I don't believe God causes evil or allows evil.
ASV Isaiah 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and create evil. I am *YHVH, that doeth all these things.
*Jehovah
Greetings to you in the love of Jesus
StoveBolts - Couldn't that be Cause and Effect He is speaking of? That has always been my interpretation of that Scripture.
Cause / God creates gravity - Effect / apples fall from trees
Cause / God creates good - Effect / bad exist
Cause / God creates seasons - Effect / time
Cause / God creates clouds - Effect / Rain
Cause / God creates light - Effect / darkness
Cause / God create man & women - Effect / strife
etc etc etc
Let's look at the full passage here
Isaiah 45:5-7
I am the Lord, and there is no other; Besides Me there is no God. I will gird you, though you have not known Me; 6 That men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun That there is no one besides Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other, 7 The One forming light and creating darkness, Causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the Lord who does all these,"
Notice that the context of the verse is dealing with who God is, that it is God who speaks of natural phenomena (sun, light, dark), and it is God who is able to cause "well-being" as well as "calamity." Contextually, this verse is dealing with natural disasters and human comfort issues. It is not speaking of moral evil; rather, it is dealing with calamity, distress, etc. This is consistent with other scriptures. For example:
Exodus 4:11
And the Lord said to him, "Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him dumb or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?"
This is how I understand that Scripture of Isaiah.
It must be consistent with other Scripture passages, and we see other Scriptures that clearly teach us differently
Psalm 92:15
To declare that the Lord is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.
Deuteronomy 32:4
He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He.
Habakkuk 1:13
You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, And cannot look on wickedness. Why do You look on those who deal treacherously, And hold Your tongue when the wicked devours. A person more righteous than he?
God Bless