Why does God allow the wicked to prosper and the righteous to suffer?

[Jonathan_Gale]

This is one of the philosophical questions that seriously challenge our faith. Theologians and common believers have been struggling with this for eons. The obvious answer is that, wicked people don't play by the rules, they have no moral compass, the only law they know is the law of the jungle, they are willing, able and ready to do whatever it takes to prosper. Moreover, in modern days, they follow the Pharisees' example by putting on a false front of righteousness through publicity stunts and virtue signaling, which even the Lord himself recognized three times - "Assuredly, I say to you, they have their rewards."

However this answer only looks at the economic aspect, while it fails to explain the physical wellbeing. With or without the advantage of modern medicine, many wicked people live very long, could extend to their 80s even 90s, far beyond their portion in Ps. 90:10 (70-80 years), even if they live a supposedly very unhealthy lifestyle; while the righteous suffer from a lot of physical ailments and afflictions like Job, or emotional traumas like losing loved ones. This seems utterly unfair, and I have a hard time to swallow.

 

[Waggles]

This is one of the philosophical questions that seriously challenge our faith.

Not really.
That quandary only applies to worldly churches where people do not read their Bibles much.

Psalm 37
1 Of David. Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers!
2 For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.
3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.
6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.
7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!
8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
9 For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land.
10 In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.
11 But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.
12 The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him,
13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that his day is coming.
14 The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose way is upright;
15 their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.
16 Better is the little that the righteous has than the abundance of many wicked.
17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous.
18 The LORD knows the days of the blameless, and their heritage will remain forever;
19 they are not put to shame in evil times; in the days of famine they have abundance.
20 But the wicked will perish; the enemies of the LORD are like the glory of the pastures; they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.
21 The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives;
22 for those blessed by the LORD shall inherit the land, but those cursed by him shall be cut off.
23 The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way;
24 though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand.
25 I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread.
26 He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing.
27 Turn away from evil and do good; so shall you dwell forever.
28 For the LORD loves justice; he will not forsake his saints. They are preserved forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.
29 The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever.
30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.
31 The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip.
32 The wicked watches for the righteous and seeks to put him to death.
33 The LORD will not abandon him to his power or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial.
34 Wait for the LORD and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on when the wicked are cut off.
35 I have seen a wicked, ruthless man, spreading himself like a green laurel tree.
36 But he passed away, and behold, he was no more; though I sought him, he could not be found.
37 Mark the blameless and behold the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace.
38 But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed; the future of the wicked shall be cut off.
39 The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.
40 The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.

 

[Waggles]

The difference between the righteous and the wicked is that the wicked have their rewards now and it will be taken away from them.
But the righteous wait for another reward that is yet to come - a reward that will endure into the eternities.

Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?

 

[Jonathan_Gale]

Not really.
That quandary only applies to worldly churches where people do not read their Bibles much.

Psalm 37
1 Of David. Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers!
2 For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.
3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.
6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.
7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!
8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
9 For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land.
10 In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.
11 But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.
12 The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him,
13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that his day is coming.
14 The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose way is upright;
15 their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.
16 Better is the little that the righteous has than the abundance of many wicked.
17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous.
18 The LORD knows the days of the blameless, and their heritage will remain forever;
19 they are not put to shame in evil times; in the days of famine they have abundance.
20 But the wicked will perish; the enemies of the LORD are like the glory of the pastures; they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.
21 The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives;
22 for those blessed by the LORD shall inherit the land, but those cursed by him shall be cut off.
23 The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way;
24 though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand.
25 I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread.
26 He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing.
27 Turn away from evil and do good; so shall you dwell forever.
28 For the LORD loves justice; he will not forsake his saints. They are preserved forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.
29 The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever.
30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.
31 The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip.
32 The wicked watches for the righteous and seeks to put him to death.
33 The LORD will not abandon him to his power or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial.
34 Wait for the LORD and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on when the wicked are cut off.
35 I have seen a wicked, ruthless man, spreading himself like a green laurel tree.
36 But he passed away, and behold, he was no more; though I sought him, he could not be found.
37 Mark the blameless and behold the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace.
38 But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed; the future of the wicked shall be cut off.
39 The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.
40 The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.

Trust me, this is definitely a quandary in every believer’s spiritual journey, including king David himself, otherwise he wouldn’t have written about it in this psalm. During Jesus’s ministry his disciples expressed a similar sentiment of righteous indignation - they once asked the Lord to rain fire and brimstone on some unbelieving Samaritans. Reading the Bible is not enough, information is not transformation, it takes spiritual maturity through personal experience to finally make peace with God on this issue.

 

[MedicBravo]

Before I was saved I wanted lots of earthly things.
Money. An awesome '67 Camero that I and a good friend would restore. I wouldn't have to work. Travel. You know the type.
God does want us to prosper and I'm sure there are many rich, good hearted Christian people. Now that I know better and am saved, if I did get "all that" I'd use it to help a lot of people.
Our value lies with God b/c all things in the world are temporary.

 

[Godbehonored]

This is one of the philosophical questions that seriously challenge our faith. Theologians and common believers have been struggling with this for eons. The obvious answer is that, wicked people don't play by the rules, they have no moral compass, the only law they know is the law of the jungle, they are willing, able and ready to do whatever it takes to prosper. Moreover, in modern days, they follow the Pharisees' example by putting on a false front of righteousness through publicity stunts and virtue signaling, which even the Lord himself recognized three times - "Assuredly, I say to you, they have their rewards."

However this answer only looks at the economic aspect, while it fails to explain the physical wellbeing. With or without the advantage of modern medicine, many wicked people live very long, could extend to their 80s even 90s, far beyond their portion in Ps. 90:10 (70-80 years), even if they live a supposedly very unhealthy lifestyle; while the righteous suffer from a lot of physical ailments and afflictions like Job, or emotional traumas like losing loved ones. This seems utterly unfair, and I have a hard time to swallow.

This world is upside down. The righteous do not get what they deserve (a good life), the evil do not get what they deserve either (punishment).

If you think this is unfair, look upon Jesus. He is the ONLY one who did not sin, but He was treated like the worst of criminals. Our sufferings are only a shadow or a portion of His.

Why does God allow this? Because, the momentary suffering of the righteous in this world is the "wages" for an eternal life of joy, also a sharing of Jesus' suffering.

The momentary luxury of the evil in this world is the cause of their destruction, the "wages" for their sin. The more wealthy and prosperous the evil are, the MORE they lose when they face judgment. In other words, the better off they are now in this world, the greater their suffering would be upon judgment day. So they are really increasing their suffering by increasing their wealth/lifespan.

Which do you think is the worthwhile cause? Endure a temporary life of suffering to enjoy an eternity of joy and peace, or enjoy a temporary life of sinful luxury and suffer eternal destruction?

 

[PloughBoy]

Trust me, this is definitely a quandary in every believer’s spiritual journey, including king David himself, otherwise he wouldn’t have written about it in this psalm. During Jesus’s ministry his disciples expressed a similar sentiment of righteous indignation - they once asked the Lord to rain fire and brimstone on some unbelieving Samaritans. Reading the Bible is not enough, information is not transformation, it takes spiritual maturity through personal experience to finally make peace with God on this issue.

King David was evil too, he broke many laws that God gave a King, have you not read the Book, It also makes that statement about him and King Solomon! Did not they teach you to read the Fine Print.

Have You Not Read The Psalms And The Wisdom Books?

Or the Cartoon Character posters that said: 'They say you learn by your mistakes and The cartoon character said; "Then I am going to be Genius when I grow up"
"So was King David and King Solomon"
The learn by all of Their mistakes!
Solomon said I kept my heart from nothing, But one thing I found out, when I did like the Fool, The same thing that happen to the fool happen to me and I had all of my senses! So what made me more wiser than the fool!

But one thing I did find out: SOLOMON SAID:
[13] Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. [14] For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
and kind David was no better!
1 Kings 12:14
And spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father [King David] made YOUR YOKE HEAVY, and I will add to your yoke: my father [King David] Also Chastised You With Whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

And King David said When My Foot did slipped Your Love Sustain me.
Well you really have to take your time and read the book with patience and prayer.

\And do not be reading other books that people have wrote about these Bible characters in the Bible, Because many have a"Bias' view of characters in the Book .

No christian should ever use one of the Old testament Characters as a example of a person as "Christ-like" and especially King David and King Solomon , for Jesus Christ and Apostle Paul is our only example on How to be "Christ -LIKE".

For King David and King Solomon were also a Recipient of "Mercy and GRACE" for they where sinners too.

But in these last Days:
Acts 17 NIV84
30In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31For he has set a day when He Will Judge The World With Justice By the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”

"Grace and Mercy" is coming to any an end. and man will receive only "JUSTICE"

If you commit adultery you are going to die! You are going to get justice! And go to hell!
InThe Millennium there will not be Mercy and Grace, it will be Justice and the WORD of GOD is going to RULE!

1 CorinthIans 6 NKJV
7Now therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another. Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated? 8No, you yourselves do wrong and cheat, and you do these things to your brethren! 9Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor https://biblehub.com/nkjv/1_corinthians/6.htm#footnoteshomosexuals, nor [c]sodomites, 10nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 11And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were [d]sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

 

[Jonathan_Gale]

Before I was saved I wanted lots of earthly things.
Money. An awesome '67 Camero that I and a good friend would restore. I wouldn't have to work. Travel. You know the type.
God does want us to prosper and I'm sure there are many rich, good hearted Christian people. Now that I know better and am saved, if I did get "all that" I'd use it to help a lot of people.
Our value lies with God b/c all things in the world are temporary.

I don't really care about earthly things, I was born and raised in a middle class suburban family with everything I need - materially, much more than my fair share compared to my peers, and I understand that money comes and goes, what belongs to Caesar is rendered to Caesar in one way or another. What I do care about is the physical wellbeing, since health is wealth, and I believe that body and mind are ONE, whatever is spiritual must also be reflected in a physical way. In the ten commandment, a long life is the only reward which God promised for honoring our parents and godly way of living, but that doesn't seem to be true. Like raindrops and sunshine, cancer, diabetes, accident, addiction, PTSD, etc. affects both the wicked and the righteous, and oftentimes the righteous is affected more severe and frequent than the wicked as if a target is put on the back, that is hard to accept. In the culture I live in, these physical illness, especially chronic diseases and addiction, are often viewed as God's disapproval of an unhealthy, unnatural lifestyle, if you eat kosher, work out regularly, sleep and rise on time, do everything mom and dad told you to do, none of these would bother you, you'll be full of rigor and strength to face any obstacle that Satan sets up in your way, but that's just wishful thinking, we still get weak, as God gave Satan permission to afflict Job's health.

 

[Waggles]

Ecclesiastes 2:
18 I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me,
19 and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity.
20 So I turned about and gave my heart up to despair over all the toil of my labours under the sun,
21 because sometimes a person who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave everything to be enjoyed by someone who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil.
22 What has a man from all the toil and striving of heart with which he toils beneath the sun?
23 For all his days are full of sorrow, and his work is a vexation. Even in the night his heart does not rest. This also is vanity.
24 There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God,
25 for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment?
26 For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God.
This also is vanity and a striving after wind.

 

[Waggles]

The Vanity of Wealth and Honour
Ecclesiastes 5:8 If you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and righteousness, do not be amazed at the matter, for the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them.
9 But this is gain for a land in every way: a king committed to cultivated fields.
10 He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.
11 When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes?
12 Sweet is the sleep of a labourer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep.
13 There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt,
14 and those riches were lost in a bad venture. And he is father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand.
15 As he came from his mother's womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand. [1Tim 6:6-8]
16 This also is a grievous evil: just as he came, so shall he go, and what gain is there to him who toils for the wind?
17 Moreover, all his days he eats in darkness in much vexation and sickness and anger.
18 Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot.
19 Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God.
20 For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart.

 

[Waggles]

Ecclesiastes 8:10 Then I saw the wicked buried. They used to go in and out of the holy place and were praised in the city where they had done such things. This also is vanity.
11 Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil.
12 Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet I know that it will be well with those who fear God, because they fear before him.
13 But it will not be well with the wicked, neither will he prolong his days like a shadow, because he does not fear before God.
14 There is a vanity that takes place on earth, that there are righteous people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked, and there are wicked people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous.
I said that this also is vanity.
15 And I commend joy, for man has nothing better under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun.
16 When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on earth, how neither day nor night do one's eyes see sleep,
17 then I saw all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. However much man may toil in seeking, he will not find it out. Even though a wise man claims to know, he cannot find it out.