S. Michael Houdmann Supporter Got Questions Ministries

Habakkuk 1:5-11 is a prophecy in which God relates His intention to raise up Babylon, a "ruthless" and "dreaded" nation, to achieve His purpose. This raises the question, Does God sometimes use evi...

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July 01 2013 • 10 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

James Kraft Supporter 74 year old retired pipeline worker

When Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery, they were doing it for evil, but God used it for good. Joseph later saved his family from starvation as second in Egypt next to Pharoh. 

Yes, God can make good come out of evil. God’s ways are not our ways and our ways are not God’s ways. 

Jesus died a horrible death to pay the sin debt of everyone in the world. First John 2:2, so that anyone who would accept his free gift would be saved from hell. John 3:18, Romans 6:23

December 22 2021 • 2 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Jack Gutknecht Supporter Arizona Bible College graduate and Dallas Seminary graduate

This is really a good question. How could the holy God, for whom it is impossible to tolerate wrong (Hab. 1:3-13), use these wicked people for the fulfillment of his purposes? I don't know for sure, but it is possible God used the sarcasm of the mockers who observed Christ on the cross. It is possible that their sarcastic “He saved others!” may have encouraged the one thief to trust Him. The thief may have reasoned, “If He saved others, then He can save me!” So God uses even the wrath of man to praise Him (Ps. 76:10). 

Yes, I believe God can use even our sarcasm (evil), at least the sarcasm of unbelievers for His purposes!

https://bethelchurchmuncie.files.wordpress.com/2020/07/wiersbe-commentary-new-testament.pdf

December 23 2021 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Danny Hickman Supporter Believer in The Gospel Of Jesus Christ

Does God sometimes use evil to accomplish His plans?

There's a big difference in the idea that God will USE evil, and whether He will CAUSE evil in order to have His plans carried out. We can debate until the cows come home and mow the lawn and nothing will change one way or the other. But... 

If we look at the record, Daniel 1:1 records that in the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. Verse 2 says, And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the articles of the house of God, which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the articles into the treasure house of his god. 

Nebuchadnezzar 'Let the Dawgs Out!' it was as if Judah had no God to protect them. (But we know that ain't true.) Did Jehovah want this? Could He have prevented it, but chose to not? And the final question is, did He use it for His own purpose? When we do a thorough autopsy of it all, the answer to these three questions is 'Yes'! I believe Jehovah wanted His people to go through all they went through during the Babylonian captivity. I don't believe there is a better example anywhere in Scripture of what it means to be dedicated to God (not to self, but to Jehovah), than there is in the Book of Daniel.

If there's anyone in biblical history more faithful than Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael or Azariah, I haven't discovered them. 

These are young men; teenagers, I'm told. I think they're the clearest examples to us of how we, as God's people, should think and feel about our relationship with God. They seem to have come to the realization and conclusion at an early age that they belonged to God and, that He could do with them (use them) in any way that pleased Him. How could they STILL TRUST Jehovah? (here's a hint) Trust ain't built on knowing outcomes in advance. Case in point: 

Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, set it up on the plain of Dura, and commanded that at the sound of 'every kind of music,' "You are to fall down and worship." And that all who didn't would be cast into a fiery furnace. (Daniel 3) Daniel's three friends, whose names had been changed to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, refused to obey the newly crafted law. (there was no Romans 13:1-7 for them to argue about -- (I couldn't resist)

When they were outed by the Chaldeans for ignoring the king's edict, they stood boldly before the king and told him that they really didn't need to explain to him their refusal to worship the image. They said, 'O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.' IOW, 'nothing can be said by us OR YOU that will change our decision.' (here it is): "If [you'll make good on your threats], our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if He doesn't, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up." (Daniel 3:16-18)

Where did they develop that kind of selfless energy? I'm almost sure they suspected that the king would lose his cool and cast them into the fiery furnace. They were prepared to face Nebuchadnezzar's consequences for disobeying him, with nothing really to gain for standing toe-to-toe with the king!

Let's remember: they had very little evidence that God was going to see them through this tough spot. It didn't matter. They said outright, 'We ain't taking this stand because we know what our God will do; we don't know! But we don't need to know! All we need to know is that He's able to stop you. IT'S HIS CALL, not ours; we serve Him for who He is TO us, not for what He does FOR us.' 

Their story is mostly a 'feel good' story for many of us. It should tells us the answer to this question. It is the essence of evil to be put through all that they went through. It is also blessedness unimaginable to be rescued by God the way that He saved them!

18 hours ago • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Mark Vestal Supporter Proud of nothing of myself. Freed by Christ who did it all!

There are some good answers to the question already, and I would like to add the premise of Genesis 6:5:

"And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."

Humanity is evil by nature, which is why we sin. Do we choose to love and remain in this "darkness" (evil), or would we rather seek the "Light" of God (His love/goodness/Truth)?

In this sense, God uses goodness (His Light) to give humanity a means of escape from the already dark world in which we dwell. God doesn't have to "use evil" to bring man to Him, but He indeed uses good for this purpose.

Darkness is the absence of Light. It is not "created", it just exists. Without it there would be no need for Light. Basically, darkness must exist for there to ever be a realization that we need Light in our lives. Enter Jesus Christ:

John 3:16-21
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.'

There is Light that shines as a beacon of hope for some who would rather escape the darkness of "this present evil world" (Gal 1:4). The Light is seen as God's love, from Jesus Christ crucified, "who gave himself a ransom for all" (1 Tim 2:6). 

Our faith in Christ is to recognize God's love for us, which is all He asks in return to be with Him.

2 Cor 5:17-21
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

"...that the world through Him might be saved".
This (salvation) is the gift of God offered to all humanity by His grace through having faith in Christ (belief in God's love) (Eph 2:8, Rom 6:23).

Gal 2:20
"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."

2 hours ago • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report