The LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done what was evil in the sight of the LORD. Judges 3:12
I often write about the painful consequences that stem directly from my self-destructive behavior. This, according to the Bible (Galatians 6:7-8), is the way God made the world to work. If I’m a physician using my license to divert opioids, I’m going to inflict misery upon myself as I put my job and career in jeopardy. If I indulge in my appetite for the unhealthy, I’m going to make myself unhealthy. As a Christian, I may be saved, forgiven, and bound for heaven, but here on Earth, there is still a law of cause and effect.
It has vexed me though at times, to see those who indulge in their self-destructive nature without ever encountering any obvious consequence – those who seem to be living by their own rules and getting away with it. I’ve always been frustrated by that guy who can eat whatever he wants and never gain a pound. It can be a little maddening to feel like I’m living by a set of rules that God doesn’t apply to everyone.
Today’s passage provides some insight into God’s nature when it comes to this question. In the story, the Israelites wandered from God, worshipped foreign idols, and provoked him to anger. In his wrath, God strengthened Israel’s enemies, the Moabites, who subjugated God’s people for 18 years. During that time, the Israelites had to wonder why God would allow an evil people – the Moabites – to prosper over them. If God punished Israel for idol worship, why did the Moabites seem to be rewarded for it? God had his own plan though. In their distress, God’s people eventually did return to him, at which time God raised up Ehud who killed the Moabite king and set his people free. Eventually the Moabite’s evil caught up with them, even though for 18 years, they seemed to prosper.
The lesson for me is that I don’t need to worry about everyone else. It does me no good to whine about how others seem to get away with self-destructive behavior for which I suffer. It’s not my job to apply God’s rules to others. It’s simply my job to daily follow God myself. God desires that I learn faith and obedience and he uses painful consequences to teach me. This is what a loving parent does (Hebrews 12:6). If, for a time, he allows someone else to get away with toxic behavior, that isn’t my business. My business, if I desire to experience the life for which God created me, is to live according to his plan, not mine.