Origen highlights that God told Pharaoh, “I have raised you up,” not “I have created you”; how does that distinction reshape the way you think about God’s sovereignty over leaders and events without making God the author of evil?
Another way to ask: Origen notes God told Pharaoh, "I raised you up," not "I created you." How does that change how you think about God being in control without making God the cause of evil?
Direct Answer
Based on David Bercot’s teaching, “raised you up” means God permitted Pharaoh to come to power and then used that situation for good purposes, without creating Pharaoh’s evil or causing his wicked choices.
Support from Transcript:
Origen notes God did not say, “I have created you,” but “I have raised you up,” meaning God “permitted Pharaoh to obtain the throne of Egypt when he could have prevented it.”
God allowed this because “he saw how he could benefit others through the hard-heartedness of Pharaoh.”
The lesson repeatedly insists God was not the source of Pharaoh’s sin: “God was not the author of Pharaoh’s wickedness.”
Pharaoh’s hardness is traced to Pharaoh: “Pharaoh’s hard, unbelieving heart was a product of his own wickedness. God’s actions were neutral.”
Origen’s broader point answers predestination claims: God “is not purposing or desiring to harden anyone”; people harden themselves by treating God’s kindness “with contempt.”
Discussion Follow-ups
If God can “permit” a leader’s rise without endorsing him, what would it change about how we talk about God’s rule over politics and history?
