Why Do the Wicked Seem to Win?
The Problem of Prosperity
It’s a question that has plagued believers and challenged us for millennia: Why do those who cheat, lie, and oppress seem to lead lives of effortless success? The injustice is palpable when a coworker who cheats and lies gets a promotion, when a dishonest neighbor suddenly has a brand new, shiny car parked in their driveway, or when an elderly person gets scammed and the criminals go unpunished. It is an irreligious problem, a profound challenge to faith that shakes the very foundation of our belief in a just world.
This struggle is not new. The writer of an ancient scripture—the author of Psalm 73—confessed, "But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked." The source of this envy was clear: the wicked "have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong." They are "free from common human burdens; they are not plagued by human ills." Instead, "pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence." From their "callous hearts comes iniquity; their evil imaginations have no limits." They "scoff, and speak with malice," saying, "How would God know? Does the Most High know anything?"
While the ancient writer dealt with local oppressors, the phenomenon is starkly illustrated in modern history by figures like Joseph Kony. In the mid-’90s, in the nation of Uganda, Kony rose to prominence as the leader of the Lord's Resistance Army. Kony and his forces committed unspeakable atrocities, abducting about 60,000 kids over the course of 20 to 25 years of operations, turning them into child soldiers and sex slaves. Adding a layer of perverse irony, Kony claims to be a Christian and uses the Bible to justify his evil deeds. Despite being indicted by an International Criminal Court, Kony remains at large, seemingly blessed with unbelievable prosperity, having amassed an estimated net worth of up to 10 million dollars.
Kony is a man who has committed unspeakable atrocities, yet he is seemingly blessed with unbelievable prosperity. This extreme case mirrors the everyday frustration: the atheist neighbor who is seemingly healthy and has no medical conditions to deal with, the coworker who lies his way to the top. The wicked are those whose "mouths lay claim to heaven, and their tongues take possession of the earth." They scorn justice, "threaten oppression," and act as if they are above any consequence. The daily evidence suggests this is what "the wicked are like—always free of care, they go on amassing wealth." The struggle is in reconciling our moral framework with the reality that, far too often, iniquity and wealth go hand in hand.
A Deeper Perspective: The False Promise of Wicked Prosperity
The conflict between the prosperity of the wicked and the struggle of the righteous is a sharp, painful paradox. How do we resolve the nagging feeling that the system is rigged? The key to resolving this conflict lies in shifting our perspective from the fleeting reality of the present to a deeper, more enduring truth. The ancient writer, whose feet had almost slipped from envy, found his resolution when he finally considered the ultimate fate of the wicked.
Their End is Their Undoing
The scriptural passage continues with a powerful realization: "When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny." What is that destiny? It is the ultimate precariousness of their position. The wicked, for all their wealth and health, are set "in slippery places," and they are "suddenly destroyed, completely swept away by terrors!" .
Think of Joseph Kony and his $10 million fortune. That money provides no sanctuary from justice, no defense against the international warrants for his arrest, and no peace for his conscience. It is a bounty on his head. His "unbelievable prosperity" is not a blessing, but a dangerous, temporary illusion. The wealth of the wicked is built on unstable ground—the suffering of others, deceit, and illegal actions. It is a ticking clock, not a secure foundation.
The True Treasure
The truth is that the "freedom from common human burdens" and the "healthy and strong" bodies of the wicked are temporary and ultimately irrelevant. Their pride is a necklace, but it is also a noose. Their hearts may be callous now, but their final destination is one of terror and ruin.
For the person who chooses integrity—the coworker who is honest, the elderly person who was scammed—the treasure lies not in earthly prosperity but in the assurance of their standing. The honest person's life, though it may contain struggles, is not built on shifty or dishonest foundations. The faithful person’s true value is found in the peace and justice of their spirit.
The resolution, therefore, is an inversion of values. The wicked are not truly winning; they are simply accumulating a heavier consequence on borrowed time. The truly successful life is not measured by the size of the bank account or the shine of the car, but by a clear conscience and the enduring promise of justice. The ultimate comfort for the believer is the understanding that while the wicked may go on amassing wealth, they are headed toward destruction, while those who are pure in heart are truly cherished and secure.
