89 – Divine Government of Evil
DIVINE GOVERNMENT OF EVIL
§ 89. The evil acts of men are, furthermore, under divine control, inasmuch as God in His providence prevents the conception or the execution of many evil designs,1 confines within certain bounds others, whose conception and execution He permits,2 and directs them to such ends and determines them to such purposes as His wisdom, goodness, and justice have ordained.3
1. The evil acts of men are, furthermore, under divine control, inasmuch as God in His providence prevents the conception or the execution of many evil designs,
Genesis 20:6 And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against Me; therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.
Genesis 31:24, 29 And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said unto him, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad. (29) It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father spake unto me yesternight, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.
Psalm 33:10 The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to naught: He maketh the devices of the people of none effect.
Isaiah 37:36 Then the angel of the Lord went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.
1 Kings 13:4 And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him.
Genesis 19:11 And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door.
Exodus 14:28 And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them.
Numbers 22:12 And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed.
2. confines within certain bounds others, whose conception and execution He permits,
I Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
John 7:30 Then they sought to take Him: but no man laid hands on Him, because His hour was not yet come.
3. and directs them to such ends and determines them to such purposes as His wisdom, goodness, and justice have ordained.
Acts 4:27–28 For of a truth against Thy holy Child Jesus, whom Thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, for to do whatsoever Thy hand and Thy counsel determined before to be done.
Genesis 45:4–5 And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.
Genesis 50:20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.