God’s Justice Will Prevail
Yael Eckstein | September 23, 2022
Evil people do not understand justice,
But those who seek the LORD understand everything. —Proverbs 28:5 (NASB)
We continue with devotional thoughts from the Book of Proverbs every Friday. One of the 11 books in the Torah known as the Ketuvim, Hebrew for “writings,” Proverbs is part of the “wisdom tradition,” which also includes Job and Ecclesiastes.
One of the most difficult questions that bothers many people, even people of strong faith, is the question of God’s justice in this world. When we see evil flourishing and succeeding, or when we see the innocent and righteous suffering, it’s hard not to wonder why. Bottom line — we just don’t know God’s plan. We just don’t see the big picture.
But as true as it is that we don’t understand God’s reasons, when we take a long-range view of history, things really do become clearer. For example, think of how many evil regimes — empires that looked so powerful that you would think they would never fall — have come and gone. In the long term, the wicked all eventually face God’s judgment.
Did you ever wonder why the wicked themselves don’t learn this lesson? Do they not read history? Do they not realize that God’s plan will always prevail? The answer is pretty simple. They don’t. People who reject faith in God also reject His providence and judgment. They look at history and think, “That was then. For me, things will end differently.”
God’s Justice Will Prevail
We see this lesson in Proverbs as we read, “Evil people do not understand justice, but those who seek the LORD understand everything.” Evil people do not understand justice? Why not? What does this verse mean?
“Justice” in this verse refers to God’s justice. Evil people reject the idea that anything is objectively good or evil. They see only their own desires and do not believe in any higher power that will hold them accountable. They simply do not understand that God governs the world justly. It may take years, or even centuries, but ultimately God’s justice will prevail. It always does; it always will.
But as the verse goes on to say, for those who have faith, everything makes sense. Everything that happens on this earth is understood as part of a larger plan, leading ultimately to the kingdom of God. So even when things look dark, when the wicked appear to be prospering, we must never lose heart. Our faith perspective teaches us to take the long view. As history shows, God’s justice will be done and the faithful will prevail.
Your Turn:
Take some prayer time today to tell God that you trust His plan for your life, and for the world.