Connect Job 21:11 with Psalm 73:3-5 regarding the prosperity of the wicked. Setting the Scene: Two Honest Observers - Job, pressed by suffering, surveys the world and lists what seems unfair. - Asaph, the psalmist, confesses the same inner turmoil while standing in the sanctuary. - Both speak candidly, giving us inspired, trustworthy snapshots of how the wicked can look outrageously carefree. Job’s Snapshot (Job 21:11) “They send forth their little ones like a flock; their children skip about.” - Job’s point: even the offspring of the godless appear sheltered and joyful. - The picture is pastoral, playful—nothing looks threatening, nothing looks cursed. - He expands the thought in vv. 12-13, noting their music, merriment, and peaceful deaths. Asaph’s Confession (Psalm 73:3-5) “For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggle in their death; their bodies are well-fed. They are free of the burdens others carry; they are not afflicted like other men.” - Asaph echoes Job: no visible pain, no obvious hardships. - The language matches Job’s imagery—well-fed, carefree, shielded from common sorrows. Shared Theme: Prosperity Without Piety - Both writers report a world that seems upside down: • The wicked flourish, the righteous agonize. • Outward blessings appear to contradict heaven’s moral order. - Scripture’s literal record of their complaints validates our own moments of confusion. Digging Deeper: Why Does God Allow It? 1. Divine Patience - Romans 2:4: God’s kindness is meant to lead to repentance. - The wicked’s ease is not approval; it is prolonged opportunity. 2. Temporary Testing of the Righteous - 1 Peter 1:6-7: trials refine faith “more precious than gold.” - The contrast sharpens righteous longing for eternal reward. 3. Sovereign Purposes Beyond Sight - Deuteronomy 29:29: “The secret things belong to the LORD our God.” - Some reasons remain hidden but are always righteous. The Fragile Shelf-Life of Their Ease - Job later states, “They spend their days in prosperity and go down to Sheol in peace. Yet they say to God, ‘Leave us alone!’” (Job 21:13-14). - Asaph’s turning point comes “until I entered God’s sanctuary; then I discerned their end” (Psalm 73:17). - Supporting texts: • Psalm 37:1-2 – the wicked “wither quickly like grass.” • Proverbs 11:4 – “Riches are worthless in the day of wrath.” • Luke 12:20 – “This very night your life will be demanded from you.” The Believer’s Corrective Lens - Shift from envying to evaluating: look past present glitter to final glory. - Psalm 73:26 – “God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” - Colossians 3:2 – “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Walking in the Light of Eternity Practical steps to keep perspective: • Rehearse truth daily: read passages like Psalm 73:18-20 and James 5:1-5. • Celebrate God’s better promises: Matthew 5:12, 1 Timothy 6:17-19. • Cultivate gratitude for “better and lasting possessions” (Hebrews 10:34). Take-Home Truths - Scripture plainly records that the wicked can look prosperous; we need not deny what our eyes see. - Yet the same Word assures us their prosperity is fleeting and their judgment certain. - By faith we trade momentary envy for eternal expectancy, trusting the God who “does all things well” (Mark 7:37). |
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