Proverbs 16:4 “The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.”
This verse teaches us that God has a plan that includes every person and every event. Even those who oppose Him are not outside His control. The Bible shows repeatedly that God can and does use even the wicked to carry out His greater purposes.
It is a reminder that even when life appears uncertain, God’s plan is moving forward.
1. Assyria and Israel
Isaiah 10:5-7 – “O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation. I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few.”
Assyria was a cruel empire, but God declared they were “the rod of His anger.” He used them as an instrument of judgment against Israel. They had no understanding that they were fulfilling His will, yet they were still part of His divine purpose.
2. Babylon and Judah
Habakkuk 1:6 “For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwellingplaces that are not theirs.”
Babylon was among the fiercest enemies of God’s people. Yet God Himself said He raised them up. They were the nation that carried Judah into exile, and through this captivity God worked to refine, preserve, and ultimately restore His people.
3. Pharaoh and the Exodus
Romans 9:17 – “For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.”
Pharaoh resisted God and oppressed Israel, but the Lord allowed him to rise to power for a reason. His hardness of heart set the stage for the great deliverance of Israel and the display of God’s power through the plagues, the crossing of the Red Sea, and the Exodus.
4. Rome and the Crucifixion
Acts 4:27-28 – “For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.”
Rome carried out the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. And Scripture reveals that every act they performed was according to the counsel and plan of God. What appeared to be the darkest moment in history was, in truth, the central act of the salvation for all mankind.
Romans 8:28 – “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
God is sovereign. He can use both the righteous and the unrighteous, both the faithful and the rebellious, to bring His will to pass. Even when life appears chaotic, God’s hand is steady. His plan is never interrupted, and His purposes always stand.
This truth should give the believer peace and assurance: God is in control, and He can even use the “bad guys” to accomplish His good will.
