Divine Providence and Evil

Old Testament

Jonah 1:4-5, 7, 9-12, 15-17; 2:1,10 

[The Lord told Jonah to go to Nineveh but he disobeyed and went to Joppa and got on a ship going to Tarshish.] But the Lord sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up. Then the mariners were afraid; and every man cried out to his god, and threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten the load. But Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep…. And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this trouble has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.

[They questioned Jonah.] So he said to them, “I am a Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” Then the men were exceedingly afraid, and said to him, “Why have you done this?” For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them. Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you that the sea may be calm for us?”—for the sea was growing more tempestuous. And he said to them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great tempest is because of me.”

[The men tried everything they could think of, but the sea grew more tempestuous.] So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the Lord and took vows. Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the fish’s belly…. So the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

The New Testament

[E]very tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. 

“Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” 

Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? 

“If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” 

The Heavenly Doctrines

 Providence is the government of the Lord in the heavens and on the earth.

Providence acts invisibly, in order that a person may not be compelled to believe from visible things, and thus that his free-will may not be injured.

[T]o be led by good is freedom, while to be led by evil is enslavement; for to be led by good is to be led by the Lord, whereas to be led by evil is to be led by the devil.

To do evil from freedom, appears as freedom, but it is slavery, because that freedom is from the love of self and from the love of the world, and these loves are from hell…. But to do good from freedom is freedom itself, because it is from love to the Lord and from love towards the neighbor, and these loves are from heaven.

The Lord foresees and sees all things and every individual thing…though some things arise from His permission, some from His concession, some from His consent, some from His good pleasure, and some from His will.

Without permissions, a person cannot be led by the Lord away from evil and so be reformed and saved. For if evils were not permitted to break out, a person would not see them and therefore would not acknowledge them, and so could not be brought to resist them.

It is a law of Divine order that good holds within itself its own reward, which is heaven. So too evil holds within itself its own punishment, which is hell.

Those who trust in the Lord are constantly receiving good from Him. For whatever happens to them, whether it seems to be advantageous or not advantageous, is nevertheless good, for it serves as a means contributing to their eternal happiness. But those who trust in themselves are constantly bringing evil on themselves, for whatever happens to them, even if it seems to be advantageous and fortunate, is nevertheless bad, and consequently acts as a means contributing to their eternal unhappiness.

The Lord never curses anyone, is never angry with anyone, never leads anyone into temptation, and never punishes…. Such things cannot possibly come from the fountain of mercy, peace, and goodness.

Nothing is therefore allowed to happen except to the end that something good may come out of it.