“Why do the wicked go on living, grow old, even increase in power? . . . They live out their years in prosperity and go down to the grave in peace.
Job 21:7, 13 NET
Why do good people so often suffer while the wicked seem to prosper and do well? That question is at the heart of the Book of Job. And it is a question that many wonder about today. Why do the wicked often prosper and rise to power while the righteous and innocent suffer?
Job was a righteous man (Job 1:1) who suddenly found himself suffering tremendously. As Job tried to make sense of what happened to him, three friends came to console him. Most of the Book of Job is a dialogue between Job and his friends concerning the cause of his suffering.
Throughout this story, Job maintained his innocence. He knew of nothing he had done that would deserve the punishment he was going through. His friends argued that suffering was God’s punishment for doing something wrong. So, since Job was suffering, he must be guilty of some evil. And if he would repent of it, God would remove his suffering.
In Job 21, Job pointed out a flaw in their argument. Often, the wicked prosper and go to the grave in peace. How do you explain that if God punishes the wicked?
And the Answer Is . . .
So, what is the answer? Why do the wicked so often prosper and the righteous suffer? There is no answer given in Job. God does ultimately respond to Job. But rather than answering Job’s question about his suffering, he challenges Job’s understanding of God. It has been too limited. The sovereign God is much greater than we can comprehend. And his ways are often incomprehensible to us.
We do not know why the wicked often prosper in this life while the righteous suffer. But we can trust that the sovereign God is in control. And we have an advantage over Job in knowing death is not the end. God will reward and punish. Sometimes in this life. But always in the life to come.
As a believer in the Lord Jesus, you may not understand why you are suffering while evil people are prospering. But you can rest assured that it is temporary and will be as nothing in the life to come (Rom. 8:18).
