. All things are in His hands. He creates the light and the darkness, the peace and the "evil," in the sense of disaster. Man is but a potsherd of the earth — the broken piece of a pot! Let man recognize his own littleness. Let him strive with another potsherd like himself if he will, but let him not strive with the Creator. It is not fitting that a man should strive with his father or mother, much less with his Maker. Verses 5, 13 and 14 again refer to Cyrus and the way in which God would raise him up. It would be "in righteousness," for he would carry into effect the will of God; and to do the will of God is righteousness.

As to alleged connection of evil with creation (Exposition, p. 10, note), cf. Rashdall in "Contentio Veritatis," pp. 43 ff. In Isa. 45:7, it should be observed, "evil" means adversity.

As to Romans 8:20-21, he has quoted it falsely in saying "through Him." It is "on account of him who has subjected [it]," dia ton. It was not the creature's own will, but on account of another; and Adam, not God, is the "him" referred to. And "the creature into the liberty of glory of God's children," has nothing to do with restoring the wicked spiritually, for which Mr. J. falsely uses it; and the deliverance of the creature is when His children are glorified and judgment is on their adversaries. Evil subserving some good purpose (otherwise God would never have permitted it), or, say, "I form peace, and I create evil," just shews the false use he makes of Scripture. He does not create moral evil: it is temporal evil as contrasted with peace--not with good. Again, "Prophecy announces a day when there shall be no more curse or death, but all things made new. In this witness we may rest, spite of the fact and mystery of present evil." This is before the final judgment; a settled fallacy that runs through the book. "No curse" is the millennial state (Rev. 22:3); "all things new" after it, and then the wicked are without, outside the scene where there is no more crying, pain, or death; Rev. 21:2-8. "Curse" is not spoken of as no longer the question. In Revelation 21:1-4 are new heavens and new earth, and in verses 5-8. These passages prove just the contrary of what Mr. Jukes affirms.

The challenge of Jehovah which begins with ver. 5 does not appear to be a mere repetition of what begins in Isa. 44:6, but in a very interesting way it meets the special evil into which those fell who under Cyrus overthrew Babylon and its idolatrous vanities. For the Persians were famous for their dualistic scheme of good and evil, light and darkness, Ormusd and Ahriman. What can be more pointed in view of the utter confusion of this scheme than the words that follow? "I [am] Jehovah, and there is none else, there is no God besides me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: that they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none besides me. I [am] Jehovah, and there is none else, forming the light, and creating darkness; making peace, and creating evil: I Jehovah do all these [things]. Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness; let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I Jehovah have created it. Woe to him that strives with his Maker! [Let] the potsherd [strive] with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashions it, What makest thou? or thy work, He has no hands? Woe to him that says to a father, What begettest thou? or to the woman, What hast thou brought forth?" (vv. 5-10).

Ans.—2 Thess.2:11 explains it. So also Deut. 28:58-68. It is not an essential creation as in Gen.1, for out of Him who is Light and Love nothing evil can proceed. It is a summoning of the suitable evil powers in existence for judgment upon such as deserve a judgment at the hand of God.

From chapters 40 to 48 of the prophet Isaiah, it will be clearly seen that there is a great question between Jehovah and the idols of Babylon. The Lord declares that He had raised up Cyrus, King of Persia, the "righteous man from the east," to deliver His people Israel, in the face of and in the midst of this idolatry (consult 2 Chron. 36:22-23; and Ezra 1:1-4; and many other passages), and the idols of Babylon.

The last passage is an assertion of creative power, and this too is again and again dwelt on: — "The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth;" "He that created the heavens;" "The Lord that created thee;" "The Creator of Israel;" “I make light and create darkness: I make peace and create evil;" "I create new heavens and a new earth;" "The Lord that made thee;" "The Lord that maketh all things."

God does not bring evil into existence, but there are times in the history of the world when, in His wisdom and the carrying out and furtherance of His own plans, He withdraws His restraining hand, and allows evil to rear its head, so that it may be destroyed, and brought to nought. For instance God said to Pharaoh long ago,