The Origin of Evil

LESSON 1

You are welcome to another edition of Insights from God's Word, a Bible study programme that is committed to sharing God's Word by allowing the Bible to speak for itself.

In this edition, we continue with our series on The Plan of Salvation. The topic for this study is: The Origin of Evil. Not a few in our world have pondered over the following questions: i) Where did evil originate from? ii) If God is perfect and all powerful, how come He allows evil to continue in our world? iii) Does God really care about what mankind is going through because of the evil in our world? The answers to these questions and many more will form the content of this study with three sub-sections as follows:

1) THE MYSTERY OF INIQUITY

As we have noted above, several are the people who have pondered over the question of the origin of sin. Deep within the recesses of the human heart is the lingering feeling that sin and its consequences of suffering, sorrow and death seem to be foreign elements that have infested our lives. Amazingly, God's Word supports what we feel in our hearts. The Bible is clear that evil and its negative consequences were not supposed to be part of the experience of God's creatures. In fact, how sin actually infected the perfect universe of God is actually a mystery.

However, the Bible gives us a detailed account about the genesis of sin in the universe of God. From the Old Testament books of Ezekiel and Isaiah, we read the following in relation to the origin of sin: A) "28:12 Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.

28:13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.

28:14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.

28:15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.

28:16 By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.

28:17 Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee."

(Ezekiel 28:12-17) B) "14:12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

14:13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:

14:14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High."

(Isaiah 14:12-14) From the two passages above, we learn about the origin of sin in the universe of God. We learn that sin originated through a perfect angel in heaven called Lucifer. We are told that Lucifer was perfect in his ways from the day that he was created, till iniquity was found in him (review Ezekiel 28:15). The iniquity that was found in Lucifer was pride and self-exaltation (review Ezekiel 28:17; Isaiah 14:13). Even though Divine Love sought to turn Lucifer from the terrible road of sin, the covering cherub failed to yield to the entreaties of God's counsel (see GC 495.3). Thus it was, that Lucifer came to the point where he thought in his heart to usurp the throne of God, and to solicit the worship that was due only the omnipotent Creator (review Isaiah 14:12-14).

At this point in our study, an important question that begs for an answer is this: "If Lucifer was created perfect by God, how could sin be found in him?" The answer to this question lies in the manner in which God created intelligent beings. You see friends, God created the angelic host, humanity and other intelligent beings in the universe with the precious gift of free will. His purpose for doing this was to access true love from His intelligent creation. God could have made His intelligent creation as robots who could offer Him love at all times. But Himself, being the epitome of love (see 1 John 4:8, 16), knew very well that love that is forced is not love at all. And that to be able to access true love from His creatures demanded that the creatures be made with the gift of free will; the gift to decide for themselves without any external intrusion.

But friends, the creation of intelligent beings with the gift of free will was a package that came with the risk of rebellion: the creatures of God could decide with their free will to either love, adore, worship and obey God, or they could decide to do otherwise. Nevertheless, the omnipotent One was willing to take the huge risk of creating intelligent beings with the gift of free will because of love. With love being the foundation of His government (see 1 John 4:7), God decided to give the gift of free will to his intelligent creation so they could decide on their own to give him genuine love, adoration, obedience and worship.

Beloved, it was this gift of free will that Lucifer utilised in a negative way. Even though he was created perfect, he chose to nurse the seeds of pride until he coveted the throne of God Himself. How the seeds of rebellion began in the heart of Lucifer can be described as the mystery of iniquity. From the pen of inspiration, we read the following in relation to the points we have covered above: A) "The law of love being the foundation of the government of God, the happiness of all created beings depended upon their perfect accord with its great principles of righteousness. God desires from all His creatures the service of love—homage that springs from an intelligent appreciation of His character. He takes no pleasure in a forced allegiance, and to all He grants freedom of will, that they may render Him voluntary service." -- (GC 493.2) B) "But there was one that chose to pervert this freedom. Sin originated with him who, next to Christ, had been most honored of God and who stood highest in power and glory among the inhabitants of heaven. Before his fall, Lucifer was first of the covering cherubs, holy and undefiled. "Thus saith the Lord God; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering.... Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee." Ezekiel 28:12-15." -- (GC 493.3) C) "Lucifer might have remained in favor with God, beloved and honored by all the angelic host, exercising his noble powers to bless others and to glorify his Maker. But, says the prophet, "Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness." Verse 17. Little by little, Lucifer came to indulge a desire for self-exaltation. "Thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God." "Thou hast said, ... I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation....I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High." Verse 6; Isaiah 14:13, 14. Instead of seeking to make God supreme in the affections and allegiance of His creatures, it was Lucifer's endeavor to win their service and homage to himself. And coveting the honor which the infinite Father had bestowed upon His Son, this prince of angels aspired to power which it was the prerogative of Christ alone to wield." -- (GC 494.1)

2) THE GREAT CONTROVERSY BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL

Lucifer's secret covetousness for the throne of God led him to sow seeds of dissatisfaction among the angelic host. Through his subtlety, he was able to lure one-third of the angels in heaven to buy into his rebellious ideas (Revelation 12:4). Soon there was commotion in the heavenly courts as Lucifer's rebellion burst forth into open revolt against the government of God. The book of Revelation describes the situation perfectly with the following words: "12:7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

12:8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him."

(Revelation 12:7-9) Beloved, the passage above makes it clear that Lucifer's rebellion led to a war in heaven. It is important for us to note that this war was basically a war of the mind; for no creature could draw a sword before the omnipotent Creator. In fact, just a thought from God would have been enough to wipe out Satan and his host of fallen angels from existence. But God decided to bore long with Lucifer. This mighty angel had created a new alternative to God's government of love, and each angel had to make a choice for Lucifer or the Creator God. Now, after each heavenly being had finally decided on who to yield his allegiance, the Father declared that Satan and all those who had united with him in rebellion were to be cast out of heaven. From the pen of inspiration, we read the following in relation to this point: "The Father decides the case of Satan, and declares that he must be turned out of heaven for his daring rebellion, and that all those who united with him in his rebellion should be turned out with him. Then there was war in heaven. Christ and His angels fought against Satan and his angels, for they were determined to remain in heaven with all their rebellion. But they prevailed not. Christ and loyal angels triumphed, and drove Satan and his rebel sympathizers from heaven" (Spiritual Gifts vol. 3, p. 38; review Revelation 12:7-9). The complete victory of Michael and His angels over Satan and his angels is captured in the following words: "Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time" (Revelation 12:12).

At this point in our study, an important question that begs for an answer is this: "Why is it that God did not destroy Satan soon after his rebellion but cast him to the earth to create havoc on the inhabitants of the earth?" Friends, this is a very good question which demands an answer. You see, God had a reason for not quickly destroying Lucifer. If He had done so, the loyal angels and all other intelligent beings in His vast creation would have worshipped Him out of fear and not out of love. They would have worshipped Him with the mindset that a refusal to do otherwise only meant one thing --- a quick death. This situation would have made the intelligent creation of God to view God as a tyrant instead of a God of love. Besides this point, a quick destruction of Lucifer would have strengthened his position. The question as to whether Lucifer's alternative was a better option than that of God would have always lingered in the minds of the holy angels. To solve the problem of sin and rebellion once and for all eternity, God decided to allow Lucifer to pursue his alternative way of life outside the law of God, so everyone will see the fruits of his rebellion. This great divide and ongoing battle between God and Satan; between the forces of good and the forces of evil, is what has been termed by many as The Great Controversy battle.

3) THE CREATION AND FALL OF MAN

After Lucifer and the fallen angels were cast out of heaven, God decided to create humans, a special form of intelligent beings in the universe of God. God decided to place mankind in a brand new world He has made called the Earth (see Genesis 1-2). From the book of Genesis, we read the beautiful story of the creation of mankind: "1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

1:28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth."

(Genesis 1:26-28) From Genesis 2, we read more about the blessings of God upon mankind in the following verses: "2:8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.

2:9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

2:10 And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.

2:11 The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold.

2:12 And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone.

2:13 And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia.

2:14 And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates.

2:15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it."

(Genesis 2:8-15) Friends, a careful study of the passage above provides a hint about how the great controversy battle between good and evil raged on the brand new earth that God had created (review Genesis 2:9). You see beloved, just as the heavenly angels had to choose between God and Lucifer, so mankind, being a new intelligent creation of God, had to also choose between God and the alternative way of Lucifer. God out of love decided to limit the test of mankind's allegiance to Him through the eating of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. From the book of Genesis, we read the following clear words of warning from God to the human family: "2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat.

2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."

(Genesis 2:16-17) Friends, from the passage above, we learn about how God limited the temptation of Satan towards our first parents to only the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (review Genesis 2:9). It was only at this point in the Garden of Eden that Satan could further his subtlety on the human race. Moreover, to counteract Satan's deceptive work, God (through the agency of the holy angels) continued to warn Adam and Eve of the looming danger of the presence of the arch deceiver. From the pen of inspiration, we read the following in relation to this point: A) "The tree of knowledge had been made a test of their obedience and their love to God. The Lord had seen fit to lay upon them but one prohibition as to the use of all that was in the garden; but if they should disregard His will in this particular, they would incur the guilt of transgression. Satan was not to follow them with continual temptations; he could have access to them only at the forbidden tree. Should they attempt to investigate its nature, they would be exposed to his wiles. They were admonished to give careful heed to the warning which God had sent them and to be content with the instruction which He had seen fit to impart." - (PP 53.3) B) "Our first parents were not left without a warning of the danger that threatened them. Heavenly messengers opened to them the history of Satan's fall and his plots for their destruction, unfolding more fully the nature of the divine government, which the prince of evil was trying to overthrow. It was by disobedience to the just commands of God that Satan and his host had fallen. How important, then, that Adam and Eve should honor that law by which alone it was possible for order and equity to be maintained." - (PP 52.2) Beloved, it was God's desire that mankind will overcome the temptation of Satan and enjoy the bliss of paradise with Him for all eternity. However, the Scripture chronicles the sad story of the fall of mankind. We read the sordid details about the fall of our first parents in the following passage: "3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

3:2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden.

3:3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

3:4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die.

3:5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

3:7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons."

(Genesis 3:1-7) From the passage above, we learn clearly that contrary to the promise of Satan that the eyes of mankind will be opened after eating of the forbidden fruit, mankind actually became naked, and sewed fig leaves to cover themselves (review Genesis 3:7). After partaking of the forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve knew that they had disobeyed the express command of God, and the punishment was eternal death. In apprehension, they waited for the sentence of the One who had loved them beyond what they could ask for or imagine.

The heart of God suffered tremendously for this new creation. Yet, despite His great love for them, He could not excuse their sin. To excuse the sin of Adam and Eve would mean to abandon His law of love which is the very foundation of His government. Mankind will have to face the terrible consequences of their choice which will ultimately lead to death. From the book of Genesis, we read the following in relation to the consequences that came upon mankind because of sin: "3:8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.

3:9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?

3:10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

3:11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?

3:12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

3:13 And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

3:14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life.

3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

3:16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life.

3:18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field.

3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

3:20 And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.

3:21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

3:22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever.

3:23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

3:24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life."

(Genesis 3:8-24) Friends, from the passage above, we learn about several devastating consequences that came upon mankind as a result of our disobedience to the express command of God. Yet in the same passage, we come across the following words of hope for the human race: "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel" (review Genesis 3:15). In these words, Adam and Eve were assured of a plan of salvation that had been carved out for them before the foundation of the earth was laid; a plan that will redeem the human race from the slavery of sin and the fear of death.

Exhortation: From the gospel of Matthew, we come across the following parable of Christ that shed more light on the reason why we have evil in our world: "13:24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:

13:25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.

13:26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.

13:27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?

13:28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?

13:29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.

13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn."

(Matthew 13:24-30) In our next study, we will consider the topic: The Plan of Salvation. The Bible Study references for this study are 1 Peter 1:18-20, Revelation 13:8, Genesis 3:15, Genesis 3:21, Genesis 4:3-7, Hebrews 9:22, Exodus 25:8-9 and Psalm 77:13. Please do well to go through these passages before the next study is released.

Stay blessed and keep shining for King Jesus.

Maranatha!

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