Close Topic Options

Wicked Men: Servants Of God

Wicked Men: Servants of God

Nebuchadnezzar who destroyed God's temple and scattered the Jews was called by God, "My Servant". Does God use wicked men to do His bidding or are wicked men doing their own bidding?

Source 2

God Servants Men Wicked

I believe wicked men are unwittingly used to further God's purposes. God knows the hearts of men and will, because he knows their hearts, place them in positions to further is cause.

Though we do not understand how and why, God is actively involved in the activities of man, in my opinion.

Wicked Men: Servants Of God Studies Doctrine Mormon

Therefore you are saying that he actually places them in positions to do their wicked acts?

God Servants Men Wicked

I would say "yes." I mean, in a certain way, God places everyone in a position to do evil things: mortality. God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, knowing there was a fruit there that would cause them misery, knowing Satan would tempt them to eat the fruit.

God commanded Nephi to take his whole family to the new world, even though he knew that Laman and Lemuel's posterity would be wicked for the majority of their days and eventually kill off the Nephite nation. I don't have a problem at all with God placing people in a position to use their agency for either good or bad.

I think the really damning accusation would be if we believed that God put these people in a position where they had to act evilly, and then judged them for their actions. So long as he places them in positions where they have freedom to choose between the two, he is not responsible for their actions. That is to say, we can't blame him for their actions.

So, better put I would say "yes, with the caveat that God must've, in each case, permitted the leader ample opportunity to choose the right in place of the wrong."

In the case of Nebuchadnezzar, he was the "servant of God" because the people of Israel wouldn't be. Remember that the people of Israel had fallen into a deep apostasy, in which they rejected the prophets. They had the clear truth before them and the oracles of God in their midst, yet they rebelled against that light. God needed to punish them for their rebellion or he would not have been a just God. So, he moved the blessings of victory in battle from the kingdom of Judah to the kingdom of Babylon.

Nebuchadnezzar did what he did according to both his own will and God's will. God certainly permitted, if not inspired, him to conquer the kingdom of Judah. Nebuchadnezzar, however, did God's will because it fit with his own selfish will. During the time of the fall of the kingdom of Judah the two, God's will and Nebuchadnezzar's will, were in step. The test for whether Nebuchadnezzar would be a real "servant" of God or merely a temporary instrument God used to chasten his people, came when Nebuchadnezzar's will and God's will became unglued...during Daniel's ministry for example.

God Servants Men Wicked

Not to do the wicked acts, but rather to do the will of the Lord. The acts of individual wickedness are completely the choice of the individual. I believe He places certain people in positions of authority, to do the will of the Lord (ie. Scatter israel, punish once righteous nations.)

Their personal choices of wickedness are not necessarily the will of the Lord in my opinion.

Even when we are not completely perfect (we sin) God uses us to further his will also, even though our personal wickedness may not approach that of Nebuchadnezzar.

Wicked Men: Servants Of God

Name: Chris

Comments: I do not believe that God actually uses anyone or provoke them to do evil...rather as God is all knowing and infinite in his understanding it seems to be more of a declaration of "foreknowledge" since the Lord being all powerful also has a perfect understanding of all actions and their possible consequences.

"my servant"--We are not sure exactly what the Lord means by "servant". Is he considered a servant in the sense as being "favored" of the Lord...or a servant in the sense that all things considerded he is serving the Lords ends?

Jeremiah 27:8: "And it shall come to pass"--Here "Foreknowledge" is being expressed.

Does the Lord use wicked people? I'm sure he does...but I don't believe that the Lord would necessarily provoke people to wickedness to serve his ends.

Wicked Men Servants God

Maybe its just a case of "let me use a tool for a purpose" since it is available. In another way I'm saying that Heavenly Father will use anyone to further his own purposes.