Topical Bible: Joy of the Wicked

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The concept of the "joy of the wicked" is a theme explored in various passages throughout the Bible, often highlighting the temporary and ultimately futile nature of such joy. In Scripture, the joy experienced by those who engage in wickedness is frequently contrasted with the enduring joy of the righteous, underscoring the transient and deceptive nature of the former.

Biblical References:

1. Job 20:5 : "the triumph of the wicked has been brief and the joy of the godless momentary?" This verse, spoken by Zophar the Naamathite, reflects the belief that the prosperity and joy of the wicked are short-lived. Zophar argues that although the wicked may experience moments of triumph and joy, these are fleeting and ultimately lead to downfall.

2. Proverbs 14:13 : "Even in laughter the heart may ache, and joy may end in sorrow." This proverb suggests that the joy of the wicked is superficial and can mask deeper sorrow. The laughter and apparent happiness of those who reject God's ways are often temporary and can lead to greater grief.

3. Ecclesiastes 7:6 : "For like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This too is futile." The imagery of thorns crackling under a pot illustrates the fleeting and insubstantial nature of the joy experienced by fools, often associated with wickedness in biblical literature. The joy of the wicked is likened to a brief, noisy burst that quickly fades away.

4. Psalm 37:12-13 : "The wicked scheme against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them, but the Lord laughs, seeing that their day is coming." Here, the psalmist contrasts the schemes and temporary joy of the wicked with the divine perspective. The Lord's laughter signifies the ultimate futility of the wicked's joy, as their judgment is assured.

5. Proverbs 10:28 : "The hope of the righteous is joy, but the expectations of the wicked will perish." This verse highlights the enduring joy that is the hope of the righteous, in contrast to the perishable expectations of the wicked. The joy of the wicked is rooted in false hopes and will ultimately come to nothing.

Theological Implications:

The joy of the wicked is often portrayed in Scripture as a deceptive and fleeting experience. While the wicked may appear to prosper and find joy in their ways, this joy is not grounded in truth or righteousness. Instead, it is temporary and ultimately leads to destruction. The Bible consistently teaches that true and lasting joy is found in a relationship with God and in living according to His commandments.

The joy of the wicked serves as a warning to believers about the dangers of envying or emulating those who reject God's ways. It reminds the faithful that the apparent success and happiness of the wicked are illusory and that true joy is found in righteousness and obedience to God.

Nave's Topical Index

Job 20:5
That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?
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Proverbs 14:13
Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful; and the end of that mirth is heaviness.
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Proverbs 15:21
Folly is joy to him that is destitute of wisdom: but a man of understanding walks uprightly.
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Ecclesiastes 2:10
And whatever my eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labor: and this was my portion of all my labor.
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Ecclesiastes 7:6
For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity.
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Ecclesiastes 11:8,9
But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that comes is vanity.
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Isaiah 16:10
And gladness is taken away, and joy out of the plentiful field; and in the vineyards there shall be no singing, neither shall there be shouting: the treaders shall tread out no wine in their presses; I have made their vintage shouting to cease.
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James 4:9
Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
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Library

Whether the Godhead Can be Seen by the Wicked Without Joy?
... OF THE FORM OF THE JUDGE IN COMING TO THE JUDGMENT (THREE ARTICLES) Whether
the Godhead can be seen by the wicked without joy? Objection ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether the godhead can be.htm

Of the Joy of a Good Conscience
... The wicked have never true joy, nor feel internal peace, for there is no peace,
saith my God, to the wicked.(1) And if they say "we are in peace, there shall ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kempis/imitation of christ/chapter vi of the joy.htm

Six Cities
... Believe me, there is no true joy but in God. The joy of the wicked is
like that of a noisy stream"noisy because it is shallow. ...
/.../macduff/the cities of refuge or the name of jesus/ii six cities.htm

The Sixth Chapter: the Joy of a Good Conscience
... Do not rejoice unless you have done well. Sinners never experience true interior
joy or peace, for "there is no peace to the wicked," says the Lord. ...
/.../kempis/the imitation of christ/the sixth chapter the joy.htm

An Exhortation to the People of God not to be Discouraged in their ...
... God Not to Be Discouraged in Their Way, by the Scoffs and Contempt of Wicked Men. ...
will be ready to join with heart and voice in your everlasting joy and praises ...
/.../selected sermons of george whitefield/an exhortation to the people.htm

Psalm XCVII.
... He who knew them saith with confidence, "There is no joy to the wicked, saith the
Lord." But it is not man who speaks, it is the Lord....But thou sayest, I see ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm xcvii.htm

Exhortation to Repentance.
... There is no joy to the wicked, saith the Lord." [4898]. Also in Jeremiah: "Shall
a bride forget her adornment, or [4899] a virgin the girdle of her breast? ...
/.../exhortation to repentance.htm

The Trouble and Rest of Good Men "There the Wicked Cease from ...
... Though they are not yet possessed of the "fullness of joy," yet all grief is done
away. For "there the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 127 the trouble and.htm

The Wicked Man's Life, Funeral, and Epitaph
... his joy, that honest John Bunyan, the greatest of all Englishmen, shall rise from
his tomb at the blowing of that great trump. You cannot say so of the wicked. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 4 1858/the wicked mans life funeral.htm

That the Perfect Lover of God had Liever Run into Great Pain than ...
... that serve wicked deeds, and ween that worldly and fleshly solace is to be greatly
loved, loving those things they desire, forsooth they lose both the joy that ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/rolle/the fire of love/chapter viii that the perfect.htm