In the middle of Job's disagreement with Zophar he argues that the wicked not only prosper but their offspring flourish.
Job ends it with, "How then will you comfort me with empty nothings? There is nothing left of your answers but falsehood."
But this brings up a difficult point. What about all those people who are
totally indifferent with God and sometimes even live in defiance to
Him? Psalm 73 gives one of the best answers to this question.
"For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you. But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works". -Psalm 73:27, 28
The way the Psalmist came to this conclusion and the key to really understanding this question is found in that same chapter:
"But when I thought how o understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end." -vss. 16, 17
When we draw close to Him, He draws near to us and this temporary issue doesn't even matter. For Job, he just saw right through this line. He knew life has its seasons for everyone, and staying close to God is the thing that matters.
The perception that the wicked are prospering while we are struggling to get by is a great stumbling block! I have to disagree with your conclusion that "This temporary issue doesn't even matter," though. Cosmically, you're correct, of course, but there is conviction lurking in our dissatisfaction if we look hard enough for it.
ReplyDeleteOne of the parables I find most challenging is that of the workers in the vineyard (Matthew 20: 1-16). The landowner's response to the disgruntled worker is so logical and yet it grates on something within me. The enthusiasm with which I take the side of the worker hired in the morning reveals in me an ardent desire to merit my way to salvation. "I earned it" and "I deserve it" are two of the most insidious, corrosive thoughts we can have (no better is its cousin "S/he didn't earn that"). We deserve Hell and it is by grace alone that we do not get it. It is a great mercy that God has given us a Spirit that convicts us of these seductive, destructive tendencies.