For I Was Envious of the Arrogant, When I Saw the Prosperity of the Wicked

For I Was Envious of the Arrogant, When I Saw the Prosperity of the Wicked

By Pinnacle Message

Opening Narration

The psalmist Asaph once looked upon the world and his heart stumbled. The wicked seemed to flourish—wealth filling their homes, laughter spilling from their lips, their steps untouched by trouble. In their arrogance, they mocked God, yet their lives appeared gilded with ease. Asaph, a man of worship, felt the weight of envy pressing against his faith. He confessed in Psalm 73:3 — “For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.”

We have all been there—scrolling through life’s parade, noticing how those who defy God sometimes appear to win, while those who cling to His Word wrestle with trials. This is not just Asaph’s struggle—it is a mirror to our own hearts.

Exposition & Scriptural Foundation

Here are seven verses that frame this reality and God’s answer:

1. Psalm 73:3 – For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

2. Jeremiah 12:1 – Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all who are treacherous thrive?

3. Job 21:7 – Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power?

4. Proverbs 23:17-18 – Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the LORD. There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.

5. Psalm 37:7 – Do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.

6. Galatians 6:7 – Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.

7. Ecclesiastes 8:12-13 – Although a wicked person who commits a hundred crimes may live a long time, I know that it will go better with those who fear God.

Interpretation & Preaching

The psalmist’s confession is a spiritual reality: envy often begins when our eyes are fixed on now instead of eternity. The prosperity of the wicked is temporary, like a shimmering mirage that disappears when the desert heat shifts. God does not measure success the way we do.

Asaph’s turning point comes later in the psalm, when he enters the sanctuary of God and discerns their end (Psalm 73:17). The wicked may seem secure, but they stand on slippery ground. Their apparent comfort is not a blessing—it is a delay of judgment. For the believer, the presence of God is our inheritance, and that joy outweighs any earthly gain.

The believer learns that our stability is not found in comparing our path with others, but in anchoring our hearts in God’s truth. Envy fades when we trust His justice, timing, and promises.

What Can a Believer Learn from This Passage?

1. God’s justice may be delayed, but it is never absent.

2. Our true wealth is spiritual, not material.

3. Envy blinds us to the blessings we already have.

4. Faith requires us to walk by trust, not by sight.

5. The prosperity of the wicked is fleeting; the inheritance of the righteous is eternal.

6. The presence of God is greater than any worldly reward.

7. Eternal perspective dissolves temporal envy.

The Poetry of the Passage

This verse is not merely a statement—it is a confession draped in poetic tension. The rhythm moves from the pang of envy to the awakening of spiritual sight:

I saw the glitter of the godless,
And my heart leaned toward their shine.
Yet when I stepped into Your courts, O Lord,
I saw the gold was only dust,
And the dust could not breathe life.

The poetry lies in the shift of vision—from the shallow sparkle of sin to the deep, everlasting glow of God’s presence. It is the song of a soul that almost slipped, yet found its footing in the sanctuary.