Why does God allow evil if He will ultimately destroy it, as in Psalm 94:23? Psalm 94:23—THE TEXT AND ITS CLAIM “He will bring upon them their own iniquity and destroy them for their wickedness; the LORD our God will destroy them.” The verse closes a courtroom‐style psalm in which the oppressed cry out for vindication. It asserts two truths: (1) evil will be answered with perfectly measured retribution (“their own iniquity”), and (2) God Himself is the active Destroyer of unrepentant wickedness. The question arises: If this final annihilation of evil is certain, why allow it to continue in the meantime? The Character Of God: Holiness, Love, And Patience In Tension, Not Contradiction Scripture consistently joins three attributes: 1. Holiness—He is “of purer eyes than to behold evil” (Habakkuk 1:13). 2. Love—“God is love” (1 John 4:8). 3. Patience—He is “slow to anger” (Exodus 34:6) and “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). Biblically, patience does not cancel justice; it postpones its visible execution to maximize mercy. The same context (2 Peter 3) that speaks of delay ends with “the day of the Lord will come like a thief… the earth and its works will be laid bare” (v. 10). Logical Structure Of The Question 1. Premise: God is all‐good and all‐powerful. 2. Premise: Evil exists temporarily but will be ended finally. 3. Question: Why permit evil at all? The Bible supplies complementary, not competing, answers that together display the manifold wisdom of God (Ephesians 3:10). Human Freedom And Moral Responsibility Genesis 1:26–28 grounds personhood in the imago Dei. Real love and obedience are meaningful only if alternatives exist (Deuteronomy 30:19). Scripture portrays evil’s origin in free creaturely rebellion: angelic (Isaiah 14; Ezekiel 28) and human (Genesis 3). God’s decision to create beings capable of love necessarily allowed the possibility of evil; His decision to redeem rather than immediately annihilate rebels allows the actuality of evil, without endorsing it. Philosophically, the free‐will defense explains moral evil’s ongoing presence: God could end evil today only by terminating or overriding creaturely freedom; doing so would erase the very persons He intends to save. Soul‐Formation And Dependence Upon God (“Soul‐Making”) Romans 5:3–5 and James 1:2–4 teach that trials refine character, producing perseverance, proven character, and hope. A world with challenges equips saints for eternal responsibilities (Luke 19:17). Even Jesus “learned obedience from what He suffered” (Hebrews 5:8), demonstrating the pedagogical value of hardship without implying personal sin. Christian behavioral science notes that resilience, empathy, and altruism flourish most visibly where adversity exists. Empirical studies (e.g., research on post-traumatic growth) corroborate a purpose beyond immediate comfort. Demonstration Of Divine Justice And Glory To All Rational Beings Romans 9:22–23 posits that God “demonstrates His wrath and makes His power known” against vessels of wrath so that “the riches of His glory” might be displayed in mercy. Angelic observers learn through redemption’s drama (1 Peter 1:12; Ephesians 3:10). By temporarily allowing evil, God exposes its horror, vindicates His judgments, and heightens appreciation for grace. The Cross: The Central Answer To Evil God does not merely permit evil; He absorbs it. Isaiah 53:5—“He was pierced for our transgressions”—reaches climax in the historical resurrection (1 Colossians 15:3–8). The empty tomb, empirically attested by multiple early independent sources (1 Colossians 15 creed dated within five years of the event, Jewish polemic in Matthew 28:11–15 admitting the tomb was empty, etc.), shows God turning the greatest moral atrocity into the fountain of salvation. Evil’s allowance serves the higher purpose of atonement; without a fallen world, no Incarnation, cross, or victorious resurrection would reveal the depths of divine love. Patient Space For Repentance Psalm 94’s petition “How long?” is echoed in Revelation 6:10. God’s delay answers back: “until the full number of their fellow servants… should be complete” (Revelation 6:11). Every hour evil is tolerated, another sinner repents (2 Peter 3:15). Historical revivals—from Nineveh’s repentance under Jonah (documented by the rapid drop in Assyrian violence during the first half of the 8th century BC) to the 18th-century Great Awakening—illustrate how divine forbearance harvests souls. The Eschatological Certainty Of Evil’S End Psalm 94:23 anticipates the “second death” (Revelation 20:14). Biblical chronology places this climax shortly after a literal, future Millennial reign (Revelation 20). God’s final act is comprehensive: moral evil (sin), natural evil (curse on creation), and spiritual evil (Satan, demons) are destroyed or renewed (Revelation 21:4; Romans 8:19–21). The young-earth timeline—roughly 6,000 years since creation according to Ussher’s 4004 BC date—magnifies the contrast between a brief epoch of sin and an eternal state of righteousness. Biblical Consistency And Manuscript Support Psalm 94 appears in the Dead Sea Scroll 11Q5 (Psalms Scroll), dated c. 50 BC, matching the Masoretic Text within negligible orthographic variation, underscoring transmissional fidelity. The Septuagint renders v. 23 with identical theological force (“utterly destroy”). This manuscript stability reinforces confidence that the same God who promises judgment has preserved His promise. Archaeological Confirmation Of God’S Judgments In History • Tel Dan Stele (c. 850 BC) confirms the “house of David,” validating the biblical dynasty through which Messianic defeat of evil comes. • Lachish Reliefs in Sennacherib’s palace depict the Assyrian siege (701 BC), matching 2 Kings 18–19, where God’s angel “struck down 185,000” (historical intervention against evil empire). • Ashkelon dog cemeteries and Philistine pork remains mirror Levitical food laws; Israel’s distinctiveness amid pagan cruelty evidences a moral law grounded in revelation. Contemporary Testimony Of God’S Victory Over Evil Modern documented miracles (e.g., the medically verified Malawian resurrection case cited in peer-reviewed 2001 Southern Medical Journal) align with Mark 16:17–18, illustrating that the God who will finally end evil presently grants signs of the coming kingdom. Accounts of former violent criminals converted and rehabilitated (see Chuck Colson’s Prison Fellowship statistics) show evil already being rolled back one life at a time. Pastoral Application: How Then Shall We Live? • Lament honestly (Psalm 94:3–7). • Trust God’s timetable (Psalm 94:22). • Engage in active resistance to evil—evangelism, justice, mercy (Micah 6:8). • Find assurance: the Judge is coming, and the verdict is already rendered at Golgotha. Conclusion God permits evil temporarily to secure a greater, eternal good: free and loving creatures refined in character, witnesses of divine glory, redeemed by a crucified and risen Savior, and invited into an everlasting, evil-free kingdom. Psalm 94:23 is not a mere threat; it is the guarantee that present allowance is bounded, purposeful, and already moving toward its appointed end. |
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