Topical Bible: Righteous: Righteous and Wicked, Circumstances of, Contrasted

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The Bible frequently contrasts the circumstances and outcomes of the righteous and the wicked, highlighting the moral and spiritual differences between the two. This contrast serves as a recurring theme throughout Scripture, emphasizing the blessings associated with righteousness and the consequences of wickedness.

Blessings of the Righteous:

1. Divine Favor and Protection: The righteous are often depicted as recipients of God's favor and protection. Psalm 5:12 states, "For surely You, O LORD, bless the righteous; You surround them with favor as with a shield." This divine favor manifests in various forms, including guidance, provision, and deliverance from trouble.

2. Peace and Stability: The righteous enjoy peace and stability in their lives. Isaiah 32:17 declares, "The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever." This peace is both internal, as a state of the heart, and external, as a condition of life.

3. Prosperity and Abundance: The Bible often associates righteousness with material and spiritual prosperity. Proverbs 13:21 notes, "Disaster pursues sinners, but prosperity is the reward of the righteous." This prosperity is not merely material but includes spiritual richness and fulfillment.

4. Eternal Life: The ultimate reward for the righteous is eternal life. In Matthew 25:46, Jesus speaks of the final judgment, saying, "And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." This promise of eternal life underscores the eternal significance of living a righteous life.

Consequences of the Wicked:

1. Divine Disfavor and Judgment: The wicked are often subject to God's disfavor and judgment. Proverbs 3:33 states, "The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, but He blesses the home of the righteous." This divine disfavor can manifest in various forms, including calamity, loss, and destruction.

2. Instability and Fear: The wicked experience instability and fear in their lives. Isaiah 57:20-21 describes the wicked as being like the "tossing sea, which cannot rest, whose waves cast up mire and mud. 'There is no peace,' says my God, 'for the wicked.'" This lack of peace is both internal and external, leading to a life of turmoil.

3. Poverty and Want: The Bible often associates wickedness with poverty and lack. Proverbs 10:3 asserts, "The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry, but He denies the craving of the wicked." This poverty is not only material but also spiritual, reflecting a life devoid of true fulfillment.

4. Eternal Punishment: The ultimate consequence for the wicked is eternal punishment. As noted in Matthew 25:46, the wicked will face eternal separation from God, highlighting the eternal ramifications of a life lived in opposition to God's ways.

Summary of the Contrast:

The contrast between the righteous and the wicked in Scripture serves as a powerful reminder of the moral and spiritual order established by God. The righteous, through their faith and obedience, align themselves with God's will and experience His blessings, both in this life and the next. In contrast, the wicked, through their rebellion and disobedience, face divine disfavor and the consequences of their actions. This biblical theme underscores the importance of choosing righteousness and living a life that honors God.

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Job 8:1
Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,
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Psalm 17:14,15
From men which are your hand, O LORD, from men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly you fill with your hid treasure: they are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes.
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Library

The Book of Enoch
... added, one concerning the supernatural circumstances attending the ... respecting the
reward of the righteous and the punishment of the wicked, composed, as he ...
//christianbookshelf.org/deane/pseudepigrapha/the book of enoch.htm

The Doctrine of God
... Divine repentance is therefore the same principle acting differently in altered
circumstances. ... The Lord trieth the righteous; but the wicked and him that ...
/.../evans/the great doctrines of the bible/the doctrine of god.htm

The Apocalypse of Baruch.
... the special purpose of foreshadowing or delineating other circumstances. ... that the
souls of the righteous alone would rise again, while the wicked would remain ...
//christianbookshelf.org/deane/pseudepigrapha/the apocalypse of baruch.htm

The Poetical Books (Including Also Ecclesiastes and Canticles).
... unlike each other in native character, in training, in surrounding circumstances,
and in the ... NAHUM. GOD'S FAVOR TO THE RIGHTEOUS. GOD'S VENGEANCE ON THE WICKED. ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxi the poetical books.htm

The Doctrines of Salvation A. Repentance. B. Faith. C. ...
... Isa.55:7""Let the wicked forsake his way, and ... says as being absolutely true, even
though circumstances seem to ... of God no man can be counted righteous in His ...
/.../evans/the great doctrines of the bible/the doctrines of salvation a.htm

The Sibylline Oracles.
... we can understand this mysterious period, the circumstances are these ... judgment follows,
with the punishment of the wicked and the felicity of the righteous. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/deane/pseudepigrapha/the sibylline oracles.htm

What Messiah did the Jews Expect?
... In these circumstances, any attempt at determining the date of Messiah's coming ... that
the Messiah would come, when all were righteous, or all wicked; or else ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter v what messiah did.htm

Elements of Prophetic Interpretation.
... Example.""The wicked are overthrown and are not; but the house of the righteous
shall stand ... it in its characteristics and circumstances"the subject of ...
/.../a brief commentary on the apocalypse/elements of prophetic interpretation.htm

Second Sunday after Easter
... to the laity on deathbeds and under other circumstances. ... Wicked, unprofitable and
condemned servant must he be ... less than did his dear, righteous, innocent Lord ...
/.../luther/epistle sermons vol ii/second sunday after easter.htm

Jesus Before Pilate.
... The man we call wicked has his one or two good ... am innocent of the blood of this
righteous man: see ... Would every man in Pilate's circumstances have felt himself ...
/.../the expositors bible the gospel of st john vol ii/xix jesus before pilate.htm