I am reading the Silmarillion, which chronicles the creation of Tolkien's world, and the acts of The Powers, and of elves, humans, dwarves, and ents, etc.
In the beginning, God made the Powers (lesser gods) and then the Earth, and the Powers were charged by God with shaping the Earth in preparation for the later coming of the elves, humans, dwarves, and ents.
Yet the greatest Power of them all, Melkor (who was sort of like Lucifer), wanted dominion over Earth and all its peoples, and there was a great battle where evil triumphed, and the good Powers retreated to a small continent and left the rest of Earth to Melkor.
Then God awoke the Elves on Earth, and Melkor found them and kidnapped some, and used them to breed the orcs (since Melkor could not create life, only God could). Then the good Powers learned of this, and went to war again and were victorious, and Melkor was thrown into prison in the Halls of the Dead.
Then the Powers called on the elves to journey from their lands all the way to that holy continent where the Powers lived. But the God of Water and the Sea said they should be left alone. But he was overruled, and the elves were brought to the Holy Land.
Yet much grief came of that decision in after years. And over time the Powers of Earth learned that whenever they tried to command the beings of Earth or compel them toward some course of action, it often had bad outcomes. So as the ages passed they stepped back.
In time, Melkor was eventually freed from prison, since he seemed to have changed for the better. But his goodness was only a ruse, and he bode his time. Eventually he corrupted the hearts of those around him, and then caused havoc and war in the Holy Land, and escaped.
Yet not before killing a high king of the elves, and stealing some sacred, holy jewels. So many elves left the Holy Land to pursue Melkor, and avenge their king and regain the jewels. The Powers did not pursue Melkor, and told the elves that if they left the Holy Land, they would be on their own. The elves still left. They had so much pride back then. And little fear. They thought they could defeat Melkor on their own.
Over the ages, the Powers did nothing, and the elves, dwarves, humans, and ents were left alone to battle Melkor and his orcs. But eventually Melkor took over the rest of the world. Only then did the Powers finally intervene, and they defeated Melkor, and tossed his spirit into the Void.
But his lieutenant, Sauron, hid, and bided his time, and emerged later to trouble the peoples of the Earth. Yet eventually a halfling of the Shire came forth, and threw down Sauron, and the Earth was at peace.
