When Things Seem Unfair
Eternity Online: John Edmiston (Editor)
Eternity-Inspiration for Thursday 11th December 1997
When Things Seem Unfair
(Ecclesiastes 8:14-17 NIV) There is something else meaningless that
occurs on earth: righteous men who get what the wicked deserve, and
wicked men who get what the righteous deserve. This too, I say, is
meaningless. {15} So I commend the enjoyment of life, because nothing
is better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad.
Then joy will accompany him in his work all the days of the life God
has given him under the sun. {16} When I applied my mind to know
wisdom and to observe man's labour on earth--his eyes not seeing sleep
day or night-- {17} then I saw all that God has done. No one can
comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all his efforts to
search it out, man cannot discover its meaning. Even if a wise man
claims he knows, he cannot really comprehend it.
Solomon seems to be saying something like "There is no obvious
justice in life. Its all pointless - so just be happy and accept the
good that comes and don't try and make sense out of life. You cannot
do that because the Universe is inscrutable and you are
meaningless". On the small scale, at the individual level where you
and I live life often seems unfair, unjust and meaningless. Wicked
men seem to grow richer and richer while we remain poor. From a
purely human level "being good" seems farcical and foolish. This is
a common but erroneous observation. It leaves out "the eternal
perspective". When we feel like that it is very unwise to let this
observation cut deeply into us. Psalms 37 and 73 are among my
favourites because the address this problem so well. Lets look at
the second of those psalms.
(Psalms 73:1-26 NIV) A psalm of Asaph. Surely God is good to Israel,
to those who are pure in heart. {2} But as for me, my feet had almost
slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. {3} For I envied the arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.... {12} This is what the
wicked are like-- always carefree, they increase in wealth. {13}
Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my
hands in innocence.... {16} When I tried to understand
all this, it was oppressive to me {17} till I entered the sanctuary
of God; then I understood their final destiny. {18} Surely you place
them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin... O Lord, you
will despise them as fantasies. {21} When my heart was grieved and my
spirit embittered, {22} I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute
beast before you....{25} Whom have I in heaven but you? And
earth has nothing I desire besides you. {26} My flesh and my heart
may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion
forever...
The godly psalmist is tormented by the prosperity of the wicked and
his own inability to prosper. On the material level it seemed that it
was "in vain have I kept my heart pure". This bitterness ate into him
and threatened the stability of his walk with God "my feet had
almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold" and churned him up
inwardly to the point where he was losing all spiritual sensitivity
"When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, {22} I was
senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you..." he was
losing his perspective on life. It seems a visit to the temple
started turning him back to God (how often that happens to us - that
vital sermon at the right moment). "till I entered the sanctuary
of God; then I understood their final destiny. {18} Surely you place
them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin"
The rule we discussed two days ago now still holds. The wicked are
punished, perhaps not in this life, but they are punished. God's
holiness and glory demands it. When we go into God's presence we
intuitively know that wicked people cannot dwell there but that we
(by grace) belong there as His children.
In the end the Psalmist gets his perspective restored and realises
how precious God is and that is one thing that the wicked can never
have. They may have money but they do not have the Lord. "Whom have
I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. {26}
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever... "
If you are going through a patch of "envying the prosperity of the
wicked" go and read Psalms 73 right through and have a bit of a
confession session with God and get back on talking terms with Him.
You really don't need the "root of bitterness" that can grow up.
While you are there please pray for the future of the magazine -
thank you.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus we look at life from the perspective of grasshoppers and
we see only our little patch of grass and our little bit of peace and
prosperity. Lord may this not distort us too much, may we still trust
You and never distrust Your goodness, Your love or Your power. You
are faithful and we will be rewarded. Do not defer our hopes Lord but
bring them to fruition soon so that there may be a distinction
between the righteous and the wicked. Amen.
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John Edmiston ([email protected])
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