Darkness is the absence of light. The absence of light existed before God created light (
Genesis 1:2). So, God didn’t really “create” darkness. But God forms the light and defines anything other than light as darkness. Likewise, the Lord doesn’t create evil, but establishes peace and calls anything else evil.
Vine’s Expository Dictionary says that the Hebrew word “RA’,” which was translated “evil” in this verse, “refers to that which is ‘bad’ or ‘evil,’ in a wide variety of applications.” Vine’s usage note on this word in this verse says, “In
Isaiah 45:7 Yahweh describes His actions by saying, ’...I make peace, and create evil [RA’]...’;
moral ‘evil’ is not intended in this context, but rather the antithesis of SHALOM (‘peace; welfare; well-being’).
The whole verse affirms that as absolute Sovereign, the Lord creates a universe governed by a moral order. Calamity and misfortune will surely ensue from the wickedness of ungodly men.”
Therefore, this verse is saying that God creates moral order and defines anything that doesn’t conform to that morality as evil. Only in that sense does He create evil. He determines or defines what evil is. This is not saying the Lord originates or promotes evil.
The Scriptures do say the Lord sent evil angels among people (
Psalms 78:49). This is in reference to the death angel passing among the Egyptians and killing all the firstborn (
Exodus 12:29-30).
This angel wasn’t evil in the sense that it was demonic, but it was evil in the sense that it brought evil or punishment upon the Egyptians. The American Heritage Dictionary says the word “evil” means not only “morally bad or wrong; wicked,” but it also means “harmful, injurious.”
The death angel and other angels who brought the plagues on Egypt were “evil” in the sense that they were harmful to the Egyptians. This is the way “the evil spirit from the LORD” (
1 Samuel 16:14-16) was upon Saul.
This wasn’t a demonic spirit but a godly angelic spirit that was sent for punishment upon Saul. It was God’s judgment upon Saul. Things like that will not happen to us as New Testament believers. All of our judgment has been placed on Jesus (see my note at
John 12:32).
Andrew Wommack's Living Commentary.