Why does God allow the wicked to prosper, as questioned in Jeremiah 12:1? I. Text And Immediate Context “Righteous are You, O LORD, when I plead with You. Yet let me question You about Your judgments: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the treacherous live at ease?” (Jeremiah 12:1) Jeremiah raises the perennial dilemma in the midst of Judah’s moral collapse (cf. 11:18–23). The prophet knows God’s character yet wrestles with the observable success of covenant-breakers. Ii. The Bible’S Witness To The Problem 1. Job 21:7 – “Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power?” 2. Psalm 73:3-12 – Asaph confesses envy at “the prosperity of the wicked.” 3. Malachi 3:15 – “Evildoers prosper, and even test God and escape.” 4. Habakkuk 1:13 – “You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look on wrongdoing. Why do You tolerate the treacherous?” Scripture does not hide the question; it places it on the lips of saints, validating honest lament while steering the heart toward God’s answer. Iii. Divine Attributes That Frame The Answer 1. Holiness (Isaiah 6:3) – God cannot be indifferent to sin. 2. Justice (Deuteronomy 32:4) – “All His ways are justice.” 3. Omniscience (Hebrews 4:13) – No act escapes His sight. 4. Patience/Long-suffering (2 Peter 3:9) – He delays judgment, “not wanting anyone to perish.” The apparent success of the wicked is never evidence of divine impotence or moral indifference; it is a temporary feature of God’s redemptive timetable. Iv. Theological Explanations 1. Common Grace a. Psalm 145:9 – “The LORD is good to all.” b. Matthew 5:45 – “He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good.” God bestows temporal blessings on all, preserving life to allow repentance (Acts 14:16-17). 2. Divine Testing and Refinement of the Righteous a. Deuteronomy 8:2 – Israel’s wilderness tests. b. 1 Peter 1:6-7 – Trials prove faith “more precious than gold.” The wicked’s ease often intensifies the righteous’ sanctification, deepening dependence on God (2 Corinthians 12:9). 3. Demonstration of God’s Justice in the End a. Psalm 37:10-13 – “A little while, and the wicked will be no more.” b. Romans 2:4-6 – Kindness invites repentance; stored-up wrath guarantees judgment. Present prosperity magnifies future justice, showing that final reckoning is deliberate, not reactionary. 4. Fulfillment of God’s Redemptive Plan a. Genesis 50:20 – Joseph’s brothers prosper temporarily, yet their evil advances God’s purpose. b. Acts 2:23 – Wicked men crucify Christ, unknowingly accomplishing salvation. God can weave unrighteous success into His sovereign design without endorsing sin. 5. Revelation of True Treasure a. Luke 12:15-21 – The rich fool’s barns expose misplaced hope. b. Philippians 3:7-8 – Paul counts earthly gain as loss for Christ. The wicked’s prosperity clarifies the believer’s ultimate value: God Himself (Jeremiah 9:23-24). V. Eschatological Reversal 1. Eternal Perspective a. Psalm 73:17-19 – “Then I understood their end.” b. Revelation 18 – Babylon’s merchants weep over instant ruin. Measured against eternity, earthly success is a vapor (James 4:14). 2. Resurrection and Judgment a. John 5:28-29 – “Those who have done evil will rise to condemnation.” b. Acts 17:31 – God “has set a day” to judge through the risen Christ. The historical resurrection guarantees a future courtroom where injustice is overturned (1 Corinthians 15:20-28). Vi. Case Studies 1. Pharaoh (Exodus 5–14) – Political might flourishes until the Red Sea closes. 2. Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4) – Royal splendor ends in temporary madness and belated praise. 3. Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12:21-23) – Public acclaim terminates in sudden death. These narratives confirm a pattern: unchecked prosperity ripens for decisive judgment. Vii. New Testament Application 1. Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) – Earthly luxury contrasts with eternal agony. 2. 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10 – God’s justice “to repay with affliction those who afflict you.” Believers are exhorted to “do good…for in due season we will reap” (Galatians 6:9). Viii. Pastoral And Behavioral Implications 1. Guard the Heart Against Envy (Proverbs 24:19-20). 2. Cultivate Eternal Metrics (Colossians 3:1-4). 3. Engage in Compassionate Evangelism – The wicked’s comfort is temporary; love compels gospel witness (2 Corinthians 5:11,14). From a behavioral science standpoint, perceived injustice can destabilize moral commitment; Scripture reorients cognition toward delayed gratification and trust in transcendent justice, fostering resilience. Ix. Synthesis God permits the wicked to prosper briefly to extend mercy, refine His people, and stage a fuller display of justice and glory. Jeremiah’s lament anticipates the cross, where apparent triumph of evil becomes the instrument of redemption. The resurrection assures that every account balances; therefore, “Commit your way to the LORD…He will bring forth your righteousness like the dawn” (Psalm 37:5-6). |
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