What does "flow away like water" teach about the fate of the wicked? Key Verse “May they vanish like water that flows away; when they draw the bow, may their arrows fall short.” (Psalm 58:7) Why Water? A Picture Worth a Thousand Words • Water is fluid—once it slips through the fingers, you cannot retrieve it. • It doesn’t pause or hesitate; it relentlessly seeks the lowest place and disappears from sight. • After a stream has passed, the ground soon looks as if nothing had ever been there. What the Phrase Reveals about the Wicked • Swift Removal – The wicked are here for a moment; then, just as quickly, they are gone (Job 24:24). • Total Erasure – Like water leaving no footprint, their influence evaporates; their plots dissolve (Psalm 37:10). • Unstoppable Divine Judgment – No human barricade can stop a river’s flow; likewise, no scheme can withstand God’s verdict (Nahum 1:8). • Powerlessness and Futility – Their strength “flows away” before they can use it; even their arrows “fall short” (Psalm 58:7b). • Temporary Prosperity – Water glistens in the sun for a moment, then disappears into the dust—mirroring the brief success of the ungodly (Proverbs 10:25). Supporting Passages • Psalm 73:18–19 — “Surely You set them on slippery ground; You cast them down to destruction. How suddenly they are laid waste…” • Isaiah 57:20 — “But the wicked are like the tossing sea, which cannot rest; its waters churn up mire and mud.” • Job 20:28 — “The possessions of his house will be carried off, washed away in the day of God’s wrath.” • Proverbs 14:11 — “The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish.” Take-Home Truths • God’s judgment is sure, sudden, and sweeping. • Wickedness promises permanence but delivers only passing ripples. • Righteousness alone endures; everything else “flows away like water.” |