The Bible is filled with examples of what it calls “the Wicked”. These are men and women who have excelled in wickedness and evil. Other words that you can use to describe wickedness are: “vicious, unlawful, unethical, vile, sinful, evil, unsavory, cruel etc.”
Wickedness has always existed in the world, right from the time of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden.Satan or the devil is the father of wickedness. Cain killed his brother Abel because he was jealous of him. King Herod killed thousands of innocent children just to ensure that baby Jesus was destroyed. Judas Iscariot betrayed his master, Jesus Christ, for 30 pieces of silver. Delilah pressured Samson to tell her the secret of his power so that she can sell him to his enemies, the Philistines.
Pharaoh of Egypt refused to let the Israelites go, even after God had afflicted Egypt with 9 plagues. It was not until the 10th plague that he finally agreed to let them go. Even after that, he changed his mind until he became “fish sandwich” with his warriors, as they perished in the Red Sea.
What shall we say of Abimelech in the Bible who killed 70 sons of his father Gideon , just to become the King? Or Athaliah, the over- ambitious woman who destroyed all the royal heirs of the house of Judah and made herself queen? What of Haman the Agagaite, who hated just one man, Mordecai, but wanted to annihilate a whole race of people, just because one man refused to bow down to him?
This is wickedness!
Evil did not just exist in Biblical times but is still present and thrives in the world today. However, thanks be to God, for he has seen what wickedness can do and is up to the task of punishing the wicked. He does not allow the wicked to go unpunished.
First, what does God think about wicked people?
In Psalm 50:16-21:
“But to the wicked God says: “What right have you to declare My statutes, or take My covenant in your mouth, seeing you hate instruction and cast My words behind you? When you saw a thief, you consented with him, and have been a partaker with adulterers. You give your mouth to evil, and your tongue frames deceit. You sit and speak against your brother; You slander your own mother’s son. These things you have done, and I kept silent; You thought that I was altogether like you; But I will rebuke you and set them in order before your eyes.” NKJV
What punishment can the wicked expect from God? Let’s listen to what Zophar the Nammanithe has to say on the fate of the wicked. In Job 20:4-29:
“Do you not know this of old, since man was placed on earth, That the triumphing of the wicked is short, And the joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment? Though his haughtiness mounts up to the heavens, And his head reaches to the clouds, yet he will perish forever like his own refuse.
Those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’ He will fly away like a dream, and not be found; Yes, he will be chased away like a vision of the night. The eye that saw him will see him no more, nor will his place behold him anymore. His children will seek the favor of the poor, and his hands will restore his wealth. His bones are full of his youthful vigor, but it will lie down with him in the dust. “Though evil is sweet in his mouth, and he hides it under his tongue, though he spares it and does not forsake it, but still keeps it in his mouth, yet his food in his stomach turns sour; It becomes cobra venom within him.
He swallows down riches and vomits them up again;God casts them out of his belly. He will suck the poison of cobras; The viper’s tongue will slay him. He will not see the streams, The rivers flowing with honey and cream. He will restore that for which he labored and will not swallow it down; From the proceeds of business, he will get no enjoyment.
For he has oppressed and forsaken the poor, He has violently seized a house which he did not build. “Because he knows no quietness in his heart, He will not save anything he desires. Nothing is left for him to eat; Therefore, his well-being will not last. In his self-sufficiency he will be in distress; Every hand of misery will come against him. When he is about to fill his stomach, God will cast on him the fury of His wrath and will rain it on him while he is eating.
He will flee from the iron weapon; A bronze bow will pierce him through. It is drawn, and comes out of the body; Yes, the glittering point comes out of his gall. Terrors come upon him; Total darkness is reserved for his treasures. An unfanned fire will consume him; It shall go ill with him who is left in his tent.
The heavens will reveal his iniquity, And the earth will rise up against him. The increase of his house will depart, and his goods will flow away in the day of His wrath.
This is the portion from God for a wicked man, The heritage appointed to him by God.” NKJV
With such an ominous pronouncement from the Bible, you would think that the wicked will repent and forsake their ways. However, some have sold their souls to the devil and continue in their trespasses.
So, how do we know who the wicked are?
Let’s look at 7 characteristics of the wicked, so that we can easily identify them. We shall also use some examples of Biblical characters to illustrate our point.
1. The wicked hate other humans beings with perfect hatred, yet they are passionate about their own children and will always strive to promote their own children, to the detriment of others. They will actively hurt and seek to destroy other people's children, whilst they pamper and provide for their own. They are fountains of wickedness and will do anything and go to any lengths to destroy other people’s children. Yet, they are always working very hard to ensure the safety and survival of their own children.
God, in his justice, always ensures that their victims are set free whilst their own children are punished. For example, Haman was hanged on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai. Not only that, all the 10 sons of Haman were hanged on 10 gallows as well.
2. Wicked people are very selfish and over ambitious and will do all in their power to get what they want. Jezebel, the wife of King Ahab got Naboth killed, so that King Ahab could have his vineyard. King Herod killed the children of Jerusalem to ensure that baby Jesus did not live.
3. Wicked people are very arrogant and full of pride. They consider themselves better than others and use boasting words to try and intimidate their opponents. For example, king Sennacherib of Assyria sent his men to deride the men of Jerusalem and Judah in the days of King Hezekiah. He even wrote a letter to boast of his former victories and to drive fear into King Hezekiah and his people. God sent just one Angel who killed 185,000 soldiers of Sennacherib in one night! In the end, his own two sons killed him.
4. Wicked people are full of deceit and will go out of their way to arrange situations to favor them. God who sits in heaven laughs at them and cause their evil to recoil on their own heads. What they intend for their own welfare becomes a trap and a snare.
5. Wicked people are murderers and killers. Human lives mean nothing to them. They are ruthless and can kill a whole family or dynasty just to secure their selfish ambition. There are several examples in the Bible. Abimelech killed 70 sons of his father Gideon. Cain killed Abel. King Herod killed innocent children. Athaliah killed all the royal heirs of the house of Judah.
6. Wicked people are experts at conspiracy and treachery. They love to hide in darkness whilst causing trouble for others. They have a lot of skeletons in their closet and hate it when someone else is aware of their evil deeds. On the other hand, they love the spotlight and want to be known for their fake philanthropy and community activities.
For those that are in positions of authority and influence, they use the apparatus of power and their position to intimidate and destroy those that they perceive as their enemies. Remember how King Herod killed the small babies of Jerusalem? He was using his authority and power to destroy innocent children.
They do not hesitate to gang up against the innocent, as they recruit others to join them in their nefarious activities. That was what Abimelech did when he killed 70 sons of Gideon so that he could become the King.
Wicked people love to cause trouble for others. Unfortunately for them, their owns traps that they have set for others always ensnares them.
7. Wicked people are always restless and eager to do evil. The Bible says that they lie on their beds, planning evil. They are very manipulative, always scheming and lying. However, if they are faced with the same challenges that they have created for others, they become like jellyfish and underneath all their “braggadocio” is a coward!
When Pharaoh followed the children of Israel into the Red Sea, he did not bargain for what happened to him. God literally turned the tide against him, and he perished in the Red Sea!
So, what can you do when you are faced with an onslaught from the wicked?
The first thing you need is to make sure that you have given your life to Christ. Next, repent of every known sin and get into a right standing with God. Then pray fire prayers to dismantle the powers of the wicked. Finally, ask for God to intervene in your situation, that is, pray for “Divine Intervention”.
You will be victorious!
In Jesus mighty name we have prayed, Amen!
Invitation to Salvation.
Jesus is calling you today. He is saying to you:
“Come to me all who are tired from carrying your heavy loads and I will give you rest”. Mathew 11:28
If you want to accept this invitation, pray to God. You can say something like this:
“Lord Jesus, I am a sinner. I confess my sins before you today. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I want to know you personally.I open the door of my life to you and ask you to come in and be my Lord and personal Savior.Take control of my life.Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life.Make me the kind of person that you want me to be. In Jesus name I have prayed. Amen.”
If you have sincerely put your trust in Jesus to be your Savior, welcome to the household of God!
