Does God love evil men?

Within our Christian tribes, we preach about Jesus, the Prince of Peace. We happily quote the many ways that describe God as merciful, loving, and caring. God our Father is a protector of His people, and our hope is Him all day long (Psalm 25:5). We expect others in our tribe to exhibit the fruits of the Spirit, including love, joy, peace, patience, and kindness (Galatians 5). 

If these virtues are the foundation of our Christian culture and our Lord’s expectations, how do we reconcile our loving God with His tolerance for vicious men?

One notorious biblical example is the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar. He is a complicated character, full of self-idolatry and rage while at times recognizing the almighty power of God. He is known for his worldly wealth and brutality.

A ruthless story from Jeremiah reflects the severity of his bloodlust. Zedekiah, the king of Judah, tried to create a military alliance to overthrow the Babylonian occupation in Israel but failed. In response, Nebuchadnezzar commanded a siege of the capital city of Jerusalem in 588 BC.

For context, a siege requires surrounding a well-defended city to cut off the flow of incoming food and water. The inhabitants are trapped and must choose between surrender, fighting, or eventual starvation–it all depends on the strength of the people’s will. The Babylonian army besieged Jerusalem for a year and a half before using a show of force by standing at a city gate, unafraid of the depleted defenses. 

Zedekiah and the leaders of the city flee but are quickly caught. As punishment, Nebuchadnezzar forces Zedekiah to watch the slaughter of his sons and court officials before gouging out Zedekiah’s eyes. The last thing Zedekiah ever sees is the end of his lineage. Brutal.

Mind you: this is the same Nebuchadnezzar from the fiery furnace story who ends up exalting God and His power. (Daniel 3) This is the same king Daniel prophecied would act like an animal and live in the wild for seven years. It is Nebuchadnezzar’s admission of the glory of God that restores him to his throne. (Daniel 4)

But why would God want such a ruthless man to profess His Holy name? Why would a righteous, peace-loving God allow such a man to stay in power? 

Because God loved Nebuchadnezzar. Put bluntly, if God didn’t love Nebuchadnezzar, then God wouldn’t love us. We each are equally as unholy as this rampant king. We all are affected by the same pride that consumed Nebuchadnezzar.

As Jesus warns His disciples before His execution in Matthew 23, “'Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted. “ (Matthew 23:12, NASB). All of our sin stems from pride. C.S. Lewis declared pride “the utmost evil.” It was Job’s pride that attempted to condemn God as unfair. It is pride that exalts ourselves above others using power, wealth, or beauty. Pride drives us to be discontent with our lives and pursue worldly gain at the expense of our soul’s health.

Pride is particularly deadly because it is so private. Our selfish inner thoughts may seem minor, but they are at the core of our greatest weakness. The notoriously power-hungry or lust-driven may receive public condemnation, but those offenders are merely further down the path we each are on ourselves.

While we may fool others by privately harboring our desires from men, every thought is laid bare before God, “for God does not see as man sees, since man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7, NASB) To God, we all are equivalently unworthy of eternity based on our merits.

So it is for Nebuchadnezzar; his heart is much like ours but more public due to the protection his power provided. Yet, he, too, was accountable to God’s will despite his best efforts to ignore it. Daniel implored him to turn from his atrocious ways, to renounce his sins, and to be kind to the oppressed so that the king’s prosperity may continue. Nebuchadnezzar was given a chance at repentance but refused. Almighty God humbled the world’s mightiest man for years but still offered grace and restoration when he acknowledged God in His Glory.

We each are like a city with our walls up. We stubbornly resist the evidence and grace of God because it means we must surrender ourselves–surrender our pride. Similar to a siege, God is trying to overcome our defenses. We resist until something gives. Maybe it’s a traumatic life moment that puts our vulnerability into focus–that’s common for conversion. Perhaps we run, like Zedekiah, only to be caught; however, instead of blinding us, the Righteous King–Jesus–helps us to see. The supernatural essence we were once blind to is then revealed. Instead of a lineage of death, we are welcomed into eternal life. 

He wishes that none should perish, but it requires us to open the gates.  As Jesus claims in Revelation 3, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.” (Revelation 3:20, NASB) God will not force His way into our lives, but He is ever-present around us. We, however, must invite Him in.

Why does God love evil men? Because all men (and women) are inherently evil. We may not be tempted to gouge out a traitor’s eyes, but we all desire to assume control of ourselves or others. What do we wish for our national enemies? What have we said about our political opponents? God has no other option; if He is to love Man, which He does, He must love evil ones. Our concept of severity hardly matters in the grand scale of God’s holiness.

Jesus came meekly to unite the world through humility, yet we remain stuck in our pride. Man foolishly attempts to ensure “peace” by exerting force–this only breeds more contempt. Instead, God overwhelms all men with peace, should they choose to accept Him. That is the intention of the Christian life—the removal of pride before a Holy God and each other. 

We’re all failing—some in more ruthless ways than others—but we, thankfully, have a relentless God that will stand outside our prideful gates for years until we surrender. Trust me, surrendering to Christ is much sweeter than death within our stubborn walls.