in Jeremiah, chapter twelve, verses one through four, is Jeremiah’s prayer. “Righteous art thou, O LORD, when I plead with thee: yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments: Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously? Thou hast planted them, yea, they have taken root: they grow, yea, they bring forth fruit: thou art near in their mouth, and far from their reins. But thou, O LORD, knowest me: thou hast seen me, and tried mine heart toward thee: pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and prepare them for the day of slaughter. How long shall the land mourn, and the herbs of every field wither, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein? the beasts are consumed, and the birds; because they said, He shall not see our last end.”
Jeremiah contrasted his own suffering with the prosperity of the wicked. He was confused by the delay of God’s judgment on such people. Coming to grips with the material success of the wicked was a recurring problem for Old Testament saints, for they thought mainly in terms of temporal rewards and punishments. More examples are Job twenty-one, verses seven to fifteen, Psalm ten, Psalm thirty-seven, Psalm seventy-three, Psalm ninety-four, Habakkuk one, verses five to thirteen, and Malachi three, verse fifteen, respectively.
Today, there are saints that experience a similar situation among the wicked that they familiar with and reach out to God about their problem involving them when they encounter. Why are these ungodly people are able to behave in such a manner? Especially when they attempt to hinder the godly and believe they can do what they want when they want without receiving any punishment. God knows the wicked and does things in His time.