Why does evil exist? This question pervades society and brings so many to call in to question the existence of a creator who, if were all powerful would stop evil and if all good, would want to. The world looks at the amount of heinous action that takes place, the sickness, the poverty, the ever increasing amount of violence with an eye of sheer skepticism. How do we as Christians adequately answer this question for ourselves as well as others? One thing that seems to be a misunderstanding is that God reacts to evil events that take place as if He’s surprised by them. Roman’s 8:28 is often cited to make a case that God, even though He doesn’t have a purpose for these evil actions and wishes that they weren’t happening, takes those events and turns them out for the good. This view point, even though popular, doesn’t accomplish anything other than turn God into a reactionary force without any kind of active divine foreknowledge. This couldn’t be further from the biblical truth. Let’s examine these verses from Exodus:

¹³ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Rise up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, “Let My people go, that they may serve Me. ¹⁴ For this time I will send all My plagues ^[g]on you and your servants and your people, so that you may know that there is no one like Me in all the earth. ¹⁵ For if by now I had put forth My hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, you would then have been cut off from the earth. ¹⁶ But, indeed, for this reason I have allowed you to ^[h]remain, in order to show you My power and in order to proclaim My name through all the earth.¹⁷ Still you exalt yourself against My people ^[i]by not letting them go.

Pharaoh, with the evil intentions of his heart, a man who believed in his own deity, a man obstinately opposed to anything but his own agenda, was still a tool in the hands of our Mighty God used for the purposes of His Glory. We must realize that ALL things are in the Hand of God and that He will be glorified in all things that take place on this earth. There is nothing outside of His control, nothing that surprises Him, He doesn’t learn, His Ways are not our ways, His Thoughts are not our thoughts, we don’t apprehend Him in any capacity. The magnitude of His Love, His Majesty, His Grace, His Righteousness is so far beyond our capacity to comprehend that it would be sheer foolishness to believe that He has to react to anything that takes place. He is exact, meticulous, precise, and perfect in all things He sets forth to accomplish. His Counsel frustrates the plans of nations and of men. We must seek to learn how to rest in His Hand, knowing that all things we encounter are in His view and under His control.