Does Isaiah 45:7 suggest God is responsible for evil in the world? Canonical Text “I form the light and create darkness; I bring prosperity and create calamity. I, the LORD, do all these things.” — Isaiah 45:7 Immediate Literary Context Isaiah 40–48 records the LORD’s courtroom declaration that He alone is God, exposing the impotence of Babylonian idols and announcing Cyrus as His chosen instrument (45:1–6). Verse 7 forms a climactic assertion of universal sovereignty: the same LORD who establishes “light” (figurative for blessing) is also free to withdraw it, allowing “darkness” (figurative for judgment) to fall. The point is polemical, not philosophical; Yahweh, not the pagan deities of day and night, controls every sphere of existence. Divine Sovereignty and Human Agency Scripture presents two complementary truths: 1. God is absolutely sovereign over history (Proverbs 16:33; Lamentations 3:37–38). 2. Humans freely perpetrate moral evil and are held accountable (Genesis 50:20; James 1:13–15). The Creator may employ existing moral agents (e.g., Assyria, Isaiah 10:5–7) or suspend protective grace (Romans 1:24–28) to accomplish righteous purposes without Himself committing sin (Deuteronomy 32:4). Philosophically this aligns with the “concurrence” model: God ordains the fact of an action; creatures supply its moral defect. Cross-Biblical Parallels • Amos 3:6 — “If a calamity (raʿah) occurs in a city, has not the LORD done it?” • Job 2:10 — “Shall we accept good from God and not adversity (raʿ)?” • Acts 2:23 — Jesus delivered up “by God’s set purpose” yet “you crucified,” illustrating divine ordination co-existing with human culpability. Philosophical and Pastoral Implications A world where God could be surprised by evil would nullify prophetic certainty and undercut redemptive assurance (Romans 8:28). The resurrection, historically grounded (1 Corinthians 15:3–7; Habermas, Minimal-Facts), demonstrates that God can transform the gravest moral evil—the cross—into ultimate good. Objections Answered 1. “If God creates calamity, He must be malevolent.” Response: Justice requires judging sin (Nahum 1:2–3). Calamity in Isaiah 45 addresses idolatrous nations, not arbitrary cruelty. 2. “The verse contradicts 1 John 1:5 (‘in Him is no darkness at all’).” Darkness in 1 John is ethical; darkness in Isaiah is circumstantial. Different semantic fields. 3. “Natural disasters are morally evil.” Biblically they are instruments of judgment or warning (Luke 13:1–5). Moral evil arises from the heart of man (Mark 7:21–23). Archaeological and Historical Corroboration • Cyrus Cylinder (539 BC) confirms Isaiah’s prediction that Cyrus would release exiles, situating Isaiah 45 in verifiable history. • Babylonian astronomical texts show worship of Šamaš (sun-god) and Sin (moon-god), enhancing the polemic force of “I form the light.” Key Takeaway Rather than indicting God, Isaiah 45:7 offers comfort: nothing—light, darkness, prosperity, calamity—lies outside His wise, just, and ultimately salvific control. |
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