Does Lamentations 3:38 suggest God is responsible for both good and evil events? God’s Sovereignty and the Question of Evil in Lamentations 3:38 Text and Translation Lamentations 3:38 : “Do not both adversity and good come from the mouth of the Most High?” The key terms are “adversity” (Hebrew רָע, raʿ) and “good” (Hebrew טוֹב, tov). While the word raʿ can denote moral evil, its frequent Old Testament use is “calamity,” “distress,” or “disaster” (e.g., Isaiah 45:7, Amos 3:6). The context of national judgment, not moral wrongdoing by God, controls the meaning here. Literary and Historical Setting Lamentations mourns Jerusalem’s devastation in 586 BC, fulfilling covenant curses foretold in Deuteronomy 28. Jeremiah (traditionally the author) attributes the siege, famine, and exile to Israel’s persistent sin (Lamentations 1:5, 3:42). The question of 3:38 arises in that setting: How can calamity exist under a sovereign, good God? The Hebrew Term “Raʿ” in Scripture • Genesis 41:3 describes “ugly (raʿ) cows”—no moral connotation. • Jonah 3:10 shows God relenting from “raʿ” He threatened—meaning “disaster.” • Isaiah 45:7 : “I bring prosperity and create calamity (raʿ).” Thus, in Lamentations 3:38 raʿ is best rendered “calamity/disaster,” not intrinsic moral evil. God’s Sovereignty and Moral Perfection Scripture affirms both: • Sovereignty: Psalm 115:3; Daniel 4:35; Ephesians 1:11. • Holiness: Habakkuk 1:13; 1 John 1:5; James 1:13 (“God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone”). The Bible never portrays God as the author of sin; rather, He governs a fallen world where free moral agents commit sin (Genesis 50:20; Acts 2:23). Primary and Secondary Causation Historic Christian theology distinguishes: • Primary Cause: God ordains all that occurs (Proverbs 16:33). • Secondary Causes: Humans and angels act freely and are morally accountable (Deuteronomy 30:19). God can decree a calamity (Lamentations 2:17) without Himself committing evil, often employing human agents (Babylonians) whose actions He judges (Jeremiah 25:12). Exegesis of Lamentations 3:37–40 v. 37: No word is fulfilled unless the Lord commands. v. 38: Both calamity and good issue from God’s “mouth” (His sovereign decree). v. 39: Therefore humans should not complain over punishment for sin. v. 40: Proper response is self-examination and repentance. The flow shows disaster as divine discipline, not malicious caprice. Consistency with the Rest of Scripture • Job 1–2: God permits Satan’s attacks yet remains righteous; the narrative closes with “In all this Job did not charge God with wrongdoing” (Job 1:22). • Amos 3:6: “Does disaster come to a city unless the LORD has done it?”—again covenant discipline. • Romans 8:28: God turns even suffering to ultimate good for those who love Him. Philosophical Considerations The “greater-good” defense: permitting temporary evil can secure higher goods—redemption at the cross being the apex (Acts 2:23; 1 Corinthians 2:8). Free-will theism alone cannot ground certain victory over evil; divine sovereignty guarantees it without making God morally culpable. Archaeological Corroboration • The Babylonian Chronicle (BM 21946) details Nebuchadnezzar’s 586 BC campaign, aligning with 2 Kings 25 and Lamentations. • Burn layers and arrowheads unearthed in the City of David excavations match biblical descriptions of the siege (2 Chron 36:19), validating the historical calamity Lamentations laments. Pastoral and Behavioral Implications Understanding divine sovereignty tempers anxiety (Philippians 4:6-7) and discourages fatalism: Scripture calls for repentance and trust, not resignation (Lamentations 3:40-41). Contemporary clinical studies link meaning-making after trauma with resilience; Scripture supplies ultimate meaning—discipline that leads to restoration (Hebrews 12:5-11). Summary Answer Lamentations 3:38 declares that both prosperity and calamity fall under God’s sovereign rule. The verse does not ascribe moral evil to God; rather, it affirms His right to use corrective judgments in a fallen world. Scripture consistently teaches God’s holiness, human accountability, and His redemptive purpose culminating in Christ’s resurrection—the ultimate proof that God can bring infinite good from temporal evil. |
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