Why did the Most High God create sin?

[Live4Him]

You are saying that the word evil should not be interpreted as evil, but qualified. I do not have the understanding of the original Hebrew for this verse in Isaiah, but if you think that word is qualified, please give on what you base your interpretation.

The scripture you gives does not say that God did not create evil.

"I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things." (Isaiah 45:7)

The first thing we need to recognize is that this verse does NOT say "I FORMED the light, and CREATED darkness: I MADE peace, and CREATED evil" as in past tense, but that seems to be how you're reading it.

The underlying Hebrew word which is here translated as "evil" is "raʿ":

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=H7451&t=KJV

Although this Hebrew word is oftentimes translated as "evil" in the KJV, it is also translated elsewhere in the KJV as "mischief", "trouble", "affliction", "adversity", "harm", etc., and these are much better contrasts to "peace" than "evil".

Here is how this verse is translated in other Bible versions:

New International Version
I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things.

New Living Translation
I create the light and make the darkness. I send good times and bad times. I, the LORD, am the one who does these things.

English Standard Version
I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the LORD, who does all these things.

Berean Study Bible
I form the light and create the darkness; I bring prosperity and create calamity. I, the LORD, do all these things.

New American Standard Bible
The One forming light and creating darkness, Causing well-being and creating disaster; I am the LORD who does all these things.

Amplified Bible
The One forming light and creating darkness, Causing peace and creating disaster; I am the LORD who does all these things.

Christian Standard Bible
I form light and create darkness, I make success and create disaster; I am the LORD, who does all these things.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
I form light and create darkness, I make success and create disaster; I, Yahweh, do all these things."

Contemporary English Version
I create light and darkness, happiness and sorrow. I, the LORD, do all this.

Good News Translation
I create both light and darkness; I bring both blessing and disaster. I, the LORD, do all these things.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I make light and create darkness. I make blessings and create disasters. I, the LORD, do all these things.

International Standard Version
"I form light and create darkness, I make goodness and create disaster. I am the LORD, who does all these things.

NET Bible
I am the one who forms light and creates darkness; the one who brings about peace and creates calamity. I am the LORD, who accomplishes all these things.

New King James Version
I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the LORD, do all these things.’

King James 2000 Bible
I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create calamity: I the LORD do all these things.

New Heart English Bible
I form the light, and create darkness. I make peace, and create calamity. I am the LORD, who does all these things.

World English Bible
I form the light, and create darkness. I make peace, and create calamity. I am Yahweh, who does all these things.

Etc., etc., etc.

Again, it was the contrast between "peace" and "disaster", or "bad times", or "calamity", or "sorrow" that God was actually speaking about, and NOT about allegedly creating "evil" itself.

Hopefully, you can now recognize this for yourself.

 

[Live4Him]

God created EVERYTHING.

"And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day." (Gen. 1:31)

Everything that God made was "very good", NOT evil.

 

[Live4Him]

We don't have free will.

Yes, we do.

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!" (Matt. 23:37)

"How often would I" was the will of Jesus Christ as he sought to gather the people of Jerusalem unto himself for hundreds of years.

"And ye would not!" was the FREE WILL CHOICES of those who refused to be gathered unto him.

 

[VickyK]

"And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day." (Gen. 1:31)

Everything that God made was "very good", NOT evil.

You don't believe God to be the creator of all?

 

[Blik]

Yes God created everything yet this is whats written "You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity was found in you. " This is where sin started. God had no hand in it nor did He just stand by and allow it.

It tells us in Isaiah that God created evil.

ISAIAH 45:7 KJV "I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things]." “I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things .”

Adam and Eve did not know of the evil God created until they disobeyed.

 

[Blik]

We must remember what the essence of sin really is. Sin is rebellion against God. God did not rebel against Himself. He gave his creation a choice, and...

Sin entered when they chose to oppose Him.

The sin and evil was there before Adam and Ever opposed God, it was contained in the tree.

 

[Deuteronomy]

God is an Eternal Holy Spirit and the opposite Spirit of God is an Eternal Evil Spirit.

Hello Rondonmon, yin and yang are concepts that are central to dualistic Chinese religion (like Confucianism and Taoism) and the philosophy of Chinese life in general, I believe. This has ~never~ been true of Judaism and Christianity however, because YHWH has neither an equal nor an opposite (nor does He need one). In fact, nothing/no one comes even remotely close to being as evil as God is good.

An opposite/evil Spirit of some sort need not exist for us to know that God is both holy & righteous .. because none of us are (holy or righteous).

If I've missed something about this in the Bible however, please point it out to me/us

IOW....if what you say is true, then...........

1. Where does the Bible tell us that God cannot be considered "good" if an evil opposite of His does not exist and, ​

2. Where does the Bible tell us that a supreme "Evil" God/Spirit (or anything/anyone else for that matter) has existed "from everlasting", like God has ​

Thanks!

~Deut
p.s. - here is a verse from the OT, and a passage from the NT, concerning this topic.

Isaiah 43​

10 “You are My witnesses,” declares the LORD,​

“And My servant whom I have chosen,​

In order that you may know and believe Me​

And understand that I am He.​

Before Me there was no God formed,​

And there will be none after Me.” ​

​

Colossians 1​

16 By Him ~all~ things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created by Him and for Him.​

17 He is ~before~ all things, and in Him all things hold together.​

​

 

[Rondonmon]

Hello Rondonmon, yin and yang are concepts that are central to dualistic Chinese religion (like Confucianism and Taoism) and the philosophy of Chinese life in general, I believe. This has ~never~ been true of Judaism and Christianity however, because YHWH has neither an equal nor an opposite (nor does He need one). In fact, nothing/no one comes even remotely close to being as evil as God is good.

An opposite/evil Spirit of some sort need not exist for us to know that God is both holy & righteous .. because none of us are (holy or righteous).

If I've missed something about this in the Bible however, please point it out to me/us

IOW....if what you say is true, then...........

1. Where does the Bible tell us that God cannot be considered "good" if an evil opposite of His does not exist and, ​

2. Where does the Bible tell us that a supreme "Evil" God/Spirit (or anything/anyone else for that matter) has existed "from everlasting", like God has ​

Thanks!

~Deut
p.s. - here is a verse from the OT, and a passage from the NT, concerning this topic.

Isaiah 43​

10 “You are My witnesses,” declares the LORD,​

“And My servant whom I have chosen,​

In order that you may know and believe Me​

And understand that I am He.​

Before Me there was no God formed,​

And there will be none after Me.” ​

​

Colossians 1​

16 By Him ~all~ things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created by Him and for Him.​

17 He is ~before~ all things, and in Him all things hold together.​

​

I don't care about yin ad yang being concepts, I am telling you if there is a Holy Spirit there has to be an UNHOLY SPIRIT. It is thus the opposite of God, what is the opposite of God? Evil, of course, thus just like God is an Eternal Spirit so is Evil. That is the Anti-Christ Spirit Paul said was in the world even as he spoke, well what was he speaking about good sir? Not the Anti-Chrisy of course, not Satan, of course, but the Spirit which temped Satan, rebellion against God. 9 have been a preacher 35 years and I only got this 5 or so years ago, so don't sweat it, brother. It not yin and yang per se, that is an eastern philosophical concept. This is God being holy and ANYTHING THAT OPPOSES Him being evil. No one hearkened unto this voice to Sata did, but it was always there, whether men can understand that concept is a different story. Look, if there is Eternal Righteousness then there is Eternal Evil, and that is ANYTHING THAT OPPOSES God. It will reside in hell forever. That's a fact. Is the opposite of God not ETERNAL? It has to be, thus its eternal evil. I started picking up on this via Paul's Anti-christ spirit, since the Anti-Christ was yet to come, what spirit was Paul talking about? Its not Satan, else Paul would have stated that it's a SPIRIT that is AGAINST GOD !!

 

[Deuteronomy]

It tells us in Isaiah that God created evil.

ISAIAH 45:7 KJV "I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things]." “I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things .”

Adam and Eve did not know of the evil God created until they disobeyed.

Hello Blik, God claims to be the Creator of "PHYSICAL" evils in this world (tornados, hurricanes, sickness, etc.), but He is NOT the Creator of "moral" evil/NOT the Author of sin.

The passage in Isaiah that you mentioned is a short study in opposites, and moral evil/sin is not the opposite of peace, "war" is.

Remember too that the KJV was translated in 1611 AD, and English words, in many cases, had different meanings or emphases 400+ years ago. For instance, if we lived back then and I said to you, "man, your sister sure is cute", you would have understood me to mean that your sister, "sure is bowlegged"

This is one of those verses in the KJV where one of our modern translations can be extremely helpful.

Isaiah 45 (KJV)​

6 I am the LORD, and there is none else.​

7 I form the light, and create darkness:​

I make peace, and create evil:​

I the LORD do all these things.​

​

Isaiah 45 (NKJV/NASB)​

6 I am the LORD, and there is no other;​

7 I form the light and create darkness,​

I make peace (or well-being) and create calamity;​

I, the LORD, do all these things.’​

Of course, there's nothing wrong with using "evil" in v7 I suppose, as long as it's clearly understand that it is referring to "physical" evil (an "evil" that God typically uses for our good .. e.g. Romans 8:28; Hebrews 12:7-11), NOT "moral" evil/sin.

~Deut

 

[Blik]

Hello Blik, God claims to be the Creator of "PHYSICAL" evils in this world (tornados, hurricanes, sickness, etc.), but He is NOT the Creator of "moral" evil/NOT the Author of sin.

The passage in Isaiah that you mentioned is a short study in opposites, and moral evil/sin is not the opposite of peace, "war" is.

Remember too that the KJV was translated in 1611 AD, and English words, in many cases, had different meanings or emphases 400+ years ago. For instance, if we lived back then and I said to you, "man, your sister sure is cute", you would have understood me to mean that your sister, "sure is bowlegged"

This is one of those verses in the KJV where one of our modern translations can be extremely helpful.

Isaiah 45 (KJV)​

6 I am the LORD, and there is none else.​

7 I form the light, and create darkness:​

I make peace, and create evil:​

I the LORD do all these things.​

​

Isaiah 45 (NKJV/NASB)​

6 I am the LORD, and there is no other;​

7 I form the light and create darkness,​

I make peace (or well-being) and create calamity;​

I, the LORD, do all these things.’​

Of course, there's nothing wrong with using "evil" in v7 I suppose, as long as it's clearly understand that it is referring to "physical" evil (an "evil" that God typically uses for our good .. e.g. Romans 8:28; Hebrews 12:7-11), NOT "moral" evil/sin.

~Deut

If you feel that the word translated as evil is not the same as our understanding of that word, who then created evil?

According to Genesis, there was evil in the garden of Eden, it was contained in the tree.

 

[Nehemiah6]

Amen.

What's the "Amen" for since God DID NOT create sin? "Oh My!" would be more appropriate.

God created men and angels with the capacity to choose to either obey Him or disobey Him. Disobedience is sin, and both Lucifer and Adam and Eve disobeyed God. Thus sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, in that all have sinned.

 

[Nehemiah6]

Are people here denying that God created everything?

No. People here are denying that God created sin. So where did you come up with this bizarre and unbiblical idea?

 

[Lucy-Pevensie]

Allowing sin (an action or choice) to occur is not synonymous with 'creating' sin.

I could create a car for you and allow you to drive it without telling you or forcing you to drive it off a cliff.

 

[VickyK]

Allowing sin (an action or choice) to occur is not synonymous with 'creating' sin.

I could create a car for you and allow you to drive it without telling you or forcing you to drive it off a cliff.

The laws of physics allow the car to be driven (off a cliff or otherwise). Who created the laws of physics? Come up with a better analogy.

 

[VickyK]

No. People here are denying that God created sin. So where did you come up with this bizarre and unbiblical idea?

If God didn't create sin, he didn't create everything. The Bible states clearly that God is the creator of all.

 

[Hungry]

God created EVERYTHING.

Are you sure? Or in the beginning was there darkness, and He created light, then separated it from the darkness? Was there originally chaos, and He created order? Sin is the progression back into disorder.

 

[eternally-gratefull]

Allowing sin (an action or choice) to occur is not synonymous with 'creating' sin.

I could create a car for you and allow you to drive it without telling you or forcing you to drive it off a cliff.

Amen

God gave us free will. By definition, created the ability of sin, but it did not creat sin

 

[eternally-gratefull]

If God didn't create sin, he didn't create everything. The Bible states clearly that God is the creator of all.

God did not create adultry

it was created when man chose freely to rebel against god and determined to be their own God

 

[Dino246]

It tells us in Isaiah that God created evil.

ISAIAH 45:7 KJV "I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things]." “I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things .”

Adam and Eve did not know of the evil God created until they disobeyed.

Read post #41. God did not create evil.

 

[VickyK]

God did not create adultry

it was created when man chose freely to rebel against god and determined to be their own God

Yes He did. He created everything.

For example; God designed the DNA of humanity. If God did not create DNA that would give a human purple eyes, for example, no human could have (naturally) purple eyes.

Another example. The visible colour spectrum available to human sight is limited. Humans cannot see ultraviolet light, for example. God did not grant us this ability, although he granted it to bumblebees. Likewise, if we were incapable of adultery we would not commit it. God made us capable.