The Value of Evil Men

Aim: To be thankful to God for His sovereign work—even in employing wickedness (for our good).

Doctrine: God's saints need evil men, in order to grow. This is because the Lord always employs means, and these are not always pleasant.

Exegesis: God's uses of evil men, in the churchman's life: faith is required, to endure the ''prosperity'' of the wicked (vv. 1-2); love is engendered, at the Lord's righteous dealings with sin (vv. 3-4); hope for perseverance is developed, against the backdrop of difficulty (vv. 5-6).

Further application: The saint's proper responses to the existence of evil men: gratitude to God, that He supplies tools for my sanctification; and humility, realizing that I also am lost outside of Jesus.

Key verse: v. 1 ''Righteous are you, O LORD, when I complain to you; yet I would plead my case before you. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all who are treacherous thrive?''