Which other scriptures emphasize the temporary success of the wicked? Setting the Scene in Psalm 73 “Surely You set them on slippery ground; You cast them down to destruction.” (Psalm 73:18) Asaph’s eyes open: the prosperity of the wicked is real, but it is also brief and unstable. Psalms in Concert • Psalm 37:1-2 — “Do not fret over those who do evil… For they wither quickly like grass and wilt like tender plants.” • Psalm 37:35-36 — “I have seen a wicked, ruthless man flourishing… yet he passed away and was no more.” • Psalm 49:12, 14 — “Man, despite his wealth, cannot endure… Like sheep they are appointed to Sheol; Death will be their shepherd.” • Psalm 92:7 — “Though the wicked sprout like grass and all evildoers flourish, they will be forever destroyed.” • Psalm 94:3-4, 13 — “How long will the wicked, O LORD, how long will the wicked exult?… You grant him relief from days of trouble, until a pit is dug for the wicked.” Wisdom Literature’s Sobering Reminders • Job 20:5 — “the triumph of the wicked is short and the joy of the godless momentary.” • Job 21:17-18 — “How often is the lamp of the wicked extinguished?… They are like straw before the wind.” • Proverbs 11:4 — “Riches are worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.” • Proverbs 24:19-20 — “Do not fret over evildoers… for the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be extinguished.” • Ecclesiastes 8:12-13 — “Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet… it will not be well with the wicked.” The Prophets Call Time on Evil • Jeremiah 12:1-3 — “Why does the way of the wicked prosper?… Pull them out like sheep for slaughter.” • Habakkuk 2:3 — “Though it lingers, wait for it; it will surely come and will not delay.” • Habakkuk 2:13 — “Is it not from the LORD of Hosts that the peoples labor for the fire and nations exhaust themselves for nothing?” • Malachi 4:1 — “Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff.” Jesus Underscores the Theme • Luke 6:24-25 — “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your comfort… You will mourn and weep.” • Luke 12:20-21 — “‘You fool! This very night your life will be required of you.’ … Such is the one who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich toward God.” • Luke 16:25 — “‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things… but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony.’” The Apostles Echo the Warning • James 1:10-11 — “The rich… will pass away like a flower of the field.” • James 5:1-3 — “Come now, you rich, weep and wail over the misery to come upon you… Your gold and silver are corroded.” • 1 Timothy 6:9 — “Those who want to be rich fall into temptation… and many foolish, harmful desires.” • 2 Peter 2:3 — “Their destruction does not sleep.” • Revelation 18:7-8 — “In her heart she says, ‘I sit as queen’… Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her.” Takeaway Truths • Scripture repeatedly affirms: apparent prosperity apart from God rests on “slippery ground.” • From Psalms through Revelation, God exposes the brevity of evil’s triumph. • The righteous need not envy or fear; the Lord will set all accounts right in His perfect time. |
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