Sounds like a contradiction doesn’t it.
How can evil be necessary?
And what is evil anyway?
It turns out that evil is anything that I really don’t like.
The Bible is full of episodes where something evil happens……a righteous person suffers a grevous wrong. And then as everything unfolds, it becomes clear that the bad thing was a necessary prerequisite for a subsequent triumph. The bad thing was merely a single link in a long chain of events that turned out well.
Sometimes, a good ending cannot occur without a bad precursor.
Joseph was sold into slavery………Israel was saved from starvation.
Esther was orphaned, adopted, and forced into a king’s harem……she becomes queen and saves the Jewish people from genocide.
Ruth’s husband and father die and she was left destitute and probably homeless. She marries Boaz and becomes a link in a family tree that leads to Jesus.
The states of Israel and Judah were destroyed and the Jewish people are dispersed……first by Assyria, then Babylon, and finally by Rome…………this spreads monotheism and effectively ends polytheism in Europe.
Paul was imprisoned……….his prison letters comprise much of the new testament.
Jesus was brutally crucified…….we are freed from sin.
Adam and Eve ate the apple and were thrown out of Eden…….humanity acquired free will. From that point on, our relationship with God is a conscious choice, not just a part of the landscape. In the ultimate manifestation of free will, we become active seekers of God…….not simple, naive, passive bystanders. Instead of being forced or defined into a relationship with God……..we choose it. For believers, this is a far richer relationship than what went on before.
In each of these cases, the horribly evil thing that happened was not just an interesting event in the story, it was an essential prerequisite to the final triumph.
I keep hearing about how God uses bad things for good purposes. But, I can’t help but wonder if these bad events were necessary steps in God’s long term strategy……..from the very beginning. It is hard to believe that Satan pulled off the crucifixion of Christ…….that Satan killed God……..all on his own.
Either Satan gives us lemons…….and God makes lemonade.
Or
God made lemons so that someday he could give us refreshment.
From our side, the distinction doesn’t matter. The moral is that we must be patient. We must trust God…….and his promise.
He will make things right…….in the end.
He always has…….and he always will.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Paul, NIV
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah, NIV
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.
Joseph, NIV
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
Jesus, NIV