It must not surprise us when wicked men act like wicked men. It also cannot be something that bothers us, for they will get what is coming. We can rest assured of that. We should also give thanks for the Lord’s mercy that we have not gone likewise.

Good Morning!  In family worship last night we read a story that I’m sure all y’all know well. In Genesis 39 we have Joseph fresh off the betrayal of his brothers being sold into slavery in Egypt by the Ishmeelites, who were merely the middle-men in the providential plan of the Lord. Yet what you probably remember most about that situation is the attempted seduction by Potiphar’s wife. We aren’t told her name (a quiet way that Moses judges her actions), but every bit of her conduct is deplorable. Not only does she use her position to attempt to extract sexual favors from a servant of her husband, we also see her lie about why Joseph’s garment is in her hands. After all this nonsense what happens? The one man doing right ends up in prison.

Surely no good deed goes unpunished.

In today’s prayer and worship help we are going to think through a little bit about why those who do what the Lord requires often suffer, while those who do evil end up seemingly blessed for their efforts. Looking into that kind of thing of course is nothing new. It was a common lament of the Psalmist and other folks in the Bible. In Psalm 73 Asaph says, “For I was envious of the boastful, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” and Jeremiah likewise calls out to the Lord in his distress, “Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all who are treacherous thrive?” In each of these cases faithful men are drawn to the apparent incongruity of the situation. Asaph is a Levite charged by David to be a singer in the Temple and is likely referring to the rebellion of Absalom and the civil disruptions caused by those events.  Jeremiah is a prophet of the Lord sent to warn Judah of falling into the same trap as their Northern sister, to no avail. For someone like Asaph who is concerned about the worship of God to see the duplicity of Absalom and his compatriots and to know his friend and king David is out on the run because of it must have caused him some serious heartburn. Yet after this he reminds himself, and us, about the truth.

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