Good Things Happen to Bad People
The book of Job teaches us that bad things sometimes happen to good people; that is part of God’s plan to test and refine the righteous. There is another lesson of the book of Job that many overlook, and that is that good things sometimes happen to bad people.
Job’s friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, argued that only good things happen to good people and only bad things happen to bad people. Job rejected these premises and argued for the opposite. First, he argued that bad things happen to good people, and that he, Job, was in that situation. Second, he argued that sometimes good things happen to bad people, and some of them even thrive in this life. This is Job’s argument in Job 21:7-12.
Why do the wicked live and become old, Yes, become mighty in power? Their descendants are established with them in their sight, And their offspring before their eyes. Their houses are safe from fear, Neither is the rod of God upon them. Their bull breeds without failure; Their cow calves without miscarriage. They send forth their little ones like a flock, And their children dance. They sing to the tambourine and harp, And rejoice to the sound of the flute. They spend their days in wealth, And in a moment go down to the grave.
The point that we need to take away from this is that good things happening in someone’s life is not evidence of God’s approval, favor, or grace. So many today will say, “Look at all of the good things that have happened in my life. God must “love” me!” That is a false argument because sometimes good things happen to bad people. How do we know God loves us or that we are right or wrong? We must get that information from the Bible, not from personal testimony.
God bless you, and I love you.
Kevin Cauley