How Should We View the Prosperity of the Wicked?
"The wicked spring up like grass, and all who do iniquity flourish; it is only that they may be destroyed forever." (Psalm 92:7)
A few weeks before an elder went to heaven, he asked me, “Why do the wicked prosper, while the righteous suffer?” This is a deep question, and I suspect that this elder, having lived for over 80 years, might have struggled with this issue throughout his life. Even if he hadn’t, it is clear that as the end of his life approached, he gave much thought to this question. Do you wrestle with this as well? As Christians, have you ever wondered how to view the prosperity of the wicked and the suffering of the righteous? We have likely heard many times about the grace of participating in Jesus’ suffering, but do we understand how to accept the prosperity of the wicked?
Today, Psalm 92:7 gives us God’s Word on how we should view the prosperity of the wicked. There are three points we can consider:
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The wicked prosper quickly, as we see in our everyday lives.
In the passage, the psalmist compares the wicked to grass, saying they "spring up" quickly. This suggests that they achieve success without much effort, often through deceit. Not long ago, there was a patch of dying grass in my backyard. My wife and I tried watering it, applying some treatments, and even bought seeds to plant. Now, the grass has grown back quickly, and it is lush and green. Just like that, the psalmist seems to be saying that the prosperity of the wicked is quick and immediate. -
The prosperity of the wicked may seem abundant, like the growth of weeds, but it bears no fruit.
Even though the wicked may seem to thrive in their success, the key point is that they bear no fruit in God's eyes. Their prosperity is like fruitless grass, which is the picture the Bible paints of the wicked. Despite their success, they produce nothing of eternal value. -
The rapid prosperity of the wicked is ultimately for their eternal destruction.
Just as a pig is fed and fattened before being led to slaughter, the prosperity of the wicked serves only to lead them to their eternal destruction. The preacher D.L. Moody explained it this way: "The wicked grow like grass in the end to become fuel for the fire."
Today, we continue to witness the prosperity of the wicked in our world. When we see their success, we may be tempted to compare it to our own lives and become concerned. However, we must view the wicked through the perspective of Psalm 92:7. As the psalmist says in verse 11, "I have seen the defeat of my enemies; I have heard the defeat of the wicked," we need to remember that God sees the wicked and will respond to them accordingly. When we view the wicked from this perspective, we will understand that their end is eternal destruction. We will no longer envy them, nor will we fall into despair over the apparent prosperity of the wicked and the suffering of the righteous.
With gratitude in my heart for how God has resolved this issue in Psalm 74 and affirms it further in Psalm 92:7,
Pastor James Kim
(After proclaiming this message with faith in the Saturday morning prayer meeting)