Be careful how you read. What is the first word of our text today? It is the word “if.” This is important because this places a condition on what is said. The content of the statement does not necessarily have to be true. And in this case it is not true.
The righteous don’t necessarily get all the compensation for their life while they are alive here. Much of the reward for the righteous happens after death. Eternity, escape from punishment, exaltation with Christ; all this and more are the consequences of serving Christ fully.
The ungodly and the sinner don’t get all that is coming to them in this life either. This place is not their final destination. They just have a season pass on earth, just like us. One day their bill will come due with no possibility of payment.
I like the way The Message translates this verse. “If good people barely make it, what’s in store for the bad!” (The Message) It ties both halves of the equation together. Neither group gets what is their due here on earth. Both await a further time of judgment.
This can be a great comfort when we watch wicked people getting away with things. We want justice, and we want it now! But justice is not concluded here in this life. There is unfinished business in all of our lives.
We can also struggle when we are obedient and things move through a slow soup of difficulty. We want some relief, but it seems to escape us. And all the while an ungodly person we know seems to breeze right by, seemingly untouched by life’s difficulties.
The righteousness scales are not fully in view with the events of this life only. There are terrible injustices that happen to godly people. There are also incredible grace-filled moments in the life of an evil person. This life is not all there is.
When we stand in eternity all will clearly see that justice was served, even if in this life things seem out of whack. The righteous don’t get their due here on earth and neither do the wicked. Sin makes justice impossible in this life. But when eternity has spoken, justice will be served.
The Arnold Journey 