Psalm 10: The Riches of His Glory

Why does God allow wicked people who reject him to prosper in their evil ways? Can't God wipe those evil people from the earth and bring judgment upon them?

I think the above two questions come to mind when reading psalm 10. The answers to those questions reveal great truths about God's plan.

First lets establish a few principles.
1. God is Sovereign. (He is in control of everything)
2. In all things God is at work for the good of those who love him.
3. In all things God works for his own glory.

By combining these three principles we can come to some powerful conclusions. By combining principles 2 & 3, we know that it is for our good as Christians that God be glorified. This conclusion is true because it says in Romans 8:17 "Now if we are children, then we are heirs- heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." God's glory is in the best interest of believers in Christ because we will one day share in his glory!

Now lets combine principles 1 & 3. We know that God is Sovereign and that he works in all things for his own glory. So how does this fit in with our initial questions? How is it for God's glory that the wicked people who have rejected him are currently prospering in our world today? Lets look at Romans 9:22-23 to shed some light on this. "What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath prepared for destruction? What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory." These verses distinguish two categories of people on the Day of judgment: the objects of his wrath (those who have rejected Christ), and the objects of his mercy (those who have received salvation through the blood of Christ). Right now God is having great patience with the objects of his wrath. Why is he doing this? One reason is because he takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked and he desires that the wicked turn from their evil ways and live. Another reason is given in the above verses from Romans 9, "to show his wrath and make his power known". For those who continue to reject Christ, there will come a day when God's wrath is poured out on them and God will make his power known to everyone. Verse 23 of Romans 9 further explains the significance of this, "to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy."

Imagine the day when you are standing before the Lord and completely by his grace you are allowed to enter the kingdom of heaven. You are allowed to enter because you put your faith and trust in Christ who sacrificed himself for your sins. You know that it is by grace that he worked in your sinful heart and transformed you so you would believe in him. Now imagine that after you have entered the kingdom of God completely by grace, that you are now witnessing the judgment of those who have rejected the Lord. You will witness firsthand the wrath of God being poured out and you will realize that should have been you. You deserved that wrath because of your sins, but Christ saved you from it. Your heart will be filled with praise for God. "The riches of his glory" will be made known to you as you see the destruction that God spared you from. Praise the Lord for he has saved us! The ultimate result will be that the objects of God's mercy will have a greater appreciation for Christ's redemptive work. So next time you start to wonder why God is currently allowing the wicked to prosper, just remember that God has a perfect plan and he knows what he is doing.

"The Lord is King for ever and ever..." Psalm 10:16

Bryan