Are the bad guys winning?Are the bad guys winning?

““He destroys both the blameless He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.”and the wicked.”

“He mocks the despair “He mocks the despair of the innocent.”of the innocent.”

Job 9: 21-24

““Does it please you Does it please you to oppress me …to oppress me …

while you smile on the while you smile on the schemes of the wicked?”schemes of the wicked?”

Job 10: 3

““Why do the wicked live on?”Why do the wicked live on?”

Job 21: 1-15

Children, safety, wealthy, singing, merry, peaceful

we are getting we are getting what we deserve – what we deserve –

“But this man has done “But this man has done nothing wrong.”nothing wrong.”

Luke 23: 39-41

““Yet I would speak to you Yet I would speak to you about your justice:”about your justice:”

Jeremiah 12: 1-4

Righteous men who get Righteous men who get what the wicked deserve what the wicked deserve & wicked men who get & wicked men who get

what the righteous deservewhat the righteous deserve

Ecclesiastes 8: 14

““O Lord, O Lord, how longhow long will you look on?” will you look on?”

““How longHow long will the enemy mock you, will the enemy mock you, O God?”O God?”

““How longHow long will you defend will you defend the unjust?”the unjust?”

Psalm 35: 15-17Psalm 74: 10, 22Psalm 82: 2-4, 8

““How longHow long, Sovereign Lord, , Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth the inhabitants of the earth

and avenge our blood?”and avenge our blood?”

Revelation 6: 9-10

““Rise up, Rise up, O Judge of the O Judge of the earth; pay back to the proud earth; pay back to the proud

what they deserve.”what they deserve.”

Psalm 94: 1-7

““When I tried to When I tried to understand all this, understand all this,

it was oppressive to meit was oppressive to metill I entered the sanctuary till I entered the sanctuary

of God...”of God...”

Psalm 73

““When I tried When I tried to understand all this, to understand all this,

it was oppressive to meit was oppressive to metill I entered till I entered

the sanctuary of God; the sanctuary of God; then I understood…”then I understood…”

Psalm 73

““When I tried When I tried to understand all this, to understand all this,

it was oppressive to meit was oppressive to metill I entered till I entered

the sanctuary of God; the sanctuary of God; then I understood then I understood their final destiny.”their final destiny.”

Psalm 73

Grieved heartGrieved heartEmbittered spiritEmbittered spirit

==senselesssenselessignorantignorant

brute beastbrute beast

Psalm 73: 21-22

““Does it please you Does it please you to oppress me …to oppress me …

while you smile on the while you smile on the schemes of the wicked?”schemes of the wicked?”

Job 10: 3

““Where wereWhere wereyouyou when I laid when I laid the foundations the foundations of the earth?”of the earth?”

““Where wereWhere wereyouyou when I laid when I laid the foundations the foundations of the earth?”of the earth?”

Job 38: 1-4

““Will the one who contends Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct with the Almighty correct

Him?”Him?”

““Will the one who contends Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct with the Almighty correct

Him?”Him?”

Job 40: 1-2

““I am unworthy”I am unworthy”“I will say no more”“I will say no more”

Job 40: 3-5

““Would Would youyou discredit discredit MyMy justice? justice?

Would Would youyou condemn condemn MeMe to justify to justify yourself yourself ?”?”

““Would Would youyou discredit discredit MyMy justice? justice?

Would Would youyou condemn condemn MeMe to justify to justify yourself yourself ?”?”

Job 40: 6-8

““I spoke of things I spoke of things I did not understand”I did not understand”

“I despise myself”“I despise myself”

“I repent”“I repent”Job 42: 1-6

senselesssenselessignorantignorantbrute beastbrute beast

““Whom have I in heaven Whom have I in heaven but you? but you?

And earth has nothing I desire And earth has nothing I desire besides you.”besides you.”

Psalm 73: 21-26

““Those who are far from you Those who are far from you will perish.”will perish.”

“But as for me, “But as for me,

it is good to be near God.”it is good to be near God.”

Psalm 73: 27-28

““For I envied the arrogant For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity when I saw the prosperity

of the wicked.”of the wicked.”Psalm 73: 3

““Do not fret because of evil Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those men or be envious of those

who do wrong.”who do wrong.”Psalm 37: 1

Trust, delight in the LTrust, delight in the LORDORD

commit to the Lcommit to the LORDORD be still before the Lbe still before the LORDORD

wait for the Lwait for the LORDORD

Psalm 37

““But as for me, But as for me, it is good to be near God.”it is good to be near God.”

Wicked will perishWicked will perishwicked will be no morewicked will be no more

Lord will not forsake Lord will not forsake His faithful onesHis faithful ones

Wait for the Wait for the LLORDORD – He will exalt you – He will exalt you

Psalm 37

“…“…and afterward and afterward You will take me into glory.”You will take me into glory.”

““What is that to you. What is that to you. You follow Me.”You follow Me.”

John 21: 22

““Let us not become weary Let us not become weary in doing good, in doing good,

for for at the proper timeat the proper time...”...”Galatians 6: 9-10

“…“…never tire of doing never tire of doing what is right.”what is right.”

II Thessalonians 3: 13

In all humility…In all humility…

““Why should any living man Why should any living man complain when punished complain when punished

for his sins?”for his sins?”

Lamentations 3: 39

In all humility…In all humility…

““Because of the LBecause of the LORDORD’s great ’s great love we are love we are notnot consumed…” consumed…”

Lamentations 3: 22-26

In all humility…In all humility…

““God does not treat us God does not treat us as our sins deserve.”as our sins deserve.”

Psalms 103: 8-12

““He causes His sun to rise He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, on the evil and the good,

and sends rain on the righteous and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”and the unrighteous.”

Matthew 5: 45

The rain & the sun The rain & the sun come upon all come upon all

& & God’s scandalous grace God’s scandalous grace

has especially has especially come upon mecome upon me

Matthew 20: 1-16Luke 15: 11-32

God works toward eternityGod works toward eternity

so should weso should we

II Peter 3: 8-9

God will pay backGod will pay back

II Peter 2: 1-9Isaiah 3: 10-11

God is God is just;just;He will pay back…He will pay back…

…in a little while…in a little while

II Thessalonians 1

1) We are all sinners – we are all wicked. 1) We are all sinners – we are all wicked. Yet, we do not get what we deserveYet, we do not get what we deserve

2) Good things & bad things happen to 2) Good things & bad things happen to good people & bad people. good people & bad people. God’s scandalous grace works over all.God’s scandalous grace works over all.

3) God is working toward eternity – 3) God is working toward eternity – wishing that none should perish. wishing that none should perish. This should be our perspective This should be our perspective and our wish also.and our wish also.

The greatest injustice of allThe greatest injustice of all

Romans 5:8

While I was still a sinner…

From the earthly, temporary From the earthly, temporary question, “Why?”question, “Why?”

To the eternal question, To the eternal question, “To what end?”“To what end?”

“Where is God When It Hurts?”Philip Yancey

““For whatever reason God chose to For whatever reason God chose to make man as he is—limited and make man as he is—limited and

suffering and subject to sorrows and suffering and subject to sorrows and death—He had the honesty and the death—He had the honesty and the courage to take His own medicine. courage to take His own medicine. Whatever game He is playing with Whatever game He is playing with His creation, He has kept His own His creation, He has kept His own

rules and played fair.” rules and played fair.”

““He can exact nothing from man that He can exact nothing from man that He has not exacted from Himself. He has not exacted from Himself. He has Himself gone through the He has Himself gone through the whole of human experience, from whole of human experience, from

the trivial irritations of family life and the trivial irritations of family life and the cramping restrictions of hard the cramping restrictions of hard

work and lack of money to the worst work and lack of money to the worst horrors of pain and humiliation, horrors of pain and humiliation,

defeat, despair, and death.”defeat, despair, and death.”

““When He was a man, When He was a man, He played the man. He played the man.

He was born in poverty He was born in poverty and died in disgrace and died in disgrace

and thought it well worthwhile.” and thought it well worthwhile.”

Dorothy Sayers