Job CCXXXVI

 There is one truth Job hits upon that is worth exploring beyond surface level, and that is one of the hallmarks of the wicked being an all-encompassing obsession with self, the moment, their success, and wellbeing, while treating everyone around them, whether friends, family, or their own progeny, with utter disregard.

Were the wicked to hear that God lays up one’s iniquity for his children, their reaction would be a shoulder shrug, an eye roll, and likely an offhand, “what do I care what happens after I’m gone?”

This is what Job means when he asks, what does the wicked care about his household after him? They are the center of their own universe, and if they are no more, then nothing that happens from the moment they breathe their last matters to them in the least.

This mindset isn’t narcissism, as some misdiagnose the malady, because narcissism has more to do with the excessive admiration of oneself, especially one’s physical appearance. If you’ve ever walked by someone who’s been staring at themselves in the mirror for the better part of five minutes, admiring every angle, puckering their lips, sucking in their gut, while smiling approvingly, you’ve come across a narcissist.

What Job is describing when referencing the wicked goes beyond self-admiration, to the point of having a god complex. They see themselves as the masters of their universe, and every relationship they establish, every thing they do, every avenue they pursue, must be in service to them.

Seeing that some of the most wicked men of our generation were also obsessed with extending their lives, immortality, transfers of consciousness, transhumanism, and other pursuits that had them playing at being little gods, only confirms what Job iterated long before these things were technologically feasible, or theoretically probable, if not currently possible.

A narcissist is easy enough to deal with: refuse to acknowledge or validate their self-image or self-importance, and they’ll slink off in a huff, insisting that it’s your loss for failing to see how amazing they are. If narcissism were a rare occurrence, it wouldn’t be a multi-billion-dollar business. The focus isn’t on feeling better but looking better, and those who have no desire to stand out or be admired for their looks, abs, symmetry, or full head of hair can just ignore the narcissists, give them a wide berth, and go on with their lives, unaffected and unperturbed.

A wicked man won’t leave it at that. It is beyond a wicked man’s ability to accept being denied or acknowledge that he is not a godlike figure, and his wrath will be kindled against anyone who dares to stand in his way or contradict him in any manner. A wicked man is dangerous; a narcissist not so much.

There is no thought of what he leaves behind when it comes to a wicked man. Whether it’s a good name, a legacy, children, a family, or relationships, they are a means to an end, and in and of themselves mean nothing to the wicked. So fixated is the wicked on the moment, themselves, and their pleasure that the thought of eternity doesn’t even cross their minds. They refuse to acknowledge that they have a soul, or that there is anything after it is cleaved from the flesh, and they walk the earth no more.

They tend to be in the camp of the mockers, the scoffers, and those who do not acknowledge the existence of a higher power or authority other than themselves. Because of how they view themselves, they will always look down on everyone else, even those demonstrably wiser than themselves, because in their minds, there could be no one wiser than themselves.

Just because the wicked is indifferent toward God, it does not mean God is indifferent toward the wicked.

Psalm 7:11-13, “God is a just judge, and God is angry with the wicked every day. If he does not turn back, He will sharpen His sword; He bends His bow and makes it ready. He also prepares for Himself instruments of death; He makes His arrows into fiery shafts.”

That should utterly terrify anyone who thinks God has given them a pass or does not notice their wickedness and chooses not to repent and turn back from it. They know right from wrong, good from evil, honorable from dishonorable, noble from ignoble, yet choose the wrong, evil, dishonorable, and ignoble consistently.

Romans 1:28-32, “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.”

Why are the wicked wicked? Because they choose to be. Why do wicked men do wicked things? Because it brings them momentary pleasure, or some perverse fulfillment. It’s not that they don’t know any better. It’s not that they don’t know murder is evil, or marring the innocence of the young is vile, demonic, and deserving of death; they just don’t care. They can’t be bothered, and not only do they practice such evils, but also approve of those who practice them. They surround themselves with those of like mind, with hatred of God as their uniting principle.

Whatever the sin, whatever the vice, whatever the perversion, horror, or aberrant practice, the end goal is the same: an outward manifestation of rebellion against God, a shaking of the impotent fist, a beating of the withered chest, and a feeble cry of “we are as gods” heard by no one but themselves.

If not for the pain they cause and the ruin they leave in their wake, the wicked would be pitiable for their self-aggrandizing delusions. Given what we know of the harm they’ve wrought, however, they are contemptible.

With love in Christ,

Michael Boldea, Jr.