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Evil and God?

Question
I have looked at the events of Joseph (Gen. 50:20), Ahab (1 Kings 22), Paul's explanation of Moses/Pharaoh (Rom. 9), and Christ's preordained death (Acts 2:23; 4:26-28). However, I still do not understand how: Is. 45:7, which says, "I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things," does not conflict with, "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man," (Jam. 1:13; c.f. 1 John 1:5). How can God "ordain" all things and yet not be the "author" of sin? Can you give me a modern day illustration?
Answer
Though evil has been "ordained" by God, the  fallen creature (fallen angels and humans) "authors" it. John Calvin stated,
. . . the Lord had declared that "everything that he had made . . . was exceedingly good" [Gen. 1:31]. Whence, then comes this wickedness to man, that he should fall away from his God? Lest we should think it comes from creation, God had put His stamp of approval on what had come forth from himself. By his own evil intention, then, man corrupted the pure nature he had received from the Lord; and by his fall drew all his posterity with him into destruction. Accordingly, we should contemplate the evident cause of condemnation in the corrupt nature of humanity-which is closer to us-rather than seek a hidden and utterly incomprehensible cause in God's predestination. [Institutes, 3:23:8]
While God is sovereign over evil, sin, calamity, (as he has declared "the end from the beginning," — Is. 46:9-10), He is not the author of it! He ordained that sin should come into the world (as Christ was ordained to die for the sins of the elect BEFORE the foundation of the world — 1 Pet. 1:18-21; Eph. 1:4-5, 11) and He ordained that He would deal with sin in the consummation of all things (1 John 3:8; Book of Revelation), but He is not sin's author — as His creation was "very good" (Gen. 1:31) in the beginning. Fallen angels and then fallen man corrupted God's "very good" universe. They are the authors of sin — not God. They took that which was "very good" and corrupted it. They took a "very good" 4-legged table and removed the leg of obedience from it — authoring that which is no longer "very good," but sinful and evil — a 3 legged universe. Jesus, a carpenter, became incarnate to reattach the leg for His elect.

(Please note that all finite examples of the infinite are limited and so any illustration has only a limited value and are not meant to answer every question).

Answer by: Joseph R. Nally, Theological Editor, on behalf of the staff at IIIM. The opinions expressed by the author are not necessarily the "official position" of Third Millennium Ministries.