Wickedness Never Pays Off...in the Long Run
I will teach you about the power of God; the ways of the Almighty I will not conceal.
You have all seen this yourselves. Why then this meaningless talk?
Here is the fate God allots to the wicked, the heritage a ruthless man receives from the Almighty:
However many his children, their fate is the sword; his offspring will never have enough to eat.
The plague will bury those who survive him, and their widows will not weep for them.
Though he heaps up silver like dust and clothes like piles of clay, what he lays up the righteous will wear, and the innocent will divide his silver.
The house he builds is like a moth's cocoon, like a hut made by a watchman.
He lies down wealthy, but will do so no more; when he opens his eyes, all is gone.
Terrors overtake him like a flood; a tempest snatches him away in the night."
Job 27:11-20
You have all seen this yourselves. Why then this meaningless talk?
Here is the fate God allots to the wicked, the heritage a ruthless man receives from the Almighty:
However many his children, their fate is the sword; his offspring will never have enough to eat.
The plague will bury those who survive him, and their widows will not weep for them.
Though he heaps up silver like dust and clothes like piles of clay, what he lays up the righteous will wear, and the innocent will divide his silver.
The house he builds is like a moth's cocoon, like a hut made by a watchman.
He lies down wealthy, but will do so no more; when he opens his eyes, all is gone.
Terrors overtake him like a flood; a tempest snatches him away in the night."
Job 27:11-20
The Bible does not deride wealth. It actually has many examples of individuals who were made wealthy as a blessing from God. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David are examples. In fact, Scripture tells us in Deuteronomy 8:18, "But remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth…" I believe God's attitude toward wealth is best summarized in these three verses of Scripture: "Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way, they will lay up treasures for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life." (I Timothy 6:17-19).
God has a purpose for allowing people to attain wealth. He expects the wealthy to enjoy their wealth but also be kind and generous to others and to be rich in good deeds.
Too often, however, we see wealthy people who acquire their wealth through questionable means and who use their wealth arrogantly and lavishly and even trample down on the less fortunate. They live wickedly. Job reminds us that such wicked and arrogant people do not have a good end. Sometimes, God would wipe them off along with all their wealth. It might not necessarily happen in their lifetime, but sometime down the line, divine judgment is unleashed on the house of the wicked. The consequences of wickedness can even be generational.
The truth is: it never pays to be wicked, whether you are rich or poor. Wickedness can reside in the rich and not so rich or even poor alike. All through Scripture we see that wickedness arouses the anger of God. It never pays to be wicked.
God has a purpose for allowing people to attain wealth. He expects the wealthy to enjoy their wealth but also be kind and generous to others and to be rich in good deeds.
Too often, however, we see wealthy people who acquire their wealth through questionable means and who use their wealth arrogantly and lavishly and even trample down on the less fortunate. They live wickedly. Job reminds us that such wicked and arrogant people do not have a good end. Sometimes, God would wipe them off along with all their wealth. It might not necessarily happen in their lifetime, but sometime down the line, divine judgment is unleashed on the house of the wicked. The consequences of wickedness can even be generational.
The truth is: it never pays to be wicked, whether you are rich or poor. Wickedness can reside in the rich and not so rich or even poor alike. All through Scripture we see that wickedness arouses the anger of God. It never pays to be wicked.
Prayer: Father, I thank you for your word today. Please help me to live in kindness and not in wickedness. Amen.