A Reward for the Righteous

by Bertrand L. Comparet

From the beginning of history, man has been troubled by the injustices of this age. We are reminded every day of the unpleasant fact that the wicked prosper greatly, while the good must work twice as hard to get half as much. In the 21st chapter, Job bitterly asked, “Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty, in power?” In the 73rd. Psalm, Asaph says: “I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. Their eyes standout with fatness: they have more than heart could wish.” In the 37th Psalm, David says: I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree." [Job 21:7 Psalm 73:3 ,5 ,7 Psalm 37:35] .

Accustomed to only see things within the small framework of this short lifetime, men wonder why this can be. The reason, of course, is to teach us the bitter lesson that there cannot be any coexistence between good and evil, one must necessarily destroy the other. We hate to believe this, partly because we are too lazy to do the job of putting down evil and partly because we are by nature too easy going and too tolerant. We must learn the hard way that tolerance is no virtue unless it is mutual, you can’t tolerate a cancer.

The Bible makes it clear that these few years of prosperity and power are all the wicked will ever get, after that nothing. Psalm 17:14 speaks of, “Men of the world, which have their portion in this life, whose belly Thou fillest with Thy hid treasure; they are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes.” But after that, what?

Psalm 49:16-20 reminds us, “Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased; for when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him. Though while he lived he blessed his soul (and men will praise thee when thou doest well to thyself), he shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light, man that is in honor and understandeth not is like the beasts that perish.”

In the judgment, the worst of these go back where they came from and can never come back to trouble you. In the King James Bible we read in Psalm 9:17, “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations which forget Yahweh.” In the Hebrew that verse reads, “The wicked shall be returned into hell.” This may give you some idea why they act as they do.

We must learn that evil is not a thing in itself, something which can be prohibited or regulated by itself. It is the actions of evil people, as long as they do exist, they will be what they are. They will act as their inherent nature urges them to act. You can’t get freedom from crime by letting all the habitual criminals run loose. Meanwhile you futilely tell them, thou shalt not, you can only restrain their conduct by removing them from society.

We must also learn that Yahweh is merciful when He takes such people away. Justice for the wicked is the only possible mercy to the righteous. Yahweh makes it clear this removal of the wicked, is a necessary part of our reward. Malachi 4:1-3 says, “The day cometh that shall burn as an oven; and all the arrogant, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble; and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith Yahweh, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. But unto you that reverence My name shall the Sun of righteousness arise, with healing in his wings; And ye shall tread down the wicked: for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith Yahweh.” It could not be otherwise. If the wicked were still here, they would steal your reward before you had time to see what it was.

You might say that Yahweh sends His rain upon the just and the unjust. This is only during this present age. Even then, it has been said, “The gentle rain it falleth upon the just and the unjust fella, but mostly on the just because the unjust has just’s umbrella.” It is necessary that the wicked be destroyed, then we can have our reward.

Be not too bitter about the injustices of today, it shall not profit the wicked very long. What about your own troubles, aren’t you already through the greater part of them? What do we have to look forward to? As always, the answer is in the Bible, our good deeds will be rewarded and our troubles compensated.

Malachi 3:16-18 states, “Then they that feared Yahweh spoke often one to another; and Yahweh hearkened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared Yahweh and that thought upon His name. And they shall be Mine, saith Yahweh, in that day when I make up My jewels and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth Yahweh and him that serveth Him not.”

Revelation 11:18 records, “And the nations were angry, and Thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that Thou shouldst give reward to Thy servants the prophets, and to the saints and them that fear Thy name, small and great; and shouldst Thou destroy them that destroy the earth.” Today the nations are angry, and it seems that the time of the judgment and reward is near at hand.

Isaiah 3:10-11 gives us rich promises. “Say ye to the righteous that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe unto the wicked! It shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hand shall be given him.” In Isaiah 40:10-11 we read, “Behold, Yahweh will come with strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him: behold his reward is with Him, and His work before Him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: He shall gather His lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead them that are with young.” Matthew 16:27 confirms this. “For the Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father, with His angels: and then He shall reward every man according to his works.”

Do not confuse this with salvation, which is the unearned gift of Yahweh to all men who claim it by faith in Yahshua our Savior. Redemption is only for Israel, you can only redeem what you have owned before. Even those who are saved get different rewards, as they may have earned.

In I Corinthians 3:8-14 Paul tells us, “Every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor. I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereon. For other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Yahshua. Now if any man can build on this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work, of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereon, he shall receive a reward.”

The troubles you are undergoing, are part of the fire which is testing your work. Making a good sword blade is a terrible process. The metal must be heated red hot, then laid on the anvil and beaten heavily with a hammer, to forge it into shape and make the metal tough and strong. You are also undergoing this forging and tempering process, to make you a blade fit for Yahweh’s hand to wield.

Remember, your destiny is to be part of His government of the whole universe. You must gain the strength of soul to carry it out, fearless and firm in the right, absolutely uncompromising with evil.

All the signs of world conditions today, indicate that we are getting very near to the time of the judgment, when the wheat will be separated from the tares, the good from the evil. Soon we can triumphantly sing those words of Psalm chapter 58, “The righteous shall rejoice when He seeth the vengeance: He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked. So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: He is a God that judgeth in the earth.”

Critical note by Clifton A. Emahiser: Another outstanding presentation given by Bertrand L. Comparet! It should be noted, however, when the Scripture speaks of the wicked, it is talking about their evil genetics as well as their evil deeds. Comparet’s most outstanding statement in this lesson was: “Do not confuse this with salvation, which is the unearned gift of Yahweh to all men who claim it by faith in Yahshua our Savior. Redemption is only for Israel, you can only redeem what you have owned before.”