Why Doesn't God Do Something About All the Evil In the World?

Isaiah chapter 3 begins with God pronouncing judgment of the sins of his people.  There are two things God outlines in the chapter that grieves him, the cause of his judgment.  Have you ever just looked at your kids and said, "that's enough?"  Sometimes God has had enough. 

People are critical no matter what happens.    I often hear people say, "With all the evil in the world, why doesn't God do something about it?"  But then tragedies come, and then they change their tune and say, "Don't dare suggest that God allowed this tragedy to help mankind see his need to refrain from evil."   Jesus said to his generation:

Matthew 11: ¹⁶ “But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, ¹⁷ and saying: ‘We played the flute for you,  And you did not dance;
We mourned to you,  And you did not lament.’ ¹⁸ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ ¹⁹ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her children.”

So we see that people are critical because of all the evil on the earth, but then when God sends any type of judgment for those sins people say, "Don't dare say that God allowed this evil because of sin."    So people are critical no matter what happens.  We can't have it both ways. 

The Bible says that God brings judgments upon the nations that walk in violence and sin.   We pray for God to do something about all the evil.  He pours out judgments to get across to mankind that he is going the wrong way.  And then we turn around and say, "That isn't God's judgment, how dare you say that God would allow tragedies to happen?"   It is time to tell people that God is a just God and he does punish injustice and sin, because sin is selfishness and leads to fear and anger. 

Isaiah 3 opens pronouncing that God is going to bring judgments and then he list two things that is 'ticking him off.'  And these very things tick a lot of us off too, because both of these evils are prevail on the earth today. 

Isaiah 3:14The LORD will enter into judgment with the elders of his people, and its princes: For you have eaten up the vineyard; the plunder of the poor is in your houses.

15What do you mean that you beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? says the Lord GOD of hosts.

First God's judgment comes because the rich oppress the poor.  When the rich use their money to bribe, to sin and do wicked things, to pay off people who over look their crimes, God is displeased.  When the poor does not get justice, but those who have money get away with  murder, God is not pleased.  When those who are in charge like the police, city and government officials and judges pervert justice for a bribe or sentence the innocent to protect someone who is rich, God is displeased.  All of these evils that the rich do to oppress the poor brings judgment upon the land. 

Isaiah 3:16Moreover the LORD says, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with outstretched necks and wanton eyes, walking and tripping as they go, and making a jingling with their feet:

17Therefore the Lord will strike with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will uncover their secret parts

Second God's judgment comes because of sexual immorality and an haughty attitude.   These verses are talking about woman who go about doing all they can to catch men in an affair.   Don't you hate it when another woman is making eyes at your man?   And it goes beyond sexual immorality.  When we dress up and look nice and then we think we are better than other woman because of our beauty and we look down our noses at people, God is displeased.  All throughout history women of particular beauty have dressed themselves up and then thought they were better than other people.  This is selfishness, pride, arrogance, and that kind of hatred towards others is selfish and hateful.  God is displeased.

Isaiah chapter 3 outlines at least two things that displeases God to the point that he brings judgment upon the earth.  You may disagree with these two things, you may not see anything wrong with either of those two things,  but unlike God we do not have the power to do anything about it.  If God brings judgment upon us because he is grieved with the way that we live, we can do nothing more than humble ourselves and line up, or we can shake our fist at God and anyone else that would dare tell us that we are wrong.   The two things outlined in Isaiah 3 are still going on today.  We see the rich oppressing the poor, and using their wealth to do injustice, and we see immoral woman who think their 'beauty' is a reason to think they can treat others with contempt.   It is time to repent, and ask God to forgive us, so that he can bring seasons of mercy upon us so that we can live free of his judgments.