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Pentecostal Theological College (PTC)

Bahir Dar

The Theodicy of God (Why God Permits Evil for The Innocent People?)

Desta Tadesse

Old Testament Historical and Wisdom Books

Instructor Endale Tefera

April 2023
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The Theodicy of God (Why God Permits Evil for The Innocent People?)
Theodicy means vindication of God. It is to answer the question of why the good God

permits the manifestation of evil over the life of innocent people or in the world. The occurrence

of evil does not contradict to God existence, but it does not propose that rational beings are able

to understand why God permits evil. A theodicy show that it is reasonable to believe in God even

though if there is evidence of evil in the world.

In the book of Job God himself speaks about Job life “there is no one on the earth like

him, he is blameless and the righteous man who fears God and shuns evil.” Job 1:8. Due to

reasons that Job didn’t know, unexpected sufferings and destruction happened to his family,

property and even his life. Job complaints why these sufferings happened to me? He opened his

mouth and cursed the day of his birth. He said “May the day of my birth perish, and the night

that said, ‘A boy is conceived! ‘That day -may it turn to darkness; may God above not care

about it; may no light shine on it.May gloom and utter darkness; claim it once more; may a

cloud settle over it; may blackness overwhelm it. Job 3:1-6.”

His friends tried to give answers for his suffering reasons. They told him that all these

distractions may happened to his life because of his sin. Eliphaz one his friend said “Consider

now: Who, being innocent, has ever perished? Where were the righteous ever destroyed? As I

have observed, those who plow evil and those who sow trouble reap it. Job: 4:7-8. Bildad other

friend of Job told him that “When your children sinned against God, He gave them over to the

penalty of their sin. Job 8:4. Zophar also talked to him” You say to God, ‘My beliefs are

flawless, and I am pure in your sight. ’Oh, how I wish that God would speak that he would open

his lips against you and disclose to you the secret of wisdom, for true wisdom has two sides,

know this: God has even forgotten some of your sin.” Job 11:4-6.
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Job himself didn’t know why all these trails happened to him. He replied to his friends

“there is wealth in the tents of those who make destruction, and those by whom God is moved to

wrath are safe; even those whose god is their strength. Job 12:6.

It is generally accepted that God’s responsive speeches in Job do not directly answer

Job’s complaints. God does not attempt to justify himself or reveal the reason for Job suffering to

him; instead, God speeches focus on increasing Job’s overall understanding of his relationship

with God. God’s first speech concerns human ignorance and God’s authority. Job has seen

himself at the center of events; God respond that Job is not the center of events, but God is. God

kingdom is complex, He governs on a large scale. Since God is in dominion overall the earth,

Job cannot condemn him, unless Job was to prove that he can do all things God can. God second

speech is against self-human righteousness.

In general, from the book of Job we can learn very important lesson that have faith in

God in adverse circumstances. The book emphasis the mysteries of God and the limitation of

human knowledge. The book clearly presents God is omniscience, omnipotence, and justice of

God. As a human being we may not be able to get answers for all questions, but God is a

sovereign God, He can do in His way and time therefore, we need to trust Him in every

circumstance we pass through.