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

This striking declaration from God Himself often stops readers in their tracks. Does God truly create evil? How can a perfectly holy God claim responsibility for creating that which He condemns? The question cuts to the heart of how we understand God’s sovereignty, His character, and the problem of evil in our world.

From a Reformed Calvinist perspective, the answer lies in embracing the full scope of God’s absolute sovereignty while properly understanding what Isaiah means by “evil.” God is indeed sovereign over all things—including evil—without being its author in a morally culpable sense.

 

DOES GOD CREATE EVIL? AN ANALYSIS OF ISAIAH 45:7

To understand the passage, we must first examine the Hebrew word “ra” translated as “evil” in the King James Version.

• What “Ra” Means: Modern translations often render the word differently: the NIV uses “disaster,” the ESV “calamity,” and the NLT “bad times.” This reflects the broad semantic range of the Hebrew term—it can refer to natural disasters, or general misfortune (See also Amos 3:6 and Lamentations 3:37-38).
• The Contrast With Dualism: The historical context is crucial. God is addressing Cyrus, the Persian king, declaring His supreme sovereignty in contrast to the dualistic Zoroastrian religion prevalent in Persian culture. Where Zoroastrianism posited two equal, opposing forces of good and evil, Isaiah’s God proclaims Himself as the single sovereign power over both light and darkness, peace and calamity.
• Not ‘Moral Wickedness’ But ‘Difficult Times’: The parallel structure of the verse contrasts “light” with “darkness” and “peace” with “evil,” suggesting “ra” here primarily refers to natural calamity or judgement, not moral wickedness. God is asserting His control over both blessing and judgement, prosperity and hardship.

 

GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY IN REFORMED THEOLOGY

The Westminster Confession of Faith carefully articulates the Reformed position: “God from all eternity, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely, and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass; yet so, as thereby neither is God the author of sin, nor is violence offered to the will of the creatures.”

John Calvin distinguished between primary and secondary causes. God may decree events according to His sovereign will (primary cause) while human agents freely choose their actions (secondary causes) for which they remain responsible.

RC Sproul helpfully differentiated between God “ordaining” evil and “causing” evil—God ordains that evil exist without directly causing or approving evil itself.

The Calvinist Position on the Problem of Evil

• Moral Evil vs. Natural Evil: Moral evil (sin committed by moral agents) is to be distinguished from natural evil (suffering, disease, natural disasters). While God governs both, He relates to them differently. God permits moral evil without approving it, while actively using natural evil as instruments of His providence.
• The Doctrine of Compatibilism—that God’s sovereignty and human responsibility are compatible—is essential here. Joseph articulated this perfectly when he told his brothers: “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20). His brothers acted with evil intentions (for which they were responsible), yet God sovereignly ordained these same events for good purposes. God’s hardening of Pharaoh’s heart (Exodus 4:21) displays His sovereignty over human will without negating Pharaoh’s responsibility, as Paul explains in Romans 9:17-18.
• The Cross Exemplifies This Principle Perfectly: Peter declares Jesus was “delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God” yet was crucified by “lawless men” (Acts 2:23). Later, the early church acknowledges Herod, Pontius Pilate, and others did “whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place” (Acts 4:27-28). The greatest evil in history—the murder of the innocent Son of God—was simultaneously the sinful act of humans and the sovereign plan of God for salvation.

 

GOD’S PURPOSES IN ORDAINING EVIL

Why would God ordain evil at all? Romans 9:22-23 suggests one purpose: “What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy?”

Evil, under God’s sovereign control, ultimately serves to display the fullness of God’s attributes—not just His love and mercy, but His justice, wrath, and power. Without evil, certain aspects of God’s character would never be fully manifested.

Jonathan Edwards argued this world, with its permitted evil, may indeed be “the best of all possible worlds”—not because it contains the least evil, but because it allows for the greatest possible manifestation of God’s glory and the highest good for His people.

This understanding transforms our response to suffering. As Paul declares, “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good” (Romans 8:28). Even evil, under God’s sovereign hand, serves His redemptive purposes.

 

CONCLUSION: DOES GOD CREATE EVIL?

Isaiah 45:7 doesn’t make God the author of moral evil but declares His absolute sovereignty over all events—including calamities and judgements. Reformed theology embraces this robust sovereignty while maintaining God’s perfect holiness and hatred of sin.

This understanding provides profound comfort. Nothing, not even evil, exists outside God’s control or beyond His ability to use for good. No suffering is random or meaningless in God’s economy. As Paul declares in Romans 11:36, “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”

 

DOES GOD CREATE EVIL?—RELATED FAQs

If God is sovereign over evil, does that make Him responsible for sin? No, God’s sovereignty over evil doesn’t make Him morally responsible for sin. While God has decreed evil would exist according to His eternal plan, He never directly causes moral evil or approves of it. Scripture consistently maintains both God’s absolute sovereignty and human moral responsibility, as seen in Acts 2:23 where Jesus’ crucifixion was both “according to the definite plan of God” yet carried out by “lawless men.”

• How can I find comfort in God’s sovereignty during suffering? God’s sovereignty means our suffering isn’t random, purposeless, or outside His control. Every trial passes through the hands of our loving Father who has promised to work all things together for our good (Romans 8:28). The Reformed understanding of God’s sovereignty provides the assurance that even our deepest pain serves His wise purposes and will ultimately glorify Him while benefiting us eternally.
• Does God’s sovereignty over evil mean we should be passive in fighting against it? Absolutely not. God’s sovereignty should motivate us to active opposition against evil, not passive acceptance. God often accomplishes His sovereign will through human agency, calling His people to “seek justice” and “correct oppression” (Isaiah 1:17). Our active resistance against evil fulfils God’s commands while His sovereignty guarantees that evil will ultimately be defeated.

How should we understand natural disasters in light of God’s sovereignty? Natural disasters fall under God’s providential control as expressions of both creation’s fallenness and God’s specific purposes. The Reformed tradition views such calamities as potential acts of divine judgment (Amos 4:6-12), tests of faith (Job), calls to repentance (Luke 13:1-5), or opportunities for God’s power to be displayed (John 9:3). Rather than questioning God’s goodness during disasters, we should humble ourselves and seek His purposes in them.

• How can God be perfectly good if He ordains evil events? God’s goodness and the fact that He ordains evil are compatible because His purposes in allowing evil are always good and holy. God permits evil for greater good that couldn’t otherwise be achieved—displaying His justice, highlighting His mercy, and ultimately bringing greater glory to Himself. Unlike us who cannot guarantee good outcomes from evil means, God’s perfect wisdom ensures every evil He permits serves His perfectly good ends.
• Does the doctrine of God’s sovereignty over evil give people an excuse to sin? No, God’s sovereignty never excuses human sin or diminishes our responsibility. Those who use God’s decree as an excuse for wickedness reveal their spiritual blindness and compound their guilt. God’s sovereignty establishes our accountability rather than removing it.

How should we approach the mysterious aspects of God’s sovereignty and human responsibility? We should approach these mysteries with profound humility and reverence rather than demanding complete understanding. As Romans 11:33-36 teaches, God’s judgments are “unsearchable” and His ways “inscrutable.” Reformed theology embraces this tension, recognising that finite minds cannot fully comprehend God’s infinite wisdom. Instead of trying to resolve every logical difficulty, we should worship the God whose thoughts are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9).

 

DOES GOD CREATE EVIL?—OUR RELATED POSTS

• God and Evil: Can they Coexist?
• Evil: More Than the Absence of Good
• If God Ordained Evil, Why Am I Accountable? Find Bible Answers
• Why Does a Loving God Allow Evil to Exist?