Why do good it seem good things always happen to 'bad' people?
Psalms 78 Psalms 73:1-8
We look around and see people living in sin, and it seems they get along better than in this world we as Christians do. We see people commit crimes crimes drug crimes, sexual crimes, cheat on their taxes etc.. without ever being caught. It often seems we make heroes of the ones living in rebellion to what is right.
So what makes a person, bad? Romans 3:10 'There is none righteous, no, not one;"
Life sometimes just doesnt seem fair. Ifs often the very best people we know who go through the worst things we can imagine. Good people suffer, they are persecuted, and hated by the world, mistreated by neighbors coworkers classmates and have problems.
2 tIM 3:12 ' IN FACT EVERYONE WHO WANTS TO LIVE A GODLY LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS WILL BE PERSECUTED'
WE LIVE IN A WORLD INFLUENCED BY SATAN
When sin entered the world at Eden, its effects passed on to all even those who hadnt sinned. Satan is powerful. Much of what happens that is bad is simply bcause we live in the world we do. God allows Satan to tempt the world. Oly a lot cant resist the temptation and its like a domino effect. If effects all partys. Troubles can cause us to grow, if only good came to those who do good, we would become soft
and tenderfooted in our spiritual lives. Remember the ole saying Health, Wealth, and Prosperity... its false!!
GOOD COMES ON BAD FOLKS BECAUSE GOD DOESNT SETTLE HIS ACCOUNTS ON OUR TIME, BUT HIS
Psalms 78
David draws a picture of the wicked, which caused him to be envious of them in their prosperity and arrogance
vs 4 no pains in their death and their body is fat
vs 5 no trouble as other men nor are they plaged like mankind
vs 8 they mock and wickedly speak of oppression; they speak from on high
vs 12 they are always at ease they have increased wealth
vs 13 to David, it seemed that he had kept his heart pure, in vain
vs 16-17 when he pondered all this it troubled him ' until he came into the sanctuary of God; then he perceived their end'
vs 18 surely, God has set them in a slippery place
Imagine what would happen if every time someone shoplifted they were caught and had their hand cutoff?
What would happen if those who manufacture drugs if every time they made drugs to sell, they were caught and put into hard labor for say 30 years?
God wants people to change their lives and come to HIM. But, He does not want folks to give their lives to HIM only out of fear of Hell.
-Romans 2:5 NIV ' but, because of your stubborness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of Gods wrath, when His righteous judgement will be revealed."
Lets look at Proverbs 16:4 "The Lord has made everything for its own purpose, even the wicked for the day of evil"
2 TIMothy 3:13 "but evil men and imposters will proceed from bad to worse, decieving and being decieved"
Just looking at the world around us, the state of people, all the crisis God is not surprised, its no unexpected emergency. GOd created even the wicked.
GOOD THINGS HAPPEN TO BAD PEOPLE TO SHOW GODS LOVE FOR ALL
Matthew 5:43-48 (NIV) ' you have heard that is was said ' love your neighbor and hate your enemy' but I tell you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet, only your brothers what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect."
We are challenged to love our neighbor as our self, challenged to love our enemies, bless those who curse us and pray for those who spitefully use us and persecute us. If we do only good to those who are good, we miss the Lord. Even tax collectors are good to those who are good to them and greet those who greet them (vs45)
we are to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect, by loving even the sinner, the unloveable. (vs 48)
In doing good, even to the wicked God is giving them a witness that it might turn them to Him, in time.
Acts 17:24-28 "the God who made the world and everything in it, is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in the temples built by hands. As he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Because He himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From on man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for HIm and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us' For in Him we live move and have our being.
SATAN BRINGS GOOD THINGS TO BAD PEOPLE TO KEEP THEM IN SIN
By giving good things to bad people in convices them to trust their riches.
Read Luke 12:13-21
vs 15 get to thinking that life consist in the abundance of things we have or posessions. Thought he could satisfy the sould with what he had, thus Satan claimed his soul and he lived like a foul. Satan brings temporary pleasure in sin, and leads us to think it will last forever.
Hebrews 11:24-25 ' by faith Moses when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharoahs daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than enjoy the pleasure of sin for a short time.
People are living in immortality all around us. I am sure Satan is just thrilled with these attitudes, The world is paying a heavy price.
Romans 6:23 ' for the wages of sin in death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord"
SOMETIMES WHAT SEEMS GOOD TO THOSE LOOKING IN, MAY NOT BE
prosperity money riches, can cause some to envy, and become a source of pain rather than pleasure it is percieved to be. It is made to be a god.
The fun which evil seems to have often a place to hide from their empty hearts. BY continuing to add to the worldly pleasure, because simple joys of life are missed. Only God can see the inside of a person, Nothing can be hid from His view.
Hebrews 4:13 ' nothing in all creation is hidden from Gods sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before this eyes of Him to who we must give account' He will ultimately judge by truth, not what we think or feel.
READ PSALM 37
Isaiah 10
The prophet Isaiah is used by God to prounouce coming judgement on Judah and Jerusalem.
HEre is some background: if you look back in Isaiah 43-48 you will see that Isreal is full of pagan worship and idolatry
God is telling them that there is only one God, and its HIM
He tells them these so called 'gods' they are following are no gods at all, they are merely wood, worth nothing more than making a fire.
The northern kingdom of Isreal has already been through judgement. THe Assyrains came in an took over took all the Jews up there, never to return again.
Isaiah 10:5-7 ' woe to Assyria, the rod of my anger and the staff in whose hand is my indignation. I sent it against a godless nation and commision it against the people of my fury to capture booty and to seize plunder and to trample them down like mud in the streets. Yet it does not so intend, nor does it plan so in its heart, but rather it is its purpose to destroy and cut off many nations'
The language used here is very graphic, and strong. Look at those first words: "Woe to Assyria"
-this is a proclimation of judgement against Assyria. Woe means condemnation, destructions, damnation. God is prounouncing a curse on Assyria but, at the same time he prounounces the curst he defines Assyria as the rod of HIs anger.
So what is going on here? God says Assyria is my instrument of judgement against the people of my fury, a godless nation, meaning Judah and Jerusalem, the Jews. "He commisions" which means to act as a destroyer, to go into the land, the holy land, seize and plunder trample them down like mud. Assyria didnt believe in Jehovah God, they thought the GOd of Isreal was weak they had already taken over the nations surrounding where they were, there was nowhere else to take over except Judah and Jerussalem. THey seen the God of Isreal as weak more so than the other nations they have conquered because they have taken over the northern part of the nation. Assyria, was under Gods divine decree. GOds soverign hand. God grabs Assyria by the neck and says " you will be in my hand in the instrument of destruction" This was not the will of Assyria, not their nmotivation. Assyria had no intention of working for Jehovah God, they didnt even believe in this God. From Assyrias standpoint they are motivated by 1 thing,not helping God but for their own hunger for power, greed, and evil. So here, Assyria they are going to be an instrument of God, used to accomplish the will of GOd and they dont even know it!
Read Isaiah 10:12-14
So the Assyrains have no idea they are an instrument of GOd, they thought of themselves as conquerer and God makes it clear there was nothing to boat about. "for it was MY HAND THAT REACHED INTO THE RICHES OF THE PEOPLE, LIKE A NEST AS ON GATHERS ABANDONED EGGS, I GATHERED ALL THE EARTH AND THERE WAS NOT EVEN ONE WHO SAW IT COMING"
WOW!! GOd said he wouldnt allow that kind of pride, for it wasnt them at all. GOd used them, soverignly did the work so silently no one even seen it coming. Assyria was used as an instrument of God under divine soverign control doing what God ordained to be done, on the other hand fully capable fully guilty and to be judged for they acts they did.
God turned around and gave judgement for the works they did.
Isnt it awesome to know, that our God is so big, mighty powerful and soverign that he can even use the hands of the wicked to bring glory! God can use everyone everytime he so desires, because He is GOD. All powerful. All mighty. And able to do it silently.
GOd can be uses us, HIs children to bring glory back to Him. We are to make disciples. We need to understand that God is God. He can use one and all for His glory. Who is he putting in your footsteps to witness to? Is God using a situation you are affilitated with?
