God Uses Evil for His Purpose - Jeremiah 1-6

Jeremiah 1:13-15 (ESV)

The word of the LORD came to me a second time, saying, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see a boiling pot, facing away from the north.” Then the LORD said to me, “Out of the north disaster shall be let loose upon all the inhabitants of the land. For behold, I am calling all the tribes of the kingdoms of the north, declares the LORD, and they shall come, and every one shall set his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, against all its walls all around and against all the cities of Judah.

God has power and control over the evil of this world.   In the above passage we are reading a portion of the opening instructions to Jeremiah the prophet.  He is being sent to God’s people (Israel to the north and Judah to the south) to tell them of the discipline God is about to bring on the for their wanton disobedience of God’s word and false worship of false gods.   God wants them to know that He is going to release all hell on them for that disobedience to and rejection of, Him.   In the verses above we read that God tells Jeremiah to let Israel and Judah know that He (God) is going to, out of the north, “let loose” upon the habitants of the land, disaster.   The reference is to Babylon in the north.   God is going to put into the heart of the ruler of Babylon, a desire to conquer the earth.   When God releases him, he will march south and consume all in his path.   The part to realize here is that God is in control of this evil leader.  God is the one who releases him to do God’s bidding.    Not every war serves this purpose, but in this case we see that God has, by designed, allowed this destruction as a discipline for His chosen nation.   The element of truth to grasp in our lives is that:

1. God is in total control of all evil. 

2. God uses evil to accomplish His plan and purpose. 

3.  Mankind can’t move unless God does allow it.  

4. God does not create evil, but makes sure that all evil brings glory to Him. 

God is in charge of the universe and nothing happens unless God so allows it.  Believers can rejoice in that truth.   Non-believers and disobedient believers might want to take warning of that truth.