Job is described in the Bible as “blameless” and “upright”, and as a man who feared God and turned away from evil.” (Job 1:1, 1:8, 2:3). As
recorded in Job 21:7-18, we see that in the depth of sufferings and losses that had come upon him through no fault or wrongdoing of his own, Job questioned why the wicked prospered and lived to grow old, increasing in power and wealth. He observed that their homes were free from fear and
threatening circumstances. He also observed that God’s rod of correction did not come upon them, and that both they and their children prospered and enjoyed life.
Job observed that the wicked, with all of the abundance they enjoyed, had no place for God in their lives, and they perceived nothing to be gained by praying to Him. Although he questioned why God had given them so much in terms of material prosperity and benefits in their lives, Job understood what the wicked did not: the prosperity they enjoyed was ultimately not something that they had managed to achieve for themselves, but it was given to them by God.
Job said regarding the prosperity of the wicked: “Behold, their prosperity is not in their hand; The counsel of the wicked is far from me.” (Job 21:16). Job was completely uninterested in the counsel of the wicked and whatever advice they may give, because he knew that they have no wisdom to offer. He understood that worldly prosperity is often given to the wicked, but it is not given to them because God accepts them, approves of their actions, or is pleased with them.
In Psalm 73, we see that the psalmist’s observations are very similar to Job’s. He struggled when he saw the relative ease and prosperity in the lives of the wicked, compared to the troubles and afflictions of his own life.
He had become disillusioned, and his faith had nearly faltered because he envied the wicked when he saw that they had good health and strong bodies, and they were free of many of the burdens and afflictions that are common among men. Because of their prosperity and freedom from affliction, he observed that they became prideful, arrogant, callous and conceited, speaking with malice and threatening oppression.
In verse 9, the psalmist observed that in the midst of their evil ways, the wicked still claimed to serve God and claimed that Heaven would be their eternal destiny. They were most likely convinced that their sinful courses of action were indeed the right things to do. And at the same time, they probably would have seen their prosperity and good fortune as evidence of God’s approval of them and the things they do.
As he continued with his observations of the lives of the wicked, the psalmist wrote: “Therefore his people return to this place, and waters of abundance are drunk by them.” (Psalm 73:10). When others of the world see the prosperity of the wicked and how well things are going for them in life, they will turn to them for advice and counsel about how they managed to obtain all of these benefits for themselves.
In verse 12 we see that the psalmist had concluded that the wicked always seem to be at ease and carefree, and they always seem to be getting even wealthier. In the next verse, we see that in his disillusionment he wondered what use there was in obeying God’s commands, since he saw that the wicked are the ones who so often prosper. However, in verse 15 he wrote that if he had voiced his opinion that it was useless to keep one’s heart pure,
walking in obedience to the Lord, he “would have betrayed” God’s children, causing them to stumble by speaking falsely about Him.
Though the psalmist was at first grieved and embittered when he saw the prosperity of the wicked, God did not leave him in the barrenness of this bitter disillusionment. God gave him the understanding that the prosperity of the wicked is only for a time, and their final destiny will be ruin and
destruction, being “utterly swept away by sudden terrors” (Psalm 73:19).