I Have No Reason to Be Envious at the Prosperity of the Wicked
It's very easy for anyone to be envious at the prosperity of the wicked. I could remember what David said in Psalm 73:3-12:
There's one promise that God has set and He will do it:
Besides, the prosperity of the wicked is very temporal. They may enjoy a lot of luxuries in life but what will it do? Our Lord Jesus warned in Matthew 16:26 and Mark 8:26 that it will profit not a man to have the whole world but lose one's soul. What good will all that wealth do if in the end they are all going to Hell unless they get saved? Worse, many of them are too preoccupied with their wealth and worldly success. Then I remember the story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:16-31. The rich man had everything. Lazarus had nothing. It looked like God was unjust. But when the two died things were different. The rich man died without Jesus and went straight to Hell. Lazarus who placed His faith in Jesus died and went to Heaven. Just think of how all that worldly prosperity couldn't save the rich man from eternity in Hell.
For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment. Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish. They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily. They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth. Therefore his people return hither: and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them. And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High? Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.
It's very easy for me to think that justice no longer exists and why a God so holy would allow the wicked to prosper. It's very easy for me to be accused of envying the wicked. I wouldn't deny that I do have my envy towards the wicked who prosper in their way. You have the Pope who still has almost everyone bowing down to him everywhere he goes. You have corrupt businessmen who have immoral lifestyles and yet the world loves them. The Christian commits one act of backsliding and they end up like David after his unfortunate incident with Bathsheba. The influential people who aren't saved keep sinning and the world still keeps accepting them.
Here's what the Bible says about envying sinners:
Proverbs 23:17 - Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.
It's hard to remember that everything in this old world is temporary. There are wicked people who are allowed to have their worldly prosperity but at a terrible price. They may seem alright by now. Many of them tend to live life like they have everything or their life seems to be free of troubles. They have the love of the world. They are well-respected. They keep committing one wrong after the other and it doesn't look like God is watching when He is. I even feel like saying this:
Psalm 73:14 - For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.
It does feel unfair that God chastises me but not them. But one thing can't be denied is that God Himself has a reason for doing what He does:
Hebrews 12:5-8 - And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him: For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
The reason why God chastises me and not the wicked is because it's a Father and son relationship. God is too holy to allow His children to live like the rest of the world. Whoever gets saved by Jesus Christ will be sanctified. There's no such thing as changeless Christianity. The Christian is built to endure chastising. Those who don't endure it aren't sons but bastards.
On the other hand, here's also what David learned in the same Psalm:
Psalm 73:17-19 - Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end. Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction. How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.
There's one promise that God has set and He will do it:
Deuteronomy 32:35 - To me belongeth vengeance and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.
It's very tempting for me to enact revenge because God is "too slow" to act. Who am I to say God is too slow? Am I in His place to say that His timing is not perfect? Am I without sin that I should take the law into my hands and punish evildoers? But there's always one thing that I can rely on and it's the fact God is holy. What I need to remember is that there's a due time for the foot of the wicked to slide. The tragic end of the wicked is not something for me to rejoice. God doesn't take pleasure in the death of the wicked either.
Ezekiel 18:32 - For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.
Ezekiel 33:11 - Say unto them, As I live, saith the LORD God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
We have a saying that justice delayed is justice denied. It's so easy for me to sing "Amazing Justice" never mind that if God had only justice but not mercy I wouldn't be saved. There would be no salvation. God could have struck Adam and Eve dead in the Garden of Eden but instead provided a plan for salvation for fallen humanity. He could have easily killed Cain but he chose to give that degenerate man many chances to repent. God gave the world 120 years before He flooded it. He purposely denied His justice so mercy can take place. He allows the wicked to enjoy material blessing for a reason. He may also be teaching Christians not to focus on the temporal over the eternal.
Besides, the prosperity of the wicked is very temporal. They may enjoy a lot of luxuries in life but what will it do? Our Lord Jesus warned in Matthew 16:26 and Mark 8:26 that it will profit not a man to have the whole world but lose one's soul. What good will all that wealth do if in the end they are all going to Hell unless they get saved? Worse, many of them are too preoccupied with their wealth and worldly success. Then I remember the story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:16-31. The rich man had everything. Lazarus had nothing. It looked like God was unjust. But when the two died things were different. The rich man died without Jesus and went straight to Hell. Lazarus who placed His faith in Jesus died and went to Heaven. Just think of how all that worldly prosperity couldn't save the rich man from eternity in Hell.
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