God’s Use of Evil

Why do bad things happen? Or why do bad things happen to good people?

The essential question we have before us is how could an all good and all powerful God allow evil to exist in this world.

The atheist or any other opponent to the biblical description of God will say one of three things:

There is no God

God is not all-powerful

God is not all-good

They assume that because bad things happen, then there is no way for the God Christianity teaches to exist.

The Bible does not share this contention, instead it very clearly shows that God is all-good, all-powerful, and that He can use evil to accomplish His perfect purposes in this world.

In order to see this we are going to look at one of the greatest stories of how God used the sins of men in order to save many lives, and we will see the most clear statement on God’s providential use of evil.

Gen. 50 :15-20

15: The Admission of Guilt

If you are unfamiliar with the Jospeh story, it is about a young man who was told that he would be greater than all of his brothers.

He was shown favoritism by his father which made his brothers even more jealous of him.

They eventually trapped their brother and sold him into slavery.

He served his master well but through lies found himself in prison.

From here he eventually found his way before Pharoah because God had given him the ability to interpret dreams.

Through his accurate interpretation of Pharaoh’s dream he was able to guide the nation in rationing food for a great famine that was coming.

His brothers many years later, during the famine had to come and get food from him.

Joseph is able to have his whole family brought to Egypt, even his elderly father who we passes away in the section prior to ours.

This brings us to our current scene.

With the passing of their father, the brothers feared Joseph would take his revenge on them.

There is a clear recognition that their actions were evil.

V. 16-17 The Lie and Plea for Mercy

In order to save themselves they concoct a lie to try and persuade Joseph to show mercy on his brothers.

Joseph sees through the action and is moved to tears by the fear of his brothers.

They even go so far as to plead to be servants for Joseph.

However, what Joseph is about to shock his brothers.

V.19-21 The Submission to the Power and Wisdom of God

Joseph begins by taking a step back and demonstrating to his brothers what he thought of God.

What we see here with Joseph is the same outlook that we as Christians ought to approach to understanding the place of evil.

Jospeh understood that God being infinitely wise could use evil, and in studying this topic there are a few lessons we can draw out.

Evil is a part of God’s plan.

Joseph asked “Am I in the place of God” because he understood that it was ultimately God’s plan for him to experience evil.

No evil thing is done apart from God’s wisdom and God ordaining it to happen.

This creation and all that happens is ultimately aimed at glorifying God.

God can do what he wants with this world.

We are the clay and He is the potter, thus he can do what he pleases.

God can sway, control, and use the evil hearts of mankind in order to execute his good and perfect will.

The Joseph story makes this abundantly clear.

God can and does use evil to change and shape his followers.

Jospeh is just one story of a man shaped by hardships.

Physical hardships Phil 4:11-13

Spiritual hardships Rom. 7:15-8:1

The reality is that evil is a part of our life, and it is deeply woven into the plan that God has for this world. The greatest picture of this is seen in the life of Jesus which parallels Joseph’s in many ways.

Rejected by His own

Innocent, yet faced punishment.

Exalted to a high status because of His faithfulness to God.

Goes from suffering to saving many people.

God used the evil intentions of the hearts of men in order to bring salvation to the world, and he approaches every single tragedy in our lives with the same intentionality.

Application:

How do I see the bad things that happen in my life?

God knows the evil and suffering that we endure. What’s more is that it is His plan for us.

Isaiah 45:7 “I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the LORD, who does all these things.”

Romans 8:28 “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

There is nothing in my life that God has not ordained to happen, and that He does not use to mold me and shape me.

Jason Story