The Problem of God's Permission of Sin

In the first reading from Isaiah, the problem of God's permission of sin is discussed. Isaiah questions why God causes the Israelites to wander from His ways and hardens their hearts. The authors of the Old Testament understood that God is ultimately in control of everything and subjecting everything to His divine providence. They believed that while God permitted the sins of the Israelites, He did not cause them. Aquinas further explains that while God does not cause the hardening of hearts as individuals turn away from Him and cleave to evil, God may cause the hardness of heart by withdrawing grace, which is an effect of man's own choices. Thus, it is argued that God's permission of sin is not contrary to His all-good nature.