When the Wicked Prosper

Has it ever seemed unfair that some of the richest, most famous, most successful people seem to be people who live immoral and irreverent lives? Does it challenge your sense of justice that many people who quietly trust God and walk in his ways endure trials and tragedies that seem so undeserved?

If so, you’re not alone. Asaph, the author of Psalm 73, dares to say out loud what many of us have thought in our hearts. Why does it seem like the wicked have all the fun while the righteous often suffer?

The Danger of Envy

The psalmist begins by recounting how he came perilously close to personal ruin. “But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped” (Psalm 73:2).

What cause him to come so close to plunging headlong into ruin? He says in verse 3, “For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” In verses 4–12, Asaph elaborates on that prosperity. He describes how “fat and sleek” their bodies are (v. 4) and how carefree their lives are (v. 5). In verses 6–11, he laments the fact that they seem to get away with blatant wickedness, violence, and blasphemy. Verse 12 sums up the prosperity of the wicked: “Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches.”

Then in verse 13 the psalm turns from the apparent prosperity of the wicked to the near-disastrous response of the psalmist's own heart. “All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence” (Psalm 73:13). When the psalmist compared his own affliction to the ease and luxury of the wicked, he was tempted to think that it was all a waste. What is the point of trusting God and walking in his ways if the righteous suffer while the wicked prosper? 

Envy may creep in slowly, but it is extremely dangerous to the soul. Many have fallen into unbelief and harbored hard and bitter thoughts toward God while trying to make sense of such perplexing puzzles in life. But such a disastrous fall can be avoided.

The Sanctuary of God

We had a hint of hope at the beginning when Asaph said, “My feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped” (Psalm 73: 2). What was it that kept him from ultimately falling? The turning point in the psalm occurs in verses 16 and 17. 

“But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end.”
—Psalm 73:16–17

Perplexing issues can be exhausting. When we are overwhelmed by problems above our pay grade and occupied with questions beyond our comprehension, we can quickly find ourselves drained, anxious, paralyzed, or embittered.

But everything changed when the psalmist went into the sanctuary of God. On his own, he could not make sense of it and his feet nearly slipped. But in the presence of God, trusting and relying on God’s Word, he began to see clearly. Nothing changed out there in the world, but everything changed inside Asaph’s own heart. 

Before the psalm sheds light on the answer to this particular problem, it instructs us where we are to go with all of our headaches and heartaches. When nothing makes sense to you and you are losing your footing, seek the Lord. Turn to his Word. Sit in his presence. There are countless tragedies and trials in life that leave us unable to understand and overwhelmed in our pain. The presence of God is the only place our hearts and minds will find comfort and rest.

The End of the Wicked

It was in the sanctuary of God that the psalmist discerned the ultimate end of the wicked. They may look plump and proud now, but, “Truly you set them in slippery places; you make them fall to ruin. How they are destroyed in a moment, swept away utterly by terrors!” (Psalm 73:18–19). And, “Behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you” (Psalm 73:27). 

The wicked may prosper in the present, but they will perish forever. While they are storing up all the pleasures and treasures of the world, they are also storing up God’s wrath against their ingratitude and idolatry. It might look like God is letting them get away with evil today, but the day of judgment is coming. And when the psalmist remembers that, he no longer envies the wicked.

The Portion of the Righteous

But there’s even better news than the simple fact that the wicked will perish. As the psalmist considers their end, his own heart turns to a superior satisfaction as he remembers the promises of God to his people. 

“Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory.”
—Psalm 73:23–24

True, the wicked are rich and powerful and the righteous are afflicted. So has it all been a waste? Not at all. The psalmist acknowledges that God’s Word guides him in the way of life with wisdom and truth. And through the eyes of faith he sees his own future: “Afterward you will receive me to glory” (Psalm 73:24b).

This is where the heart-change occurs. No longer is he envious of the wicked, but all of his desire is aimed at God himself, the greatest treasure of all. 

“Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”
—Psalm 73:25–26

When God himself becomes the psalmist's greatest desire, the success of the wicked looks miserable and the riches of earth appear worthless. Anticipating by faith that we will enjoy God in glory forever is the truth that sustains us through light and momentary afflictions in the present. There is no one left to envy and nothing left wanting when God is our greatest good.