The Presence of Something Else

“God did not create evil. Just as darkness is the absence of light, evil is the absence of God.” Albert Einstein

In the King James Version of the Bible, there is an interesting verse that people could very easily attribute evil to God.

Isaiah 45:7
I form (yatsar) the light, and create (bara) darkness: I make (asah) peace, and create (bara) evil: I the LORD do (asah) all these things.

In Isaiah 45:7 the word 'form' is the word 'yatsar' and according to Jamieson-Fausset-Brown it means to make something out of something pre-existing. The word 'create' means to derive something from nothing. It is an interesting use of words. The word for evil is 'ra' and it refers to calamity, distress, adversity and disaster. There is a lot to look at in this verse and its immediate context.

In the beginning God created the earth. When it became without form and void, He put it back together by saying: 'Let there be light'. He restored the pre-existing matter. Darkness is the absence of light. Evil is the absence of light.  God is not evil nor does he cause evil. When God is absent by man's freewill choice, he is subjects himself to the nothingness of something else. That is the way the world is.  The way to dispel darkness is to turn on the light. The way to dispel evil is to turn to God.

I Corinthians 1-2 contains an interesting record comparing the wisdom of the world to the wisdom of God.

1 Corinthians 2:6-9 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

Looking back to Genesis, it is interesting to reflect why God warned Adam and Eve about the tree of knowledge of good and evil. They lived in the presence of God in the garden.  When they decided to ignore God's warning and turn to someone else's wisdom, the lights went out and disaster was the result. They bumped into all sorts of calamity. God did not bring the problems. They were caused by the presence of something else.

Physical light is such a simple way to illustrate God. In a totally dark room one has to grope and move about with tentativeness and caution. Bumping into things is expected. The minute even one ray of light enters, things get better.  God is the overcomer of darkness.

The second Adam, Jesus Christ, is God's solution to the misery of this world that was inevitable because of the actions of the first Adam.

2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.