The OT asserts the full sovereignty of YHWH. His control of "all" events (i.e., one causality in the universe) was a theological way of asserting monotheism.
Hebrew thought had no "secondary causes" (see John Walton, Ancient Thought and the Old Testament, pp. 110, 150, 156). The OT does not discuss secondary causes.
This "one causality" can clearly be seen in several OT genres.
This, in no way, is meant to assert that YHWH is the source of evil! (For a good brief discussion of this see Hard Sayings of the Bible, pp. 305-306.)
This is a difficult issue. Please see my exegetical note below from Jer. 36:3.
Jer. 36:3 "all the calamity which I plan to bring on them" This is a difficult phrase to understand. Does this mean that every physical tragedy is from the hand of God? I think not! But sometimes it is or at least He allows the consequences of a fallen world to manifest in the lives of nations and individuals. If this occurred every time we sinned, we would all live in constant crisis. Here is a problem.
- God does use problems (physical, emotional, relational, spiritual) to cause us to recognize His presence and purpose for our lives. There are consequences for disobedience (cf. Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 27-28,30).
- Everything that happens to us in our lives is not the hand of God but the consequences of living in a fallen world.
- I never know if what happens to me is a result of #1 or #2, so I choose to use the circumstances (good or bad) to seek God and His will for my life. He is with us and for us (my worldview). I filter everything through this truth.
- In the OT all causality is attributed to God to affirm monotheism (see SPECIAL TOPIC: MONOTHEISM). The OT does not recognize or designate "secondary causes"!
Copyright © 2020 Bible Lessons International