Why Do the Wicked Prosper?

I was about to finish up chapter five of Jeremiah when something caught my eye. Maybe it was because I have been feeling somewhat overwhelmed lately by all the corruption in government. The news stories I've been hearing left me asking the age-old question, "Why do the wicked prosper?"

So I asked the Lord that question, and he immediately showed me the verses below and a few more verses that have made me realize that while those in powerful positions think they can get away with anything, they really can't. Ultimately, they all will answer to God one day.

In my last post about Jeremiah, I discovered what God had to say about religious leaders who taught false doctrines and practised deceit. But the Lord wanted to answer my question about the wicked in government before I moved on, and this is what He showed me:

‘For wicked men are found among My people,
They watch like fowlers lying in wait;
They set a trap,
They catch men.
‘Like a cage full of birds,
So their houses are full of deceit;
Therefore they have become great and rich.
 ‘They are fat, they are sleek,
They also excel in deeds of wickedness;
They do not plead the cause,
The cause of the orphan, that they may prosper;
And they do not defend the rights of the poor.
‘Shall I not punish these people?’ declares the Lord,
‘On a nation such as this
Shall I not avenge Myself?’
Jeremiah 5:26-29, NKJV

When it came time for the Israelites to be punished and taken into captivity by King Nebuchadnezzar, it is clear who was actually being punished. It wasn't the poor, the weak or those who could not defend themselves. It was those who had the power to make a change, to lead the people - the rich, the powerful (those in government), the priests and the prophets. As 2 Kings 24:14 indicates, only the poor were left in the land after Nebuchadnezzar invaded. So the land was cleansed of the wicked.

I could write story after story about the levels of government corruption that take place all over the world today. Those in positions of power, who can do right by the people they govern, have continually abused that power. They have no fear of God, and like the verses above suggest, "they excel in deeds of wickedness."

As the days draw closer for Jesus' return, those who currently hold government leadership positions will have much to answer for. They may not realize it yet, but their time is coming. God affirms this in Psalm 37, and He reminds us not to fret about wicked people. Jesus encouraged us to pray for them, so we should since it is evident that the Lord will punish them.

The wicked plots against the righteous
And gnashes at him with his teeth.
The Lord laughs at him,
For He sees his day is coming.
Psalm 37:12-13

But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
He is their strength in time of trouble.
The Lord helps them and delivers them;
He delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
Because they take refuge in Him.
Psalm 37:39-40

 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,  so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
Matthew 5:43-45