Jehovah, according to Scriptures, is the creator of evil: “I form the light, and create darkness. I make peace, and create calamity. I am Jehovah, who does all these things” (Is. 45:7). The theological explanation for the creation of evil is that, if God did not create evil, there is another god that has the power to create, too. As to the Christians Satan is the god of evil, he, by creating evil, would be opposing God in even conditions. This argument does not have rational basis, for it is written in the Scriptures: “For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but because of him who subjected it, in hope” (Rom. 8:20). There is a power that subjected God’s creation; and if it subjected it, it is either stronger than God, or God allowed it, in which case he would be co-author with the enemy. If he keeps silent, it shows that he agrees with it. Even the children of God are under this damned yoke, and therefore it is written: “That all living things will be made free from the power of death and will have a part with the free children of God in glory. For we are conscious that all living things are weeping and sorrowing in pain together till now. And not only so, but we who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we have sorrow in our minds, waiting for the time when we will take our place as sons, that is, the salvation of our bodies” (Rom. 8:21-23).  Only after the final resurrection of the saints, that is, the children of God, those who have received the gift of the Holy Spirit, will be free from this cursed slavery.

As evil according to the Scriptures is the creation of Jehovah, let us analyze the evil that comes from Jehovah. This god, creator of evil, affirms that he exercises servitude over his people, which he compares with the servitude of the kingdoms of the earth, rather, slavery. Let us read the story of Rehoboam, son of Solomon, when he became king over Israel after the death of his father: “It happened, when the kingdom of Rehoboam was established, and he was strong, that he forsook the law of Jehovah, and all Israel with him. It happened in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had trespassed against Jehovah, with twelve hundred chariots, and sixty thousand horsemen. The people were without number who came with him out of Egypt: the Lubim, the Sukkiim, and the Ethiopians. He took the fortified cities which pertained to Judah, and came to Jerusalem. Now Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam, and to the princes of Judah, who were gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said to them, ‘Thus says Jehovah, “You have forsaken me, therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak.”’ Then the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they said, ‘Jehovah is righteous.’ When Jehovah saw that they humbled themselves, the word of Jehovah came to Shemaiah, saying, ‘They have humbled themselves. I will not destroy them; but I will grant them some deliverance, and my wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak. Nevertheless they shall be his servants, that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries’” (2 Chr. 12:1-8). Jehovah’s moral standard is so low that it is compared to the Egyptian’s, and the Egyptian’s standard was evil and corrupt.

Jehovah uses evil as the sole instrument to do good. He intended to heal the hurt of his people through evil. He used evil as an antidote against evil. He spoke through the mouth of Jeremiah: “All your lovers have forgotten you; they don’t seek you: for I have wounded you with the wound of an enemy, with the chastisement of a cruel one, for the greatness of your iniquity” (Jer. 30:14). The prophet Hosea explains this method:  “Come, and let us return to Jehovah; for he has torn us to pieces, and he will heal us; he has injured us, and he will bind up our wounds” (Hos. 6:1). Let us transcribe the words that Jehovah said about his corrective method of evil by evil itself. He said to Jeremiah, the prophet: “Jehovah said to me, Don’t pray for this people for [their] good. When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and meal offering, I will not accept them; but I will consume them by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence” (Jer. 14:11-12). “Now therefore, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus says Jehovah: Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you: return you now everyone from his evil way, and amend your ways and your doings” (Jer. 18:11). “Thus says Jehovah of Armies, the God of Israel, Behold, I will bring on this city and on all its towns all the evil that I have pronounced against it; because they have made their neck stiff, that they may not hear my words” (Jer. 19:15). “For I have set my face on this city for evil, and not for good, says Jehovah: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire” (Jer. 21:10).

Jehovah declared to have set his face against Jerusalem for evil, not for good, that is, he did not plan any good ending. He added, “Behold, I watch over them for evil, and not for good; and all the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until there be an end of them” (Jer. 44:27).

The method of Jehovah did not work, for the more he oppressed and humiliated, the more the people rebelled and disobeyed. The people thought: “I did not ask to come to this world of slavery, exploration, wars, treasons, deceits, crimes, etc. I want to live my life as I see fit, and there comes a furious and angry god saying: ‘You are going to live the life that I want, and if you do not accept, I will send plagues, pestilences, malignant illnesses, terrible curses, and lastly vengeances without pity.’” The plan of Jehovah failed, and he declares that his people was worse than the other peoples: “Manasseh seduced Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that they did evil more than did the nations whom Jehovah destroyed before the children of Israel” (2 Chr. 33:9).

Then Jehovah confesses his failure, saying: “If you will still live in this land, then will I build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up; for I grieve over the distress that I have brought on you” (Jer. 42:10). The problem is that Balaam, the seer, gave his parable, saying: “God is not a man, that he should lie, nor the son of man, that he should repent” (Num. 23:19).

Jehovah, though, had repented other times, or confessed that he had failed. He had chosen Saul to be king over Israel. Saul had rebelled against Jehovah, and committed conscious and unforgivable mistakes. Then Jehovah confessed, saying: “It grieves me that I have set up Saul to be king; for he is turned back from following me, and has not performed my commandments. Samuel was angry; and he cried to Jehovah all night” (1 Sam. 15:11).

If anyone believes in Jehovah with all his heart, rest assured that, after Jehovah has saved him, and this person sins, Jehovah will repent from having saved him, and will destroy him (that is what Jude 5 says). Everyone doubts the promises of Jehovah, for he promises something and does another. The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ sent his only begotten Son to die instead of the sinner (John 3:16-17; Gal. 1:4). Christ has already died for the sinners whom Jehovah was going to condemn. Through it God the Father revealed that he does not change, does not go back on his word, and does not repent. Whoever believes is secure (John 5:24).

By Pastor Olavo Silveira Pereira